Great hunt but still no bird

[SPEARFISH]

     Set up before light yesterday in an area I thought the birds were hanging around.  Set up a decoy in the field, and hid in a blowdown facing it.  Around 6:15 I hear a faint gobble behind me on the other side of a creek.  I give a yelp and hear another gobble.  About 10 minutes later another gobble and it sounds closer.  I reposition myself in the direction the gobbles were coming from and a couple minutes later yelp again.  I hear clucking behind me and slowly turn my head, and there is a nice tom and a hen staring at me at 18 yards right next tom my decoy.  Needless to say, they picked me off and hustled out of there in a direction I had no shot.  

     I hear another gobble where the original bird was, but not getting any closer.  I called back and forth with him for a while then it sounded like he was moving away. He wouldn't cross the creek that was between us, so I picked up and tried to head him off.  The creek was too deep for me to cross from all the rain, so I had to walk back out to the road and cross at a bridge.  I hiked back in to where I thought the bird was and made some soft calls.  He immediately gobbled, so I got set up.  I stayed quiet for a while then called again and he started going bonkers.  He was gobbling like every minute and getting closer.  Finally I see movement at about 60 yards in some thick stuff, but then nothing.  I don't hear anything for a while so I let out a call and he gobbles but a little further away.  We talked back and forth a while and then all was quiet.  It was now 9:00 and I had to head out for work.  I stand up to leave and there he was at 50 yds just standing there.  Of course he picked me off and ran away cackling.

Maybe next time.

[mazzgolf]

I don't hear anything for a while so I let out a call and he gobbles but a little further away.  We talked back and forth a while and then all was quiet.  It was now 9:00 and I had to head out for work.  I stand up to leave and there he was at 50 yds just standing there.  Of course he picked me off and ran away cackling.

Maybe next time.

 

This, I believe, is the reason why people say do not call too much. I think you burned yourself by calling too much. Once you heard Mr. Tom gobble back at you - and you know he knows where you are - shut it down. Make that gobbler lose patience and get curious. Otherwise, hearing you call back to him back and forth, he's going to do what boy turkeys do and wait for the hen to come to him.

 

That appears exactly what he did. He was there the whole time - when you walked out and got busted, that was him waiting for his hen to come to him. Had you shut down the calling after he gobbled back at you the first time, he might eventually get frustrated and go find that hen that he heard a half hour ago but ditched him

 

This same thing happened to me a couple years ago - I learned my lesson. When I know a nearby Tom knows where I am, I rarely call more than every 25 or 30 minutes. It's a battle of patience and discipline between hunter and bird! Sometimes the curiosity gets the better of me and I do call more than I should - when I should be forcing the bird to make that mistake and get curious and come to me!

 

Still sounded like a lot of fun! I haven't had near as much action this week as you. Maybe tomorrow!

[Bonefreak]

Yup, if u give him the silent treatment, he's Guna come in to take a peek. But talkin w him is fun!! Cool story n good luck!!

[hammer4reel]

Having the bird come in is 90% of the fun.

getting to see the show is another 9 %, so you got most of the enjoyment out of the hunt. and makes for another day to get out

[Bucndoe]

Next time throw out a crow call and try to get a shock gobble so you know where he is instead of hen calls.

Edited April 27, 2017 by Bucndoe

[SPEARFISH]

You're probably right about calling too much.  I've done the same thing in the past though and had them come running in.

Still a fun time.  I bought a D week permit so I'll try there again then.  I have a different zone for Saturdays.

[Cedars]

Sounds like a good day in the field. The birds like to teach us lessons. Good luck with the rest of the season.

[BHC]

Great fun day

[LPJR]

I am always learning something new in the woods when it comes to turkeys.... At 1st light, my son passed up 2 Jakes on youth day last week at only 15 yards cause we thought the giants we heard gobbling were going to come in like the jakes did. Well it never happened. The big ones followed the hens to a field and stayed there...This is what makes it fun and frustrating all at the same time, lol!

[Buck154]

Less calling is better

[Rusty]

Yup, if u give him the silent treatment, he's Guna come in to take a peek. But talkin w him is fun!! Cool story n good luck!!