Westmoreland VA area. I took my son out for youth day to the same field and did not hear anything (April 2) On the way out we found a lot of tracks (old) in the mud/puddles. I felt that was enough of a sign that the birds where still using the fields.
Today I got to the fields at 5:45am and setup in the same spot. This spot gives me a viewing area of 9 to 4 ( looking at a clock setting on 6) of 60yds and a lot more to the sides. My setup was 15yds out from the blind with (from left to right)Hen, B-Mobile and a Jake. My blind is a Bone collector and I am dress in black.
About 6:15 or so THERE HE IS Gobble-Gobble (maybe 2-3 hundred straight out)not even totally setup inside the blind and there talking (not much but at lest you hear them).I give a little Putt or Cluck(i cant tell the difference) pause-Nothing then a yelp. Still nothing. So I think He heard me he knows where i am lets see what happens.
He Gobbles maybe 3-4 more times between 7:15 & 8:00 and then right in front of my set 8:50 and I see something moving right at the woods edge I give a little putt/cluck and he turns to see my decoys surprise -surprise theres two. They stretch their necks and looked around and look to be a little unsure on what to do.
So I give them a little soft purr and then they moved of to the right like two kids wanting to get out of sight. I could hear them work there way off just over the ridge in the field to my left. Maybe I should have got out of the blind and worked my way over to the other side but I know the woods in there is to thick to do I quietly so I stay.
The birds (beard was only about 3inches long) came out of the woods at about 65yds I might have move to pick up my bow and to make to calls but that's it I think it was the setup. may be they did not want a fight with B-mobile.
Any help
it was a jake, he was intimidated by the gobbler decoy, he's got his butt kicked by older birds before so he won't come in to a deke setup with a gobbler involved.
this is the reason I totaly gave up dekes, young ones are scared, old ones come in till they see the dekes and strut and gobble for 20 min or so expecting the hens to come to them, when they don't they just walk off.
RR
I agree probably a jake.
First thing I would do is forget the cluck if you cant tell the diff. it may be to close to sounding like a put and make them weary.
I would first find the roost and set up in there path, if not poss. I would move the blind to where you first saw them and trade the b mobile in for a jake decoy. Set the decoys up about 15 yards from your blind and past your blind. You may even want to set a hen up in the mating position with your jake facing you. Yelp every 10 min or so and if they don't seem interested when you see them yelp more excitedly.
B mobile..... lots of hunters swear by them and get turkeys often, I rarely use decoys or blinds but if I use decoys I use a jake as it is enough to make a gobbler mad but not scare any off.
Good luck!
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Dont run in on another hunters gobbler! Earn Yours!
Here's a couple of pics of my set up. The second pic is the mess they came out of. the third is the other side of a road where they circled around me.(yellow is where they went back into the woods red is the path they went ) I am thinking I might set up on that point with a hen and Jake on the road. Not sure if I will use a blind next time.Thank for your advice.
Third season NEWBE what happen
