How have you been beaten by smart gobblers?

'Come on admit it.We get beat every year.What did you try,and how did he get away?I think we can alllearn from this.WHat do you think my mistakes were?WHat were yours?

I'll start.

Last year as I was roosting birds theevening before season,I heard one loud-mouthed turkey gobbling on the ground,and gobbling on his way towards the road.I heard him fly up.Then I heard some more birds behind me,and a deep sounding gobbler.The loud-mouthed bird is the one I decided to try with my wife the next morning,as the other deep sounding tom wouldn't respond to the hoot owl,very much.

Later I decided to go for the deep sounding tom.Three other hunters were after this bird,and I thought I could get him.He was staying around a 200 acre patch of woods.There were only 2 birds on the place.I found out he had been shot down on the 2nd weekend,but had gotten away.No one had heard him again.He was presumed dead.The other loud-mouthed tom didn't make it through the first week.I started my quest,by tracking all the roads,and found a few tracks on one side of the block.Iwas walked along a road glassing down thinned pine rows.WHOAH!There he is!I got down,he didn't see me.Beard swinging low,and head so red.He was about 75yds away.I called to him,and he looked back..then eased off.I didn't know it at the time,but that would be the closest I ever got to him.

On my next hunt I tracked him again.I went in where I had saw him before.Nothing.I hunted in that area all morning.Calling sparingly,glassing thinned rows.I did see one hen.I started to leave,and as I cut around the corner.There he was!He ran into the block I had been in all morning.

OK,The next day I parked way away,and drove my bike in.No gobbling...I biked the entire block,searched every nook and cranny then I found some tracks..on the other side of the block.This tom is not patternable!I was easing out the back way around 1pm,and came to a corner where I had seen the last set of fresh tracks.

I'm not getting busted this time,so I peeped the corner..no bird.I go back to my truck,half way to the spot where I had seen tracks...THERE HE IS!busted!3 sigtings 3 different spots.He would not respond to any calls.He would not come to any calls.Actually I believe they made him go the other way.

2 days before I got my last bird ofseason.I had one more chance with this bird.I'm gonna get him...SHhyeea right.I get down there,and come in from a 4th different direction.There he is in the road,and he ran off.I turned around and left.This bird was a road bird.He wouldn't gobble.He had no pattern.The bushes were real thick along the road,so I had to go down the road.I changed approaches everytime,hehehe I guess so did he ..What do you guys think I could have done different?I just can't let that one go.I had to give him credit he broke me down a notch....