barefoot

If we're talking PUBLIC woods here, then we have a delima. Protocol says that you don't disturb another fellow's hunt. I've been on both sides of this equation - been the first one there and had my hunt busted by another hunter AND I've pulled up to my spot to find another truck already there. I think that the first one in on public woods has a responsibility, too. He should mark which direction he went. I don't want to bust anybody's hunt, but its PUBLIC woods, after all, and I have a right to hunt there, too. All I need is the direction you don't want me to go, and I'll head off in another. The public woods I sometimes hunt in often have a parking area at the head of a road that may go 3 miles further in, but be blocked to traffic. There's no way ONE man can hunt that much area, but I have no idea where he went, so I roll the dice and pick a direction. Most others do the same. You can tell by the number of trucks how full an area is.

Now, for the second part of your question, if I got to my second spot after flydown, I would STILL expect to hear some gobbling, so you can locate a bird, move to him, set up, and close the deal. I've even trailed along behind a bird that was moving away from me, yelping once in a while to stay in contact, so as NOT to bump him. That bird has a place in mind and you have to keep in contact with him and find out where that is, even if its just to know where to be tomorrow. If you DON'T hear gobbling, then you rely on your scouting and go to the area , set up and cold call for a while. Then pick up and move a ways and call again. Sometimes, changing locations will fire one up that HAD to be listening to you the whole time.

In short, when faced with this situation, its time to try something different.