What should I have done differently?
 

I don't really feel like i did anything wrong, but rather than dismiss the situation as "part of turkey hunting", i thought i would check with you to see if i could have done something different. Without making this post too long, I won't include too many details, but basically, I was set up about 5-600 yds from where the gobbler was roosted (too far but i didn't know where he was). Anyway, he flew down after gobbling in the tree and on the ground, getting to my location about 30 min later. He stayed about 125 yds away from my decoys, travelling perpendicular, gobbling and strutting, but would not come in. He move farther away before turning toward me, standing at the far end of the field, again, strutting and gobbling. I was careful not to call more than a tiny bit, also tried going silent, tried purring, etc, all over the course of about an hour. He still would not commit, he stood there waiting from the hen to come to him. Finally, he seemed to realize after watching my decoys, that something wasn't right and he turned, walked away and never gobbled again. I am sure he did not see me move b/c i was completely still, though in his direct line of sight. I was behind a few bushes, moderately shielded but completely still.

any idea why he would not come in? why he might have turned and walked away after staring at my jake and hen for 15 minutes straight?

I don't know what happened. It was still a great hunt, but i am looking for input. thx

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

Its so hard to say what the gobbler was thinking. Id chalk it up to just plain old turkey hunting. You can beat yourself up over should I have called more, should I have closed the distance while he was on the roost. If you were 5-600 yards away that could have been the problem. It sounds like you called him in from a long way. So he did come to your calls. There are so many variables it could have been...

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

You can never say for sure. What kind of decoys did you have out? Did you have a jake for him to want to pick a fight with or just hens? I wish I knew why they hang up and what to do about it, that gets real frustrating but thats turkey hunting!

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

arrowmaster is right on the money. Turkey hunting is part luck too, the turkeys don't always do what we want them to do. A person always second guesses after the turkey is gone what if this, what if i did that but no one ever knows for sure what will happen.

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

so i guess it is not necessarily that uncommon for a turkey to hang up like it did on me and then leave? I have not been doing this that long, but have never had one stay just out of range and refuse to come in.

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

No it is not uncommon for a gobbler to hang up. He maybe the dominant bird and they definetly are smart. He may have played the game before...

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

You did learn one thing if he roosts in that spot again you can setup where he hungup.That is a place he feels comfortable.

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

yeah, i'll get closer next time. too many opportunities for something to go wrong being 600 yds from the head

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

How far out in front of you are your decoys. Were they to close to you were he may have thought something was fishy.

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

they decoys were 25 yds in front of me. unfort, it was a direct line between me, the decs and him. however, he could have come in from my side, but his fishy attitude kept him at bay. he was really a suspicious bird. i still don't think he made me though i wonder if he figured out the decs were fake after watching them for 15 min never moving

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

wish i had a dollar for everytime that has happened to me;)thats just hunting. Did you have the decoys facing you?? I like to do this because the hung up tom feels like he has not got the attention of the (decoys) because they are facing away from him so he feels like he has to come in and go aroundthe jake to get in hisface. Here is something that has worked well for me. After being defeated :Dby a hung up Tom, or Tomstry going silent and letting him walk out of sight, slip in as close as possible to where heHAD been and call lightly at first, if he responds but still wont come in do alot of cutting, yelping, purring. This worked twice for me last season, for my bird and my sons bird. I guess it makes them more comfortable that the hen (decoy)is now where he was already before. Try it, it works for me, and good luck.:)

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

As said move closer. Try to keep the sun at your back and hide inthe shadows.

Don't use as many decoys you may need one or maybe none!

Question still is

Did you have a jake decoy out? If so do not use it.

JW

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

I didn't re=post that part, sorry. yes, jake and hen

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

I agree with this 100% after he leaves and there is no chance he is being sneaky go to the spot he hung up and call again. Another tip, others may disagree but I know it works on some birds, I dont like to put my dekes out where a bird can see them from a hundred yards (except a struttin deke). Because I think this is 1 of many reasons a bird hangs up. He approches a hen making lets get our groove on noises, he easily sees the hen and responds, and waits and responds again and waits. Eventually he figures this to be odd. So I would suggest to use humps and hills to your advantage. Set up where he has to top a hill or ravine (nothing huge he's only 3' tall when telescoped) to see your dekes and be at your guns max range or a little less from the hill as soon as he sees the dekes he is in your range. Now you can wait until he comes all the way in, but if he hangs up he is still thumped. If you have no hills I like to place the dekes in the bush a little where it is visible but not from a great distance for all the above reasons and run the same scenerio. And lastly if you have a bird patterned and know where he should come from (never definate) you can set up where the tom comes from the direction of your left shoulder and your dekes are about 25-30 yards off to your right shoulder. You have to go silent once the bird gets into eyesight of your dekes, because he will figure out (unless he is way out there) that the sounds he is hearing in not coming from the birds he seeing. When done correctly and if he hangs up at 60 yards from your dekes he is only 30 yards from your barrell.

Sorry for the long post just trying to help, keep going for this guy I also believe he is a boss, but you have already done the hard part by finding his roost and knowing which way he pitches down. good luck tommorow, and post when you get the BBD! ;)

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

Tealboy:

What you have is a field turkey; and they don't get much tougher than that.

What this bird will do is fly down into the middle of a field, gobble and strut and carry on, but never come closer than around 80 yards or so to the edge of a field. Keep in mind that hens go to the gobbler's 90% of the time in the wild, well with this bird, he is a 100% of the time player. The hens will come to him out in the middle of the field, he will strut, and he will follow the hen out of the field to go do what gobblers and hens do.

How you get him is sort of up to you, but I have dealt with this a time or two myself, and there are a couple of things that you can do to get him:

1) .22-250 (just kidding)

2) After he services that hen, he will go to water or to feed before returning to the field around 930 or so. If you can find where he is feeding/drinking, you can ambush him there, or if you know of a general direction he is re-entering the field from. He may walk an old road or logging path or gas line. This has been the most sure-fire way for me of cancelling field turkey's visas.

3) If there is some sort of cut or ditch in the middle of the field, you can lay down in the middle before sun-up, set out a hen, and he will likely fly down to it. Now, he may strut right on top of it and give you a chip shot, or he might (if he is really smart) light 80 yards away and gobble for the hen to close the distance. He might of had a bad experience going to the hen in the past (like getting shot at for example).

4) If you know where he is roosting (and this is a last ditch effort) you can try and get as close as you can to his roost, and hope he pitches in to you there. You might even break out some fighting purrs, or use a spit-drum, might make him get protective, but its sort of a long shot. I'd save it for later on in the season, when there are fewer hens willing to breed as most of them will be tending their nests all day.

Good luck. You'll get him, just be patient and try not to educate him any more.

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

Perhaps a bad experience in the past with turkeys that wouldn't move. Who knows? Perhaps he's had his butt kicked in that area b4. Thats why turkey hunting is so alluring. Ya just never know whats gonna happen!

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

SometimesI go for broke instead of being quiet I pour it on cut and yelp purr throw the kitchen sink at him. If no response after a little while i may gobble (I can do it with my mouth call so no movement) and keep it up It does one of two things I've found either sends him on his way or he commits. If he wasn't coming anyway whats to lose. Sometimes with a bird like that you have to break the rules. I've had it work and have also gone down swinging but the important part is I tried something and that sometimes in turkey hunting just isn't enough. I definately would try to get as close as possible. Its risky but on birds that fly to a field if nothing else has worked I go in maybe 1 1/2 hrs b4 light and sit so he actually flys over head I don't call till he hits the ground . Had it work and also looked like a fool they will humble even the so called pros. Sometimes anything will work and sometimes nothing works thats just turkey hunting thats why we go back its just too much fun not too good luck and enjoy the experience sometimes its better than the kill!!!

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

Sometimes they just have a bad experience with decoys and get a little shy. I've become alot more aggressive in my hunting style partly because I hunt private land in MN and WI (Not my public to be had). As soon as that bird was out of sight, I'd have trotted over towards his last known position and setup there without decoys. Started calling right away and waited. If I know the bird doesn't like the decoys and walks away, what have I got to lose.

RE: What should I have done differently?
 

ive had this problem before, sort of. i always go silent once the bird gobbles a few times to my calls and knows where im at. last year i had a HUGE overcalling problem so this isa good cure for that. as said face the decoy away from where he is coming from, so he thinks it is either leaving or ignoring him. sometimes they just hang up with nothing you can do about it, but you can sure try. maybe a full strut decoy if this bird is a dominant bird, more than likely he will want a fight. these dekes can scare off smaller birds tho, if they are imtimidated and dont wanna fight. id just set up on the side of the field he entered from and try again. in order to get to the middle of a field, he has to enter from one of the edges.