snapahed

Alright....this is my second year hunting turkey...Basically I am hunting public land in south Florida. The area I am hunting is a bone dry lake bed surrounded by tall pines. I have hunted this area 4 times this year and the following situation happens each time. I usually get out there about 1-1.5hrs before sun up and settle into my spot. I try an owl call to locate the birds but never get a reflex gobble. Just as the sun is turning the woods from grey to yellow I can hear the gobbles straight across the dry lake from me. So I yelp back. Then he will gobble. So I wait a little while and lightly purr and cluck. I do have 2 decoy hens out in front of me about 30yrds. Then I yelp he will gobble. And this pattern goes on for 45 minutes then he just shuts off. The other day I had 2 gobblers doing this but they never came into my sight. I would hear them close then farther away then close again. How do I get this guy to come in. Am I calling too much? Should I set up on the other side of the lake bed? Any help will be greatly appreciated...Thanks

Silent_Death

Can you be more specific on the area? Is this wide open line of sight from your location to his across this lake bed? How big of lake bed is this? I don't use decoys myself but seems to me if your decoys are way out in front of you and he is sitting there looking at them and if they were real could see him as well, he either had a real hen come to his location or figures something is wrong when your fake ones don't move.

zubba

Try setting up closer to him. If it sounds like he roosts in the same area, walk over that way (in day light) and find a place closer to set up for the next morning. Or if you can do it quietly and without being seen, when he starts gobbling, sneek over his way closer to where he is roosted. Atleast then you can see what he is doing at flydown.

turkey harvester

Sounds like he is in his strut zone. He probably won't come to you, you have to go to him. Try using a crow call to make him shock gobble. If you call to him he will stay in his strut zone and do nothing but strut and wait for the hen he hears. Get in his face at daylight, you know where he roosts. Make you set-up closer to him and use your decoys. If he answers your calls let him come to you. If you call alot he will sit tight and wait for the hen he hears. Call sparingly and let his gobble tell you what he wants to hear. Let his curious nature drive him wild and he will come and investigate where the calls are coming from.Then lay the smack down on his butt.

BigBuck28

ok it sounds to me liek he is already henned up!! he has his ladies so he thinks yah you can come over but im not going to you. You have a few options here.

1. you can have a buddy come and have him start next to you calling and then move farther away behind you and make him gobble once. this give the effect that another intruder bird or imatute jake has comea and taken thishen away.
2. You cna try a fighting pur and make it seem there are other toms that are going to take his new sexy hen hes been listening 2.

3. Just wait it out... wait till the hen hes has goes to nest. he knows where you are and will proble return looking for you.

4. This is a last resort if you cna see the toms and get close to him withi 150 yards and you SEE that he has a hen with him.. RUNNNN at him screaming and hollering. i kow this sounds nuts but i ahve done it before what you want is for the tom to go one way and the hen to go the other. i can almost promise you that if you sit down and let things calmdown and start calling within about 8 minutes that, that tom will be gobbling his head off trying to call her back and get back with her!! i kow it sounds nuts but i ahve shot a few birds this way.
5. you could try to move closer but you said the bird is gobbling at you so that means he can hear you and thus knows where you are. and you should proble forget about the owl hoot you already know where the bird is

Hope this helps you kill that bird or birds keep me posted on thei and i def want to you know if you get em!!!goodluck!

Josh R

If he has been flying down in the same location sneak in when it is completly dark and set up where he has been flying down. Don't make a call and shoot him when he hits the ground. Good luck make sure you show us the picture.

GobblerTracker

Good info.
I would also go in during daylight and find out where they fly down too, see if he lands there regularly, if he struts there then come in early careful not to get close enough to spook em and set up. If he cant see you I would flap a wing as if you are a hen landing maybe one call and shut up. ( use a different call) Less I think is better if your in the right place.