Simp

I'd definitely sit down and do some soft purring, clucking and some scratching.

Mr. Longbeard

Just the oposite happens to me... I get there early... Get in the woods and then have the cheese !@#$s come in on me...

Now what???

Bobgobble2

Jw if I've scouted this area and have a fair idea of where the birds are I dont just sit, but set-up.I like to set-up in an area(obviousily where the birds are as noted)but also in an area I have decent visibility but can hear well from too.To set-up in a bottom,by running water,even a road can really cut down a fellas abilty to hear not only faint gobbles but birds moving in the leaves as well as displaying.In situations like this I've learned over the years it pays to use your ears rather than your eyes.Calling is soft and seductive at first until I can see what kind of mood he's in.Once I can get a read on his temperature its 'game on".......

JW

Excellent BobGobble.........as at times during any given season the birds seem to get Lockjaw......

Which leads me to another situation I'll post later....we can't get out their yet tohnt but we can play games in our minds and devise tactics of what we will do......

Keep going guys and gals.....this sin't only for those who have a few years under their belts......and it don't matter how long you have hunted turkeys....you will be humbled with a vast amount of experience ONLY to witness - you have just been given another lesson!

JW

X Legion General

Even if I know I cant get to the next spot until after fly down time I would try to slip in the area and sit while doing some soft calling. If nothing happens I would spend somtime locating while I explored and scouted the land espesially if I was new to the area.

Tuco

I try to pattern my birds a couple of weeks out, and if I miss them when they fly down I try to regroup and beat them to the next spot, doesn't always work but most of the time it will.

hycohounds

just hunt it like you nornally would. i've never been beat to my spot. i'll be where i want to hunt at 3;00 every morning but that don't stop some of the jacklegs from parking beside me and walking in on me..........but don't do what they do. find you a spot where you have confidence that birds are or will be and hope for the best. then wake up earlier tomorrow...tony

txjourneyman

I hunt public land for turkeys quite often. I try to spend the night so I'm that truck you saw when you pulled up. Sorry guys, the early bird and all that.

shaggy1224

go get somebreakfast. hahaha.

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.