turkeygirl2

just not quite close enough. Last night I roosted the gobbler that I missed last Sunday. He had one hen with him and roosted on the same ridge, in about same exact spot. Went in this morning, set up on his level but was probably 100 yards away or so. He starts gobbling around 5:30, 6ish he must have flown down as 50-70 yards away I see movement and for a good 20 minutes +, I watched his tail fan out as he struts in one spot the whole time! Eventually he moved down the ridge, sounded like towards and old logging trail...must have been following the hen. A little while later I moved to another spot them came back to this ridge, but set up more on the downside where he'd gone down. I had my hen and jake decoy out. Well about 1/2 hour later I hear him gobble, about 2 small hills over, and then a hen starts up between myself and him...boy was she hot! After about 5-10 minutes of crazy yelping by me and the hen, and several gobbles...I decide to go up the hill, run across the field, and come up above him on his side. I get to that side and I heard one more gobble then that was it! The hen though came right in..I intentionally scared her off, in case she was going to try to cut him from me,lol. Didn't work though, never heard or saw him again...he sounded like he was down in the woods a little bit, in a small ravine....I waited a while then moved down a logging trail....that hen I spooked took off....then I stopped and a bird in some brushy stuff under a hemlockflew off..I thought crap, I hope it wasn't him. Although part of me was/is worried it was him, I think it was maybe a hen, because I'd heard a few clucks down that way from where I'd been sitting....it was in some thicker stuff...I wouldn't think he'd be in there....and when I shot and missed him ,he ran, he didn't fly...I think he's got a few pounds to him that'l slow his take off,lol. This all didn't happen on the roost ridge so I'll be back tonight, hoping to roost him again.

Any tips?

Gotbuck

It is amazing how many call these birds stupid. These are some of the smartest birds in my book. They have great eyes and can sense when something is not right. I've been after a few big gobblers here in Missouri, but with high winds and lots of rain my time is up. Each time the gobbler was with a hen and that is almost impossible to get him away from her. You are right on track to roost them and set up next morning. What I do is some light clucking when they fly off the roost to let them know you the hen are in the area. I'm sure you know patience is key, but I'll be honest when a big ol tom is coming it is very hard to be everything but patient. Good Luck and get em.

nick_bleuer76

Sometimes I do wonder how smart specific birds. The pair me and my brother doubled on spotted us crossing a driveway with no cover, and started stated putting. They did not run, but they knew something was up. I kept calling and they kept coming, putting and acting nervous, we were in an open driveway, I mean COME ON! There was cover, but non within 30 yards. They came in at 10 yards and we blasted them. My point is that some birds are dumb!

Gotbuck

Now granted they are dumb ones but usually jakes from what I've seen. Those big ol gobblers didn't get big by being stupid.I could just imagine the look on your faces seeing those birds come in like that.

nick_bleuer76

They were 2 years old. Our looks were priceless, I just could not believe it! I mean SERIOUSLY! They saw us walking towards them! And its not like they hung up at 60 yards, we shot them at ten yards!

Champlain Islander

If he is still alive he might get easier to call later in the morning as the season progresses. It sounds like you have a roost pattern down and get a sense of where he likes to go later in the morning. When the hens leave him to go to the nests then he gets lonely and will often come to a call. I have actually had my best luck calling mature birds later in the morning away from their roost sites. My calling is quite aggressive and ends with a cackle when I am trying to locate a bird mid morning. I try to stay high and find they come to a call better if I am above them. I walk the ridges and call every 300 yards or so. If I get an answer I cut way back on the calling and tone it down. If he is coming I don’t call much other than a couple of purrs or a few clucks. If he starts to head the other way I try an aggressive call again then shut up. If I go a while and don’t hear him I get ready and start to look behind me because he will often times sneak in the back way for a peak. Good luck with him.

turkeygirl2

Well I roostedh im last night, different spot but not too far away from the ridge he had been on. Long story short he was out in a field with his one hen, she talked back but wouldn't bring him in....they disappeared behind a slope in the field...

Hoping I can be in the right place/right time soon and get this guy...he's a beauty.

Weather going to be rainy, stormy, and 30-40 mph wind gusts today/tonight/tomorrow so dunno how hunting will work out...but Monday and Tuesday look nice...so if anything he'll be hammering then!

Champlain Islander

If they usually go to that field and you roost him then another way to get him is ambush his expected path. If you try that don't call. Good luck.