Phil from Maine

Hi guys I am getting stumped as of why the turkeys gobble and will not come out and play.. I hunt a different environment than most of you guys do being cuttings verses fields and the like. I have found a cutting that is holding some birds in there. We have had a loss of birds due to our amount of snowfall this past winter and the bird kill is way down right now for our area. But, we still have them and the area I have found no one has been hunting it. I get there early in the morning and call once every 20 minutes or longer waiting and waiting but nothing shows up. The toms start gobbling the moment I start calling and it will last for up to 2 1/2 hours.. But, still no show!! What's up with that? I can not do a run and gun type of thing because there is a lot of slash in the cuttings.. The slash for those that may not know is tree tops and branches and the like left on the ground there from tree cuttings.. Anyone have any ideas as to how I might be able to get them to come out?? Thanks in advance..

firelt72

It sounds like they are with hens. Or they don't like the set up you are at...One item just a though, call and then stop. Once the gobble no more yelps and cuts, but all soft purrs and putts. happy sounds, scratch the leaves noises. Also do you have dekes out? I like a single hen for most set ups, but Im in Indiana not Maine. Also set up and dont call at all, just ambush them if they are coming to a spot at a set time.

Strut&Rut

You've been trying everything to get them to come to you for days now, with no success - so if you can, do the opposite and go to them. There is probably an obstacle between you and them that they will not cross - remember, an 'obstacle' is defined by them. I've seen toms fly across highways and major rivers to my calls, I've seen others hang-up on the other side of a 12 inch high cobblestone wall. Or, the gobblers are just not willing to leave the real thing and are staying in their comfort zone. Regardless, it sounds like there's something about your area these birds just don't like...

I see three options:

1) Set up in a completely different location, ABOVE the birds if at all possible. See if you can find an area with a clear path between the strut zone and your setup - even if you're farther away. In my experience, birds will (1) always take the least path of resistance, and therefore will cover more ground if it's easy to travel, and (2) are more likely to walk uphill, compared with downhill, to find a hen.

2) IF they move off in the afternoon, and if you have permission to hunt the cut, then go find the actual strut zones (wing drag marks and tracks) and travel routes. MAKE a ground blind with the natural elements of the slash, or set up a man-made blind in the afternoon. Sneak into your blind very early in the morning. At this point you don't need to call to the birds, you're in essence 'pattern hunting' just like you would a deer or moose. Slash is common out West on big areas of timber, and this is a proven technique for difficult birds.

3) Go in at night and bust them out of the roost. The hens will typically fly towards the nests, and the toms will randomly scatter. Get there early, the gobblers should fire off on the roost to attract the hens. Get in close - under 75 yds if you're comfortable - and then be the first hen to sound off. Have the gun up, because he may fly down into your lap.

This is my least favorite of the three and usually my last resort, simply because you may push the birds into a completely new area with other hunters this late in the season...


S&R

PS> have you already tried a mid-morning hunt, starting after 9am and hunting till noon?

Phil from Maine

The first time I discovered it the birds were nearby I am thinking.. It was around 11 am as I was walking a powerline the runs in between part of the cutting a hen flew off out of the tall grass. I had just got threw looking at a lot of tracks just prior to this happening. The area she flew to is the area where these toms keep gobbling at.. It is a jungle of thick slash which is hard going.. On a hill up from them a short ways I maybe able to cut the distance somewhat.. I will be giving it a shot as I will only have the last 3 days to try again for them until next year.. On top of the hill is a small beaver dam out on the line.. As we all know water runs down hill. The main stream ( which is small ) runs away from the cutting they are currently in.. You can hear the hens in the tress during the early morning and then nothing from them..
Most all cuttings here are on paper company lands which is open to everyone.. Most just never explored this area for turkeys so I have not seen any other hunters in there.. I will check any and all advice and try and figure out which to try on them..
Thanks again guys..

RockyMtnGobblers

I would get in close before light and close to fly down do a fly down cackle hitting your hat etc. on the tree and ground if they cant see you, then call but not often. If you can get into the roost area go in after 2pm and wait for the gobbler to gobble when he's in the area you should be able to call him in. As far as going after him when he gobbles and is not coming in you can go in after him yelping every so often and you coming closer can often convince him to come in. Good luck !

Phil from Maine

Thanks I am begining to think that is just about the only option left is to go in closer to them.. I am cautious of that one as it will be very hard not to make any noise going in there.. I am thinking walking in up on top of the hill where it skirts the outside of the cutting some what.. I will try to get in there this evening after work to see if I can get them to come and roost closer to where I have been set up at.. I am planning on keeping after them because I know they are there from all the gobbling they have been doing.. I just can not get them to come out..

Strut&Rut

Phil-

If it's legal in Maine - it was legal in most parts of Oregon that I hunted - take a chainsaw into the area and do some cutting...

If you can't find a path, make one. Take a small saw and cut up some of the tops. Personally, I wouldn't worry about bumping the birds in the afternoon, in essence, you're just trying to clear a path to get into the area (or a path for them to come to you). I successfully used this strategy in Connecticut (when I lived there) to harvest one of my best birds to date...

S&R

Phil from Maine

I am not sure if they would allow me to take a chainsaw in there .. But, I do have a Woodsman Pal by pro tool that can work nicely to clear a path in there.. I will surely be back at them in the morning as I start my 3 days off.. Those happen to be the last 3 days of or season and hopefully one will give me a shot.. They are clearly in there and must be very wise or something as I have had no luck getting them to come out at all. But, tomorrow is another day and I will be back at them just before the sun comes up..

Thanks for the ideas and tips on this problem..

Phil from Maine

Well they beat me this year..

But even with our turkey numbers being way down.. The jake I shot this year is better than what most have shot as our tagging stations are way down.. I blew it the first week of the season on 2 nice toms and got to spend a lot of time out there waiting for a turkey.. I did manage to see 2 more nice toms but could not get a shot at either of them.. That is why we call it hunting and not shopping for a turkey.. I could of hunted for a place to hunt down in the more southern part of the state where the numbers were higher but, choose to hunt up here.. It has been a great year to be out there..

The last day of our season I manage to see an old hen scampering off with 15 to 20 day old poults scampering threw the grass and brush behind.. A great reminder of another season being born again..

Thanks guys and take care...

w123t

Phil, glad you had fun out there. It was a tough year here in mid coast as well.
Lots of Tom's that acted very henned up during the first couple weeks of the season and definitely not as many birds to be found. Got lucky and
managed to get two cooperative 2 year old Toms to come in nicely.

Better luck next year.