this is my first year turkey hunting.
My first morning at first light I hear 11 gobblers around me roosted. I go to the top of a ridge and wait. I finally have one close(25 yrds) going right to my decoy. I turn the gun a little, and a hen I didn't see, sees me. she runs off and scares everything else with her. CRAP!

morning 2.

After a quiet morning I finnally(10:30) get something going. well, The turkey shuts up and I dont hear anything for a while. I realize its noon and I can't hunt anymore. I stand up, look over to my left, and there are 2 gobblers coming up the ridge about 60 yrds. they run.

If they gave awards for calling them in, then running them off, I'd be the champion.


question from a rookie--

when calling in a gobbler. i he gets close-(100 yrds), and shuts up, does that usually mean they are moving towards you. I had every bird I called in go silent the last 15 min before I seen them.

any advice


sorry its so long.

Yes that happens alot. However, some will gobble and strut all the way to you. Then some will leave quietly and leave you wondering what happened to him, where did he go, what did I do wrong, etc.

Just keep trying and don't give up. Good luck on your next hunt.

dog1

Something else to know about birds that gobble out and then shut up as they get close is that they often don't come in on a straight line, either, and tend to circle around you. So keep still be alert that the bird could sneak in on you.

Yeh, you are supposed to shoot 'em. I didn't this morning and I'll regret until I score again.
Had one bird gobbling, the monarch of the lowlands. He shut up about 75 yards out and when he did show up by my decoy at 12 yards, I thought he looked small and thought maybe a jake had slipped in on my tom.
He turned behind some pine saplings and hit several big gobbles that left no doubt he was a full grown gobbler![X(]
And no, he never came back and presented a shot but I got quite an earful of spitting drumming and gobbling behind those pine saplings. 35 yards away and I never saw him again but I sure heard him![&:]

thanks fellow turkey chasers for the advice!