Box Call

I'm hunting some mountainous public land in Maryland that I have scouted a lot over the past 8 to 10 weeks. The land consists of some open mixed hardwood areas along with other areas of thick laurel. I found a large feeding area just down over the main ridge in one of the mixed hardwood areas. Hens roost about 1/4 of the way down the mountain directly below the feeding area. I have also found that the gobblers are roosting about 500 yards north of the feeding area also about 1/4 of the way down the mountain. There is a large trail that runs from just below where the hens roost parallel with the ridge and goes just below where the gobblers roost. I figured this was probably a good highway for the hens and gobblers to use rather than fighting through some of the thicker areas between the 2 roosts. During some early morning scouting, I listened to the gobblers sound off, fly down, and head south, seemingly to meet the hens at the feeding area (although I'm not sure if they were on the trail or just in the woods). I didn't want to spook the birds during scouting, so after the gobblers would leave, I would also.

Our season started on Mon. 4/19 and here is what has happened so far:

On the first day, I figured if the gobblers were sounding off there would be a race to see how many guys could set up on them, so I opted to set up near the feeding area, hoping to intercept them after they got bumped off the roost by everyone else. I did call in a few hens and saw some other hens fly down, cackling in front of me, and head out toward where the gobblers were roosting. They also seemed to be using the big trail. I didn't hear any gobblers the first morning and wasn't successful in calling in anything but hens.

On the second day, I thought I would use the same strategy hoping where there were hens, the gobblers would also show up. I had some hens answer my early calls, but they didn't come up to me. I also heard 1 gobbler sounding off from 6:30 until 7:00 am, at which point I picked up and moved to set up on him. Of course he stopped gobbling by the time I got to where I wanted to set up. After that I didn't hear of see anything the rest of the morning (we can only hunt until 12:00 noon).

Today, I decided I was going to sneak down to the trail that is just below the roosting areas and set up somewhere in between with decoys right on the trail. I was closer to the gobblers roosting area than I was the hens, and at about 6:20 am you would think I died and went to gobbler heaven. 2 started gobbling up higher on the ridge from me, 4 were gobbling on the same level as me, 2 were gobbling right next to the trail about 100 yards north of me, and 6 were gobbling below the trail also about 100 yards north. I had only ever heard 3 gobbling in this area during any of my scouting!! My decoys were just north of me right where the trail makes a bend so they would have to come around the bend to find them, and I was sitting against a big tree with some laurel around me about 15 yards from the decoys. I figured when these guys flew down, I might get run over! At about 6:30, they were still going nuts so I gave then a very soft yelp (sort of a tree yelp) and I think they all responded. From there I figured I would shut up until they started hitting the ground. This gobbling went on until close to 8:00 am, and they were all still in the same place (in the trees). We did have rain over night, but it was sunny this morning. Then, you would think someone turned off the switch. The gobbling stopped, and I never heard any of these birds fly down (don't they cackle like a hen when they fly down?). You would think they disintegrated into the air. I tried some soft yelps and clucks, then some clucks and purrs and got no response and no visitors.

Sorry this is so long, but I'm a bit frustrated after today's action. Are there any suggestions how to hunt these birds and what could have happened??

Thanks.

Box Call

Come on guys and gals. I really need some help here! I'm going back out after these raskals tomorrow and my confidence took a turn for the worst today. Could all of these gobblers have seen me or heard me? After listening to the real hens the first 2 days, I think my calling was pretty much like I had heard them doing. I didn't hear any other hens calling in the early morning. I thought I was the only party in town, but not one interested tom out of all of these came to pay me a visit. I know after 3 days I don't smell too good, but I didn't think they could pick that up?????

kerr73

Keep the faith .On public lands here in missouri there is alot of pepole that use them so it make's it harder .And all thouse other turkey's you heard could have been other hunter or some of themat lest keep trying but my best advice is to try and you privet land if you can beside that you sound like you are doing it right but i'm new at turkey hunting so who know's

strut

Sneak in on them as close as possible, Don't do any calling at all until you hear some fly down, then just do very little, along with rattling the leaves just a little and unless they are all henned up you should see a gobbler. Don't give up, Patients is very important when it comes to turkey hunting.

Box Call

Thursday, I went to the same area that I had heard 15 gobbling the day before. I snuck in and was going to wait until I heard some fly down to call softly and scratch the leaves. Problem is, I didn't hear 1 gobble all morning. I did have some hens pass through some thick cover up from me. They said hello and goodbye.

I left them go in that aread today and hunted another area, but had no luck there either. We are having a pretty bad thunder storm right now. Do you think that will make them gobble in the morning again?? I'm taking a friend who hasn't had a chance to get out yet and would like to at least get to set up on some that are gobbling.

I wish I knew what these birds are thinking because they sure have me stumped right now!

Thanks

Box Call

I went back to the spot where all the gobbling took place on thurs. and low and behold a tom started sounding off at 5:40 am. I got within 50 yards of him and put out a jake and hen decoy setup, took a seat, and hoped he wouldn't gobble so much to draw all the hunters in the area to him. He was the only one I could hear gobbling on my side of the mountain. I waited until about 6:00 am, listening to his constant gobbling, and then gave him a soft yelp. He immediately responded. I decided to wait until I heard him fly down to call again. At 6:20 I heard wings and his feet hit the ground (my blood pressure also went up). I clucked and yelped softly, and he immediatedly answered. I thought "alright, here we go". He would gobble on his own, about every minute, but must have been strutting and not coming in. I decided to give him the silent treatment and make him come looking for me. After about 1/2 hour, I couldn't wait any longer and yelped softly. He answered from 150 yards down the ridge going the other way! At that moment, I had a brilliant thought "I need to move on this guy and move fast"! I tried to circle him to get in front of where he was going, but every time I would cluck or yelp, he would answer and still be ahead of me. I finally put it in overdrive and when I thought I was past him, I cut down to where I thought he would be heading. I clucked and yelped and got no response. I waited for him to look for me and nothing. I decided I must have spooked him into not talking and decided to circle back to my starting point, since most of my gear was back there yet. About 1/2 of the way back I decided to cluck and yelp just for the heck of it, and he gobbled about 100 yards directly below me. I got within 75 yards of him and clucked and yelped and he blasted me again. I thought "game's on again". He again pulled his "I'm not coming to you routine, so I closed to about 50 yards. I put my seat near a tree and when I went to sit down, I heard wings. I turned to watch him fly down through the valley. Ooops! I guess I got 1 tree too close. Oh well, I think I learned a lot from this encounter and will try to build on it in the future.

Any suggestions on what to do if this happens again?

Thanks again to all!

cj5

one word PATIENCE!! the lack of is why we screw it up all the time, trust me it isnt one of my best traits neither, but we live and learn