First Timer Frusterated
 

This is my first year turkey hunting. I have been hunting a tom all month long. He will gobble all day but will not come to me. He has a hen with him that talks also. I have been imitating her but he will not come to me. I have hunted him 4 times and ended up stalking him and almost got a shot until he spotted me and bailed. Can I use a "Gobbler" call to try to get his girlfreind to come to me? Maybe he would follow her into shooting range.

RE: First Timer Frusterated
 

The onlu suggestion I would give you about using a Gobbler tube would be extremely careful of who is around you hunting. It is possible that if you start gobbling that another hunter will try to sneak in on you. I have called them in this spring using a gobbler shaker but I also knew there wasn't anyone hunting on the property I was on. It worked til the guy I was calling for moved and the gobbler busted us. One thing you may try to do is locate where the gobbler and hen are roosting and try to get in between them and mimic the hen before flydown. Good luck.

RE: First Timer Frusterated
 

Well I am on private land, the only hunter. I know where they are roosted and they are like right by each other. I could not get that close in the morning. I am not worried about any other hunter hearing the gobbler shaker. I just wonder if they would come to it.

RE: First Timer Frusterated
 

There is no guarentee but yes I have used it to my advantage. So if it is safe for you to use then I would try it.

RE: First Timer Frusterated
 

some of the veteran guys could tell you better,i believe the gobble tube might be more suited to bring in the gobbler,not the hen.using hen talk to bring in the hen i believe is good strategy thus towing in the gobbler.if that is not working,it sounds like you have been with this bird all month and should have some idea of his daily movement.where is he roosting and flying down off the roost?strut zone,feeding field?do you have afternoon hunting,get him coming back to the roost sight.sounds like a sit and wait setup along his roughte might do it.GOOD LUCK.

RE: First Timer Frusterated
 

Some thing I would try is busting them off the roost the night before you hunt them. Wait untill it is quite dark and walk under the tree the hen is in and holler and bang a branch on the trees. At least get the hen to fly away, do this if they are roosted in the same tree too. If you can keep track of witch way the gobbler goes so you can set up on him in the morning. If you can split them up in the dark that old gobbler will be mighty lonely come dawn, and you will be the only hen near him if all goes well. The key is to wait untill you can hardly see before you bust them up.

RE: First Timer Frusterated
 

Ditto on busting the roost.

Can also try ambushing, ie getting between the flydown spot and his first strut zone, without making any calls. No calls here is the key, as the first hen cluck and his lady will drag him in the opposite direction.

Finally, hunt a different bird. I've seen guys lose all sense of sanity hunting one particular bird...and 9/10 times the bird wins, which equals a very disheartening and empty-handed season...

RE: First Timer Frusterated
 

Well I would hunt a different bird but I'm in Eastern Oregon. If your lucky enough to find some turkeys you better hunt them, and I found em. But there is only 1 tom and 1 hen on this whole dam ranch. All the jakes dissapeared opening weekend.

RE: First Timer Frusterated
 

GC, Don't get frustrated as most of us here in Colo. have to hunt a few seasons before we get our first bird. OR is probably the same.
You might want to try the lonesome hen approach to get that hen to come find you and bring the tom along. Be sure to use a call they haven't heard before as they do seem to remember calls that they've busted or ignored before. Good luck.