Can you say "Call Shy"?

[K9Doc]

Ok.  Just a few weeks ago, a thread appeared about the most difficult Public land turkeys to kill.  Well, I said Mississippi and Florida.  I will prove my Mississippi point:

Got in tight this morning(less than 70 yards).  I never said a word to him.  Set up on a huge pine tree.  He pitches out in my direction and i am stoked.  He doesn't stop to smell the roses or stretch his wings.  No strutting.  He is in a hurry to go somewhere.  He has not spotted me.  I made 3-4 note soft yelp to stop him for a shot at 45 yards, and he takes off like the dang "Road Runner" !!!!!!!!!!!!     BEEP BEEP BEEP!!!!  I let loose a load of Hevi 7s to no avail.
What say you Mississippi Public Land Hunters?  Is this one call shy or what?  I would say he has heard it and seen all before!
I may have to put some Hevi shot in his feet before it's all said and done!

[redleg06]

It sounds like he might have been spooked before you ever made a call by how you are saying he didnt want to hang around. 

Hard to tell, but I'd wonder if he hadnt seen something he didnt like from the tree or right after flydown before you made the call.

[K9Doc]

No.  He is a Mississippi Public land bird.  Nothing spooked him but my soft yelps.  Lots of hunters in the area this year, but I was the only hunter there today.  I way in and out down a gated off road, 1 mile walk.  He pitched out and was behind a tree.  He started walking fast, not spooked, until I called softly!!!

[redleg06]

Man, those dang Mississippi public land birds sound tough!!! 

[pseshooter300]

If he wasn't call shy now he prolly is with that hevi load going by him

[K9Doc]

Yep.  When the 7s barked, he hit a gear i have rarely seen in nature!!!  It didn't help much when i took off down thru the woods and he saw me!!!  He then hit a 3rd gear and made a 90 degree turn!!!!  I really educated him!!!
That's OK.  No one else will likely get him until he and i reunite!

[HARDCORE]

Ive never experienced a bird running from a call, not even bad ones and Ive made my share of those. Had to be something else.


HC

[redleg06]

Ive never experienced a bird running from a call, not even bad ones and Ive made my share of those. Had to be something else.


HC

Mississippi public land birds are born to run from the call....

[TnTurk]

Well, I can tell you from first hand experience with those Ms public land birds that being call shy is just the half of it. I've seen them run at the sound of a call, fly straight up in a tree at the sound of a call, and even found them still in the tree on up in the morning scared to pitch down. Usually after the first week they have seen and heard it all, and I'm not just talking about calling either. They definitely have a fear of getting out of bed in the morning. The best luck I've had with those birds is usually around noon or after when the threat of getting their snood blown off has somewhat diminished. Good luck, those are for sure some tough birds to kill.

[Cutt]

I honestly can't say if he was call shy or not, I'm sure many are there as elsewhere too?

But to me, it seems like that bird didn't like something from the get go? I only say this, because if he truly was unaware of anything, and even if he was call shy, most would react with nervously looking around before scramming? You said he immediately ran from the call, I'm guessing this just reassured his first suspicion, that something was wrong to begin with?

[deerhunt1988]

I have witnessed them turning away at the sound of yelping numerous times..

I deal with those by just clucking/purring/scratching..

[HARDCORE]

"call shy" does this mean a gobbler would turn and run from a real hen if he couldn't see her, even without looking first.

HC

[turkey_slayer]

Turkeys don't run from turkey sounds or they would starve to death from running so much  . There has to be more to it

[jakebird]

Agreed, turkeys dont run from turkey sounds unless they are afraid of turkeys. If you are a good caller, and i assume you are, he simply cannot tell the difference. I have two theories. One, he is a shy bird that has had his arse kicked a few times and wants no trouble that might come in the form of a hen attracting another gobbler nearby, or possibly by trying to call softly, you slowed your cadence enough it sounded like gobbler yelps. Gobbler yelps arent always coarse, but they're def slower and lots of folks sound more like gobblers than hens when they call. When in doubt speed up the cadence. Just a theory, only the bird knows why, but dusting him with pellets didnt do anything to reassure him! Lol

[jakebird]

Gobblers talking less and being extra cautious is the result of hunting pressure, but it doesnt make turkeys run away from each other. That's pecking order at work.