I'm hunting the weirdest birds I have encountered in 40 years. They never gobble in the tree, instead they wait until a half hour to an hour to gobble. Then it's very brief, maybe two or three times. Anyhow I have a pair of gobblers that are running together. I have called to them three different mornings, and never get even a screw you gobble. I've called loudly, softly and mixed up the types of calls. What in the heck is going on with these birds?? I don't think they have hens or at least I have not seen hens with them.
They may be getting a lot of pressure. Maybe not. Predator numbers might be up. No telling but if there is no pattern to them in their daily movements then you may be in for a hell of a time. Try to find where they roost one evening if you can and then do like we've done to a lot of Everglades Osceolas and get within 50 yards of his tree and make sure he flies down to within shotgun range and shoot him before his toes even really get wet. Down there they hardly ever gobble and if they do its in the tree and once in a blue moon they gobble on the ground. This is how they avoid the numerous amount of bobcats and panthers over the years is by shutting up on the ground. You tend to ambush a lot more birds and its not near as exciting, but fried turkey tastes the same regardless of if it was called in or snuck up on.
I'd try my best to pattern them and be where they want to be when they get there.
I put a lot in to scouting and knowing where birds are, there are times I could tell you where to be when and you could kill a bird (Ok some luck & skill is still involved). Have gone in on a bird and just let him know I'm "there" and have had them show up :)
One of my favorites was "10:00 Bird" Buddy and I started off in another spot and had some hens best us... Gobbler did his thing and followed them around, told my buddy we need to leave and get after "10:00 Bird" he asked what I was talking about. Told him I have this bird scouted and he is in his spot every time I check him at 10:00... I wanted to get there before him and we were off. This set was on the top of a ridge in a pasture, I watched him strutting from the next ridge over. We got in and set, never even made a call, I set my DSD Feeding hen in the pasture, this was his strut zone. About ten to ten he came walking out on the low left side of us and as soon as he seen the DSD he just started strutting, took him about a half hour to dance his way to us and game over! After I killed him we made our way back to our first set and had #2 killed by noon!!
MK M GOBL
HA. THATS VERY NORMAL DOWN HERE
THE BIGGEST REASON THAT I CAN COMPLY TO THERE BEHAVIOR
IS WE HAVE A EVER GROWING POPULATION OF YOTS
NOT UNCOMMON TO STAY UP UNTILL 10 o'clock
Yea, it not pressure as I am the only one who hunts the land. I'm leaning toward coyotes and some type of ambush situation since he does not want to play fair.
If they don't gobble they won't call in hens and won't breed.
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Have sometimes seen them gobble alot less when there is no competition from other gobblers on the property.