There's this gobbler he starts gobbling every mornin bout 45 mins before daylight. He gobbles roughly 200 times on the limb. No matter what I do wait til he flys down or call on the limb when he hits the ground he goes the opposite way. He always gobbles 80-100 in the evenin on the limb. He will gobble on the ground pretty good to never see him with hens anytime iv hunted him. Hw (or I think it is) has been doin this for 3 years iv had him once at 50 yards too far. Idk wat to do now this will be the first time I try to go after him this year. Thanks in advance.
Does he always go the same direction or just the opposite of your location, you could try to get under him but I'd try this on a wet morning to keep quiet...
Sounds like one that likes to walk and talk, which can be tough, he's demanding the hen follows him. If he gobbles enough like you say keep tabs on him and relocate out in front of him and call if possible? I truly believe if he is gobbling that much, he's killable, but might need to move several times to get him where he wants to be. I chased a bird like that a few years ago from daybreak, and killed him around 10:00, on the next ridge over from where I started. Got to stay with birds like that, if with no hens like you say and he's giving his location away.
No it's not the same direction every morning. Jus always the direction I'm not sittin lol. Iv seen him on the roost from 100 yards(across a field) to maybe 60 on a damp morning. He's by far the most talkative turkey around here. He's in a very difficult place to follow he has a small circle an makes a loop he's in a different spot for 5 days then he starts his loop over. Iv never seen a bird alone so much. I only get to hunt til 7:45 on wkday mornings unless its raining. And wknds can hunt as long as I please I'd just really like to see his hooks before he dies of old age!
If he always goes the opposite direction of you, he either has a hen leading him away, or wants you to follow... I would bet he has a hen.
Either give him a break and wait for the hen to sit on the nest (for a day or two), or try gobbling back at him, along with some hen calling... That is what I would do (and I probably still would not kill him).
One time I did bring a bird in range doing that (but did not get to make the shot due to cattle being in the way of shooting him), I gobbled back at him every time he gobbled, and he was in a complete frenzy... I could tell it riled him up good. Whether it is one gobble, or a bunch, will depend on his reaction to your gobble.
Something else I might try would be a fly down cackle (with wing beats), and then call while walking away from him... Then shut up and sit tight.
So, he dances around the woods in a flamboyant manner while shouting his desire for a mate, yet he spurts the company of females? This is simple; your turkey is gay. Try yelping like a Jake.
If you're calling to him on the limb and he seems to always go the opposite direction, he has a hen taking him away from you. I would not call and try to get in front of him in the direction that he is headed (or where he wants to be). This is easier said than done. I feel like you have a good chance at this because it sounds like you know his routine pretty good. Good luck!
Chris
Gobble, Gobble... "BOOM"!
Get ya some DSD decoys
Try not getting so close to him while he is on the roost. Don't call too early and don't call too much. Try to act not interested but give him just enough and use a different call than what you have used on previous hunts. Stick with clucks, purrs and soft yelps.
I was obviously kidding about him being "gay," not that there's anything wrong with that, but I was serious about you pretending to be a male turkey. Don't gobble, but forget the hen stuff and try gobbler or jake yelps. It isn't threatening to a subordinate bird, and it usually fires up a dominant bird almost as much as a good gobble. Since few hunters do it, it can be extremely effective.
How close can you get to him?....i would go in very early in the morning...try to get as close as possible...set out 1 hen deke....all of this in complete darkness...when he gobbles do about 3 tree yelps light..maybe cup your pot little...just let him know where you are..when he starts gobbling when its light enough to see do a good fly down with your hat beating it against your leg..plop your hat on the ground as if he hit the ground....wait for 30 seconds or so...do 3 or 4 good clucks on your pot...and nothing else for quite awhile...maybe some leaf scratching...wait for 20 minutes or so add some very soft yelping...sounds like less is more with him.....if you can put that deke where he might be able to see it I would also use a slate pot for all this...most glass an crystals come off little to strong...do the tree yelps an clucks in between gobbles if ya can so he can hear you
this morning same gobbled his head off waited til he flew down did a fly down cackle. 20 minutes later clucked purred scratched he gobbled like always but I stayed a little later instead on being on time for work til he made it to his strut zone (for the day) gonna try to get therein the morning as far as how close can iget probably 40-50 yards he"son the edge of a field but I don't want to get that close.
Iv tried giving him space and crowding him. don't hear a lot of hen talk mornings in the past iv had hens walk right by me going to him. he seems to never stop moving and when he does its for less then 20 mins imo. I know pretty much the area he will be in every day but his routine on wher he's headed..... some mornings I don't even think he knows.
Sounds to me like you need to take a buddy with you for help. Have your buddy set up and call in one spot and you go the opposite direction. Communicate well so the situation don't get dangerous.
To me I know exactly what I would do, since he gobbles on the limb in the evening locate the exact tree he's in and the next morning sit on top of him and dont call. usually unless he thinks somethings up hes not going to fly far from his tree just kinda plunk down on the ground so theres a good chance he does that in range if your close to his tree.
Hunted a bird doing what you described... gobble on roost, fly down, always go opposite direction every time. Here is how I killed him. Happened many yrs ago and believe me they still act the same way. Had hunted him 2 mornings in a row and figured out exactly where he was roosting. I marked a trail how to get to him in the dark and was able to get within 25-30 yards of his tree. He never knew I was there...cleaned out a path to his tree that could find way in the dark..knew exact tree I would sit and be there way before first light. Sure enough, about 30 minutes before sun up...he gobbled. Few minutes he gobbles again. Had a box call...my best box call that I had all the confidence in and have killed many birds with...gave him couple clucks...he gobbled right back...waited maby 30 seconds and give him couple more real light clucks....stand up.. ..scuffed the leaves with my feet....propped my gun up against the tree because what I am about to do you cannot carry the gun with you...not enough hands. It is just getting light enough that you can see a distance front of you...I start walking away making noise in leaves as I walk...put call under my jacket so as to muffle the sound...calling light yelps as I walk away. Probably walked 20-25 yards and calling as I walked. Then, this is where it gets exciting...I stopped , turned and ran back to my tree making noise thru leaves like you would not believe. Got to tree, sat down quick as I could, pulled face mask up, grabbed my gun...and here he comes falling thru limbs of that pine...landed probably 25 yards out in front of me. I remember I was following him with barrel as he came down...thought he would land in my lap. Pulled trigger soon as he hit ground...never knew what hit him. This will work but everything has to work perfect...know or hope he is in that tree...and do all this in total darkness...way before light and...pray a little prayer as you are sitting there waiting for that first gobble...and then work it to perfection..just as you planned. Hope you get him.
Take a Buddy with you.
Put him where you would normally go.
You go the opposite direction.
On 2nd thought....that bird will know that, so.....
Go to where you would normally go. The turkey will think you and your Buddy switched places.
You're Buddy goes where you normally would not have gone.
Gotta out think these birds.
Anyways, when it's all said and done, congrats to your Buddy on getting this bird, no mater where you sit.
At least, that's how I do it.......LOL
Gonna try him again Monday he'll be have come full circle in his 5 day loop. There's one spot I can be alot sneakier to his roost then others. Ill try the walking away from the tree calling. Why not, have nothin else to lose lol.
Try gobbling at him.
Quote from: Uncle Tom on April 15, 2016, 08:05:24 PM
Hunted a bird doing what you described... gobble on roost, fly down, always go opposite direction every time. Here is how I killed him. Happened many yrs ago and believe me they still act the same way. Had hunted him 2 mornings in a row and figured out exactly where he was roosting. I marked a trail how to get to him in the dark and was able to get within 25-30 yards of his tree. He never knew I was there...cleaned out a path to his tree that could find way in the dark..knew exact tree I would sit and be there way before first light. Sure enough, about 30 minutes before sun up...he gobbled. Few minutes he gobbles again. Had a box call...my best box call that I had all the confidence in and have killed many birds with...gave him couple clucks...he gobbled right back...waited maby 30 seconds and give him couple more real light clucks....stand up.. ..scuffed the leaves with my feet....propped my gun up against the tree because what I am about to do you cannot carry the gun with you...not enough hands. It is just getting light enough that you can see a distance front of you...I start walking away making noise in leaves as I walk...put call under my jacket so as to muffle the sound...calling light yelps as I walk away. Probably walked 20-25 yards and calling as I walked. Then, this is where it gets exciting...I stopped , turned and ran back to my tree making noise thru leaves like you would not believe. Got to tree, sat down quick as I could, pulled face mask up, grabbed my gun...and here he comes falling thru limbs of that pine...landed probably 25 yards out in front of me. I remember I was following him with barrel as he came down...thought he would land in my lap. Pulled trigger soon as he hit ground...never knew what hit him. This will work but everything has to work perfect...know or hope he is in that tree...and do all this in total darkness...way before light and...pray a little prayer as you are sitting there waiting for that first gobble...and then work it to perfection..just as you planned. Hope you get him.
Very cool, had heard of something similar but not to that extent. Wise hunter you are!
Have you tried to sound like another gobbler has entered his territory? Often, the peck order will influence a reluctant gobbler to go check out the new guy and put him in his proper position in the peck order. This worked for me twice so far this Illinois season, including this morning. Having the Funky Chicken decoy helped sell my gobbles to the real bird when he came in for a look. I've got one permit left for this spring season, plan to get close to a gobbler, and then make him think that an intruder has entered his territory.
Can you narrow down which tree or trees the tom roosts in? I'm not sure if you can hunt in the afternoon or evening but possibly set up a couple hens close to his roost tree so you are ready when he returns in the evening?
We can only hunt til 12:00 until the last 2 weeks then we can hunt all day. Listened to him this mornin but didn't hunt him. He's almost back to wher he was the day I first posted this. Don't know if I should chase him around all the whole 5 day loop or hunt him one spot at a time maybe pattern his other places a lil better.
I don't know if this is one of "the" birds, but there are gobblers out there like the one you are describing that are absolutely not going to approach a turkey call. If you are determined to kill this bird, determine where he is roosting every time you can, go in very early in full darkness, park your behind under the tree he is in, and do not make a sound until he comes out of the tree. Hope that he lands in shooting range and end your misery with this gobbler.
If he doesn't land within range, cluck once at him, cross your fingers, and hope for a miracle. My guess is that as soon as you make that cluck he will high-tail it for the next county.
Next day,....repeat,...except for the cluck.