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I"m at a loss............

Started by BowBendr, May 04, 2014, 12:42:19 PM

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BowBendr

......either I don't understand, or I just suck..........

I made a commitment to change some things this year:
1.) Find a better place to hunt with more turkeys
2.) Make some changes in my style and get more aggressive, if needed.

I got into a better place that only I have access to that is actually loaded with turkey,  maybe too many ?
I scouted this joint well before season, learned everything I could about the land and how the birds used it day-to-day, and anxiously awaited the opener....

I still don't get it......
Opening monday I called a screaming gobbler to 30 yds and when he crested a rise in the woods, he bolted at something, still not sure, and walked off gobbling.
Next morning he was still gobbling strong in the rain but wouldn't come into the field with all the other birds. I had a silent strutting bird at 53 yds that I refused to shoot til he got to 40...he didn't.

Since that day i've called 7, that's right, 7 gobblers to less than 50 yds and ain't got a shot yet...
I've tried everything that hasn't worked. Usually the gobblers attract multiple hens and the game goes south real quick, but here's what I don't understand:

No 2 days have ever been the same. One day they're flocked up, next day they're in groups of 2 or 3. One day the toms are solo, next day there's 2 running together. One day every bird is alone, next day they are in small groups again. There has been no pattern to their movement, no bird does the same thing 2 days in a row. Can't get a tom to answer a box or a pot call, but they'll hammer a mouth call. Next day they'll hammer a locator call, but not a turkey call. They don't gobble good at all on the roost, but they go bezerk when they hit the ground, just walking away.

If I zig, they zag. If I zag, they zig. I have been truly blessed to hear 10,000 gobbles this year vs.last year hearing none, but this is getting weird........
I've tried dekes in the rain, dekes in the woods, no dekes, slipping in close to 60 yds or less, aggressive calling vs. subdued calling, roosting them at night, blinds in the rain, run and gun....you get it....

I've hunted 17 days, never over-slept, never missed a chance to go, always there on time, always on gobbling birds, always around a ton of hens and jakes, bunches of turkeys, just ain't shooting. I can honestly tell ya'll that every night that i've went to bed, I had a plan for the next day, I never went hunting on a whim. Every morning I had a trap laid for a gobbler....

My cardio has gotten better as my heart rate has gone thru the roof 30 times just knowing THE shot was coming any minute.....dang, I got 1 week to get it done and my poor 'ol heart can't take much more.............ANY ADVICE ??

DMP

Yeah, pull that 12 gauge back out and hammer them in the face.  LOL

Seriously though, I gained access to some more land this year that has not been turkey hunted in years.  Not legally anyway. 
Place is absolutely loaded with birds.  I was amazed how many birds I was hearing during preseason scouting.  Season opened and these birds made a fool of me more than once.  They never roosted in the same area, never went to the same areas in the mornings and always seemed to go in the opposite direction of calling.  The property has more ditches and fences than any place I have ever hunted.  Made it hard to cut birds off.  Long story short, we finally killed one bird off the place last week.  It was the one with 1 1/2" spurs. 

Didn't have these problems on my other leases.  Only thing I can figure is the birds on that one tract are smart / old birds. 

Last week of the season for you means anything goes.  Get close and smash one in the face.

MDbowman

We need to go out for a beer!! I could write out a list as long as yours so I won't even attempt to give advice! Keep at it.

BowBendr

Quote from: DMP on May 04, 2014, 01:53:32 PM
Yeah, pull that 12 gauge back out and hammer them in the face.  LOL

She's a layin' in the truck now, ready for tomorrow...I shoulda' been done weeks ago............

derek

www.youtube.com/thebaysidelegion

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Duke0002

You're seeing birds, keep it up!