What am I doing wrong?!

[muzzyman88]

Hi folks.  I'm new to the boards.  Long time lurker and reader.  I've picked up a tremendous amount of knowledge here over the years.  Anyway, I finally had enough and registered because I've had it with whatever keeps going on with me in the turkey woods. 

I'll preface this by saying I'm a pretty darn good bowhunter with deer.  I consider myself a pretty good hunter in general which is what baffles me about turkey hunting.  I'm on a two year dry spell, not for lack of birds, or calling them in, but just something always seems to go awry.  This weekend was my opener here in PA and this is a classic example of what I deal with each spring.  lol.

No gobbling close by on the roost, but I know the area and know turkey will be in the area sooner or later.  7AM, I look behind me into a field that is about 100 yards away and sure enough, a strutter out doing his thing.  I called to him, and each time I did, he'd lock up and go into strut.  Great, he can hear me so I laid off of him, just giving him enough here and there to get him out of the field in my direction.  He never gobbled.  Hours pass and no turkey.  It was round 11AM when I was looking to my left, down behind me when I hear something to my right, right on the road in front of me.  Out of the corner of my eye, 15 yards away is a gobbler.  I didn't budge, but he saw something he didn't like and spooked.  Not bad, but got out of dodge.  Again, he never gobbled, just snuck in.

This seems to be the going rate for me over the last couple of seasons.  No gobbling, but they do slip in.  Sometimes they act like a deer and sneak in behind me, downwind! lol  These birds are not pressured at all, its 800 acres of private ground and no one except a couple of us hunt it.  Lots of turkeys to go around.  But it just seems like they will not gobble much after fly down, even late mornings. 

My question is, what in the world am I doing wrong?  I can understand henned up birds, but these last two in particular were by themselves.  Sorry for the lengthy first post. 

[Go G.W.]

It will all come together eventually. I too have times where it just seems like I can't get all the stars to align. Good luck

[WV TURKEY THUG]

atleast your seeing turkeys and hearing some its ben 3 years since i seen or heard one in a area i hunt. never even seen any tracks.

[muzzyman88]

I know.  I'm trying to stay level headed but I've never been as frustrated as I've been the last couple of seasons.  I've had more turkeys sneak in behind me than I can count.  I mean, a single stinking gobble to let me know would be greatly beneficial.  lol

[mossyman]

They do that on public ground also. It is aggravating but hang in there you will get one sooner or later.

[LI Outdoorsman]

File all this info away into your memory bank of turkey hunting dos and donts..
but seriously many times when they go silent they are sneaking in!
They dont alway gobble all the way to your gun barrel like in the videos.
Always have your gun ready and pointing in the direction you last heard the bird.
Good luck and have fun!

[mgm1955]

Hang in there, the payoff for your persistence will come.

[darn2ten]

Hang in there. Doesn't sound like your doing much wrong to me. I caught the fact that you laid off him when he was strutting, that's good. Many new turkey hunters make the mistake of over calling. If you know he's heard you and see him start your way then no need to call again. Many times if you don't call again then he'll get close to the area that your in and if he hasn't heard any more he'll gobble and give his self away. If you keep calling he'll just pinpoint where that "hen" should be and slip in. You'll also eventually get on a hot 2 yr old that can't keep his mouth shut. One things for sure, there are no guarantees in turkey hunting. You hunt them long enough and you'll see it all. I've had hunts just like the one you described, perfect text book gobble all the way in hunts, and kamikaze gobblers that ran as hard as they could straight to me. Stay after them, it'll come together.

[Greg Massey]

Remember the turkey that you think your going to kill is the one you usually don't kill... the one that you usually don't think your going to kill is the one you usually kill. Always try and setup were you can limit as few directions as possible for that turkey to come into your setup... like a gully or something behind you... and yes birds will come right to you and never gobble ...

[muzzyman88]

Thanks for the pep talk guys.   

Overcalling was never my issue.  I learned a long time ago that the more they gobble, the less they walk.  So I'm one of those get him wound up and shut up type of callers. 

The thing that baffles me about the birds I hunt is the sheer lack of gobbling.  Even lone birds.  You most of the time hear gobbling on the limb, then thats it for 90% of the morning.  You have the exception, with one that won't shut up.  But most often, these birds are dead quiet.  You won't ever know they're there until you due something stupid two hours later like... turn your head.   

[101st501]

Welcome to turkey hunting

[davglo35]

Get yourself a pop up blind or two and get in an area where the birds like to hang out. I use the dog house style with the small windows. The blind eliminates the approaching you from behind disadvantage and hides your movement. I dont care what people say about using blinds. I use them often and they are a major part of my arsenal. You can always unzip the door and get out if you feel you need to move to get on a bird.

[ridgerunner]

Welcome to turkey hunting

I agree, sounds like par for the course to me..I've had many birds circle and sneak in, that's just what many gobblers do..just remember next time to sit still and if you have to move , move very slow...I'd also maybe try calling a few times then move back 30 yards and reset...that way when he circles good possibility he may be in front of you instead of behind...Sometime I call to a bird and then move back 30-50 yards..experience is the best teacher, takes notes, remember and learn and adapt.

[Cut N Run]

They might almost run you over and gobble 100 times on your next hunt.  Keep after 'em.  Patience kills more turkeys than anything.

Jim

[TRG3]

I'd have to disagree with you about the gobblers not being under pressure. Because of the peck order, most of the gobblers in any area are under a great deal of pressure from the dominate  gobbler and others with a higher rank to remain in their place, thus lower ranked toms offer no or limited gobbling. While the subordinate gobblers want to mate, if they get caught by any of those above them on the peck order, they will get their butts kicked! Just watch a video of what happens when a dominate bird gets shot and is then abused by the other gobblers with him to gage the anger toward the dominate turkey! So...the lower ranked gobblers come in slowly and silently to check out the situation not only looking for the turkey doing the calling but to see who else may have shown up. I've had several times when I could hear something walking in the leaves behind me, followed by several minutes of silence, only to have a turkey come sneaking toward my decoys when it appeared safe to do so. I usually use a gobbler decoy hovering over a hen in the breeding position, sometimes a Pretty Boy or a Funky Chicken, set up in the open some 20+ yards from me and make hen yelps as well as gobbles. While I often fill all three of my Illinois tags, this year I only tagged two gobblers. So...while it doesn't always work, it often pays off.