Call shy gobbler

Varmintmist

I think I have one.

Sat morn I started calling about 0550, got nothing back. Called on and off to silence then about 0630 I got a gobble from another zip code south west. Waited a few then belted out a series of yelps that a DI turkey would be proud of, then I shut up.

Called again at 10 of 7 and a min later I got a gobble 300 yds away (ish) south Waited a min, called again, got a gobble approx 100-150 out about a min or two behind my call SE. Again I waited a min and called and I heard leaf rustling over the ridge in front of me 50 yards out. Turkey?? Dont know. Called gently and in a min or two got a gobble 200 yards to the left across the valley dead east.

Un-(donkey)ed the blind and did an end around if he was heading for the field. Called from the cut off point and then gobble was down the valley to the south.

That was by 0800 and I had stuff to do so it was the end of the hunt.

Any tips for a call shy bird? He is willing and looking for love, but I bet he has been peppered. I have been thinking about maybe moving to a point where the decoys are in a better area to be seen.

Jayhawker

Could be you were dealing with a henned up bird....sometimes it's hard to get them to leave what they've got...

Move your hen decoys out to mid range and set a half-strut Jake out on the far edge...that may bring him running...

or

Put on a ghillie suit and go spotting and stalking if it's safe to do so...I killed the biggest gobbler of my life that way after calling that henned up bastard for the better part of a week...

Six-Gun

That sounds 100% like a henned up bird, and it will be a nightmare to get him away until he breeds that hen.

I have had birds 40 yards away that would not call back to anything or anyone but the hen(s) in front of him.  Worse, I’ve had what seemed like random gobbles occurring in front of me only to finally hear the faintest yelps on Earth coming from the hen.  No torture like seeing and hearing the Tom fire off reliably, but only to one specific girl in the village.

Birds like that will only move where the girl moves and converse with her in private no matter how hard you try.  That said...keep trying.  She’ll get bred eventually and he’ll be looking for new action.

Jayhawker

If you can get a hen talking to you and get into an argument with her...doing the boss hen thing...she may come in to whip your ass and bring the Tom with her....

Or

Learn a lost poult whistle...while that works best in the fall, I have had it work when nothing else was working in he spring...

Six-Gun

THAT is verifiably true (angering a dominant hen into coming in and dragging her love slave along). Last year in South Dakota I laid down the exact same vocalization cadence as a very noisy hen.  I had her good and enraged after a few sequences of this. She came charging up a hill to engage in a girl fight. Unfortunately, she only had a gang of her closest girlfriends with her and no Tom. But, if she did have a guy under her spell, you can believe he was coming right behind her.

CHIRO1989

There you go, try the angry hen call, a red headed scotsman should be able to figure out how to get in an argument with a woman

I want to see how your new setup works out.

Varmintmist

I didnt hear a hen and he was on the move. PA is call ONLY. No stalking. Run and gun is legal, but not really an option with the property I am on. We just went to dawn to dusk first few weeks are done at noon. I might try a evening call tonight.

Varmintmist

CHIRO1989 said:

I want to see how your new setup works out.

Me to. This is season 4 for me. 1st I had a few gobbles, #2 I had 3 jakes charge me, 2 got to leave, Got out for about 2h last year, and have had a little action in some limited time this year.

They seem to act a bit more interested on the warm days and the next few seem like they are going to be that way.

1965Jeff

Try to tree him the evening before and sneak in as close as you dare the next morning before he joins the hens. Kind of a crap shoot still if the hens sleep on the far side of where you can set up for him , but if you sound sexy enough before he leaves his tree you can catch him with his pants down. ( Buford T Justice)