Beware of leaves! (deceiving gobble distance)(crummy video added)

[bowmike]

Went out today to scout for Saturdays hunt with a friend. I got my bird last Saturday and just wanted to get some time scouting because evenings are family time. I went near where I got my bird ,but went down the opposite way where I have never been before. i was walking and calling and struck one that seemed about 150 yards out. I moved in about 50 yards and sat down. He was still answering and still on the roost so I figured i would set up in a thicket in front of me so i could escape when I had to leave for work undetected.

I sat down in the thicket and tried my go to, yelps then double gobble with tube. BOOM he hammered off. i wanted to see if the gobble call could really set him off since the bird i missed was very agrivated the other gobbler was near his hen and came in from 150-200 yards out to skip him, and the bird that i did harvest answered and came in with a hen to this call.

I hammered the gobble call again and started cutting. It was too much for this gobbler. He flew down and landed about 50 yards out. Even when i could see him, his gobble sounded double the distance away that he was because of the thick leaves. I got to watch a strut show for about 25 minutes before i slipped out of there. This bird was not spooky of the gobble call and continued to combat every time I would gobble, even at 30 yards away. It was a neat display and awesome to get to hear so many gobbles in one "hunt". I would not suggest this when you are actually hunting them, but it was awsome to have a gobble war.

I slipped out and made my way out. i called again at 70 yards and he answered so I knew i got out undetected. I will be taking a buddy in this area on saturday but I don't think I am going to use the gobble call. I will be setting up about 80 yards from where he flew out just on the outside of a clearing that I am imagining is his strutting area.

Just wanted to bring up a point that your ears can really deceive you once there is full foliage. If you hit a bird that sounds 100 yards away he may actually be a lot closer than you think. You may want to set up quicker than normal in the late season, for this reason.

Did I say i am really mad at myself for not getting a second tag

i took a video of this whole ordeal but just as I was going to cut it off, my phone died. I check and it did not save. I was really hoping to upload this to let you guys hear this longbeard hammering at the gobble call. I also learned not to set up directly in a thicket. This bird did not want to walk through it at all to come and get to his hen, unless he thought I was a more dominate gobbler. Really cool scouting trim and reassuring to hear one so off so much being this late in the game. Don't give up guys they are still at it!

[mikejd]

Cool story. And no doubt a good lesson learned once that foliage is up its tough to judge. Same goes for a roosted bird, its alwaysgood to get a few gobbles from a roosted bird to truely judge his distance because if he is facing the wrong way he may sound far out but then he faces you and hhe's right on you.

[bowmike]

Will work to try and get the video up. My phone died but i did get him gobbling 3 times to the gobble tube and you can hear the fly down. I was very surpised when i could see him land. Looking back it may not have been wise to use the gobble tube and creat a gobbling war. I was on highly hunted public land. i think I may just stick to hen calls for saturday being more guys will be out.

[bghunter777]

good point although I always advise agaist calling to birds you want to hunt its amazing how although you feel undetected they become harder and harder to call each time.

[bowmike]

http://youtu.be/MCrR4ZxKljw

Here is the link. Really tough to hear on pc. Something got lost in translation. gobbles are at 0:24, 0:54, and 1:32. Flydown is at 1:57 and is the goofy chicken clucking sound, but it was the bird hitting the ground. Had I known he was still in tree i would not have been calling so much. I cant see him in the video but he would be just to the left of the 6 o clock location.

Pardon my terrible calling but it worked as I could have easily smoked him for about 20 minutes after this video was made. Please feel free to give me your input on what you would or would not have done. I guess no matter what we can break down with the calling, the bottom line was it worked  well would have worked if I would have bought the other tag.   i never call this aggressive and was only trying to see just how aggressive one could be on public land late season birds. I guess this was about as agressive as one can get and still get a shot. my call came apart from the meltal and I lost the raspyness of the call >:-( He strutted back and forth. Once he turned the other way i snuck out.

Sorry my phone died shortly after fly down. Would have loved to get the gobbler war on video even if just for the sound.

I think when i started to pur is when he lost control and flew down. Pretty cool experience. i hope to take my handy cam out on saturday to film.

[DirtNap647]

the thickness of the woods is definetly getting harder to hear

[TRKYHTR]

I never did hear a gobble. But while I was watching and listening to the video my turkeys were gobbling to your calling. Lol

TRKYHTR

[bowmike]

the thickness of the woods is definetly getting harder to hear

Well i guessguess i ama not that bad then. Not sure why i can hear it plain as day in my phone. Hopefully Saturday ill get some good footage.

[WildTigerTrout]

I have some friendly advice for you. NEVER, EVER call a bird in to your setup that you intend to hunt later. By doing this all you are doing is educating him and making it harder to hunt him. Nothing wrong with scouting but as soon as you find out where he is then LEAVE. Also be very careful using a gobble call on public land in Pa., it could be dangerous. I know you are excited about your early hunting success but just try to slow down and use the time between this season and the next to LEARN all you can about turkeys and calling. Talk with fellas who have years of experience hunting and calling turkeys and then pick their brains. Practice your calling and maybe attend a calling contest or two. Also READ, you can learn alot by reading. Good luck and welcome to the obsession.

[bowmike]

thanks wild tiger. I went out there today to just listen for a gobble. Nothing doing but then again with a real feel of 34 and gail force winds it would not have been easy to hear one anyway.