This happens to me every year. I hunt public land and always seem to have the turkey hang up just out of range, ive hadthem hang up like this and answer my calls for hours and no luck, ive also gone silent after geting responses with no luck, I hunt mountains, cover alot of ground to find them, hate to leave them for another day. Any advice
If possible close the gap. Once closer use more subtle calling, scratching leaves, purrs, whines, single clucks etc. Then increase from there if need be. Pay attention to your set-up. You need a set-up where you think he would be comfortable coming to. Try to find a place where he would be in range before he could see the hen he thinks he's hearing. I try to choose set-ups based on what his eyes can see more so than what I can see. If your on a flat and he can clearly see that flat from a hundred yards he's probably going to stay a hundred yards away until he sees the hen or he loses interest, which may be what your experiencing. If your in a spot he has to step around a blowdown at forty, or top a rise at 40 to see the hen then your odds start going up.
Good post.. Another option is something he maybe hasnt heard after you've exhausted what guesswho said. Gobbler sounds or fight. They fairly often get them to come right in when you figure they were stuck. It could get em to leave to so use it last chance imo
Setting up right is the most important thing in Turkey hunting in my humble opinion. Once you have him fired up sometimes the best call to make is none at all. He knows where your at
I agree with guesswho. The best setup is where the gobbler cannot see you until it is within shooting range. No decoy necessary. Curiosity kills.
Setting up with the topography in your favor whenever possible is rule #1. If that doesn't work or you just can't do that, get in his roost/flydown wheelhouse early, set up prior to him being there, or, when he sounds off and you know he isn't henned up, back up and call. Make yourself sound like a hen that's "lost interest". If possible team call too. Caller 50-75 yards behind the gun. He'll be looking for the hen when you dump him.
He could be on a strut zone. Listen closely to see if he's in th same spot every time he gobbles. Sometimes a gobbler will walk back and forth on his "strut zone". This could be a bench, open creek bank or the top of a ridge. It's not always possible but sometimes if the terrain permits and his strut zone is big enough you can wait till he makes his way to the other end of his strut zone and sneak in close to the opposite end. If you can do that, a few leaf scratch and a soft cluck or yelps will put him in your lap.
This is not the best method and only try it if you know the terrain well enough, I've killed several doing this but I have certainly spooked my fair share of them too ;)
I would use this as a last resort. I'm more of a make him come to me kind of hunter and as others have said set up is paramount. If you're not where he's willing to go, it doesn't matter how well you call, he's not coming.
Another side note on this. If you start a gobbler up I would try and close the gap but not head directly towards him. I don't want him to get the impression that I will come to him. Instead I angle towards him and sometimes past him. Now this should not be done to quickly. Undisturbed hens only move so fast in the woods. Setup is crucial to prevent hang ups but you can sound over eager to get to him and blow it that way as well.
Gobblers that come to a certain point and stop are usually the ones that have had some sort of previous encounter with a phantom hen calling to them that they have approached and something happened that scared the bejesus out of them (i.e....someone shot at them or killed their best buddy that was with them).
While I agree with the notion that where you set up on these kinds of gobblers can, at times, make a big difference, there are going to be "conditions" where you are hunting that just do not allow for that. In addition, there are going to be some gobblers that have "been through the ringer" enough times that they are just not going to put themselves in a position of jeopardy by approaching too closely to an unseen hen sounds. Sometimes those gobblers just need a visual confirmation that there is a turkey there before they will come closer. And sometimes the solution is simply carrying a decoy and sticking it in the ground...if, again, the conditions are right such that you can do that without getting busted.
There are times when none of the right conditions exist. In those circumstances, you can still get many of those hung-up birds to come closer,...and many times right up to within sure killing range. They are just looking to SEE something to confirm there is a live turkey calling to them. There is a pretty simple way to provide that. Think about it.... :icon_thumright:
Quote from: GobbleNut on March 12, 2018, 08:23:03 AM
Gobblers that come to a certain point and stop are usually the ones that have had some sort of previous encounter with a phantom hen calling to them that they have approached and something happened that scared the bejesus out of them (i.e....someone shot at them or killed their best buddy that was with them).
While I agree with the notion that where you set up on these kinds of gobblers can, at times, make a big difference, there are going to be "conditions" where you are hunting that just do not allow for that. In addition, there are going to be some gobblers that have "been through the ringer" enough times that they are just not going to put themselves in a position of jeopardy by approaching too closely to an unseen hen sounds. Sometimes those gobblers just need a visual confirmation that there is a turkey there before they will come closer. And sometimes the solution is simply carrying a decoy and sticking it in the ground...if, again, the conditions are right such that you can do that without getting busted.
There are times when none of the right conditions exist. In those circumstances, you can still get many of those hung-up birds to come closer,...and many times right up to within sure killing range. They are just looking to SEE something to confirm there is a live turkey calling to them. There is a pretty simple way to provide that. Think about it.... :icon_thumright:
The remote controlled turkey car thing??? Sorry cracked me up
Quote from: Bowguy on March 12, 2018, 09:10:20 AM
Quote from: GobbleNut on March 12, 2018, 08:23:03 AM
Gobblers that come to a certain point and stop are usually the ones that have had some sort of previous encounter with a phantom hen calling to them that they have approached and something happened that scared the bejesus out of them (i.e....someone shot at them or killed their best buddy that was with them).
While I agree with the notion that where you set up on these kinds of gobblers can, at times, make a big difference, there are going to be "conditions" where you are hunting that just do not allow for that. In addition, there are going to be some gobblers that have "been through the ringer" enough times that they are just not going to put themselves in a position of jeopardy by approaching too closely to an unseen hen sounds. Sometimes those gobblers just need a visual confirmation that there is a turkey there before they will come closer. And sometimes the solution is simply carrying a decoy and sticking it in the ground...if, again, the conditions are right such that you can do that without getting busted.
There are times when none of the right conditions exist. In those circumstances, you can still get many of those hung-up birds to come closer,...and many times right up to within sure killing range. They are just looking to SEE something to confirm there is a live turkey calling to them. There is a pretty simple way to provide that. Think about it.... :icon_thumright:
The remote controlled turkey car thing??? Sorry cracked me up
Yup. A little remote detonator and walla, no more hung up gobbler. Gonna call it the tominator.
Quote from: Bowguy on March 12, 2018, 09:10:20 AM
The remote controlled turkey car thing??? Sorry cracked me up
:TooFunny: :TooFunny: Exactly! Man, you're good!
Quote from: Happy on March 12, 2018, 09:16:16 AM
Yup. A little remote detonator and walla, no more hung up gobbler. Gonna call it the tominator.
You shouldn't have said that,....you know, now it will be on the market next spring from somebody.... ;D :toothy12:
That's alright. I haven't seen anyone marketing deer corn laced with viagra yet. That was one of my original ideas from a few years ago. Get a doe decoy in some Victorias secret and hit the estrus bleats. I would suggest being in a tree to keep from getting violated from allbthe bucks that are sure to come running. You may have to shoot them all in order to make it back to the truck safely. That's the only kink(no pun intended) in the plan. Was sure the Busbices were gonna run with that one.
In all honesty most of my hangup occurred because of 1 or 2 reasons or a combination of both.
1. I called from a position that the tom knew he should see the hen and he came as far as he needed to get a visual and locked up.
2. I over called him or moved straight at him and gave him the imppression the hen was coming to him and all he had to do was gobble and look purty.
* A third mistake is setting up in an area that makes it hard for a tom to approach. Creeks, fences, big ravines or thickets are a common one. Sometimes they come anyways but sometimes they don't. They sometimes will cross a 6 lane highway to get to you and other days a mud puddle will hang them up. All you can do is eliminate as much of it as possible and play it from there. Experience is the best teacher in these cases.
Quote from: Happy on March 12, 2018, 12:25:26 PMA third mistake is setting up in an area that makes it hard for a tom to approach. Creeks, fences, big ravines or thickets are a common one. Sometimes they come anyways but sometimes they don't. They sometimes will cross a 6 lane highway to get to you and other days a mud puddle will hang them up. All you can do is eliminate as much of it as possible and play it from there. Experience is the best teacher in these cases.
I once saw a field turkey hang up because of a shadow from a pine tree. He would go to the edge of the shadow and walk back and forth gobbling, but he would not cross it. He would walk away from it a ways and then come back and stop again.
I honestly did have one hand up on a 3' wide mud puddle in a longing road. I was guiding an 8 year old and his dad was tagging along. The puddle was only about 1" deep and solid ground underneath. He would gobble and strut but wouldn't even dip his toes in. We let him wander off and scooted in to about 20 yards from the puddle. I manage to fire him back up and he didn't have a chance to hang up a second time. Little fellow flattened him with a .410. I had it on video but handed him the tape before I left.
1) move towards the gobbler-- I've taken gobblers that were hung up at 300 yards by closing half the distance and setting up. I sat down and called and the gobbler came running.
2) move away from the gobbler-- sometimes moving away makes him close the distance.
3) If 1 and 2 are impractical, try going quiet. That gobbler may think you need convincing and move closer.
4) Around my place, there are lots of gullies and dips and such. It's easy for hens and gobs to disappear from each other evn if they're on otherwise open ground 50 yards apart. I like to call like I can't hear the gobbler. What I mean is, he's gobbling. You're yelping or whatever-- make sure your calls are not answering his gobbles. Make it seem like you can't hear him.
Here are some more thoughts on the idea:
Who Coined that Silly Term ' Hung up?' (http://genesis9.angzva.com/?p=379)
Aight, long post, but I've got some advice and a story. This is a good question, and a classic problem we all deal with or have dealt with before. Every year I get one or two that hang up, like most of us do. Over the past 5 or 10 years I've learned when I get a bird like this that gobbles for 45 minutes in the same spot, I gotta move my location somewhere.......or at least give him the sense that I've moved. I used to move away from them but I always seemed to put myself in a bad spot to see him coming in and wished I was still in that good spot where I had cover and good line of sight. So I learned to throw my calls or muffle them to make him think I'm leavin' his butt and playin hard to get. A lot of people make the mistake of muffling their call but also calling softer. Don't do this. If you muffle the call and play softer he may not hear it at all depending on terrain, leaves, wind, etc. I've found that when I muffle my mouth calls (hand completely over the mouth) or slates (hand completely over the bottom) but keep the exact same call and intensity I was using to fire him up, he will almost always come right on in for dinner. Throwing your calls refers to redirecting your calls, mainly mouth calls, simply by turning your head or using your hands to throw sound other directions besides right at him. If you're dealing with a real sharp bird you gotta remember he's likely gonna try to approach you from the side or behind. For instance, if you are calling directly towards a bird, 90% of the time he is not going to come straight to you. He'll skirt around and come at an angle or completely circle you, depending on how youre calling. However, if you turn your head and call in the direction opposite of the birds location, sometimes he will come straight into your lap. Several years ago on a youth hunt I had my wife's little cousin with me. We watched some field birds strut and breed for an hour or so until they all eased up into the woods. When I knew they were out of sight, we eased down the edge of the woods their way and slipped into the woodline. We sat for a few minutes and heard a fight break out. Some sure enough whoopin was takin place, and when it was all said and done the winner let out a spine tingling gobble, then double gobble, and all the hens cheered.........not a lie. They were just over a hill about 70 yards from us, and we were between them and the field. I covered my mouth and hit em with some hard hard cuts and skip notes with yelps, to which he gobbled one time. I did it one more time and nothing......told little cuz to get ready for him to peak the hill. About that time, that bird pitched up and lit in a water oak and was lookin for that hen he heard. I thought for sure we were busted.....no leaves on the trees, we're in the wide smack open, I was stumped. I'd never seen one do that and wasn't sure what to do. After a couple minutes of the king struttin on the limb at 8:30AM, I was able to ease my hand up to redirect the calls away from us both, turn my head slightly, and give him some muffled plain yelps. That joker pitched down into the field edge, walked a few steps, then turned right towards us and walked within 15 steps of us before he died. Most incredible hunt I've ever been on. Learn to throw and muffle your calling and see if it will give you a new edge this season.
Great tips and story Southern!
I was listening to Andy Galiano's Turkey Hunting Podcast. He said something about a mentor telling him once, always get one tree closer when you set up. I'm going to try it this year myself and see how it works.
Quote from: Happy on March 12, 2018, 12:25:26 PM
2. I over called him or moved straight at him and gave him the imppression the hen was coming to him and all he had to do was gobble and look purty.
This is exactly right. We have all been down this road.
By nature the hen is supposed to go to the gobbler and if you over call he will stand his ground and gobble just long enough for a hen to come to him and then he forgets all about you. Sometimes you have to play hard to get.
Good tips from Southernstrut. If you are not against using a decoy, me and my dad started using decoys about 20 years ago. We both had experienced hang ups before. We started by using 1 hen. Sometimes it worked, sometimes they still hung up. I can't remember where I saw it, maybe on Knight and Hale show, but I believe it was them that said "Use 1 jake and 1 hen". No more, no less. We both started doing that. In last 15 years, if a tom sees our setup, they come. Neither of us has had one hang up out of range since doing this. They come to the jake and want to run him off. I don't use a strutting jake, just standing. It has worked well for both of us. Good luck!
Have a buddy set up 30-50 yards behind you, with no gun, and have him call...you may find the bird in your lap next time.
Turkeys hang up on me, far more often than they come right on in...
A good percentage of the time, there turns out to be a hen in the picture, and there really is not much you can do about that. Unless you can aggravate the hen into coming in with the tom in tow...
*Very often, I have found moving parallel or slightly away from the bird while calling and then shut up for a bit works... They often come in quietly.
*Sometimes there is an unseen barrier that for whatever reason that bird does not want to cross... Simply moving (usually latterly and hopefully closer)
and start calling again can work...
*Sometimes a gobble call, or fighting purr can work.
*Most of the time, I do not figure out what to do, and go home scratching my head, thinking about how I will kill that bird next time.
Quote from: potter on March 11, 2018, 04:04:15 PM
This happens to me every year. I hunt public land and always seem to have the turkey hang up just out of range, ive hadthem hang up like this and answer my calls for hours and no luck, I've also gone silent after geting responses with no luck, I hunt mountains, cover alot of ground to find them, hate to leave them for another day. Any advice
My favorite hunting is big public land and covering ground. When I finally strike a bird I really slow down and take my time with setting up. I get
as close as possible without bumping him or putting myself in a bad spot. IMHO, setup is everything. If you're consistently having birds hang up, maybe you should describe how you set up.
My tip:
When I get to THE spot where I am to make a stand, there's no way I have the time or cover to walk out and place decoys (if I used them).
One point to add, if you are going to go silent then I have found most people don't wait loong enough. Wait as long as you think is possible for him to lose interest and then wait that much longer. Thirty minutes of silence isn't enough I have seen it take 2 hours. I usually won't wait that long unless it's a late morning early afternoon bird and everything else is quiet. Then I have sat three hours, they don't forget you were there. Most of the time they just appear with no gobbling. If your within his strutt and breading range he'll eventually move off his spot and start looking. I have called to him one last time and then took off to find another bird and return to my spot late morning and set up and make one or two clucks and a soft yelp and then dig in for a wait. It's late day and I have nothing else active so it's a fair gamble. I have killed a few stubborn old birds this way, but most times it's a dry run. However, it fills the middle of the day and I can take a nap. It beats stumbling around and spooking birds.
All the techniques are here. I try to keep it simple. I try to beat him to his spot. If you are runnin and gunnin, I use the lost interest scenario. I let him turn around for what I believe is as far as he is coming and walk slowly away, calling away from him. Then go silent and double back a bit and wait. Scratching and soft calls , content turkey sounds. Sometimes it works, lol, others I keep working away and try back later. Changing tactics is always good on difficult birds. Keep at it brother, we all suck some days, LOL. :z-twocents:
2 really good tricks I have done is scratch in the leaves beside me with no more calling. Get you a copy of Lovett Williams CD. There is a right and wrong way to scratch) As well as gobble right after i call. If he gobbles after this I will cut his gobble off with a gobble then go completely quiet. If a hen intercepts and is calling I will match her note for note to tick her off. Lots of times she drags the gobbler in with her.
Don't be scared to crawl and put some cover terrain or big trees between you and the gobbler. Once you feel you are close enough ...small clucks and purrs. 9/10 you get in his comfort zone he will come.
All good tactics and techniques by everyone here.
Have seen some really old birds come in gobbling then look for a few minutes. If she ain't where he thinks she should be he's out very fast with a short snood. I call these problem birds they need killing!
Have also trolled an area completely around a bird gobbling in 1 place. Sometimes doing this for an hour or 2. Then go quiet. Put all my calls away and go back to the area I started calling in and wait and listen. I E twigs breaking, songbirds fussing, spitting drumming etc. Alot of times he will let out a gobble to see where "she" is. I have seen a gobbler do this then stand completely still for 45 mins looking hard.
If he courtesy gobbles at you while going away....sit tight I mean freaking motionless for a few hours and listen for wren's and squirrels to fuss at him. Crows will sometimes stay right over a gobbler as well. He will come to you eventually. Patience and woodsmanship will kill older birds!
my first couple seasons i would call call call loving to hear that gobble but learned pretty quick if they could see me and I was calling they would hang up at 60-80 yds because they couldnt see the hen that was calling so much
here are my 3 best tactics
-patience (something missing from many folks turkey vests)
-as they get close I will use another call to sound like a jake or vary the hen sound
-if I have the cover I will walk down the ridge calling then slip back up top and not make a sound (make him think I left)
Simple answer take me with you thats a a doubles bird easy to kill :funnyturkey:
I'm going to post this knowing I'll probably be laughed at, but I don't care. Turkeys do have a sense of smell. It's not a very acute sense of smell or none of us would ever kill one, but the next time you have one hang up for no apparent reason make note of the wind direction and speed. I think you'll be surprised at what you find.
Quote from: JonD. on May 21, 2018, 01:19:26 PM
I'm going to post this knowing I'll probably be laughed at, but I don't care. Turkeys do have a sense of smell. It's not a very acute sense of smell or none of us would ever kill one, but the next time you have one hang up for no apparent reason make note of the wind direction and speed. I think you'll be surprised at what you find.
I agree entirely, JonD. Years ago, I had an experience with two gobblers were coming on a bee-line for me without any hesitation, gobbling steadily as they came. There was a steady breeze and they were coming in at an angle such that they were going to end up directly downwind of me about the time they were going to come into sight. When those two gobblers got directly downwind, they suddenly shut up and vanished. They didn't hang up,...they just stopped gobbling and left.
There was no other logical explanation for what they did other than that they had smelled me. Ever since that encounter, I have been a firm believer that turkeys do use their sense of smell more than we give them credit for. Now, I certainly don't think that every turkey that smells a hunter is going to shy away, but I am pretty certain some of them are more aware of odors than others, and will react to those odors if they somehow associate them with danger.
Quote from: GobbleNut on May 21, 2018, 04:27:18 PM
Ever since that encounter, I have been a firm believer that turkeys do use their sense of smell more than we give them credit for. Now, I certainly don't think that every turkey that smells a hunter is going to shy away, but I am pretty certain some of them are more aware of odors than others, and will react to those odors if they somehow associate them with danger.
Absolutely.
Quote from: GobbleNut on May 21, 2018, 04:27:18 PM
Quote from: JonD. on May 21, 2018, 01:19:26 PM
I'm going to post this knowing I'll probably be laughed at, but I don't care. Turkeys do have a sense of smell. It's not a very acute sense of smell or none of us would ever kill one, but the next time you have one hang up for no apparent reason make note of the wind direction and speed. I think you'll be surprised at what you find.
I agree entirely, JonD. Years ago, I had an experience with two gobblers were coming on a bee-line for me without any hesitation, gobbling steadily as they came. There was a steady breeze and they were coming in at an angle such that they were going to end up directly downwind of me about the time they were going to come into sight. When those two gobblers got directly downwind, they suddenly shut up and vanished. They didn't hang up,...they just stopped gobbling and left.
There was no other logical explanation for what they did other than that they had smelled me. Ever since that encounter, I have been a firm believer that turkeys do use their sense of smell more than we give them credit for. Now, I certainly don't think that every turkey that smells a hunter is going to shy away, but I am pretty certain some of them are more aware of odors than others, and will react to those odors if they somehow associate them with danger.
Sooo... It turns out we should bathe even if it is not Saturday?
Maybe they do have a sense of smell, but I have always attributed that sudden spooking to something else such as a stalking coyote or an intercepting hen that I am simply not aware of... Maybe a bigfoot???
great post. lot's of good advice here. last year there were 2 longbeards in one area across a big hollow behind a good size field. they would gobble like crazy every morning then walk off no matter who, or what they heard. as the season went on they wouldn't gobble until about 8:30am and do so while walking off. I know for a fact that 7 different hunters tried to call them in and a few actually got to see them but they always walked off. no hens were ever seen or heard. one morning at nearly the end of season I went in and set up and sure enough about 8:30am they start sounding off. they were making a loop around the big flat like they always did but this time I tried something new. I moved from where I was and got set up and when I heard a gobble, they in turn heard a gobble. just like calling a hen, every time I heard a gobble I cut it off with a louder gobble. within a few minutes I was proudly taking pics of a big longbeard. I grew up with the old guys preaching to me 'NEVER GOBBLE', it will get you shot. I knew for a fact I was the only person in there that morning and man did it pay off.
just goes to show that sometimes you just gotta try something completely different. so next time that old bird hangs up instead of trying to sweet talk him, gobble at him. I'm not saying do it everytime a bird hangs but heck, it's worth a try sometimes.
Quote from: Marc on May 21, 2018, 11:15:32 PM
Quote from: GobbleNut on May 21, 2018, 04:27:18 PM
Quote from: JonD. on May 21, 2018, 01:19:26 PM
I'm going to post this knowing I'll probably be laughed at, but I don't care. Turkeys do have a sense of smell. It's not a very acute sense of smell or none of us would ever kill one, but the next time you have one hang up for no apparent reason make note of the wind direction and speed. I think you'll be surprised at what you find.
I agree entirely, JonD. Years ago, I had an experience with two gobblers were coming on a bee-line for me without any hesitation, gobbling steadily as they came. There was a steady breeze and they were coming in at an angle such that they were going to end up directly downwind of me about the time they were going to come into sight. When those two gobblers got directly downwind, they suddenly shut up and vanished. They didn't hang up,...they just stopped gobbling and left.
There was no other logical explanation for what they did other than that they had smelled me. Ever since that encounter, I have been a firm believer that turkeys do use their sense of smell more than we give them credit for. Now, I certainly don't think that every turkey that smells a hunter is going to shy away, but I am pretty certain some of them are more aware of odors than others, and will react to those odors if they somehow associate them with danger.
Sooo... It turns out we should bathe even if it is not Saturday?
Maybe they do have a sense of smell, but I have always attributed that sudden spooking to something else such as a stalking coyote or an intercepting hen that I am simply not aware of... Maybe a bigfoot???
I have personally concluded that a bath every other Saturday is sufficient. ;D
..And for those smelling turkeys, I have found that it also helps to use corn-flavored soap... :toothy12:
I won't argue the point, but I will say I am content to hunt and kill the stupid ones that don't realize what danger smells like. If a bird hangs up on me and won't budge I will simply leave him for another day and go hunt for a more cooperative bird. I have had certain birds hang up all season then that magic morning come and he dances right in....
I think t is some gobbler's nature to simply set up camp in a strut zone and wait for the hen. As long as hens are coming he will wait, as season goes and hens stop showing he'll move more, but if he has had a bad encounter he will still keep his distance. We get busted way more than we realize. I once watched a couple gobblers being worked by hunters and was amazed at how aware they were of the hunter's location. I had sat down before daylight and was where I could see them from around 200 yards away. I heard hunters owl hoot and the birds gobbled. Next thing I heard was calling. The birds turned there attention towards the call and slowly started strutting towards the calling. when they got maybe 75-100 yards from the calling their heads shot up like periscopes and they both backed off and set up gobbling at every call. Next thing I heard was calling from a new location and the birds moved an equal distance from the hunters in a lateral move. Finally the hunters moved closer and the birds putted and quickly moved about 100 yards down the hill. I then saw the hunters appear where the birds had camped sneaking in to try an ambush. After they moved on I sat and watched for a while, knowing the gobblers where still close. After around 30 minutes the gobblers were right back in their spot. At that time I give them about three real soft yelps and a cluck or two. They whirled in their tracks and started their strutt towards us. My buddy shot one of them at 20 yards. While they were coming I heard the other hunters open up calling from down the ridge and across a ravine. We ran into these two jewels later and they were livid swearing we had cut in on them and ambushed their bird. After a short discussion of why they were on private land and an offer to let the game warden sort it out they were ready to drop it and move on.
I think many failed set up have more happening than we realize. One of those might just be a smell sensitive gobbler, but I am satisfied there are enough with the dumb nose blind ones.
Quote from: falltoms on March 11, 2018, 08:44:28 PM
Setting up right is the most important thing in Turkey hunting in my humble opinion. Once you have him fired up sometimes the best call to make is none at all. He knows where your at
Too many deer hunters want to set up where they can see as much as possible on turkeys. The set up is important
Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
At least I have added a couple of names to my list of who to pay attention to or not when they post.
I change my calling spot, move away from the turkey calling periodically so he thinks I'm leaving. If I can circle and set up at a different angle maybe he'll commit or maybe he won't. Sometimes I've held my ground and that one hen he heard has now become a flock of hens because I'm working five-6 different calls. Don't know until you try. Or you can just go silent, curiosity has killed many a gobbler.
they are not smelling you, lol
Quote from: mspaci on May 23, 2018, 05:48:36 PM
they are not smelling you, lol
Oh yeah, well how do you explain the wild success of this product? ;D
(https://i.pinimg.com/474x/15/5f/02/155f0238e5387214def4e476833e5c92--tom-turkey-turkey-hunting.jpg)
I knew what I posted would be received with skepticism, but back when I used to smoke I got putted at-- a lot, and I'm pretty confident in most of those situations that it was not from being seen.
Alright I may as well add fuel to the fire......read this! :funnyturkey:
https://www.audubon.org/magazine/january-february-2014/birds-can-smell-and-one-scientist
I am not sure of the turkeys, but especially on damp fall hunts I have smelled turkeys before I knew they were near. Those dang birds stink when they are damp.
Very interesting article! Hmm. I've been saying it for years, but everybody just laughs at me.
I would like to apologize to potter, the original poster. I did not intend to get your post side-tracked I was just offering what I think is advice, but some may not agree(and you may not either) but just trying to help. Anyway, sorry man.
Eggshell's post (and link) provides some food for thought. My thoughts are that turkeys have a primitive sense of smell as smell is not as important to their survival as the sense is in seabirds and vultures.
I would agree silvestris, but on a given day with a given bird and the right conditions it may spook a gobbler
I agree and I feel strongly that it's happened to me several times, and of course I couldn't prove it 100%, but now I try to set up with the wind in my face if I can. Has it increased how many turkeys I've taken or decreased the number of turkeys I've spooked? Who knows how you would prove that either, but I will keep doing it. One thing I believe I can say that I know for sure, is I started seeing a lot more turkeys after I quit smoking(and deer, squirrels) compared to when I smoked.
Obviously, the gobbler wants to come in or he wouldn't have made the effort to come this far. He has his reason(s) for not continuing based on his past experience. By hanging up, it shows that he is most likely a subordinate gobbler that has had his run ins with those above him on the peck order. He's torn between coming on in and the possibly of getting his fanny kicked once again. So...there are some things that you might do in anticipation of a gobbler hanging up, one being to use a tom decoy that is not intimidating, like a Funky Chicken, or to use no male decoy at all. If only hen decoys are used and he hangs up, he's probably concerned that another gobbler higher up on the peck order is coming in or lurking in the bushes, just waiting for him to commit which will result in another butt kicking for him. In my experience, it can be very difficult to entice a gobbler that's very low on the peck order to take the chance of totally responding to a hen, regardless of the alluring sounds one makes. If this happens, it's just part of turkey hunting and that bird's caution may help him survive the season short of someone ambushing him, which could be accomplished with two hunters, one calling 50+ yards behind the shooter. Best of luck.
When they hang up I just take a nap. If they leave I follow. Eventually you'll get lucky and make the right move. Patience and woodsman ship and it'll come together. Just stay relaxed and keep your head about ya.
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I think I made mistake last year as a gobbler was fired up on a ridge and I was in a creek bottom. He wouldn't come down and I could go to him as I would spook him. I should have looped around him and called, but I went right at him and he busted me. Lots of good info on here.
I posted earlier and would like to add that as turkey hunters, we are always trying to figure out what a particular turkey's rules are. What is it that can make this particular bird responsive? If we can figure out this turkey's rules, then we can play the game; however, turkey's rules always seem to keep changing since every bird has had different life experiences. As our turkey hunting knowledge grows through personal experience or from others, like this website, we gain a knowledge of what often seems to work and develop a game plan that boosts our confidence that we will eventually be successful. What keeps me hunting turkeys is the challenge of always learning and applying that knowledge to harvest a very wary bird. If it were easy, I'd soon loose interest in it. Over the years, I've come to realize that taking the gobbler is only the satisfying conclusion of the total experience.
Personally, I am a bit sceptical about the "hang-ups being due to being a subordinate bird and not wanting to chance an unpleasant interaction with a dominant bird" theory. From my experience, subordinate birds tend to be the younger gobblers,...and I have found little reluctance on the part of those birds to traipse right on in to a turkey call.
The exception to that,...again, in my experience,...is if they have had enough negative encounters with hunters and calling that they start altering that behavior of going willy-nilly to turkey calls they hear.
It is my theory that gobblers "learn" that they should not approach too closely to turkey calling without actually seeing, or otherwise having some sort of confirmation, that there is a real, live hen turkey calling to them. The behavior they adopt then is to approach close enough to the hen they hear to a point they think they should be able to see the hen,...and then stop.
Give those gobblers visual confirmation that there is a hen where the calling is coming from and they will very often go ahead and approach without hesitation.
The one other solution to that particular hang-up problem is to make the gobbler think that the hen is farther away so that he continues his approach to that imaginary line in the sand that they have the annoying habit of drawing. The best approach to accomplish that is the "two hunter" solution where the shooter is place forward and the caller is further back. That strategy works quite well for those that hunt in pairs and know how to implement it.
...At least, this is what I have found over the years... :icon_thumright:
I encounter a LOT of hangups and a LOT of birds that go quiet then magically appear 15 yards behind me
If they're hung, I cluck and scratch leaves
If they're hung and have hens with them (often the case where I hunt) you are sorta stuck unless the hens will come over. More leaf scratchings and hopefully you can hear a vocal hen to mimic. If you can move and set up in a slightly different location without getting busted that may be the best bet
IF they're hung and doing that whole gobble in a wide circle thing, if you can time when they are at the edge of the circle away from you and quietly scurry in to range of the close end of the circle, it's a matter of time. Hard to do but always awesome when they come gobbling by themselves right at you oblivious to your position
Again I agree with Gobblenut. Henned up birds will stay with the girls and you can get him if you tempt the hens your way. Aggressive hen purring will do that at times. After nearly 50 years of this I am convinced they become call conditioned. I ran a check station for 30 years and the area kill was highest the first three days of season. That was a function of more hunters, more birds and gullible birds. The kill those days was dominated by two year olds and jakes, with a few old longspurs mixed in. Young birds don't shy away from going to hens they will try to steal a quicky if the can. What they do if the boss is around is not bread and just strut and mill around. It's not a butt kicking they fear it is death. Why do you think outfitters manage the pressure in their areas? when your bread money comes from something you learn what matters. I Green birds are easier to kill, period! I even think birds get used to mouth calls quicker than any other. I start out with all mouth calls and as season goes I start using different pot and slate calls. I also never hunt a spot more than three days in a 10 day period (I have the luxury of a lot of private land I exclusively hunt ). I also do not scout and call preseason during peak periods. I will scout late mornings or afternoons. Two days before season I will walk the ridges and listen, but never go in the woods. I used to scout a lot and call to birds and then wonder why I had trouble getting them to come all the way in. Since I knocked off the shenanigans it is not uncommon for me to kill my two birds rather quickly. The last couple years I have just helped other people early and then hunt my birds later. There are some situations where birds have select strutt zones and if he has hens coming to it on a regular basis he will go to it or roost over it and camp out....you won't budge him until the hens quit coming. I have seen birds even shut up soon as they hear a call. The problem is we get in the habit of chain calling. The same notes and sequences over and over....they learn that. If you have a bird that gives you fits try sending a kid in with an old box call and no coaching and don't be surprised if that tough old bird dances right to him. We need to learn how to vary our approach as well. When you walk in and call from the same places you are conditioning birds. It's not intelligence on the birds part, it's habituation from repeated behavior of people that they learn is danger. Mouth calls tend to have more of a musical note and they condition to them quicker. In ending there are a lot of things that can make a bird hang up but often it's just us being dumbarses
Sometimes people forget that's what they are supposed to do. It's in their dna. They gobble and hens come to to them. It's evolution. Hens want to breed with dominant Tom's who have the the best genes. When he gobbles they come running. He don't have to go looking. Subs know this they hang around trying to get some scraps. Some hang with the boss. Others in the porifery trying to find an opportunistic hen. I think ridge runners are wanna be dominant but just don't have it yet. Either way the dominant gene usually gets passed generation to generation. That gene is to gobble hens in. When a Tom hangs up it's because of his dna. He's waiting for hens to come to him. The trick is to get him to ignore this trait by playing on his sexual urges. The previous posts have some great ideas on doing this. Sometimes they work. Of course that's just my opinion. Others May and probably do disagree.
I think that one of the most appealing aspects to turkey hunting, is that the learning curve never ends...
This season I finished on a nice bird in a duo that I planned to perfection... I do not think I have ever been as shocked turkey hunting, as I was by the fact that these birds did exactly what I expected/hoped they would. It is the only time I can ever remember that a turkey hunt went exactly as planned...
Outside of this event, it is tough for me to recall many birds that came at me in a straight line... Hunting with my young daughter last season, we had 4 birds 80 yards right below us with a several acre pond/lake to one side, and a steep embankment to the other... I set up behind the log, cause near as I could tell those birds only had one possible direction to approach from... Instead, they walked all the way down and around that little lake and approached us from the open side (at which point my little one went nuts, and I was holding her with one hand and the gun with the other).
Second to last bird this season, approached below me to my left across an open meadow (I at the time was surrounded by hens and jakes and dared not move or call). He hit a brush line and came out above me to my right??? Had I not seen the approach, I never would have known he was even there (as he never made a sound).
I have had birds come within 70-80 yards, hang up calling, and wander off... I move, they come back and hang up again? Is there a gully they do not want to cross, are they waiting for the hen to come to them? Moving off to find another bird is a sure way to make them go stand exactly where you were just sitting though...
Besides birds not cooperating, I have had cows, horses, coyotes, dogs, trucks, people, and Canada Geese all interfere with birds coming in. I am fairly certain that there has been a time or two when humming birds have probably blocked me from getting a turkey....
Marc,
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? To add to your list I have had a hen that came out of nowhere interrupt an incoming Tom along with a fence on a Tom that had come across a significant distance only to hang up in the brush on the other side of the fence. That Tom walked away gobbling and I never did see him