Keep at it. You haven't lost until you give up. To hunt woods turkeys you need to be able to do a few things well. One is get inside their bubble. The closer you get to them the better the reaction to calling. Be able to move quietly through the woods. It's impossible to be completely quiet but it's not impossible to sound like another animal or a turkey. Another tactic is to have them patterned to where you know where they are going to be at a certain time and get there ahead of them. I can't stand to hunt that way but it is effective. Pay attention to what is going on around you as well as the turkey sign. And lastly don't try too hard. Being persistent is great but that doesn't mean you have to rush things. Hunt hard and smart. It will come together when you play the cards right. I am still learning new things and I can honestly say that slowing down has helped me tremendously. Good luck.
Great post...
My initial thought with a bird that flies quietly away from me during the spring would be that he saw or heard me...
I avoid using lights, and I absolutely avoid any talking (or whistling, or singing) when walking out. Use the terrain of the woods when walking through them... Avoid open areas or clearings when walking, and use tree-lines or brush-lines to hide. Never skyline yourself... Slow, careful and quiet.
If I am hunting a roosted bird, I like to get out early enough, that I can get to my spot, settle in (calls out, sitting comfortably, gun and gear where I want and how I want to sit when/if the bird comes), and remain quiet for some time before calling to birds. I prefer to be in my spot and settled before I hear the first gobble, and I try to let the birds gobble before calling to them. If I am going to set up decoys, I make darn sure I am not in view of any roosted birds when doing so...
Also, when taking someone else out, I am amazed at how few people pick up their feet when walking... I just had a long discussion with my 7-year old child about this... Avoid the "crunchy ground" if possible (we were walking on a gravel road, and I told her to walk on the grassy edge), pick up your feet, and walk "tentatively" heel-to-toe... A little effort can avoid the clomping around the woods...
In the woods, you can use the terrain to your advantage, or disadvantage... I have done the latter far more frequently unfortunately.