Turkeys Flying over Obstacles

[MOOSE]

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There's a fence in my way! How often do you see toms fly across obstacles to come to calls decoys? Both Wednesday and Thursday I had gobblers come right up to the fence, gobble, strut and look at my decoys (DSD Hen and DSD 3/4 Strut Jake) and walk the fence line. I have had Toms hang up and not cross down trees and small ditches, but also had them fly across large drainage ditches and 15 foot creek beds. Any suggestions? Hunting the neighboring property is not an option.

[dirt road ninja]

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Since you've had the same experience a few times in a row. I'd lose the dekes and back up where they can't see your location. 

[bbcoach]

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Here's my    First thing first!  THANK YOU for being an ethical hunter and not killing a bird across property lines even though it sounds as if you could.  I have seen birds fly over water and hop over water filled ditches to get to areas where they want to get to.  As far as fences are concerned, they typically will go under, through holes in a fence or circle around and find a way to the hen but hardly if ever fly over.  What I have seen, it's like there is a brick wall there and they won't fly over it.  Who knows what goes through that walnut sized brain.  I would do what Dirt Road said, ditch the dekes, back away from the fence about 50 yards, see if you can get them fired up and see what happens.  PM sent. 

[guesswho]

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I've seen a field turkey hang up on the long shadow of a pine tree.  He would get within about two feet of it and walk back and forth but wouldn't cross it for nothing.  He eventually waled off gobbling.  Then I've seen them cross a river coming to a call.   I have noticed a higher percentage will cross a barrier if there are two or more gobblers together. 

Your at his mercy.  You have to figure out which one of his buttons to push to get him to cross.  Some days none of those buttons work.   I'd try hen talk followed by gobbles if nothing else seems to be working.  If your intent on using the decoys I'd try to add some movement to them.

[Marc]

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I've seen a field turkey hang up on the long shadow of a pine tree. 

That is funny...

I have seen turkeys hang up on some indeterminate landscape, or some small depression, or refuse to walk around a fallen limb of a tree.  I have certainly seen them hang up on fence lines.  I have seen them hang up on fence posts without any fence (one of those "you gotta' be kiddin' me" moments)...

I have also seen them fly across rivers, and canyons and busy streets.  I have also seen them bust through, over, or under a fence.

I do agree with Dirt Road Ninja though...  They might expect that hen to come to them and hang up???  Or maybe he did not want to cross to fight that jake?

If I heard that bird coming, I might walk right up to the fence line, start calling, and then walk away calling...  I'd either then shut up, or do some subtle clucks and quiet contented yelps out of sight of the fence line...  Tease him over.

Of course, I'd also find out who owns the property and ask if I could hunt the other side....

[fallhnt]

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Since you've had the same experience a few times in a row. I'd lose the dekes and back up where they can't see your location.

This

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[Plush]

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Definitely ditch the dekes. If he won’t hop a fence for them then they definitely aren’t helping and possibly are making him get hung up even worse. The dekes could be causing him to not want to go over the fence and want him to get them to come to him even more than his natural instinct already wants.

[1iagobblergetter]

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Since you've had the same experience a few times in a row. I'd lose the dekes and back up where they can't see your location.

This

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I'd also say this first and foremost,but I've also backed off on my calling and it's seemed to let them think of getting over or through the obstacle instead of the hen he's thinking completely about. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't.
A bad setup will ruin your hunt quicker than anything.
I do alot of analyzing after things go wrong and also alot before they do. Lol...

[wchadw]

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In my experience, turkeys don’t fly over obstacles. They will wait on other side for hen to show up. Personally I don’t think gobblers will fly unless there is danger they cannot escape on foot.

Try finding a spot in the fence he can duck under


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[turkey_slayer]

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I've killed a few dozen in one spot by having them fly 400+ yards over a river. I wouldn't kill many if they didn't cross a creek or come down hill. Don't get me wrong I've seen hang up on some crazy obstacles but normally if they're hen less and worked up they do stupid stuff.

[Marc]

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In my experience, turkeys don’t fly over obstacles. They will wait on other side for hen to show up. Personally I don’t think gobblers will fly unless there is danger they cannot escape on foot.

Try finding a spot in the fence he can duck under

While I do not expect a bird to cross a major obstacle, and have seen them hang up on virtually nothing...   I have also seen birds fly to chase down hens...

Opening weekend, after killing a bird with my daughter we drove to an area (we cannot hunt), watched a hen going up the hill, and a tom from the other side of the road took flight to meet up with her... 

I have had birds fly to me mid-day on at least two occasions (that I know of)…  I have also had birds that seemed to gain ground far faster than I anticipated (wondering if they took flight to gain such ground?).

While I will not spend all day working on a bird on the other side of a major obstacle (such as a river or a road), I would not completely disregard such a bird either (especially if nothing else is going on).

And this year, I had hens fly to the tree I was sitting under at fly-down...  That was a first for me...  I thought for sure good things were going to happen (but I was disappointed at best).

[wchadw]

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In my experience, turkeys don’t fly over obstacles. They will wait on other side for hen to show up. Personally I don’t think gobblers will fly unless there is danger they cannot escape on foot.

Try finding a spot in the fence he can duck under

While I do not expect a bird to cross a major obstacle, and have seen them hang up on virtually nothing...   I have also seen birds fly to chase down hens...

Opening weekend, after killing a bird with my daughter we drove to an area (we cannot hunt), watched a hen going up the hill, and a tom from the other side of the road took flight to meet up with her... 

I have had birds fly to me mid-day on at least two occasions (that I know of)…  I have also had birds that seemed to gain ground far faster than I anticipated (wondering if they took flight to gain such ground?).

While I will not spend all day working on a bird on the other side of a major obstacle (such as a river or a road), I would not completely disregard such a bird either (especially if nothing else is going on).

And this year, I had hens fly to the tree I was sitting under at fly-down...  That was a first for me...  I thought for sure good things were going to happen (but I was disappointed at best).

I’m just saying your chances of success go way up if you avoid trying to call them thru an obstacle. 9 times out of 10 they will stop at a creek or fence and strut back and forth waiting on the hen to come to them


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[Marc]

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I’m just saying your chances of success go way up if you avoid trying to call them thru an obstacle. 9 times out of 10 they will stop at a creek or fence and strut back and forth waiting on the hen to come to them.

100% agree...

However, if there are no other games in town, I might play for a bit...

Also getting bird worked up on the other side of the creek (or fence, or road) might get a different bird on your side worked up as well.

[btomlin]

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I've seen a field turkey hang up on the long shadow of a pine tree. 

I had one that was gobbling almost every step across a field that hit a shadow and decided that the hot hen wasn’t worth a cool place to take a nap.   He was there for an hr before just walking off.  Crazy

[Plush]

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I've seen a field turkey hang up on the long shadow of a pine tree. 

I had one that was gobbling almost every step across a field that hit a shadow and decided that the hot hen wasn’t worth a cool place to take a nap.   He was there for an hr before just walking off.  Crazy

Today I had one absolutely just hammering to my call. For TWO HOURS he just hammered away and would not budge from wherever he was. After an hour I just sat in awe that he was that worked up and would not come any closer. He sounded like he was max 200 yards. I eventually had to leave for work shaking my head as he continued to hammer away. Unbelievable.

He didn't sound 400 yards away, but that is where a river is and my gut tells me that is where he was hung up...but man my ears tell me we were on the same side. Wherever I go tomorrow he will be on the other side because I keep getting to the one yard line to fail. 

This would mark the second time I got screwed by a river and once it was a stupid puddle the gobbler could have just walked around. To be honest I am so frustrated at this point crossing the river is not out of the question.