that has the "stuck on one bird" affliction? Here in GA the season has been open a little more than a week. I have been able to hunt 2 weekends only. The subordinate birds are responding to calling and could have limited out by now ( 3 birds ) but NOOOO ??? There is this one old bird that whipped my tail last season and he is picking up right where we left off last year. HE DOES NOT GOBBLE!! EVER!!! I know where he lives and have actually been on him twice already this year. Both times he has been henned up. Once in the woods and once in an open pasture. I've set up on him numerous times and can't close the deal. I can't get him into range and I am becoming obsessed with him. This 4 year old bird is whipping my 55 year old butt ;D It's a great time but I'm losing sleep over this ball of feathers! You boys have any idea? Give me something to work with here! If something don't go my way with this ol buzzard quick I'm gonna have to roll up one of those 2 year olds :z-guntootsmiley:
OK enough of my sleep deprived whining and moaning...Carry on men!!
headbanger
I have got obsessed with a bird before myself. Wasted a lot of weeks on em to till I killed them. He isnt gobbling cause he doesnt have to with all the hens. Go kill some birds then come back and get him when the hens are nesting. I do have one question. How the heck can you guys tell if a bird is 2,3,4, ect years old? ;D
Quote from: turkey_slayer on April 03, 2012, 08:05:24 AM
I have got obsessed with a bird before myself. Wasted a lot of weeks on em to till I killed them. He isnt gobbling cause he doesnt have to with all the hens. Go kill some birds then come back and get him when the hens are nesting. I do have one question. How the heck can you guys tell if a bird is 2,3,4, ect years old? ;D
LOL..because we been chasin the same bird for two or three years.
Gman
Quote from: Gamblinman on April 03, 2012, 08:10:05 AM
LOL..because we been chasin the same bird for two or three years.
Gman
Very true! :toothy12:
I love to eat turkey, so I'd go kill one of those other birds and then go back to hunting the one that's giving you fits. Good luck!
Quote from: Gamblinman on April 03, 2012, 08:10:05 AM
Quote from: turkey_slayer on April 03, 2012, 08:05:24 AM
I have got obsessed with a bird before myself. Wasted a lot of weeks on em to till I killed them. He isnt gobbling cause he doesnt have to with all the hens. Go kill some birds then come back and get him when the hens are nesting. I do have one question. How the heck can you guys tell if a bird is 2,3,4, ect years old? ;D
LOL..because we been chasin the same bird for two or three years.
Gman
This :angry9: Remember...this bird DOES NOT GOBBLE. Even last year he was the stud muffin always covered up by hens and I never heard him gobble once. Same this year plus he is 5-6 lbs heavier (by sight) than any of the other toms on this piece of ground. And...I'm sure I let him walk 2 yrs ago as a 2 yr old. Couldn't kill him at 3 and now after him at 4. To my dismay I know this ol boy all too well :toothy12:
headbanger
You may have to put that stick and string away and break out the Hevi Shot. ;)
Hope you put an end to your nemesis and get back to a good night's rest. :icon_thumright:
Quote from: lightsoutcalls on April 03, 2012, 10:51:19 AM
You may have to put that stick and string away and break out the Hevi Shot. ;)
Hope you put an end to your nemesis and get back to a good night's rest. :icon_thumright:
Thanks for your concern :laugh:Yep, I love chasing game with the longbow but...as a matter of fact the battered ol 870 was patterened with some Hevi-shot mag blend and a SSX choke prior to opening day with THIS bird in mind :fud
headbanger
I don't have a clue as to help you with your situation but depending on where you are in GA I will offer my services to be a pusher for you. I'll set up in one spot while you are on the other side of the bird and I'll call and try to push him to you.
Sometimes those big old stubborn ones take a bit of scouting and just being in the right place at the right time. If you can just get some sort of pattern where you've seen him most, you can hunt him like a deer. It's much more fun to call one in and hear him shake the woods, but sometimes it takes a different approach on those stubborn ones.
I am stuck on one bird right now. I have hunted him for seven days so far. I know about where he roosts in a hard wood bottom. Heck, on day 4 or 5 I was actually set up against the tree he was roosted in on accident. He is dealing me fits! So you are not the only one dealing with an pain in the neck bird
Naw, you ain't the only one that gets hung up on one bird. It happens to me too and did this year. I hunted a bird this year since our opening day March 24 but I ended it yesterday morning with some soft calling from my Hillbilly Custom mouth call (from jyoung on here) and my Browming Gold 10 gauge. he was a good one 18.5 pounds 10.5 inch beard and 1 3/8s spurs.
Good Luck and God Bless
Ray
Keep on him and don't give up on the bow. I love birds like this. They are so frustrating but even more rewarding when he takes that final dirt nap. I'm curious if you are using any decoys? If he is by far the dominant bird in the immediate area, maybe you should try a strutter decoy? Another suggestion is that if he is henned up, then watch the hens and see if you can find the dominant hen. Call to her and get her coming to you. He will be close behind.
Quote from: MOStrutter on April 03, 2012, 03:47:49 PM
Keep on him and don't give up on the bow. I love birds like this. They are so frustrating but even more rewarding when he takes that final dirt nap. I'm curious if you are using any decoys? If he is by far the dominant bird in the immediate area, maybe you should try a strutter decoy? Another suggestion is that if he is henned up, then watch the hens and see if you can find the dominant hen. Call to her and get her coming to you. He will be close behind.
Yep, I've tried hen...hen and jake...jake...no dekes. Never used a strutter...never wanted to take the chance of scaring off a younger bird who had been whupped by the dominant bird. Now...I don't care to see the sub birds as I've passed them already waiting on this ol boy. He is THE MAN on this block of land. I had him in the brush at 30 yds spittin and drummin last Sat. AM due to ticking off the dominant hen and matching her call for call but was pinned down. She and 4 more hens came in on a string and you are correct he was not far behind...just not in longbow range >:( HIS DAYS ARE NUMBERED...HE JUST DON'T KNOW IT YET!
headbanger
Season doesn't start up here until the 16th and hearing all of this is getting me crazy excited. I love those big spurred stubborn birds that just seem to stay at 40 yards and always seem to stop behind a tree or rose bush. I would borrow a strutter decoy and see if it ticks him off enough to come in. I keep one on hand just in case I run across a bird like this.
You might have to figure out how to get the hens' attention and have them lead him in.
Or perhaps annoy him with gobbling, fighting purrs, etc. to get him to check out his potential challengers.
May have to see if I can borrow a strutter deke and throw a gobble or 2 at him. If that don't work my wife is gonna be PO cause the kitchen sink will be next :TooFunny:
headbanger
You are not alone and I don't blame ya. If you never kill him don't ever regret the fact that you kept going after him. The book of turkey huntn may say leave those stubborn birds and stop wasting your time. I say why??? He is a challenge go after him. I hunted the same bird last year for the last 17 mornings of turkey season last year and never killed him. I could write a book about those 17 mornings. I even shot and missed him on the 4th of 17 straight mornings. (My heart was broken by the way). That bird roosted in the same group or trees with two hens and gobbled off the roost everyone of those morning including the morning after I peppered him pretty good (tough animals arent they!). On the last morning or Illiois season I was within yards of him but because of the thick growth by Mid May I never could get a shot at him. That bird has a nickname "The Boston Gobbler" - named after the property I hunted him on. You can bet we will be back out after the Boston Gobbler this season. We will have a great time and kill or no kill we wont regret the hunt. Thats one of the beautiful parts about turkey hunting. More about the journey than the destination.
Headbanger I just noticed someone on here mentioned using a full strut turkey decoy! I would absolutely give that a shot. More times than not a dominate Tom will come running in. That is from my experience. Jakes dont seem to run from them either. They just come in much more sheepishly. Kill em!
I wasted my time for 2/3 years hunting the same Tom in Nebraska, and he had a distinct color variation, so I knew it was the same bird. :-\ I think he finally died of old age.
My best suggestion would be a full strut jake decoy like the jake mobile. I have learned (the hard way) these decoys as only useful in a few situations. Big old dominate bird who's been around a while or a bird who has been called at so much he just stops workin. Seems to me the strutting jake just really PO's them hopefully Into headache range.. Just my 2 cents worth. Hope it helps
Justin
Man, i'd love to see u give that old bird the dirt nap he deserves. My opinion would be to lay it on with a strutter deke and a gobble call. I wouldnt be coy with it either. I'd give him hell on it and really make him think there's a new dog in town. Ive seen this no gobblin behavior before with real stud gobblers. The hens know who the boss is and all he has to do is spit and drum. If you feel comfortable, u can make a decent spit and drum with your mouth. I'd do that, too. Stick that strutter deke in his favorite spot. U gotta make this one mad to get him. Keep us posted. I love (hate) bad birds!
Thanks for all the suggestions guys. Looks like it's time to pull out all the stops on this ol boy. You'd think that it would be rather simple to pin him down on the 120 acres (half wooded and half pasture) he calls home but....not to be... yet ;D We have this love hate thing going on :happy0064:
headbanger