Well, I've put 4 full days of hunting in to bagging this bird, plenty of exciting heart racing moments. I have one more day I can get back after him, so going to make the most of it. A lot of y'all have way more experience and skills than myself, so I'm all ears. I've had him at 60 yds one time (almost pulled the trigger but decided against it), hung up multiple times at 70-100 yds, roosted him 4 times without convincing him to come my way at fly down, pretty much pulled anything imaginable! He seems to be unpredictable, staying in a area that covers 1 x 1/2 mile, but not having a set routine or route when moving around the property. He seems to rarely leave the woods and only gobbles on his own and not to a call. The past two evenings I roosted him in the same tree, no luck at fly down as he just heads the other way. Figured I'd hunt that roost tree this evening and what do you know, he came out of the creek bottom stayed about 2-300 yds to my west then looped behind me and headed about 1/2 a mile to the same roost tree he used last weekend. He seems to feed in several different areas where the woods thin out some and there is less undergrowth and briars/thicket. Given how unpredictable he is, how would y'all go about hunting him the last day?
Sounds like an old bird, and less is going to be more. If he's not got a hen I would set up in total dark 100 yards from his roost. Be sure to be level or better yet up hill. Tree call ONE time after he gobbled on his own. Then I would wait till I heard him fly down and I would use a turkey wing (if no wing use your cap) and beat it against my tree to simulate hen flying down. Wait 15 seconds and follow with a few soft yelps and shut up. He might never gobble but I'm sure he'll be a struttin and drumming fool all the way in.
what gooserbat said. Also, don't move; stay in the same spot. He'll eventually come looking for you.
Last chance, that's a killer, would have to go with subtle as suggested rather than risk it with other techniques.
Although at some point I would have tried a tease tactic on him, but too late to risk now with the last hunt.
Thanks guys. I've successfully snuck in and set up on the roost twice at dark, but haven't tried to make the fly down sound with a ball cap. I have done some leaf scratching, and kept calling to soft short yelps. Have y'all seen where they will become very unpredictable in there havits, favoring one area one day and another the next? Unfortunately won't be able to roost him the evening before this last hunt, so my plan is to be on the hill between the two roosts he's been using and then close in on him when he gobbles on the roost. I do think being patient and just sitting in one spot for the day may be best, I have been usually sitting in one spot for a hour or so, calling once every 10-15 minutes, then moving. The other day after a hour and a half he closed in an gobbled one time within 100 yds but never made a word or saw him again. A little luck may be what I need on this one!
you might try a gobble call or whatever there called sometimes it will make them mad and he will come in looking for a fight.
It will be hard to set there all day without callin much. Be sure your comfortable with some cover for a hide. That old gobbler will stand in one place lookin for 15 mins, if your just sittin by a tree in open woods, he will see you. After you fly down and soft yelp, I would only cluck and purr....very little of that. Good luck, let us know how you make out.
Good luck
Plan A would be Gooserbat's suggestion. If that doesn't work (give it plenty of time), then I'd suggest Plan B where you make him think that an intruder gobbler has moved in on a hen in his territory (gobble tube-this worked for me last week on a bird with 1 1/2" spurs). Hopefully, this will provoke the pecking order instinct and he will come in to see who this strange tom is. If neither Plan A or Plan B works, I'd think through all of my attempts to hunt him and go set up where he has frequented the most, whether it's an area or just a place he likes to pass by and just wait. While it's fun to bag a gobbler, there's nothing like the challenge and satisfaction of finally outsmarting an old bird like the one you are hunting. Stay sharp and be have patience.