3rd year and many hunts later, he wins again. Today was the closest I've been but man he is wary. It's become a personal challenge to get this one sneaky gobbler, but I might be ready to wave the white flag. He has ducked me well over a dozen times. Today he never gobbled, as usual, I've never heard him gobble, and showed up at 7:45 on time. Never responds to calling and keeps feeding and looking. I've tried using a feeding hen, upright hen, feeding Jake, full strut and he will not come to a decoy or call. I thought I could just pattern him this morning. I setup where he usually feeds, not today 100 yards in the other direction. I thought he was coming my way then he would pull a reversal. I think he has a 6th sense of thermal detection. I've never been able to pinpoint his roost since he often comes from different directions. He's gotta be at least 4 yrs old because I first saw him 3 yes ago and his beard was 10" or so then. He must just not cater to other turkeys and expects everything to come to him.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Have you tried using no decoys?
Is he roosted with other birds or is he a lone wolf?
Have you been able to locate any strut zones or drag marks on the property?
Can you hunt til dark or are you guys a done at noon state?
Sounds like you need a hecs suit lol
I feel your pain. I've got one that's giving me the blues too. This is my first year on him. I saw him once and he's a dandy. Right now I'm thinking that my only hope is that as the season goes on maybe he'll be more likely to come to the call.
That's what it all about right there. If it was easy we wouldn't do it.
I had a bird I had many a close calls with. Gobbled nearly a hundred times on roost the one day, finally had him on a string until it started to pour ( and it was completely sunny out) and she shut down, gobble on roost only to hear coyotes directly below him, had him double and triple gobbling along with a 2 year old. They were racing from opposite directions to me. 2 year old him beat him and let a gobble go 10 feet behind me and I jumped a little as it scared the heck out me. He putted and ole tom shut down. Came in silent as I just swung leg over to whizz, busted again. Had him crest knoll at 20 feet only to see top of head and his fan and disappeared silent. ( should have scratched in behind me as I couldn't call anymore) Finally killed him and felt happy as well as sad the chess match was over. I'd guarantee this bird was 4/5 years old. He patterned every year doing the same thing. My only multi bearded bird (3) and some hooks (1.25) Don't give up on him. He'll make a mistake and you can call "checkmate" I sat over that bird for a good half hour just thinking about 'how close " I was so many times. Everyone of those hunts were memorable even though I didn't kill him . Maybe throw something odd his way Fighting purrs, gobble yelp like a jake . Something out of the ordinary just may do it.
Quote from: spaightlabs on April 14, 2017, 09:03:39 AM
Have you tried using no decoys?
Is he roosted with other birds or is he a lone wolf?
Have you been able to locate any strut zones or drag marks on the property?
Can you hunt til dark or are you guys a done at noon state?
Yes no decoys. I can hunt til dark. He's there then too. Lone wolf
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Got to kill him. Gobblers that don't make a sound are a genetic problem. He is breeding your hens and polluting you gene pool. Get it done.
Quote from: turkeyfeathers on April 14, 2017, 10:57:26 AM
That's what it all about right there. If it was easy we wouldn't do it.
I had a bird I had many a close calls with. Gobbled nearly a hundred times on roost the one day, finally had him on a string until it started to pour ( and it was completely sunny out) and she shut down, gobble on roost only to hear coyotes directly below him, had him double and triple gobbling along with a 2 year old. They were racing from opposite directions to me. 2 year old him beat him and let a gobble go 10 feet behind me and I jumped a little as it scared the heck out me. He putted and ole tom shut down. Came in silent as I just swung leg over to whizz, busted again. Had him crest knoll at 20 feet only to see top of head and his fan and disappeared silent. ( should have scratched in behind me as I couldn't call anymore) Finally killed him and felt happy as well as sad the chess match was over. I'd guarantee this bird was 4/5 years old. He patterned every year doing the same thing. My only multi bearded bird (3) and some hooks (1.25) Don't give up on him. He'll make a mistake and you can call "checkmate" I sat over that bird for a good half hour just thinking about 'how close " I was so many times. Everyone of those hunts were memorable even though I didn't kill him . Maybe throw something odd his way Fighting purrs, gobble yelp like a jake . Something out of the ordinary just may do it.
Yep, I love it. Great challenge for sure.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: Vinci1964 on April 14, 2017, 11:17:04 AM
Got to kill him. Gobblers that don't make a sound are a genetic problem. He is breeding your hens and polluting you gene pool. Get it done.
I'd think he ain't talking as he's "heard it all" or just tight lipped . Never thought/knew about quiet birds as a genetic thing
I have a similar problem. Hunted this bird for two years. Been within 60 yards of him 5 times!! He gobbles like crazy but will not come to a call. if you call he moves the other direction?? Tomorrow i'm going to try to ambush him by letting him gobble and then get ahead of him a cut him off? Good luck with your bird. But this is what makes us keep hunting! I've never want to get a bird so bad!!!
He definately is not smarter than you. Read in the strategy section about the bird i dealt with. Finally he made a mistake. Just keep after him. The more time you invest the more likely you will be there when everything falls in place. You can kill this bird but you cant let him get in your head and make you think you cant. Confidence and persistance will give you higher odds of k8lling him. Good luck.
Round 13 tonight
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
We had a bird similar to that at my old lease, except he always had hens with him. No matter what we tried, he'd always go the other way, without fail. I finally got him one morning when we'd had a couple days straight of rain. It was forecast to let up around dawn on the 3rd morning. Since it was wet, I went in extra early and was able to ease in close to his roost and set up beside the nearest opening with a few hen decoys and a strutter decoy. I knew that the turkeys were tired of being rained on and they'd head for open ground right off the roost. I clucked a few times when I heard the hens tree talking and they almost got in my lap. The hens came off the ridge first and he followed them to the open. I shot him at 16 yards. He was over 23 pounds, had a 10.75 inch beard, and 1.25 inch spurs. The feathers on his breast were worn bald from covering so many hens. He also had 6-7 pellets of copper plated #6s in his breast when I cleaned him, so he had good reason to be shy.
Maybe wait until a rainy day and get tight to his roost? Good luck & stay after him.
Jim
Quote from: Cut N Run on April 14, 2017, 04:48:21 PMMaybe wait until a rainy day and get tight to his roost?
This....kill him in the rain.....even though I know the wet stuff has been sparse on our end of western NC.
Gods of Thunder
22.250. ;D
Good luck , just remember you have a bird to hunt be glad as i know you are....some would just like to have a chance of hearing one or killing one...
Quote from: Tail Feathers on April 14, 2017, 05:41:03 PM
22.250. ;D
:z-winnersmiley: :z-guntootsmiley: :OGturkeyhead:
Seriously though try using a wing to simulate a flydown but leave the calls alone. And since you know where he wants to be stay there. He'll eventually wander into gun range.
Quote from: Gooserbat on April 14, 2017, 09:13:04 PM
Quote from: Tail Feathers on April 14, 2017, 05:41:03 PM
22.250. ;D
:z-winnersmiley: :z-guntootsmiley: :OGturkeyhead:
Seriously though try using a wing to simulate a flydown but leave the calls alone. And since you know where he wants to be stay there. He'll eventually wander into gun range.
I haven't tried the wing on him. I left them back home up in NC. I guess I could try the hat flapping but that never sounded right to me.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: Vinci1964 on April 14, 2017, 11:17:04 AM
Got to kill him. Gobblers that don't make a sound are a genetic problem. He is breeding your hens and polluting you gene pool. Get it done.
I definitely believe there is some validity to this statement.
Birds that are quite are less apt to get shot and more likely to survive...
Using pheasants as an example, birds that run, and do not cackle when they flush are more likely to survive the season... Now we see more running birds that do not cackle when they flush.
Human interaction with nature, is bound to have an effect. Without people hunting down gobbling birds, the birds that gobble are more likely to breed (and thus spread their seed in the gene pool). With high hunting pressure, the quiet birds that can still find a mate are far more likely to survive...
As for tough birds, I had one of those the last two seasons that survived... Partly due to his wariness, and partly due to my own stupidity and plain dumb luck (i.e. having cattle rush in when I finally had the bird in range and could not shoot safely).
Figuring out where that bird will be an hour or so after fly-down, and doing some soft low-end clucking and purring occassionaly would be my game-plan...
Ditch the decoys, for good. Yeah they work sometimes. You don't need them.
Not using any keeps them , moving, looking for that hen with their head up.
Get in there where you've seen him the most. Couple clucks every 20 mins. That's it for calling.
Scratch in the leaves for a minute or so every 20 mins. Be ready ...
If he catches you with your gun down, turn to stone, let him pass till you can raise it without being seen. Don't think your quick enough, be patient.
If he goes out of sight get the gun up and scratch in the leaves.
He could be a ole tom that is out of his prime ( a hermit Gobbler just does his own thing) doesn,t associate with other turkeys much. they can be tough will just have to hunt him like a deer figure where he roosts in the evening were goes in the day no decoys and very little calling. OH YEAH ALOT PATENICE
I think my plan at this point would be to go find another bird and come back in a few days, maybe a week. I've had birds like this that ruined a whole season and I ended up killing nothing all season. Clear your mind on another bird and come back "rested and relaxed" and ready to take care of bizness.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have the same troubles with a bird here. He roost off of my land and I'm not even sure if he's using my place any more after fly down. I know where he roosts and kinda know where he goes, but don't have permission. He's got several hens right now and I can't get him to even answer a call. I'm not gonna give up tho! It's about the only gobbler I have to chase, so I'm gonna aggravate him from all angles possible and hope that he messes up one day