maybe someone can clue me in on why they do this...I have been in this situation so many times where im hunting hear a bird start gobbling his head off work my way to him, set up he's still yelling up a storm I make one call and that turkey shuts up never to be heard again that day. why do they do this had this happen a lot to me all different times of day, they sound as if they will run right in but they don't they run the other way...?
this year i have been hunting this particular bird in which he is the first to gobble in the morning gobbles his head off on the roost i mean to where you would think he would be sick. you set up on him make one call he shuts up never to be heard rest of day
So how good are ya on a turkey call? :D just joking. I had a friend that had that issue with a hard hunted bird. He killed him by setting up next to his roost in the evening. After he heard the bird fly up he let out a couple real soft yelps, waited till dark and left. Went back in before daylight. Sat down and waited. The tom showed up shortly after flydown.
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To quote some folks, "there ain't no such thing as call shy". ....Yeah, right. ;D :toothy12: :toothy9:
There are Caitlyn's even in turkey populations.
lol
I've had some that when I gave them a tree yelp or two while they were on the roost would go the other way or shut up completely after they flew down. These were public land birds & I used to think it was my calling at first. Now unless they are pretty hot on the roost I won't call to them until they are on the ground. Sounds like the gobblers you have encountered have had a bad experience with hunters before or they had some hens with him that pulled him away in a hurry.
Quote from: guesswho on May 24, 2017, 01:17:49 PM
There are Caitlyn's even in turkey populations.
:z-winnersmiley: Had one 4-5 years ago that was gobbling on the roost so I gave him a light tree yelp to let him know I was there. After he flew down he paid me no attention after another gobbler gobbled up the holler about a hundred yards. Last I heard them both were going away from me over a ridge about a quarter mile from me. I couldn't believe it.
Turkeys being turkeys. There are some i cant kill no matter what i try. If they ran you over everytime you set up on them , then it wouldnt be much fun. I know it gets frustating getting your tail kicked daily but eventually everything will fall in place and things will work out. When you kill him you will feel a great satisfaction. Those birds you work for are a whole lot more satisfying in the end.
Had one kick my butt this year. Same thing. Did it last year too. Next year, he's my focal point.
I think sometimes they may have hens with them and when you start calling the hen gets annoyed and just moves on. Mr Tom follows her off into the sunset....but heck, who knows. They do what they want when they want.
He's been pressured. Just because he shuts up don't mean he left. Lots of guys will get up to go see where he was at and then unknowingly run him off... now he associates your calling with danger...if he is gobbling in a particular area or areas at all times of the day then these are most likely his strut zones, beat him to that area and wait quietly he will show...
Sounds like a pressured bird and maybe calling to loud . I've killed gobblers like this by getting close to roost making very soft clucks after daylight and maybe some leaf scratching. One of the biggest I've killed I used nothing but a wing to sound like a hen flying down no calls just wing flaps and an hour of silence with no movement he came in slow but drumming. These are the ones that teach you the most you have to stay with him and be very patient.
Quote from: Dirt nap on May 24, 2017, 01:06:08 PM
maybe someone can clue me in on why they do this...I have been in this situation so many times where im hunting hear a bird start gobbling his head off work my way to him, set up he's still yelling up a storm I make one call and that turkey shuts up never to be heard again that day. why do they do this had this happen a lot to me all different times of day, they sound as if they will run right in but they don't they run the other way...?
this year i have been hunting this particular bird in which he is the first to gobble in the morning gobbles his head off on the roost i mean to where you would think he would be sick. you set up on him make one call he shuts up never to be heard rest of day
That is why it's called turkey hunting and not turkey killing. This is one of those birds where your methods could end up being increasingly diversified.....or you go hunt another bird.
good pre dawn setup and light leaf scratching will do more for him than any call will.
Has hens or is waiting on the "hen" he heard to come to him.
I have not seen a hen with him maybe I just can't hear her
Quote from: Dirt nap on May 25, 2017, 01:08:10 PM
I have not seen a hen with him maybe I just can't hear her
Several years back I walked in well before daylight to a spot where a Tom had been roosting off and on. It was the last day of the season. I went in well before daylight and was 75 yards from him. I watched him strut and gobble on the limb. He would have been looking straight at me, so I waited for him to fly down. He had 3 hens with him, one in the same tree. They never made a sound. He waited for them to fly down and they went to my left with no interest in me - I only called once, because they were headed right to my nephew 250 yards away - OOPS! He never knew the hens were there and if I had not seen what happened, I would have thought he called that bird in, but he only yelped one time and they were already headed to him when he did that.
Still a good chance he has a hen with him, even if you have not heard her.
My thought is that he has a hen with him. A few years ago, we had a week where the birds would open up midday and gobble like crazy. We would cut the distance and call, he would gobble one time and then nothing. About an hour later, he would start gobbling again 300-500 yards away. Finally, I said, I'm killing that tom. I let him gobble and gobble as I got closer and closer. I was 60-70 yards from him before I called. 3 yelps later he was spitting and drumming at 40 yards just as the hen came running to him to take him away. Well, that time, I took him away. I believe what has happening is that the hen would drift off and he would gobble like crazy. As we called, she would swing in and steal him away only to drift off an hour later.
Get close, call soft and be ready with the gun.
The most gobbling birds I've encountered were 1/2 of dynamic duos. Two buddy birds running together all season with no hens that I ever saw. Kill one and the other usually turns into a gobbling fool and most have turned out to be 2 year olds. I don't know if they are litter mates or just "good buddies". But they sure get lonesome and nervous when one of them goes feet up.
Quote from: guesswho on May 25, 2017, 05:17:10 PM
The most gobbling birds I've encountered were 1/2 of dynamic duos. Two buddy birds running together all season with no hens that I ever saw. Kill one and the other usually turns into a gobbling fool and most have turned out to be 2 year olds. I don't know if they are litter mates or just "good buddies". But they sure get lonesome and nervous when one of them goes feet up.
If they never have hens with them, I'm betting they're really "good buddies"
Gobble at him.
Here's a thought. The bird might be a sub-dominant bird who's been beaten on every time he gobbles at a hen. Sometimes jakes will make a huge racket, but as soon as they hear a hen, they shut down. Are they over pressured? Doubtful. He just doesn't want to gobble at a hen.
He may be sneaking in, or he may not be interested at all. My approach is usually go find a different bird, but sometimes that's not an option. You may try a single hen decoy and some light calling and stay put. Even if he shuts up, stay put as long as it takes for you to be convinced he's definitely not in the area.
And I'm in the camp that agrees that turkeys don't get call shy. They get hunter shy. If they got call shy, they'd never breed all season.
I agree with chcltLabz he's probably had
his rear kicked for gobbling at hens and doesen't
want it to happen again.
I'm in camp with chcltLabz. they're hunter shy.
Regards
Turk
season ended and this bird will live on...never could figure him out
Hope you didn't waste too much time on him. I learned long ago that there are just some gobblers out there that will avoid turkey calling like the plague.
I wasted a season on a bird like that, never again. Just wouldn't cross the property line no matter where I set up. Determination was rewarded with tag soup!