The Hard Headed Gobblers - How did you kill ‘em!?

[Prospector]

I figure there's always another day. I remember a friend called me to unfamiliar ground for a Turkey that had whipped him some. Told me right where he would be so I eased out there in the dark. Turkey gobbled right where he said he would be. I looked down at the ground and saw a bunch of cig butts where my friend had started all his days. I said " Nope", and made a circle out into a cutover, busted brush til I got in the SMZ opposite the road , sat down about 100yds from him just around a curve in the logging road. At daylight I answered his gobbles 3X and shut up. No cuts, kee Kees, clucks etc. Just yelps. Put gun on my knee when I heard wings. A few mins he eased around the curve eyeballing my position . 27 yds...... Was back at camp waiting when he came up. He was amazed," You sure don't waste time!". I smiled and said,"Well, you wanted him dead, Right...".
I made ONE good move when I didn't approach him from the easiest position. That's all- and luck.

[jhoward11]

On top of ridge. Tom would come to 60yds and hang up...walk back out to 90 and strut some more. Went on 4 different times. Last time I called to him at 90 yrds, knowing he would come to 60 and then go back. Snuck out the back of blind and ran around the ridge (it was wet). Came up to where he was going to be. Peaked over the hill and sure enough he was at 60 from the blind headed back my way. Dead at 30yrds. Stupid bird! I felt so proud of myself!!!!

[POk3s]

Great stories guys. The tough ones are always the ones you remember most vividly!

[Spitten and drummen]

Patience is key. The most effect tool in your bag and it's cheap. Stay with them and wait on him to make a mistake. When he does you have to catch it and then capitalize on it. A old timer once told me years ago that every bird is killable on a particular day during season. You just have to be there when that day breaks.

[Sixes]

I usually end up losing the battle

[POk3s]

I also love the "patience" answers. It's probably the easiest tactic to deploy but also the toughest to do. You feel like you're doing nothing but really it's probably the way most hard headed gobblers are killed.

In my situation, I live in the arid, southwest corner of Wyoming where antelope outnumber people. I have ZERO turkeys close to me and my "in state" spots are at least 5 hours away. There are a few pocketed birds in the mountains about 2 hours from me. The population is low but it's a fun hunt. The "wait them out and kill them another day" doesnt really fit into how I have to hunt, but I understand it fits into most peoples style. I have however just flat left turkeys before. I seemingly have to cut my losses and find a different bird to hunt before my long weekend getaway is over and I have to head back towards home.

[mudhen]

I like to match being dense with being more denser!

I can sit against a tree for hours with the best of them!

I want the tom to think "man, that guy is really dumb!"

[Prospector]

I too agree that every bird has a time when he is more vulnerable. I also believe in proximity... a gobbler who won't give you the time of day will all the sudden hammer the same call he's been ignoring just by closing distance. I've heard it likened to a bubble- on any given day that bubble is a certain size, penetrate it and he's vulnerable. However, on some that bubble is more like plastic wrap tight around him! A good tip is approach as close as you safely can before making your stand and hopefully when you reveal yourself with a call he has no choice but to investigate....

[eggshell]

I'll add one more thought. We create a lot of the hard headed birds by hunting them too aggressively the same old way. After a few encounters using the same call, approach and tactics he knows us as well as we know him. Many times I have seen an unkillable bird killed on the first try by a new hunter. I have killed several of these unkillable gobblers myself. New approach, new calling and he accepts it as a new hen and comes. I know a lot of hunters claim they change up calls and tactics, but we are creatures of habit and we may be holding a different call, but we're still doing all the same things. It takes deliberate thought to actually bring a new strategy.

[ScottTaulbee]

I also love the "patience" answers. It's probably the easiest tactic to deploy but also the toughest to do. You feel like you're doing nothing but really it's probably the way most hard headed gobblers are killed.

In my situation, I live in the arid, southwest corner of Wyoming where antelope outnumber people. I have ZERO turkeys close to me and my "in state" spots are at least 5 hours away. There are a few pocketed birds in the mountains about 2 hours from me. The population is low but it's a fun hunt. The "wait them out and kill them another day" doesnt really fit into how I have to hunt, but I understand it fits into most peoples style. I have however just flat left turkeys before. I seemingly have to cut my losses and find a different bird to hunt before my long weekend getaway is over and I have to head back towards home.

Same way with me, with my place of employment, it's not uncommon to work 7 days a week, 30 or 40 days straight. I've worked up to 4 months straight without a day off before, it's the nature of the beast. Anywho, when I turkey hunt, i typically take the first handful of days of the season off and after that I'm forced to hunt evening after work. The closest place I have to hunt from my house or work is a hour plus drive in any direction and it's all pretty heavily pressured public land. When I hunt, I don't wait on the gobbler, if I'm working a bird and I've not killed him in 35 to 40 minutes, I'm leaving him and find one that wants to die. In my case, I have to find the right bird that day because I just don't have the days to waste sitting in a spot waiting on one to walk in.


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[Brwndg]

Persistence, patience and luck.

I had one bird I hunted all season and couldn't get him to work. One morning I had heard zero gobbles and at 0930 was heading back to truck and gave one last series of cuts on the glass pot call. He gobbles one time about 200 yds away down in the creek bottom. I follow a horse trail to get around him and when I pop my head up just over the rise of a small hill I see him in full strut about 30 yds away.
I drop back down and collect my thoughts before slowly rising up w gun ready. He's behind a small tree between us and I give a few clucks on the diaphragm to pop his head up. BOOM!  Best set of hooks I ever shot!

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.



Eggshell wrote:

This is it in a nutshell. I have an old addage I use all the time, "every bird has his stupid day"

I have an old adage too: "Turkey hunting is easy....you just gotta find one that wants to die!"