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Gobble on the roost, then nothing! Need advice?

Started by opster246, May 03, 2013, 11:55:45 AM

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opster246

I've had a frustrating past week or so.  Season started off good with me getting a nice tom. Classic hunt with birds gobbling all morning, then it all fell apart! Made a trip to Southern ILL to hunt the Shawnee Natl Forrest with 2 buddies to try and get their first birds. We hunted hard for 5 days, stuck it out in the rain and all. Seemed the birds had moved off of the public land, which could be expected but we covered some ground and moved way back in the woods. Common factor every day was that they would roost gobble and then nothing for the rest of the day. Made for tough hunting! Had a great time but didn't bag any birds.

Now that I'm home, I'm trying to get my son his first bird and it seems the tight lipped toms followed me.  I'm sure they are with hens in the morning but then breaking up later, saw a lone hen yesterday go into heavy fence line cover at about 10 a.m. for about 15 mins and then leave.  I'm sure tending to her nest and laying an egg. I was thinking this should make for lonely toms and we should hear some late morning gobbling and responses to calls-but thats not the case! Same thing was going on in S. IL, mid day hen sightings, but NO gobbling.

Wondered what to do for calling to birds on the roost and calling tactics throughout the day.  We can only hunt till 1 p.m. Also, is a DSD jake/hen set up effective this time of year, or better off with a lonesome hen?  We are going to keep at it, but it is starting to get into my head!

RutnNStrutn

Good luck man, that's the same thing that happened to me all season long in Carolina. My birds were henned up, to use the old cliche, but literally they were. They roosted amongst hens, would pitch down and the hens pitched down to them. After that, no more gobbles and the hens would lead them the other way.
Best advice I could give you is to learn their travel patterns and try to get out in front of them. Don't even play the roost game.

opster246

Thanks RutNStrutn!  Unfortunately, we are hunting private land leased by the state for youth turkey hunters.  Space is limited, birds are roosted across the fence and we had little to no opportunity to pre hunt scout.  We are going to be out there and do the best we can.  Heck, i would go out just to hear them gobble on the roost!  Thanks for the advice. Time in the turkey woods is never a waste of time, just can't wait to see him get his first bird! I'd give back 10 of mine to get him his first!  It will happen eventually! :thanks:

DirtNap647

probably just gona be that lucky day and time that the hens leave him and he gets lonely and hope you are close by good luck to him