Perseverance or Stubborness?

[Spurs Up]

What's the longest number of days you've ever hunted the same gobbler in a single season and either: 1) never killed him; or, 2) finally killed him?  If you managed to get him, what did you do differently, if anything?

I'll start it...As a general rule, if I can't close the deal in 3 days or less, I probably won't and will look fast for a suicide turkey to hunt.  That said, one year--many years ago--I encountered an odd-acting gobbler that defied convention.  I hunted him 10 mornings.  He never once roosted within 200 yards of the previous hunt's roost site.  He gobbled irregularly, usually several times every morning, but never twice from the same spot once he hit the ground. He didn't mind moving, but I don't think his total range the whole time was more than 150 acres.  Probably much less. I didn't own a decoy in those days (and don't now), but broke down and bought one about the 7th or 8th day. On the 10th day, he did his usual thing...gobble but never closer than 150 yards away. Then out of the blue during mid-morning of the 10th day, while I was inattentive, he slipped in close enough to spot the deke. He ran in the last 10 yards to the decoy, apparently didn't like the view up close and/or saw me, and slammed it in reverse.  Game. Set. Match.  I never went back...

[Happy]

5 times I targeted the same bird consecutively. That was all I got out that year and he lived to tell about it. Since then I don't concentrate on one bird to much. I will hunt different birds on and off. Seems like I don't get tunnel vision that way or overly frustrated.

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[paboxcall]

5 times I targeted the same bird consecutively. That was all I got out that year and he lived to tell about it. Since then I don't concentrate on one bird to much. I will hunt different birds on and off. Seems like I don't get tunnel vision that way or overly frustrated.

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For the last three years I've gotten stuck on a particular bird, and like Happy notes, its easy to get tunnel vision. Going forward: try a certain bird for a couple days incorporating what I observed, heard and learned the day before, and if no better results, move on.

All those hunts were good, learned a lot, but in hind sight may have wasted the few days afield I get not finding new birds.

[Forked lighting]

I like to pick one old bird after i fill my frist tag antry to kill him longest has been 2 weeks pattern him to strutt zone he used an setup without calling worked but took a while only problem is after you kill him i fill kinda sad like losing old friend

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[TRG3]

Perseverance is a form of stubbornness which can lead to filling your turkey tag. A few years back, I was just stepping into my truck after an unsuccessful morning's hunt when I heard a gobble at least a quarter mile away. It was 11 a.m. and the rain clouds were thickening. I seriously through about just heading on in since I had to be to work by 12:15 p.m., but instead I grabbed my Remington 12 gauge 870, a hen decoy, and headed toward the gobble. I arrived near the spot I though the gobble came from only to hear it again, less than 100 yards away. I quickly planted the hen decoy on a small mound in the woods and gave a series of hen yelps which were quickly returned to me as very vocal hen scoldings. I immediately return the calls in an even more vocal response, and the hen started loud yelpings and started my way just as the clouds released a deluge! The real hen was only 10 yards from my decoy when I realized that a gobbler was in tow some 20 yards behind. My glasses were rain streaked and foggy, but not enough to send a load of #5 shot into the tom's head. I filled my tag, made it back to the truck sopping wet, but smiling as I headed to a dry spot to change clothes, making it in to work on time. Sometimes perseverance pays off.

[GobbleNut]

Whether or not I am going to hunt a gobbler more than once is usually based on the first encounter I have with him.  If I hunt a bird and I get the impression that he is clearly avoiding my calling efforts, I will not waste time with him.  For me, it is all about "the hunt" and not a specific gobbler.  Granted, I am fortunate enough to hunt a very large National Forest that has plenty of birds,...which I know is a situation that a lot of folks don't have.

[mtns2hunt]

I do not believe any turkey is unkillable. Normally, I put one in the pot and then hunt an old Tom. Sometimes I will go to public land as I know the private property I hunt very well. This year I hunted an old Tom for three weeks on and off. Trolling I called him in but he was in such a hurry he almost ran over me. Hunt over. Two more times I called him in and both times he came in behind me. He is still out there and I hope he makes it to next spring. Last year his brother did not: 11 inch beard.

[dirtnap]

9 days one time.  I was walking to the truck one morning after he had whipped me again and he gobbled on his own around a bend in the road.  I was 100 yards  from the bend.  I called and he answered.  I quickly moved to where I could shoot the bend and never said another word.  He gobbled one more time as he was coming around the corner.

I normally don't hunt a place 9 days in a row, but I did that year and happen to remember it.

[falltoms]

Hunted a gobbler almost a whole season one year. He was with hens every day I hunted him. I just couldn't make it happen. That was somewhat early in my hunting experience. There is a lot of things I would do differently now. I never killed him that season. The following year he came in on a string, my wife shot him. His spurs told his age