Hens taking the Gobbler off or other hunters spooking a bird your working coyotes running in are just common aggrevations. I once spent most of a season hunting a particular Longbeard. I never spooked him so I was able to hunt him nearly everyday. He always had two hens with him and he would answer occasionally and even start working into range but the hens always lead him away. I left him for a few days and found another more cooperative Gobbler a few miles away. As Gobbling turkeys aren't numerous on public land in La I went back after him. Same deal as before the two old hens leading him away. This went on until the second to last day of the season He gobbled once on the roost I circled around and got on the end of the ridge he was on and I'd seen him strutting before. Made a few soft clucks and scratched in the leaves. No answers but really wasn't expecting one. I knew he was on the ridge maybe 150 yards away. An hour later I see him slipping my way ,and he was alone, one or two steps then he'd stop and scan the whole area. Slowly working to me. I don't use a decoy so he'd have to keep coming closer to find the hen he heard. At about 40 yards I had him, couple steps to get around some brush and give me a clear 35yard shot. Out of nowere a big oak limb fell out of a tree on to the ridge between us...he took a few steps and pitched off the ridge and was gone. What are the chances that old dead oak limb that had been hanging above that ridge for years let go at that particular time? My bad luck or his good fortune I guess it depends on how you look at it.
