as rule of thumb they "say" a hen will leave the gobbler for a couple hours in mid morning leaving him vulnerable. If so...even then i cant seem to strike a gobble, not even a shock gobble with a crow call!. i walked up and down an old secluded logging road on a very big hill walking about a mile and stopping to locator call with the crow sound and no response....i know they are in there, but no dice.
granted it has been very windy here averaging 10+ steady mile an hour winds and in some cases 35 mph gusts the last 2 days, but the only gobbles to be heard here are at dawn when they are just waking up.
I went to an area a few days ago at dusk and tried to roost the gobblers......no takers! not ONE gobble. so i figured they are not there! got up the next morning and i crap you not heard 4 or 5 gobblers in that area, in the SAME trees i tried to roost them in!
i found and area they have been roosting in in a hollow surrounded by high hills and a creek running through it, scratches all over the place so i think its a strut zone. gonna sneak in there in the am and hopefully get at em, if not i few soft yelps might grab the in on the way to their roost in the evening.
i did call up a hen yesterday, came cutting like a monster to my hen decoy! she seen my jake decoy and started purring and laying on her stomach.
bottom line! the gobblers are gobbling like crazy on the roost at dawn, then at fly down they shut up for the whole day!
what would you do?