Gobblers on a Vision Quest

[shaman]

That Galloping Gobbler I had over the weekend got me to thinking.  I started the thread about archetypal gobs, but it also got me to thinking of what I'll call The Vision Quest.   I'm wondering if you have seen this behavior:  the gobbler will pick a circuit of maybe a mile or more in circumference and go round and round.  Some circuits will be 3 hours in length. I've seen them go as much as 6 hours.  The gobbler either walks or runs it, only stopping to listen and to gobble.  I've generally seen the circuit taken around the hollows where the gob will run around the head of the hollow and cross somewhere near the bottom.  In my area we have a lot of wooded hollows with pastures up on top of the ridges.  The gobbler uses these pastures as a highway. 

The Galloping Gobbler I did the podcast on Sunday appeared to be on one of these Vision Quests.  I don't think he had any particular hen in mind.  This is early for this behavior; normally I see it in the latter part of the season. However, it was warming up early this year. 

I've hunted gobblers on these quests.  If you catch one in the morning, you can usually find a hideout to intercept him in the afternoon when he comes back around. 

[shaman]

I'm sad to see nobody has responded.

I'll add to the mystery.  We've now got some more info.  My sons were out to camp over the past weekend.   The Galloping Gobbler (at least we think it is him) came out from the NE corner of the property and approached #3 son's blind at a distance of 80 yards or so, and then veered off and ran down into the hollow at the center of the property and came up to investigate #2 son's blind.  He veered from that and ran over my way.  I had my gun up, ready to shoot.  However, the booger did a last-second end-around and wound up at 9 O'Clock position about 30 yards out, before veering off again and moving on.

Yesterday, that gobbler,( or another one just like him), came from the exact location I heard the previous one.   He crossed over the finger ridge I was on, crossing in back of me about 100-200 yards back.   He ran out on another finger ridge that was next to mine, gobbling all the way.  Along this path, he scared the dickens out of a hen who went tearing across the ravine and came out into the field next to me, putting her head off.  The gobbler ran back and forth a bit on top of the ridge and then carried on in his quest, exiting the property from the SW corner.   

If you take the best guess of everyone of where this gobbler was roosting and where he was when we lost contact, that booger is traveling a 1-way leg of .75 miles at minimum.