When the gobbler doesn't care about you

[dzsmith]

If you've ever read Kenny Morgan's book the one man game , he talks about gobbler personalities and patterns . "King of a 40" , "the circuit rider" and a couple others . While some of this is speculation from his point of view there is a lot of truth to these gobbler personalities when hunting easterns in hill country especially. Even though I read this book a long time ago ..... every time I encounter one of these said personalities it immediately dawns upon me of the type of bird I'm hunting. And the worst type in my opinion is the circuit rider. 1+ mile circuit that he rides every day , with various roost locations within the circuit. The reason I'm bringing this is up is .... You have a couple options based on your dilemma. You can wait it out, leave in hopes of a better setup the next day to try an intercept him before his hens do "unlikely if he's a circuit rider", or you can do your best to hang with him as he and the hens move away ..... this is the most likely scenario especially if you are in a more unknown block of woods. Chances are you can eventually change his mind at some point that day. I have actually encountered this on a bird in the morning ,and killed him late in the evening because I never left him. It's a tough thing to do. Nothing wrong with switching up calls to test the waters .... We've all been there when a gobbler decides to answer a various call you've used after unsuccessfully using other calls . Will this spook him , well it could ..... I generally do not use the same calls day after day..... but I've had more success calling as much as I wanted to verses not calling in fear . That's just a fact .....you just have to guage the situation for what it is .

[Marc]

There is a myriad of of situations I have had that birds do not respond to me...

Last season, I watched a lone tom casually walking a ridge above me silently...  I called at him, and there was zero indication that he reacted at all to my calling?  Lone bird mid-morning?  I concluded he was deaf...  Or...  Had seen me (probably previously came in quietly without my knowing).

The areas I hunt early season, the hens tend to stay with the toms all day...  Often the toms will gobble back at me, and stay put or move further way (cause the hens they are with draw them further away).  My two most common strategies early in the season, are to try to upset a hen (and draw her in with the toms in tow)...  Or to gobble and make a ruckus that draws the attention and curiosity of the "flock."  While both strategies have worked, mostly what I do with early season henned up toms is get frustrated.

Later in the season, when the hens typically leave toms about mid-morning...  I'll pay attention to where birds are early, and hopefully what direction they are going, and plan hunt hitting those birds up later in the morning.

Early or late in the season, and hunting some of the hilly (and often steep) country I do...  I will often  try to get around, and in front of the birds (as I find it is tougher to call a bird back from whence it came than forward), and I will generally try to get above them if possible (as I have found it easier to call them uphill than down).

Also...  A lot depends on the property I am hunting...  Small property, I am more apt to sit in a strategic location, and do periodic subtle calling...  Larger property, I am more apt to cover some ground and find a bird that is more apt to be more responsive.