Frustration!!!

[MiamiE]

Made it to the lease today and the birds were on fire. Lots of chatter from hens and a few gobblers before dawn. I got one to come to me at fly down but he stayed about 50-55 yards out and I had a small limb in the way. We played back and forth for a while but he wouldn't come closer. Finally around 700 he found a hen and left. I sat tight, called every 15-20 minutes and he came in alone around 1030, but again wouldn't come closer than 55 yards. I got him to gobble twice before he went back into the pines. Frustrating again bc this one I thought I had him. One of the hens was pretty vocal and I got into a little vocal war with her. I'd just mimic whatever she said. She was coming closer before turning away back into the pines. So I'm 0-3 with two close calls. Both times I've been real close to sealing the deal. Frustrating is putting it lightly...

[Hooksfan]

Everyone has been there.  Try to think what it may be about the setup that is causing them to hang up at that distance.  Several questions come to my mind:  Do you have a gobbler deke out?  If so, lose it and go with just a hen or no decoys at all. Are you calling to the birds all the way in?  If you can see them and they are coming--DO NOT CALL.  Are you staying in the same spot?  Might try to put some realism in your calling by moving around.
Good luck--Hope you get him.

[Muzzy61]

Hang in there, you will get him.

[alclark2]

Are you hunting alone? If you can have someone else call and you get out about 30 yards in front of the other guy you might make it happen.

[MiamiE]

I hunting alone and only with one hen decoy. Thought about taking out the jake decoy but figured the hen would be enough. He was coming in and I did get excited and call a bit but not too much. It's hard not too when he's gobbling his mind away. Someone mentioned the more he gobbles the more he expects my "hen" to come to him. They told me to play hard to get and call very little once he's in sight. Thanks for the advice!!!

[vaturkey]

Put that jake decoy out with the hen !!   

[budtripp]

Put that jake decoy out with the hen !!   

X2...might just tick him off enough to come in.

[chrisun]

I feel your frustration. We have all been there. One thing to keep in mind is that there is one big silver lining. I would do anything to feel your frustration right now! I still have 47 days to wait! Good luck!

[ILIKEHEVI-13]

Move and setup where he keeps hanging up at.   

[tomstopper]

Move and setup where he keeps hanging up at.

x2. I have done this many times & it works.

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

If he is coming there is no reason to keep calling. 

By the time he gets to your area, you've probably called so much that he knows with certainty exactly where you should be.
Back off the calling and force him to look for you.

He'll stop hanging up at 55 and come inside 40 because his curiosity will have the best of him.

Good luck!!

[deerhunt1988]

Welcome to turkey HUNTING...

[I hate turkeys]

Welcome to turkey HUNTING...

Yep

[MiamiE]

Saw him again this morning. I was setup on the edge of the pond where he was hung up. He comes right down still a bit too far to shoot with a hen and rendezvous with a group of other hens. Got to watch him mate as well. Instead of coming back east towards me he went west with all the hens. Waited him out till 1pm and he never showed back up. I'll try again tomorrow!

[Old Gobbler]

Looks like you have the upper hand on the situation , your on private property and you have to worry less about interference and other hunters crowding  you to about dangerous levels - im so sick of people being on top of me all the time

Keep hunting him , I would try.... if he seems unresponsive , different calls  - you never know