Could use some help

[DavidMundy]

Let me start off by introducing myself. My name is David. I'm 20 years old and from Philadelphia, PA. This is my first season turkey hunting, or any kind of hunting for that matter.

Anyway I'm very new to the sport and need some help and advice. I went out scouting to a 6000 acre public land area about 75 miles outside of philly, the day before the opener which was almost 2 weeks to the day. While scouting toward sunset I blew on my owl call at the top of a small valley, as soon as I blew it I heard 4-6 different turkeys sound off with loud gobbles. I immediately marked the location on the map and returned the very next morning for the opener. About 15 minutes after setting up the very next day I start to call on my box call. I do some loud yelps and hear the very same birds from the night before sound off. After about 10 minutes one came in within 50 yards of my set up but while he was checking everything out another turkey gobbled a few hundred yards away and he quickly left my set up and went to investigate him. After he left I remained in my set up for a few hours calling sparingly until noon, I heard no gobbles after about 730am.

I returned 2 days later, set up around the same spot and started calling again. This time I heard nothing all day. I stayed in that spot till noon again than left. I returned again the next day and same situation. I didn't hear or see any turkeys. I did however see two other hunters about 500 yards from where I was setting up. (only other hunters I have seen there to this day). I went back there 2 days ago and same situation no gobbles or hens calling except this time I called a hen into my set up, she quickly realised my decoys were a fake an quickly took off. I have been using my owl call before sunrise and crow call after sunrise and I haven't heard a shock gobble in almost 2 weeks since I went out scouting. I have been using my slate call to do some soft yelps clucks and purrs every 5-10 minutes. Then if nothing would respond or come in I would get louder with the box call.

The spot where I am hunting and seen an heard them is a small timber valley with a creek at the bottom. A farm field on the west side of the valley about 300 yards from the creek bottom/400 yards from where I heard them gobble and another farm (but they have to hop a 4 foot fence to reach) to the south about 600 yards from where I heard them gobble while scouting. I have found turkey feathers and what I believe if scratching, I haven't found any signs of strutting lanes or j shaped droppings though.

My question is what am I doing wrong? Are the gobblers still there? Maybe hunting pressure? Does hunting pressure make them stop shocking gobbling too? How can I locate them if they don't gobble? Any tips to find the strutting areas? The farms are private property though.

[SheGotHoOks]

Ditch the owl call. Let em wake up on their own. Is the spot you're hunting easily accessible? If so move over a couple ridges. Go where other hunters wont.

[DavidMundy]

Ditch the owl call. Let em wake up on their own. Is the spot you're hunting easily accessible? If so move over a couple ridges. Go where other hunters wont.

The spot is surrounded on 2 sides by private land, to the west and south, the only way in is a 2 mile hike from either parking spot but there is a trail that takes you about 2/3 of the way to the spot. I did scout other areas but didn't hear or see any signs of turkey. Do they normally roost near (within 500 yards or so) of water?

[Uncle Tom]

Good advice from Bones...I might ad to also get rid of the decoys and do some leg work if all the birds are quiet all morning. Most times I sit in one place all morning and do not move around either, but I know birds are in the area and sooner or later will work one...and I only use light clucks and purrs, scratching leaves and once in a while a real light short yelp. They can hear you a long way and they will come if given enough time and don't over do. I only call once every 30 minutes or so in most circumstances. Just be patient and keep at it...sometimes the best hunting is ahead of you..late season they will get lonesome. Let us know what happens. Welcome to the addiction.

[steveo]

Could be allot of things going on, pressure/Gobblers with hens......don't assume you are doing wrong just keep at it, birds are probably still around. Have you looked around? moved form the location you keep going, you may be supprised at what is over the next ridge or valley. 6000 acres is a nice piece of land and should have a good many birds on it if the property has what they need.....are there any Fields/openings around? how about high points to listen from? PA Gobblers can be tuff but don't give up put the time in and keep at it and you will get a opportunity ! be safe and have fun.

[DirtNap647]

keep at it you will never figure them out completely my guess is they moved ive seen birds have quite a big area they move around and roost just be a hen dont work them easy does it

[beardwacker]

Whom know's the actions of a wild turkey".  could be hunting pressure, could be hened up, could of just move off the area.  A turkey is like a deer, it can be patterned, but as long as it doesn't feel pressure, will not change habit's until breeding season.  Obstacle's like fences, large creek's, draw's and such, make turkey's hang up, like you they don't want to work at crossing it either, there are exception but few.  Seem's to me the day you had one come in and left to go to other gobble was the day.  Remember, turkey's have pecking order, so he likely if boss tom, went to see what the other was excited about.  If a tom doesn't hen up, then they would (like us) come back to the last place they had a female to hook up with and work from there.  This is where patience comes in, yeah is sucks, lol.  Like one guy said ditch the owl call.  Rememer, if you heard that turkey gobble, another hunter in ear shot did two, so could be moving to them.  Most "video's" don't show the amount of dirt that has to get put under the boot to get the tom.  Get in there before light and let them wake up and move closer then work them in.  One other tactic I used several times, is when I now they are Hening up early.  I sleep in then work in and stalk till I get one to gobble and work him.  glad you found the sport, there a lifetime of both joy and frustration for you.  Stay with it.  What work's for one may not work for another.  One thing to keep in mind is this, if what your doing isn't working, they you have to do something else to make it work.  If your going home empty handed what does it matter.  If you spook the turkey's they will come back in time, they was there for a reason in first place.

[DavidMundy]

Thanks for all the help guys I'm going to try to get out there on Monday. I will most likely set up in and around the same area. If I don't hear or see anything again I will try moving to a different spot further away.

[DavidMundy]

I went to a different area on Monday/Tuesday, about 2 miles east of where I called in the turkeys on opening day. I have seen a flock of turkeys on the private land/farm that touches this public wooded area (2000 acres). While walking the logging road back there I found lots of tracks , including feathers, a dust bowl and what I think is turkey droppings. I also spotted a turkey but it spotted me first and took off, I couldn't make out the sex.

The next day I set up between where I spotted the turkey/dust bowl and tracks and where I spotted the turkeys on the farm. There was about a half mile woods, field, woods, from the logging road to the farm. I set up in woods about 10 yards from the field where I think they were roosting near. I sat there from hour before sunrise to about 1pm and heard or seen nothing.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I know where they are, I just can't get them to come in. Any more advice would be great.

Also I have some photos of the tracks, feather and dropping. If anyone could help me find the sex of the animal(s) from these photos I would be greatful.

feather
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m213/phillyskater19154/20130513_064823.jpg

dropping
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m213/phillyskater19154/20130514_090403.jpg

dust bowl
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m213/phillyskater19154/20130513_160625.jpg

scratching?
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m213/phillyskater19154/20130514_092356.jpg

track #1
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m213/phillyskater19154/20130513_151243.jpg

track #2
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m213/phillyskater19154/20130513_160643.jpg

track #3
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m213/phillyskater19154/20130513_161021.jpg

track #4
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m213/phillyskater19154/20130514_085506.jpg

track #5
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m213/phillyskater19154/20130514_093700.jpg

track #6
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m213/phillyskater19154/20130514_110940.jpg

[GobbleNut]

The feather looks like a gobbler wing feather due to the fact that it rubbed off on the end due to the bird strutting,...probably a mature gobbler from the looks of it.
The dropping looks like a hen dropping.  Gobbler dropping are usually larger in diameter, elongated, and often with a hook on the end.
All of the rest of the pictures are hard for me to say what they are because of the lack of true perspective in size that I can get from the pictures, but I would guess there are both hen and gobbler tracks shown.