rookie ?

[cjordan]

Alright guys, I could use some help trying to figure out, or better understand birds. This is my second year turkey hunting, actually this weekend was opening weekend in Louisiana and it was my fourth time turkey hunting. I go out Saturday morning and heard one gobble a few times way off, I didn't even go after him because I knew he was fixing to go into a field, which I don't have permission to hunt in. Then I heard one gobble half way between me and the first bird. I messed with him for a little bit, but he went to the field also. After that I didn't hear not one bird gobble the rest of the day. Sunday morning I heard one gobble one short, quick gobble, then he came off the roost. I heard him fly down but never seen him. I threw everything but the kitchen sink at em both days, but they would not respond. Sunday I seen two jakes, and one long beard with about eight or nine hens, the long beard gobbled once or twice but I wasn't calling. I don't know if he was letting the jakes know who the boss was or what. The weather has been crazy for the last moth or so, cold then hot, back and forth. Both days was cloudy. So my question is. What causes birds not to respond to anything? Crows was cutting up all day both days, military guns going off all days both days, but the birds just had lock jaw. Im sorry if this question has been asked before, Im still in learning mode, and figure I will be for the rest of my life. Thanks for your advice and help.

[memert116]

I am certainly NOT an expert but sometimes, just like humans, they are in a quiet mood; sometimes they have been pressured into being quiet; sometimes they come down off the roost and are henned up.  Could be any number of things and/or a combination of things.  Turkey's are turkey's.   I'm sure that doesn't help but then again I rarely do....LOL....seriously, I am sure you just need to keep at it and try different tactics and you will catch them in a mood to cooperate and will get your bird......

[Tommythreetoes]

Just stay after them.  Be persistent.  Just relax, have fun, and learn.  You'll get one killed if you just stay with em.

[Skeeterbait]

Just remember it is a lot easier to call a bird if you are where he wants to go anyway.  If you have heard where they roost and know they tend to head to that field, can you set up between them and the field?

[memert116]

Just remember it is a lot easier to call a bird if you are where he wants to go anyway.  If you have heard where they roost and know they tend to head to that field, can you set up between them and the field?

[TxLongspur]

I wood have to say , that what you are experiencing is not just for rookies . Turkeys are just being turkeys .
I have had the misfortune (bad addiction) of turkey hunting 6-7 states per year for the last 25 years or so , and by no means do i claim to have all the answers , but I would have say , that calling and response to your calling is only a small part of the game ... The most important thing is , first being a woodsman , and learn all terrain in which u have permission to hunt.. Turkeys are creatures of habit , and unless they are bumped , pressured , or possibly even shot by another hunter , they will frequent the same haunts on a regular basis ... Look for the drag marks and strut zones , and when the temps begin to heat up look for those cool shady places where they  like to loaf and dust themselves ..and last but not least , good things  come to those who wait ... I am instinctively not a patient person , and love to run and gun , but sometimes you just can't call them or out run them .when that happens give them a break for a coupe of hours , and then go back to that loafing area or strut zone , and just sit back and wait , because he will be by there directly ....btw I hunt in louisiana as well , and shot a great bird on opening morning ....they are henned up , most of day right now.
You will get him ... And when you do , I look forward to you sharing your pics
Cheers and great hunting.

[crossbow1968]

what skeeterbait said

[cjordan]

Thanks guys, I plan on sticking with em. This is the first year I've been on this lease, and just over the weekend I have figured out a good bit about the terrain, that I didn't already know. I love a challenge whether it's turkey hunting, deer hunting, bass fishing, or work. Again thank you for the advice, and input.

[olejake]

Sounds like you are on the right track...learn the terrain and their habits..call sparingly..my biggest hurdle , many moons ago, was to probably call too much...still have to force myself to shutup and wait..and wait..and wait...good luck..it will come

[Ctburdchasr]

I run into this problem alot due to the small plots of land we are able to hunt up here in Connecticut. if you cannot get between them and where they are going right now you may have luck calling them in the afternoon, not hunting them, what I mean is sometimes I find it easier to call them off route the night before I am going to hunt and try to get them to roost in a different spot which forces them to travel past my set up in the morning. One spot in particular I hunt the north edge of a field they roost the north edge and when they fly down they travel to the agricultural fields to the north. I cannot hunt there so the night prior I move as far south as I can and as the birds are coming back to roost We cannot hunt after 12 noon or on sundays up here, so i call them to the south side of the property. its usually easier to get them to respond and move in. therefore in the morning they are forced to move north into my setup to get where they want to go. its worth a shot if nothing else has been working.its just another way of getting inbetween them and where they want to go.

[d.winsor]

you could try watching them in the field and see where they go when they are done in the field, might come back onto your lease somewhere and you would be able to set up the next day there.

[Gooserbat]

Listen to Skeeter.

[cjordan]

Just remember it is a lot easier to call a bird if you are where he wants to go anyway. If you have heard where they roost and know they tend to head to that field, can you set up between them and the field?

Im not for sure where those birds are roosting yet. I went out two weeks before season on a Saturday morning to try and listen but didnt hear any gobbling, then work got in the way of trying to find them after that. Here is another thing I dont understand, all around that field is nothing but a pine thicket. That kinda goes against what I have been told about a bird walking where he can fly up. Im going to try to figure out where the field birds are roosting tho. Again thanks for the advice.

[CASH]

Just remember it is a lot easier to call a bird if you are where he wants to go anyway. If you have heard where they roost and know they tend to head to that field, can you set up between them and the field?

Im not for sure where those birds are roosting yet. I went out two weeks before season on a Saturday morning to try and listen but didnt hear any gobbling, then work got in the way of trying to find them after that. Here is another thing I dont understand, all around that field is nothing but a pine thicket. That kinda goes against what I have been told about a bird walking where he can fly up. Im going to try to figure out where the field birds are roosting tho. Again thanks for the advice.

Don't rule out pine thickets as roosting spots.  I killed a gobbler Wednesday and I bumped all of his hens out of a pine thicket when I was setting up on him.  I could wrap both hands around every pine they were roosted in.

[Skeeterbait]

They will roost in young pines if they need to like CASH said.  They like mature pines though.  You say pine thicket but that could mean a lot of different things.    If the pines are open underneath they will get in there and scratch pine straw away looking for grubs and worms.  But you don't have to know the exact roost tree to line yourself up between where you heard them and the field. Get your map out and find where you were when you heard them, which direction they were from you and estimate distance, and reference that to the location of the field.  Assuming they are roosted back off the field and you can access the area quietly, you should be able to estimate close enough where to be to put yourself between them and the field.