Suggestions on a bird

[g8rvet]

Did some scouting, not as much as I would like, but found some intel and no boot tracks nearby (week before season WMA).  Opening morning I got the spot and went in well before dark. It looks out on a little field.  Behind it is very thick roost area.  So thick that when scouting we walked in and determined it would be impossible to set up on a bird -downfalls and muck make it nearly impassable and so thick a 20 yard shot would be long range. But tracks told me birds were using it. 

So I set up opening morning and wait for the world to wake up. About 10-15 minutes past when we heard gobbles at another spot near there (that attracts every hunter in the woods on opening week), still no gobble. So I give a soft tree yelp.  Gobble cuts me off and he is close.  I wait and decide no more calling, he knows I am here. I hear a tree yelp near him.  He flies down into the thick, but close.  I hear two more birds fly down with him.  Then a bird sails right over my head - a hen.  After she goes to feeding I cluck and Mr Tom immediately answers.  He then proceeds over the next 2 hours to gobble and get to about 75 yards and walk away.  Comes back, rinse repeat.  I am hearing him gobble in the thick area, but just too thick to get to him.  The hen stays right on me, sometimes as close as 8 yards, sometimes further.  I debated scattering her when she was further away, but I knew Tom knew she was there, he would just not come out to get her-she was in my sight for at least 90 minutes.  She eventually heads down in to him and he leaves.  After an hour or more, I try a couple of ways in and it is just not reasonable to hunt there - after several climbs over down logs and sinking knee deep in muck to just get 50 yards in there, and I could not see any areas it opened up.  I do know how he went out, but it seemed just as bad. 

As I was leaving I did notice some boot tracks on the field that were not there the week before, so some folks know he is in the world.  I hunted on private this morning as I took my daughter. 

So recon suggests I need to call him to the open, so would you be a little more aggressive and try to call the hens to the field?  Leave him be and find another bird I can get ahead of?  Not an option for him because it does not open up for several hundred yards and then it is on private.  I did find 4-5 day old strut marks and no human sign in another pretty spot later that day.  I will probably go there Tuesday since it will be a nice morning. 

Any thoughts would be appreciated.  I really thought he would step out any second when he went silent near me. 

[10gaugemag]

If you think you know his travel route or where he flies down to just get in there ahead of him and wait him out. Up to you whether you call or not.

[Marc]

If you were in an open area, you might try moving into a bit of thicker cover where he has to look for you...

If he pulls the same thing on you next time, as a last resort, I might give a good gobble call a try (since you are on private property)...

Make sure you let us know how you get him...

[g8rvet]

This bird is on public and getting in where he lives is just not an option - can't even walk 100 yards without sinking to my knee 15 times.  I know a turkey can, but I can't.  Plus it is crazy tight in there, no openings I found.

There is some scrub oaks to the south of me by only 100 yards. Maybe try calling him in to those.  That is a thought. 

[GobbleNut]

Tough call.  Sounds to me like you had a great situation on that first morning.  Hard to believe that hen did not pull him in eventually.  If there is no closer option to the roost site that you can reasonably set up, I think I would try the same set-up one more time before abandoning it.  If the hens are using your chosen set-up location, it would seem to me that the gobbler would venture over there at some point. 

If he did the same thing again, then after they moved off, I would really work at finding a way to get closer to the roost site in the area they are flying down to.  If that is just not a possibility, then I would probably hunt other birds for a few days and then try the same set-up again later in the season. 

Those kinds of gobblers can really get under a guys skin!

[10gaugemag]

If he is responding to your calls in the morning can you stay in the area all day? He knows you are there and may come back in after the hens leave him for the day. Just be patient, quiet and very still. He may even start gobbling later in the morning looking for you.

[Spurs]

I would suggest trying a "jake yelp"  It isn't too hard to do by sliding your mouth call back a little further in your mouth.  You will want to do it either after he gobbles 2-3 times on the ground....and immediately after a gobble to make it seem like a jake shock called. 

If your tom gobbles back, wait to call for about 15-20 minutes...clucks/purrs only.  Then, if he gobbles again, jake yelp one more time, but try to sound further.  Then, move 15-20 yards away while hen yelping.  MAKE IT SOUND LIKE THE JAKE IS TAKING HIS THE SWEETEST HEN IN THE WOODS.

YouTube Preston Pitman doing a jake yelp.  He has the most realistic.  I cant move my call quick enough in my mouth, so I use a slate to soft call on when using this technique.

[zelmo1]

  Get in early and get ahead of him. If it is thick, clear a shooting lane. I would do this in the afternoon so as not to spook him. Calling is all based on what his temperature is.