SETTING UP ON A ROOSTED BIRD?

[NECKRINGER]

Should I try and get as close as I can to the bird in the dark and set up?
or should I wait till he flys down and then setup?
what if he does not gobble but I know he is in there somewhere?

[redleg06]

Yes, you should try to get as close as you can without spooking him (hopefully in the direction you believe he will fly down towards).

If you know he is "in there somewhere" you would be wise to try and get there a while before daylight and try and get him to gobble with an owl call (or other locator call) then set up on him accordingly.  I wouldnt recommend going and stomping around blindly in the woods without purpose before daylight as you'd be more likely to bump him than to actually get lucky enough to have him fall into your lap. Give him every chance to sound off and then make your move once he does.  If that doesnt work(some days they dont gobble much or you cant hear them good etc), hopefully you've done your scouting good enough beforehand so that you have an idea of where he is likely to go after he pitches down...

[shootumindaface]

If you can sit still as a mouse.. Get in in the dark.. Anticipate where he will pitch down, get within gun range, let his feet hit the ground and cluck before shooting to make yourself feel good..

[guesswho]

I'd go in real early and get within about 150 yrds, no closer than a hundred.  I'd set me up a Pop-Up blind and put out three hen decoys, a Jake and a Strutter.   The hens shouldn't be facing the strutter.  Then call like crazy every three to four minutes, changing calls each time, maybe even run two calls at the same time.  If he don't come quick, I'd get out of the blind and run fifty yards closer to him and yelp, cutt and end with a gobble.  Then I'd run and get back in the blind and add another hen decoy if you have one, put this one facing the strutter.  Repeat every 15 minutes until all the hens are facing the strutter.

[sugarray]

I'd go in real early and get within about 150 yrds, no closer than a hundred.  I'd set me up a Pop-Up blind and put out three hen decoys, a Jake and a Strutter.   The hens shouldn't be facing the strutter.  Then call like crazy every three to four minutes, changing calls each time, maybe even run two calls at the same time.  If he don't come quick, I'd get out of the blind and run fifty yards closer to him and yelp, cutt and end with a gobble.  Then I'd run and get back in the blind and add another hen decoy if you have one, put this one facing the strutter.  Repeat every 15 minutes until all the hens are facing the strutter.

That's just not right.   

[hobbes]

I'd go in real early and get within about 150 yrds, no closer than a hundred.  I'd set me up a Pop-Up blind and put out three hen decoys, a Jake and a Strutter.   The hens shouldn't be facing the strutter.  Then call like crazy every three to four minutes, changing calls each time, maybe even run two calls at the same time.  If he don't come quick, I'd get out of the blind and run fifty yards closer to him and yelp, cutt and end with a gobble.  Then I'd run and get back in the blind and add another hen decoy if you have one, put this one facing the strutter.  Repeat every 15 minutes until all the hens are facing the strutter.

I hunt most often on public land.  These birds are a lot, a whole whole whole lot smarter.  I believe they are call shy from all the early season calling, henned up with at least 73 hens, and just down right educated birds.   Is there anything you would change about this tactic with the overly educated birds I hunt?  Should I use your fanning hat combined with the gobbler painted on each surface of the blind?

I believe NECKRINGER should know better than to encourage guesswho

[guesswho]

I hunt most often on public land.  These birds are a lot, a whole whole whole lot smarter.  I believe they are call shy from all the early season calling, henned up with at least 73 hens, and just down right educated birds.   Is there anything you would change about this tactic with the overly educated birds I hunt?  Should I use your fanning hat combined with the gobbler painted on each surface of the blind?

I believe NECKRINGER should know better than to encourage guesswho

If he has 73 hens I'd up my decoy count to 74, well 70, because of the four strutters painted on the side of my blind.  But since they are educated and call shy I'd probably back my calling down to no more than once every five or six minutes, but would never use the same call twice.  I'd hold off on using my Go4 fanning facemaksk until the last couple minutes of my hunt, you don't want to make it to easy.  If you use it any earlier you'll kill that roosted bird in the first three minutes of your hunt, then you wouldn't have anything to do the rest of the day.   Well I guess rounding up 70 deke's and a Pop-Up blind might kill part of the day!

It's ok.  I've given Neckringer lot's of good advice over the years and he has learned well.   He's my apprentice and the plan is for him to take over when I finally retire from turkey hunting.  I'm kinda proud of the boy!

[guesswho]

what if he does not gobble but I know he is in there somewhere?

Sorry I missed this part of the question.  If this happens just holler FOUR like golfers do, then commence to throwing lead towards where you think he is.  On public land I'd holler Marco!  If noone replies with Polo then I'd commence to throwing lead!

[NECKRINGER]

GUESSWHO,
I have tried that voodoo you speak of and I am not real good at it. I think the birds can tell my deeks are fake or something. Do you think they can see the fold marks or the dents? Should I try to iron my decoys?
I dont know maybe I give them too much credit. I use to shoot ducks over 1/2 gallon milk jugs painted black but it seems them dang ducks can even tell if something has feathers or not these days. I guess back then we did not let the ducks stare at the jugs fer long though.

I think I have a pretty good plan ...I have mounted a hen decoy to a remote control car and I will drive her to him and then drive her slowly back.. hopefully with ole salami neck in tow.

Plus I got me some turkeyflage.. It has hen and gobbler heads in a pattern all over it. When I sit down it looks like im a bunch of turkeys. If I punch my arm out to the side it just looks like a gobbler throwin his head out gobblin so I know I can get away with any movement if need be.

[guesswho]

I think I have a pretty good plan ...I have mounted a hen decoy to a remote control car and I will drive her to him and then drive her slowly back.. hopefully with ole salami neck in tow.

Experience has taught me the best decoy to use on a remote control car is a Bobblehead   A solid deke just doesn't look natural while riding on a car.

[NECKRINGER]

ur head may bob but my hen squats. when ever he looses intrest. I lower the hydros and she squats. as he nears. I raise up and inch forward..
yaaaaaa bring it