Reckon what went wrong?

[cjordan]

Sunday morning was the first morning of our season that the wind didn't have the pine saplings laid over sideways. There was a little breeze but that's a good thing IMO. I finally heard some birds gobbling, but couldn't get to em. I heard a bird gobbling on the same spot for a good while, but figured someone was messing with him. Finally I decided to head towards him. I parked my truck a few hundred yards away and eased out to see if he was still gobbling, which he was. I eased up the road to about a hundred yards from where he was. I eased down by a tree, and sit still for a minute to see if I had spooked him. A few seconds later he went to gobbling again. Since I was on the back side of our lease I knew there wasn't anyone working this bird. Anywho, after I listened to him gobble a few more times I gave him a few soft yelps, he got quiet, so I figured he was looking for me. Boy was I wrong about five minutes later I heard him gobble again except this time he had put some yardage between us he was probably three hundred yards or so.
I figure he was with a hen, the way he was hammering on it, and the way he just pulled the peg. Now by me doing a few soft yelps, because that apperantly isn't what neither her nor him wanted, what should I have done differently? What other calling could I have done? I'm still pretty new to this ( 3rd season) so I will take all the advice I can get. Thanks in advance

[darn2ten]

Lots of variables here. How long did you stay put after calling? Are you 100% sure it was the same bird and the first hadn't went silent and been taking his time making it your way. Yes, sometimes hens don't like competition and will lead a gobbler the other way. Was there any rise between you and him? Sometime a bird will drop off behind a natural feature and sound like they have moved much further than they actually have. Did you move on him again? Sometimes if you can make a move to a different spot it makes all the difference in the world. I've had birds walk away gobbling in the opposite direction and nothing seem to work, then circle around and call from a different location and have them come running in. Last but not least.....they're turkey's! Sometimes turkey's are just crazy with seemingly no rhyme or reason. Good luck!

[hs strut]

turkeys are a very precarious creature ive had hens run the opposite way from me this year when calling and i have killed several birds with the vary same sequence but i can give this advice some times it will work other times it wont if he has a hen with him try bieng soft ive had the hens just leave and take him with them when i tried to be aggressive if im running and gunning ill stop every 100-150 yds and i will get aggressive with my calling to try and get him to answer me if hes in close ill go quiet or very soft with my calling i hope this helps im willing to bet he had a hen with him

[101st501]

I had the same thing happen to me twice in the last week.  It was the same scenario: the bird is gobbling, I get in and set up, and then he goes quiet after a few soft yelps or clucks.  It is so aggravating.  What can you do?

[taylorjones20]

Had a similar experience today.  Didn't hear a gobble until 9:30 - but he was fired up then.  He gobbled really good and we got set up within about 200 yards of him. I called softly and he wouldn't answer. Few mins later he would gobble at a crow or some other noise.  I called a little more and the same thing.  I shut up!  About 15 mins later I seen him.  He was coming and got to 54 yards but wouldn't close the deal.  He gobbled once as he left...  Gonna try him again in the morning!

[bammerslammer 50]

I don't have no where near the experience as some of the guys on here so take this for what its worth. You said you drove within a few hundred yards of him right? While this might not bump the bird I have seen turkeys I was working steer in the opposite direction after hearing a vehicle drive by. Now I hunt heavily pressured land so it could be different in your situation, but I have seen that happen. I like to park no closer than a half of mile away from where I think a bird might be even farther if possible. Some might not agree with that but it is what it is. Now was that the one thing that caused him to go the other way I don't know. Could've been a hen taking him from another hen could've been a turkey being a turkey. Out of what I read this is all I could see that you could've directly controlled. Good luck and keep at him. I'm getting whooped this year myself.

[STONE EM]

I have had the same thing happen to me time and time again for whatever reason hens, etc.. and the only thing that seems to be effective is to wait a 5 mins or so figure out where he is headed and run like a scalded dog to get setup in front of him and repeat the process...if that doesn't work try him again the next day and maybe he'll slip up, if he doesn't try to figure out his pattern and then setup again without calling might be the only way to get the drop on him, especially if hes an old bird

[Chilly]

Unfortunately this happens alot.  A tactic that I like doing is move towards the closest place he gobbled to your setup without you ever making another sound other than a crow or some other kind of locator.  Just make sure he is not there when you make your move.  Do this quickly.   Alot of times, if he's not henned up, he will come back to that spot.  I've killed several like that.  Stay low and use the terrain to your advantage.  I hunt the hills of Kentucky and knowing how the land lays can make or break your hunt.  Good luck the rest of the season.

[jordanz7935]

Id say he was probably henned up or he was in his "strut zone". I would have gotten more aggressive with the calling. First day of the season so the birds shouldnt be "wise" to calling. Best thing if he has hens with him is to get the hens fired up with some aggressive calling and they could bring the gobbler to you. If he was in his usual "strut zone", sometmes they'll just strut and gobble around fully expecting the hens to come to them. If you suspect he was in his strut zone, id be back there tommorrow set up with a jake decoy along with a hen decoy or two. And next time you do some soft calling mix in some clucks,purrs, and leaf scrathing in with the soft yelps. Ive gotten a lot of tough birds to close the distance over the years by using only clucks,purrs and leaf scratching.Best thing is you didnt spook him he will be back.Good Luck

[RutnNStrutn]

This early in the season, he probably had some selfish hen(s) lead him away. Very common for early season. Had that happen to me a few times already this season.

[Timmer]

Everyone is providing good thoughts.  It might help to know the lay of the land.  I've had several occasions where a tom worked his way away from me to go around terrain and come to me from a different direction.  A bit more risky, but you could try to engage the hen.  Do some aggressive yelping/cutting to see if you can get her to respond and then mimic every noise she makes. 

[MouthCaller]

Had a similar experience today.  Didn't hear a gobble until 9:30 - but he was fired up then.  He gobbled really good and we got set up within about 200 yards of him. I called softly and he wouldn't answer. Few mins later he would gobble at a crow or some other noise.  I called a little more and the same thing.  I shut up!  About 15 mins later I seen him.  He was coming and got to 54 yards but wouldn't close the deal.  He gobbled once as he left...  Gonna try him again in the morning!

Very identical to what happened to me opening morning

[cjordan]

Thanks guys. As far as the lay of the land, it's flat, but I was surrounded by a pine sapling thicket, the kind that I don't belive yiu could throw a cat through. There was an old logging set where he was so its fairly open (75-100) yard radius, with an old logging road going back into the thicket which eventually opens up a little. He was heading down that road away from me. They are calling for a lot of rain this weekend so I'm hoping I'll slack up enough to get some hunting in. On the left side of the road " which is where I figured they was going) is a hay field, which you can walk up to just about any one of the day and see turkeys in it. I will try to get a little more aggressive with my calling next go around. So far this has been a terrible season with the wind and rain. He's gonna mess up tho I hope. Lol again thanks guys

[TRG3]

Public TV had a one-hour show several months or a year ago back about a guy who raised some wild turkeys from the hatch and then lived with them, studying their lives from chicks to adults. They imprinted on him and, over the course of the next several months, he noted 40+ sounds that these birds made to each other. Having watched that show, I often wonder what I'm actually saying as I work my various turkey calls trying to coax in a bird. Since watching that show and previously reading some turkey hunting article on the turkey's peck order, I've been concentrating on taking advantage of the peck order by sounding like an intruding gobbler (Primos gobble tube) who is working the hen I'm imitating via my calls. I call sparsely, just enough to let the real tom know that there's a stranger in the area and he's courting a new hen. I let the real bird "rage" with the nerve of a newcomer invading his territory. It often takes 30+ minutes until the real bird has had enough and commits to investigating this new bird. I've relied more heavily on the real tom seeing my Pretty Boy or Funky Chicken standing over a hen in the breeding position. This technique has been very successful for me, including Monday's taking of a 23# gobbler who spotted my decoys from 200 yards away and came on a dead run the last 100 yards. I took this gobbler at 25 yards with 1 1/2 oz. of #5 shot handloaded in an Activ hull less than a yard from Pretty Boy. Best of hunting!

[Snoodsniper]

I'd get aggressive, cut a little and see if you can pull the hen in. Call the hen.... shoot the gobbler.