Help needed!!! ASAP

[ktmwoodsman]

No gobbling from roost in evenings,will not answer locator calls, gobble in morning from roost and shut up when they hit ground. No idea what to do next. Will answer calls from roost but will not come my way on ground. Very hilly property and have to hunt from logging roads because it is so steep with creek at bottom,also not many roost trees on hillsides. Any ideas as I am running out of time not too many more days to hunt but am having fun just not able to close the deal. No action after fly down and no more action before our noon deadline. Please help and Thanks.

[KYFrid]

Are they roosting in the same area? If they are, I would slip in as close as I could in pitch black in the area I think they are at and then they should be in range for you when they hit the ground. If not, at least you can watch where they fly down and head to, and be there waiting next time to close the deal.. 

[TauntoHawk]

with turkeys like that sometimes you have to hunt them more like a deer.. observe, pattern, set up, and wait.

Where do they roost? where do they hang out and feed? should be scratchings in this area it might be a on top, flat benches, or the creek bottoms.

[ktmwoodsman]

Don't seem to roost in same area two days in a row. That is the problem with going in early as I never know where they will be. They seem to feed along the benches in the day but only 1or 2 ways in and out for me. Other landowners on other sides with no permission and a lot of hunting pressure.

[ktmwoodsman]

Thanks guys for the replies. Tomorrow does not look promising bad storms,high winds,etc. still gotta try though.

[bowmike]

I agree with hunting them like deer in this case. Find the food, travel routes, things like that.

I believe that searching out where the hens are nesting will also help you get closer to the toms. I am imagining you might have a lot of hens in the area, so they do not need to gobble as much. Instead of trying to locate the gobbler, I would be trying to tick off some hens and I would bet they would have a bird in tow.

What for locator calls are you using. Maybe try something different like a goose call, or even crazier a coyote call. I have turned an empty shell casing upside down and blew it like a whistle. Sometimes I don't hear gobbling in the evenings then the fire whistle gos off and they go nuts. It sounds like you season is at least half way done. Imagine how many owl/crow calls they heard already.

My gameplan would be find the nesting areas and food sources and pick a fight with the boss hen. She may just bring him right to you.

[TauntoHawk]

Don't seem to roost in same area two days in a row. That is the problem with going in early as I never know where they will be. They seem to feed along the benches in the day but only 1or 2 ways in and out for me. Other landowners on other sides with no permission and a lot of hunting pressure.

YEah timber birds tend to bounce roost locations around a lot more than farm country birds.. I would pick one of the feeding benches and just set up there and hold tight

[jblackburn]

They head somewhere specific? Clearing the woods or even an open set of woods where they feed? Either get close (less than 100 yards) from one on the roost first thing.  Only hit him with a couple sets of clucks and tree yelps, he may not respond. when it seems time for fly down (ideally before he does) use your hat or a wing to fly down (I would do it without a flydown cackle, unless you hear a hen doing it).  Give a couple more clucks and get ready.  My experience is that if you can get really close, it almost like they feel like they have to come check you out.  Often they come in silent.

The other option is forget the roost and head to where they seem to go and wait.  Call lightly every 15-30 minutes, again don't be surprised if one comes in silent to check the calling out.