Learned something yesterday..

[lowoctane]

 
Been hunting public lands that are fairly pressured as the bobcats have ruined our lease. Yesterday early, heard a gobbler yelping at my calls. Have heard the call before, but didn't really know what it was. I use a hearing enhancement/protection headset and without it, would not have even heard the gobbler. We talked for the better part of an hour, but he never did show himself. I realized that usually only old Toms  call like he was doing so I scaled way back on volume, frequency of calling and movement on my part. My hide was extremely good so I'm fairly certain I wasn't seen. Do have a bit of a sinus thing going on so maybe he heard that, dunno. It was an exciting but unfruitful hunt! Wish I could have at least seen him!!! My mentor used to ask if I learned anything while I was hunting every time I went out, well, sure did yesterday!

[Greg Massey]

He must of had hens with him.

[lowoctane]

Thought that too, but didn't hear any...

[Greg Massey]

Sometimes if they are in a strut zone it's almost impossible to get them to leave that area.

[lowoctane]

I could tell he was moving...

[owlhoot]

Them danged old bobcats ran the turkeys off a place of ours too. They set up home and the turkeys left for years. For such a secretive critter they sure liked to hang around my truck when bow deer hunting.

As far as yelping toms , i have had Toms yelping back at me coming in and then cluck at response to my clucks. Pressured birds, late season, this seems more common. Seem to have heard it more in my younger days, lol. Deep low pitched slow yelps are hard to hear.
Yesterday had one gobble one time, real low volume. Then about 1/2 hour later one low cluck not too far behind me.
Never did see that one . Had my hearing enhancer in , but it was breezy, so hard to tell if he yelped or clucked some more or not.

[Greg Massey]

Looks like maybe your hunting a ghost of a turkey. I have one on my place that way. It will gobble and move but he's one of the hardest turkeys to kill. I call him the ghost turkey, i have seen his tracks in the road and every were i setup on him he goes the other way. A week ago i hunting him 4 days in a row trying everything to kill him with no luck. He will gobble off the roost sometimes once or twice and after he hits the ground maybe he will gobble on the move about 3 or 4 times up until around 10 clock. He's so hard to figure out because he doesn't roost in the same tree everyday...I have killed turkeys all over the farm but not in the area of were this gobble hangs out...

[lowoctane]

AND, to make matters worse, he's 1 mile back! 

[lowoctane]

Gonna invest in some antihistamines! What do y'all think about gobbling at him?

[Greg Massey]

Tuesday the gobbler i killed keep moving away from me and after about 3 hours of moving on him i took out  my small box call and tighten the rubber band down on it to sound like a jake who was trying to gobble and ever time he gobble i would gobble and he turn and keep closing the distance and i killed him at 10:45 i never made another hen call to him after i started gobbling ever time he gobbled he came in with head up and looking..

[stinkpickle]

I would spit and drum before gobbling on public land.

[Greg Massey]

I would spit and drum before gobbling on public land.

I was on my farm, do you think we are stupid to be gobbling on public ground...omg

[stinkpickle]

I would spit and drum before gobbling on public land.

I was on my farm, do you think we are stupid to be gobbling on public ground...omg

I was replying to lowoctane, not you.  I guess I should've quoted him...

[lowoctane]

Actually, where I am on public ground, I have  an extremely good view 360° around me, so am comfortable using a gobble call, if necessary...no worries guys!