Help me bag my first boss eastern....

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

As some of you guys have see. I'm struggling to get my first spring eastern. I've bagged a rio at 100 yards wit a rifle on a stalk. Time to work the most elusive bird on earth. And my god do I have a beard dragger located and patterned.

The setup:'hunting a prime diary farm south of dansville. Great habitat been chasing birds with my dad here for awhile but never bagged one here. This year I had the time and resources to really scout hard. I got a bird that refuses to leave his quadrant of woods and defends it like crazy.

We've almost got him numerous times but we keep getting impatient and we haven't bumped or spooked him though. So there's that.

The farm has a huge clover/corn field, monster oaks dead center and surrounded by fields. It doesn't have a huge ravine per se but  a decent ridge top.

He always roosts there but if we sneak in it's really easy to be spotted and years past my dad bumped a few and ruined hunting for a good week. Now his pattern is no gobble AT ALL! He gets down ASAP. And hurt starts roaming the edge of the woods. I think he's in defense mode. Looking for roamin jakes to spar with because hens have walked up to him and he has no response at all.

Is it time to setup a big old Jake decoy? Or should I just setup on the field edge and wait for his patrol?

[C.Kimzey95]

I'd sneak in well before daylight without a light have a Jake with a lay down hen. Wouldn't say anything just wait and watch and be ready!

[renegade19]

I'd sneak in well before daylight without a light have a Jake with a lay down hen. Wouldn't say anything just wait and watch and be ready!

Good advice.  Especially if you know where he goes on his patrols.  Did you mean Danville as in Vermilion county, Illinois?

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

The idea about raking the leaves and sticks off the trail? Freaking genius such an easy way to help make walking a bit more stealthy always appreciated in the woods!

And I'm in New York State. Live in Ontario county but that cow pasture is too good to pass up! We usually have to drive a bit but these are places my dad has hunted for years and he knows them well. I did lots of scouting and put thousands of miles on my car.

I'm hoping tomorrow it works out! I know I'll get my bird this year too many chances already and they birds have been quiet since the opener. When they leaves the hens it's game on!

But it's game on tomorrow as my dad and I sneak in with that Jake decoy and wait! Thanks for the iOS guys and the scratching I read from one of your old posts so I've implemented it with pretty good responses from birds. They don't gobble but they sure do come to check us out!

[Farmboy27]

I like your "can do, gonna happen" attitude. I feel that an attitude like that is the best weapon anyone can possibly have in any endever. Go into every hunt with confidence. If you don't, you're cutting your chances before you ever get out if the truck!  Best of luck to you. It will happen.

[renegade19]

   Scratching is awesome.  I like to add purrs too. 

[Bowguy]

All good advice, seems simple though if he defends like crazy make some gobbler sounds make him come get ya

[CMBOSTC]

The only thing that I can add is use the advice that the guys gave you and stay on him and not give up... you will get him!

[TRG3]

All of the advice noted above is great. The only variable that I'd add is if the silent treatment via a jake/hen decoy set up doesn't work, I'd give a jake gobble or two before he flies down just to let him know that he's got company and his peck order is being challenged.

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

I like your "can do, gonna happen" attitude. I feel that an attitude like that is the best weapon anyone can possibly have in any endever. Go into every hunt with confidence. If you don't, you're cutting your chances before you ever get out if the truck!  Best of luck to you. It will happen.

Thanks farmboy. I am as stubborn as it gets and I've done so many good things turkey hunting I know it will click one day. We almost got him this morning. 

My scouting was grade A. He was exactly where I saw him the day before and roosted him. We setup just a bit too far and he came 65 yards then we heard "gobble gobble gobble" and I guess the REAL boss showed up and spooked the nice tom away but man was the boss big he dwarfed the strutting tom but like all smart birds he hoofed it to the hen wood lot down the ravine.

Tomorrow! Dads setting up 75 yards from the roost. I'm setting up in the escape route used by both birds.

Best thing is all my nerves are 100% gone. I've been dealing with turkeys for years and having so many close calls I think i finally lost the shakes. I maybe too confident but if I stop just once and sleep in I know I'm done.

As my favorite Texas duck guide told me the other day "Cmon man I went 17 days last season and didn't shoot a single duck! Talk about embarrassed! Stick to it and when you get number one number 50 won't be far along. Just take a breath and keep the cheek down."

This weekend ends this. I have a better feeling now as we've patterned this guy to a T. Just hope the only other group allowed out there stays in bed this weekend!

[g8rvet]

Rake and machete are wonderful turkey tools.  I keep a small brush cutter in my vest as well - for makeshift blinds, to trim briars as I walk through thick areas (those cat's claw briars that can be 20 feet long). 

Getting him to gobble ain't the end goal - getting him in range is!  Sounds like you are on the right track.  I like your chances.  I'll take you and your Dad and lay the points.  Good luck and post his dead picture!

Just for information, I had a 3 year old that came out on the field I was on opening day this year.  He gobbled and strutted and stayed out about 75-100 yards the whole time.  Would never close the deal. I assumed he was skeered of my jake decoy. After he walked off the field, I snuck out and pulled the jake decoy and left the hen.  An hour later, he came back to the field and walked straight in.  Just food for thought on the submissive bird.

[Gobspur]

Well, did you get him??