This bird is smarter than me

[WNCTracker]

3rd year and many hunts later, he wins again. Today was the closest I've been but man he is wary. It's become a personal challenge to get this one sneaky gobbler, but I might be ready to wave the white flag. He has ducked me well over a dozen times. Today he never gobbled, as usual, I've never heard him gobble, and showed up at 7:45 on time. Never responds to calling and keeps feeding and looking. I've tried using a feeding hen, upright hen, feeding Jake, full strut and he will not come to a decoy or call. I thought I could just pattern him this morning. I setup where he usually feeds, not today 100 yards in the other direction. I thought he was coming my way then he would pull a reversal. I think he has a 6th sense of thermal detection. I've never been able to pinpoint his roost since he often comes from different directions. He's gotta be at least 4 yrs old because I first saw him 3 yes ago and his beard was 10" or so then. He must just not cater to other turkeys and expects everything to come to him.


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[spaightlabs]

Have you tried using no decoys?

Is he roosted with other birds or is he a lone wolf?

Have you been able to locate any strut zones or drag marks on the property? 

Can you hunt til dark or are you guys a done at noon state?

[devin4484]

Sounds like you need a hecs suit lol

[monty690]

 I feel your pain. I've got one that's giving me the blues too. This is my first year on him. I saw him once and he's a dandy. Right now I'm thinking that my only hope is that as the season goes on maybe he'll be more likely to come to the call.

[turkeyfeathers]

That's what it all about right there. If it was easy we wouldn't do it.
I had a bird I had many a close calls with. Gobbled nearly a hundred times on roost the one day, finally had him on  a string until it started to pour ( and it was completely sunny out) and she shut down, gobble on roost only to hear coyotes directly below him, had him double and triple gobbling along with a 2 year old. They were racing from opposite directions to me. 2 year old him beat him and let a gobble go 10 feet behind me and I jumped a little as it scared the heck out me. He putted and ole tom shut down. Came in silent as I just swung leg over to whizz, busted again. Had him crest knoll at 20 feet only to see top of head and his fan and disappeared silent. ( should have scratched in behind me as I couldn't call anymore) Finally killed him and felt happy as well as sad the chess match was over. I'd guarantee this bird was 4/5 years old. He patterned every year doing the same thing. My only multi bearded bird (3) and some hooks (1.25)  Don't give up on him. He'll make a mistake and you can call "checkmate"  I sat over that bird for a good half hour just thinking about 'how close " I was so many times. Everyone of those hunts were memorable even though I didn't kill him . Maybe throw something odd his way  Fighting purrs, gobble yelp like a jake . Something out of the ordinary just may do it.

[WNCTracker]

Have you tried using no decoys?

Is he roosted with other birds or is he a lone wolf?

Have you been able to locate any strut zones or drag marks on the property? 

Can you hunt til dark or are you guys a done at noon state?

Yes no decoys. I can hunt til dark. He's there then too. Lone wolf


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[Vinci1964]

Got to kill him. Gobblers that don't make a sound are a genetic problem. He is breeding your hens and polluting you gene pool. Get it done.

[WNCTracker]

That's what it all about right there. If it was easy we wouldn't do it.
I had a bird I had many a close calls with. Gobbled nearly a hundred times on roost the one day, finally had him on  a string until it started to pour ( and it was completely sunny out) and she shut down, gobble on roost only to hear coyotes directly below him, had him double and triple gobbling along with a 2 year old. They were racing from opposite directions to me. 2 year old him beat him and let a gobble go 10 feet behind me and I jumped a little as it scared the heck out me. He putted and ole tom shut down. Came in silent as I just swung leg over to whizz, busted again. Had him crest knoll at 20 feet only to see top of head and his fan and disappeared silent. ( should have scratched in behind me as I couldn't call anymore) Finally killed him and felt happy as well as sad the chess match was over. I'd guarantee this bird was 4/5 years old. He patterned every year doing the same thing. My only multi bearded bird (3) and some hooks (1.25)  Don't give up on him. He'll make a mistake and you can call "checkmate"  I sat over that bird for a good half hour just thinking about 'how close " I was so many times. Everyone of those hunts were memorable even though I didn't kill him . Maybe throw something odd his way  Fighting purrs, gobble yelp like a jake . Something out of the ordinary just may do it.

Yep, I love it. Great challenge for sure.


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[turkeyfeathers]

Got to kill him. Gobblers that don't make a sound are a genetic problem. He is breeding your hens and polluting you gene pool. Get it done.

I'd think he ain't talking as he's "heard it all" or just tight lipped . Never thought/knew about quiet birds as a genetic thing

[Muzzy61]

 

Sounds like you need a hecs suit lol

[coonhunter]

I have a similar problem.  Hunted this bird for two years.  Been within 60 yards of him 5 times!!  He gobbles like crazy but will not come to a call.  if you call he moves the other direction??  Tomorrow i'm going to try to ambush him by letting him gobble and then get ahead of him a cut him off?  Good luck with your bird.  But this is what makes us keep hunting!  I've never want to get a bird so bad!!!

[Spitten and drummen]

He definately is not smarter than you. Read in the strategy section about the bird i dealt with. Finally he made a mistake. Just keep after him. The more time you invest the more likely you will be there when everything falls in place. You can kill this bird but you cant let him get in your head and make you think you cant. Confidence and persistance will give you higher odds of k8lling him. Good luck.

[WNCTracker]

Round 13 tonight


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[Cut N Run]

We had a bird similar to that at my old lease, except he always had hens with him.  No matter what we tried, he'd always go the other way, without fail.  I finally got him one morning when we'd had a couple days straight of rain.  It was forecast to let up around dawn on the 3rd morning. Since it was wet, I went in extra early and was able to ease in close to his roost and set up beside the nearest opening with a few hen decoys and a strutter decoy.  I knew that the turkeys were tired of being rained on and they'd head for open ground right off the roost. I clucked a few times when I heard the hens tree talking and they almost got in my lap. The hens came off the ridge first and he followed them to the open.  I shot him at 16 yards.  He was over 23 pounds, had a 10.75 inch beard, and 1.25 inch spurs.  The feathers on his breast were worn bald from covering so many hens.  He also had 6-7 pellets of copper plated #6s in his breast when I cleaned him, so he had good reason to be shy.

Maybe wait until a rainy day and get tight to his roost?  Good luck & stay after him.

Jim

[BowBendr]

Maybe wait until a rainy day and get tight to his roost? 

This....kill him in the rain.....even though I know the wet stuff has been sparse on our end of western NC.



Gods of Thunder