stinkin turkey ?

[DirtNap647]

I have not seen a hen with him maybe I just can't hear her

[g8rvet]

I have not seen a hen with him maybe I just can't hear her

Several years back I walked in well before daylight to a spot where a Tom had been roosting off and on.  It was the last day of the season.  I went in well before daylight and was 75 yards from him.  I watched him strut and gobble on the limb.  He would have been looking straight at me, so I waited for him to fly down.  He had 3 hens with him, one in the same tree.  They never made a sound.  He waited for them to fly down and they went to my left with no interest in me - I only called once, because they were headed right to my nephew 250 yards away - OOPS!  He never knew the hens were there and if I had not seen what happened, I would have thought he called that bird in, but he only yelped one time and they were already headed to him when he did that. 

Still a good chance he has a hen with him, even if you have not heard her.

[wisconsinteacher]

My thought is that he has a hen with him.  A few years ago, we had a week where the birds would open up midday and gobble like crazy.  We would cut the distance and call, he would gobble one  time and then nothing.  About an hour later, he would start gobbling again 300-500 yards away.  Finally, I said, I'm killing that tom.  I let him gobble and gobble as I got closer and closer.  I was 60-70 yards from him before I called.  3 yelps later he was spitting and drumming at 40 yards just as the hen came running to him to take him away.  Well, that time, I took him away.  I believe what has happening is that the hen would drift off and he would gobble like crazy.  As we called, she would swing in and steal him away only to drift off an hour later. 

Get close, call soft and be ready with the gun.

[guesswho]

The most gobbling birds I've encountered were 1/2 of dynamic duos.  Two buddy birds running together all season with no hens that I ever saw.  Kill one and the other usually turns into a gobbling fool and most have turned out to be 2 year olds.  I don't know if they are litter mates or just "good buddies".  But they sure get lonesome and nervous when one of them goes feet up.   

[wvmntnhick]

The most gobbling birds I've encountered were 1/2 of dynamic duos.  Two buddy birds running together all season with no hens that I ever saw.  Kill one and the other usually turns into a gobbling fool and most have turned out to be 2 year olds.  I don't know if they are litter mates or just "good buddies".  But they sure get lonesome and nervous when one of them goes feet up.

If they never have hens with them, I'm betting they're really "good buddies"

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

Gobble at him.

[chcltlabz]

Here's a thought.  The bird might be a sub-dominant bird who's been beaten on every time he gobbles at a hen.  Sometimes jakes will make a huge racket, but as soon as they hear a hen, they shut down.  Are they over pressured?  Doubtful.  He just doesn't want to gobble at a hen.

He may be sneaking in, or he may not be interested at all.  My approach is usually go find a different bird, but sometimes that's not an option.  You may try a single hen decoy and some light calling and stay put.  Even if he shuts up, stay put as long as it takes for you to be convinced he's definitely not in the area.

And I'm in the camp that agrees that turkeys don't get call shy.  They get hunter shy.  If they got call shy, they'd never breed all season.

[sps20]

I agree with chcltLabz he's probably had
his rear kicked for gobbling at hens and doesen't
want it to happen again.
I'm in camp with chcltLabz. they're hunter shy.
Regards
Turk

[DirtNap647]

season ended and this bird will live on...never could figure him out

[GobbleNut]

Hope you didn't waste too much time on him.  I learned long ago that there are just some gobblers out there that will avoid turkey calling like the plague. 

[trkehunr93]

I wasted a season on a bird like that, never again.  Just wouldn't cross the property line no matter where I set up.  Determination was rewarded with tag soup!