I got this tough ole bird I've been after a few times this year. Nothing has panned out. I hunt this 40 ac cattle farm and for some years past it has been lousy...used to never hear anything all morning. This season I gave it another try early on, and it has been dynamite. I know of at least 2 toms and 2 jakes that hang around there a lot.
To paint the picture for you guys, the farm is all beef cattle about 25 head, and has about a 15 acre field and goes into woods in the back. Roughly, 25 ac in woods. Not huge timber, but suitable for roost. And behind that is state land ak public hunting.
Let's rewind. Wednesday, I was there got up on top of the ridge and hit the call around 6:30 and got cut off by a gobbler across the farm. So I get to about mid farm and set up on the edge of the timber/grass and wait. The gobbles get closer and I give just a few clucks to let him know where I was from when I first called.
After about 10 minutes the bird appears from left to right (70 yards) and is coming in on a string and goes out in the pasture just out of sight and is gobbling his brains out. For an hour, he was gobbling at everything. I tried everything. Leaf scratching, soft purrs, subtle clucks, you name it. Eventually, he just got tired and walked off. I know this bird has been worked in the past, this time of the year I know he's probably heard it all.
I was out a couple of weeks ago and spooked him twice. Once around flydown, and another time around 10 am, as I got him fired up again. I tried to get in too close to him and he nailed me.
Now, I'm stuck. I don't know what to do. I went back out there today and he stayed down in the woods below gobbling for about an hour. I went through the same motions as Wednesday and he wouldn't budge an inch. He gobbles real good, and I play the waiting game just as I should I'm just at a loss on what to do here?
Any advice?
SW
