New Turkey Hunter (Help)

[LambeauLeap]

Hey guys, I've been turkey hunting all season and I'm having a problem getting Toms to come to me.

This morning (and other monrnings) for example I set up against a tree and put out my Jake/Hen decoys and start calling.

After about 10 minutes I hear a gobble so I respond with another call followed by another gobble. Things are looking good since he's responding directly to me.

Now I waited a bit and then started to purr and cluck a bit. No answer...

I wait a bit more then I do a normal hen call and again no answer...

After about 30mins I hear a random gobble so I start to call again with no success. So I try to gobble back to maybe get him thinking there's another Tom to spark his interest and still no help. I sat there for a couple hours and didn't see a single thing and called a few more times with no sound.

Is there something I'm doing wrong or do I just need to still be patient? Is it normal for Toms to just not care about you and walk away?

The worst part is I've had a few hens literally walk up 10 yards to me and my curtain blind and not even know I was there. I'm having no luck with toms though.

Thanks.

 

[swinginberrys]

Some times you need to give them the cold shoulder. The Tom knows the way it's supposed to work, he gobbles and the hens come to him. If you get him fired up and then go silent sometimes it'll get to him and he will come looking. Gotta be persistent. Good luck.

 

[pbonura]

Henned up. Maybe they have girls already. Maybe try losing the decoys and run and gun. Toms wait for the girls to come to them and maybe he has girls already. Try something different. We all had this happen as turkey hunters. Maybe a hunt later in the morning may help as the hens may be nesting and you call that big boy in.

 

[4n2t0]

Remember, when they're gobbling they aren't moving. It's exciting to hear gobbling but somewhat counter productive because they're trying to call the hens to them. Gobbling helps to locate so you can "close the gap" if at all possible.

The biggest thing I learned this season was to give up on early morning hunts. I would get tired too quickly and give up before the hen(s) left the gobbler. The last bird I harvested I woke up at 7:30 am, was setup by 8:30 am, and carving up the tom by 11 am. He came into my setup without a peep. Don't get me wrong, early morning hunts are exciting. There's generally a lot more gobbling during the morning but I got tired of only hearing birds and not eating any.

 

[hunter148]

If the bird described is doing what he is doing regularly probably henned up. All is not lost though as the upcoming warm weather will get the hens nesting and the toms will start trolling. Many times the toms will start searching about 10-12 when the hens have buggered off.

Let me tell you a short chain of events over the last week or so. Hunting the same bird for a week. Gobbles, fly down off with the hens he goes. See him enter the field in the same spot 2 days in a row. Me thinks the 3rd day is going to be bad for him. Third day in the bush by 3:45 and sneak into the SPOT. Daylight comes nothing, no gobbling, nothing. Pissed to say the least I go for a ride instead of taking my usual route out.

Come out to the sideroad and there he is with 3 other toms strutting in a wheat field on th opposite side of the road. Track down the owner and get permission. Hunt him Sunday and a hen spoiled my fun. Had him at 60 yds and coming and a hen comes running to my calls and then takes the tom with her. Monday, set up a little further down the field breeding pair for decoys, and he starts gobbling like a fiend. After 45 minutes he is still going hard but behind a hill in the field. I give him 1 call as he seemed shy previously.

Shortly thereafter I see a head over the hill at 100yds. Over it comes and a hen on a mission followed by two jakes. Hen comes in pecks the decoy a couple times and heads off I suspect to lay eggs. Jakes come in and I have the trigger half squeezed as I have been at it for a week straight now. Let them walk as the tom is still gobbling steady but out of sight.
Jakes head back to the toms locale. about 10 minutes later gobbling stops. I think great he picked up a hen. 10 minutes later another head pops over the hill, i figure jakes coming back. Nope it is him and now he see's the decoys. Gobble and strut every 10 ft and he is doing the stop and go thing. He hits 60 yds drops out of strut and runs to the decoys looking to run off the breeder.

You can guess what happened next. Moral to this story is don't give up as turkey hunting is a tad harder than the videos make it out to be. The best hunting will come in the next 10 days if we get some heat. Good luck and make sure you are set up and settled into your spot well before the first robin starts singing. Give him one call and make him look for you. Careful gobbling cause it can turn off a less dominant bird as we all dislike an asskickin. Ain't no magic recipoe than to spend as much time in the bush as possible and he may be in a more responsive mood in the afternoon if you are able.

 

[LambeauLeap]

Thanks everyone. Appreciate the input.