Bobgobble2

I really enjoy the challenge of huntin gobblers that are difficult to get close too!I know this has been asked before,but I'm more intrested in the details of why your particular bird was so difficult to hunt!I've spent quite few days through the course of many seasons just going after one bird during that particular year,just because he was a challenge!We've all encountered a tough gobbler or two lets hear some details as to what made him so difficult?I'll share an experience I had not with one gobbler but a trio of toms that frusterated me for about a almost 2 weeks before i finally figured out what they were doing!These birds were roosting in the bottom of a canyon in a grove of digger pines that extended along the bottom of the canyon for some 200 yards!They were very vocal on the roost,and would gobble at every soft yelp you through at them to the extent that you would just shut-up confident knowing they were going to pitch out right in your lap!Well after 3 mornings of this obviously it was time to go to plan B.They were always leaving the roost landing on the opposite side I was set-up on, so i switched sides and waited for daylight!Well when the first gobble rang out on about the 4th morning they were roosted down the same canyon in the same grove of diggers but about 200yards to my left!I had a problem in that there were a series of small finger ridges that fell down into these pines and it was a guess as to which one they would pitch out on,and to top it off the real problem lied with the fact once out of the roost they would shut-up and immediately leave the area no matter what call you threw at them!The only thing that saved me was that I noticed the next time they would gobble was always in the one general area!So after my frusteration around the roost area I concentrated my efforts on waiting them out in this area and it eventually lead to one of the trios demise coupled with a few soft yelps.It was pretty tough going away from there roost site listening to them gobble but it turned out to be a lesson learned later.It took awhile to figure out exactly where they were going,but as it turned out they were leaving the roost and heading directly to a strutting area where they were use to meeting up with hens!It was about a mile from there roost!In all it took me almost 2 weeks to figure these birds out and since then have had many other gobblers do the same thing.In fact one ole gobbler had added huntin pressure to boot and instead of pitching just a short distance to the ground out of the roost he would actually fly out of sight sometimes 2 and 3 ridges over!Needless to say i never did get the drop on this bird at first daylight,but harvested him at 3o in the afternoon in his strutzone with about 15 hens!No question frusteration leaves many a turkey hunter to look elsewhere but a gobbler that leaves me whooped makes me want to try harder and through all the difficulties a turkey hunter encounters through the course of a season,i've always felt theres a way!Those gobblers that leave you with that &quot;I should of&quot;type attitude make a hunter think and thus make you a better turkey hunter as long as you dont give up!So just remember the next time you encounter one of those frusterating days filled with hunters everywhere and silent birds thank ole longbeard for it, because the next time you take to the turkey woods you will be either doing or not doing something different to make a more successful hunt!Bob <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Monarch isn't a butterfly it's the King of the Spring!

Bobgobble2

Double post,sorry about that fellers!!! <img src=icon_smile_blush.gif border=0 align=middle>

Monarch isn't a butterfly it's the King of the Spring!

Mr. Longbeard

I usually don't put that much effort into killing a turkey. I usually move on to a more easier bird

Turk_man

I agree with Longbeard on this, find a hot bird and he`ll make you look like the greatest caller alive.

1950KID

I hunt the nearest avavilable bird. I don'r get fixated on a particular bird.

strut

Bobgobble, I'm like you, I like the challenge of one thats plays hard to get, I would rather work one for 2 or 3 hours and not get him as to have one come in on the hard run and get him.

I guess one of the gobblers I got last spring was one of the toughest, I fooled with him for about 5 days out of our 3 week season and it came down to just a couple of days left. That morning he gobbled about a half mile away, by the time I got to him it was starting to get daylight and I had a creek between me and him and nothing I could do about it without him seeing me, so I just settled in and waited to see what direction he wanted to go, about 15 minutes passed after he pitched down and he did some gobbling and wanted to go wonder way, so I circled around him and set up in an old logging road in the direction he wanted to go. I had 2 decoys out, a hen and a jake set up to my right about 30 yards away. He gobbled good at my calls and about 10 minutes I saw a red head sneaking up the ridge to my right but out of range, I had the decoys out in the middle of the old road and he got a glimpse of them and I mean he left there like a scalded cat, right back over to where he was roosted, so I waited about 30 minutes and he gobbled finally, so I headed back over his direction, that time I come in from a different direction and got on the same plain as he was, that time I left the deeks in my vest, I had him about 75 yards out with a real brushy patch between him and me, I called to him and he would answer but not move a step, I took out a real raspy call and called one time and that done it, he finally stepped around the brush into the open, 53 steps from my tree, after about 3 hours and 3 set-ups on him that morning and several other set-ups earlier in the season he was finally mine, now thats the kind of turkey hunt I really love. I did pull my cap off and give thanks there on the spot. He weighed 20 lbs. with 3/4&quot; spurs and a 9 1/2&quot; beard. One of the best hunts ever.







Edited by - strut on 02/09/2003 17:34:11

MOTurkeyTamer

Back in my beginning days of turkey hunting, I had a gobbler that sounded off on the roost from the same area every morning. This was before I was familiar with the surrounding land and I was learning as I was hunting. But after he flew down, he went silent and I didn't here or see anything out of him the rest of the day. Sound familiar? Every morning I tried to get closer to where I thought he roosted but he always gave me the slip. The first week of the season went by without taking him and by then it was a personal thing, I was determined to get him after expending this much effort on him. The opening morning of the second week, I set up within 75 yds. of his tree, he flew down at first light and within minutes it was over. He didn't have time to gather his harem and head off to strut. I haven't spent this much time on a single turkey since then but the feeling I got after taking that old bird stands out in my memory as one of the most enjoyable times I've had in the turkey woods.

Mr. Longbeard

I have to drive about 140 mile to go turkey hunting and i only get 1 to 2 weeks a year to do it. So for me my main objective is to get one as soon as possible. Now on the other hand if i lived close to my hunting ground and had more time to chase spring gobblers then i might be willing to spend more time on a paticular(spelling) bird...