scratching my head

[yotehunter]

I've been after this one bird about 8 mornings now, and I just can't get the deal done. Had him yesterday at 50 yards and all I needed was him too take two more steps and the two hens spooked as I believe he was trying to breed one. My partner and I have roosted this bird 3 mornings in a row. We have ethier been on the wrong side of the river or he pitches off the roost the wrong way or this morning he pitched off 300 yards beyond me before he landed on the other bank. This maybe the biggest bodied bird I every seen he is a pig. But you can tell he didn't get that way being dumb. I'm pulling out the waders in the morning and my buddy and I are going to give him another try.:smiley_chinrub:

 

[brock ratcliff]

Good luck!

 

[aholdren]

Those kind of wiley birds will have you leaving the woods scratching your head more than walking out with them over your shoulder. You still got plenty of time, good luck.

 

[yotehunter]

Lol he has done that every morning, he is like hunting a pope and young except I'm laying eyes on this guy every morning.

 

[brock ratcliff]

Take it for what it's worth, but here is my advice on killing him... If you want him to come into range, he needs to think you may have left. You cannot call soft enough to make them think you have moved farther away, IMO. To make them gobble, call. To make them come into gun range, silence. Once they know you are there, they expect you to come to them. If you call back, they will stay where they are or move off. They are usually done with their hens by 930 or so. If he gobbles after that, you should kill him. Every time I can think back over the years when I've dealt with a bird like you are describing, I called too much. Call enough to say "Hey over here", and put your call down. He'll be there. They are not a bright animal, but they won't go against their instinct, and instinct tells 'em to gobble and wait...unless they think you may have left, then they come looking.

 

[yotehunter]

We have hardly called too this bird Brock I understand what your saying Brock but this bird hits the ground and doesn't say a word and he will not fly down until the two hens do. And he hasn't left their side, yesterday it was a deal of hunt the hens and more of a stalk and get ahead of them. I wouldn't swear to it but I think one bird was on the nest and the other he was trying too breed when I had them at fifty yards yesterday. That was at five till ten. But I agree with your statement Brock. Its just this bird is a one of a kind we've made it a goal to kill this bird and only him before we go after any other.

 

[brock ratcliff]

Those are tough! I hunted one that would only gobble when he heard me walk. Make a call and he'd shut up immediately. I never did kill that one... It sounds like you are enjoying the chase, and that's all that matters. Hope you don't feel too sad when you do get him killed! One day, a switch will flip and he'll come marching right up your barrel. Turkeys are just funny animals, and that's what makes 'em fun to chase.

 

[yotehunter]

Those are tough! I hunted one that would only gobble when he heard me walk. Make a call and he'd shut up immediately. I never did kill that one... It sounds like you are enjoying the chase, and that's all that matters. Hope you don't feel too sad when you do get him killed! One day, a switch will flip and he'll come marching right up your barrel. Turkeys are just funny animals, and that's what makes 'em fun to chase.

If they had the nose of a whitetail they would be almost unkillable lol. I think I would rather hunt the gobblers anymore instead of a deer and believe me we won't be sad if we get him we put a lot of hours in on this one lol. My buddy and I have killed eleven birds in Allen county in the last six 7 years and enjoyed every second.

 

[hickslawns]

My buddy and I have killed eleven birds in Allen county in the last six 7 years and enjoyed every second.

That is a feat in itself. We don't have near the birds they do in other areas. I am happy to see them spreading out in this area.

 

[yotehunter]

That is a feat in itself. We don't have near the birds they do in other areas. I am happy to see them spreading out in this area.

Yea not many birds around here but they do seem too be gaining in numbers, but so is the pressure. We both have a great passion to hunt these birds. Its been a tough year this year for us but we still managed to get a few and we have fun every minute in the field.

 

[Carpn]

Hunt with your buddy but spilt up . Don't make a call and bushwack him . Or , let him fly up to roost wait till its pretty dark and go in and bust him off the roost and scatter his hens . This tactic generally used in the fall has worked for me in the past on henned up birds. Get him away from his hens into a unfamiliar roost and off his pattern and he is liable to come roaring in .

 

[yotehunter]

Hunt with your buddy but spilt up . Don't make a call and bushwack him . Or , let him fly up to roost wait till its pretty dark and go in and bust him off the roost and scatter his hens . This tactic generally used in the fall has worked for me in the past on henned up birds. Get him away from his hens into a unfamiliar roost and off his pattern and he is liable to come roaring in .

We was trying too just catch him off the roost and we had been splitting up. But he always flys down a lot further then you expect. This morning the hens wasn't with him but he still flew over 200 yards beyond me and I was about 100 yards away. We are getting closer too figuring him out hopefully but then again he only gobbled three times and the first one was at 5 :28 this morning and he flew out at 5:50. After that we never laid eyes on him again. I caved in on my buddy and mines agreement this morning though and shot another bird. Will post story later today.

 

[yotehunter]

My buddy went after that bird this morning no gobbling no action except the mosquitoes liked to carry him away he said. And he forgot the thermal cell and off to he said it was miserable. So more scouting I suppose to see where the bird went. He has seemed to disappeared again.