I was thinking Today about a bird I called in several years ago, and it took about 3 hours. He came in to about 75 yards, and then went under the hill, where I couldn't see him. Then moved back behind me about 150 yards on a point, right before it drops off onto a creek bottom. He gobbled his head off for at least an hour. Wouldn't move my way. I hardly called at all. I shut up for over an hour. Around 9:15, he gobbled and was about 50 yards away. I couldn't see him and was pretty sure he couldn't see me. I got up and ran from tree to tree. And shot him standing behind a poplar at 35 yards. Over 3 hours....... I don't think it was his first rodeo. Has anybody else had a frustrating bird like that?
Most time calling a bird into range?
- Thread starter ROVERBOY
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Joe2Kool
Well-Known Member
Frustrated? Many times! One I remember successfully working a long time was the one we call the Rainy Day Turkey. Was camping with some friends. Light rain so they decided to sleep in. I told them to expect me back with a bird. Bird responded to a call about 8 am, still on the roost. Since it was also very foggy, and thick, and steep, I set up where I was. I'm guessing he was about 2-300 yards away. Took about 2 hours, but he came in. And I rode back to camp revving the ATV engine so they would know I was coming. 
The longest one I remember working, unsuccessfully, was the 11 o'clock bird. On two separate days, I was walking out down an ATV trail about 11 o'clock and heard a bird gobble in the same place. Next time, I was where he had been gobbling at 9 o'clock. Sure enough, about 11, he comes strutting and gobbling. Up the hill, down the hill. Across the hill. Several times, I got a glimpse of him. To make a long story short, I'd finally had enough at 5 pm. I stood up, took 2 steps, and away he went! Seems like he was always about 100-150 yards away and just out of sight the entire time. That was early in my turkey hunting career. I've learned a few things the last 25 years. I think I could kill that bird today!
The longest one I remember working, unsuccessfully, was the 11 o'clock bird. On two separate days, I was walking out down an ATV trail about 11 o'clock and heard a bird gobble in the same place. Next time, I was where he had been gobbling at 9 o'clock. Sure enough, about 11, he comes strutting and gobbling. Up the hill, down the hill. Across the hill. Several times, I got a glimpse of him. To make a long story short, I'd finally had enough at 5 pm. I stood up, took 2 steps, and away he went! Seems like he was always about 100-150 yards away and just out of sight the entire time. That was early in my turkey hunting career. I've learned a few things the last 25 years. I think I could kill that bird today!
deerhunter10
Well-Known Member
I have fooled with birds for days on end sometimes. Tried to get my dad a bird a few years ago spent 3 days on a bird killed it this 4th day afternoon hunt in 12 minutes. It's funny how hard they can be and sometimes when things line up how easy they can be to kill at the same time.
Hymie3
Well-Known Member
My longest by far is still clear in my memory. I was up on a ridge one morning and heard one gobbling. I moved over to his ridge up above him about 9:00. I worked him all day and finally rolled him a few minutes after five. He was on a neighbors private all that time, gobbling off and on and finally came to me when I was about to give up. Sore butt that day. But victorious.
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I have sat from daylight to dark on the same bird many many times, killed a bird two years ago i setup on at daylight and killed him at 6:30 pm never moved once all day cause he never left the same little 7 acre field so i could move on him.
Are you saying you sat in the same spot all day without moving? Didn't even stand up to piss?
have had more then a few that started while the bird was on the limb and I ended up getting him at 9-10am.
also to clear up any confusion. Turkeys are NOT smart lol, got a brain the size of a peanut but man do they get weary and leary as they get older. Granted with everything in the woods is trying to kill you I get it.
also to clear up any confusion. Turkeys are NOT smart lol, got a brain the size of a peanut but man do they get weary and leary as they get older. Granted with everything in the woods is trying to kill you I get it.
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Yep , thats exactly what im saying, theres ways to do it without standing upAre you saying you sat in the same spot all day without moving? Didn't even stand up to piss?
The first bird I ever killed was probably my longest sit. It was the last day of the LBL non-quota season. He answered my call at 8:05 in the morning. I sat there all morning and listened to him sporadically gobble and answer my call with zero excitement. I finally saw him walking up the hollow with his beard dragging the ground and pulled the trigger on him at 11:30.
He had an 11+" beard and 1.75" spur (other was 1.5). He was strutted out and only weighed 19# on the scale. I suspect he had been called to a bunch in his obviously long life. At the time, I really didn't realize just how special he was, just knew he was my first after trying for one for a while.
He had an 11+" beard and 1.75" spur (other was 1.5). He was strutted out and only weighed 19# on the scale. I suspect he had been called to a bunch in his obviously long life. At the time, I really didn't realize just how special he was, just knew he was my first after trying for one for a while.
Wooden Arrow
Well-Known Member
called to one that was henned up from dawn till around 1 pm. i moved all over that creek bottom between calling sets. he'd answer every time, but until his hens slipped off, he never moved. when i could tell by his gobble that he had moved, i put my box call down and got my shotgun up on my knee...
I've messed with one 6 hrs. Tried him a couple mornings on the roost and watched him fly down to his hen. 3rd morning watched him fly down to the hens and after they left moved in to where he flew down to. Called every 15 minutes or so till I fell asleep sometime midmorning. Woke up Called and he answered. He came in slow and I killed him around 12:30. FUN! I love turkey hunting!
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Never killed one that I worked longer than 3 hours. By then either I've screwed up or he was too smart for me that particular day.
One of the most memorable hunts long hunts was 4 or 5 years ago on Desoto Natl Forest. Was running and gunning and a bird answered back 75y away in a hardwood creek bottom down a steep dropoff after a couple miles hiking. I had the high ground, was a slam dunk he would come up the drop-off and pop out in perfect shotgun range. But nope, he went back and forth gobbling out of sight in the creek bottom. After 30m, a hen came from behind me, crossed at 3y and went to the gobbler. He shut up and the two of them worked over to the next ridge about 150y away. I sat him out, and after about an hour his hen left and he fired back up. Refused to budge toward me tho. After another 45m, 3 jakes came working in 75y away. The tom absolutely broke, ran to the jakes and thrashed them. He chased all 3 of them right up the drop-off to me. By the time I had a clear shot and could identify with certainty which was the longbeard, he was 11y away.
it took me just under 3h to finally kill him.
One of the most memorable hunts long hunts was 4 or 5 years ago on Desoto Natl Forest. Was running and gunning and a bird answered back 75y away in a hardwood creek bottom down a steep dropoff after a couple miles hiking. I had the high ground, was a slam dunk he would come up the drop-off and pop out in perfect shotgun range. But nope, he went back and forth gobbling out of sight in the creek bottom. After 30m, a hen came from behind me, crossed at 3y and went to the gobbler. He shut up and the two of them worked over to the next ridge about 150y away. I sat him out, and after about an hour his hen left and he fired back up. Refused to budge toward me tho. After another 45m, 3 jakes came working in 75y away. The tom absolutely broke, ran to the jakes and thrashed them. He chased all 3 of them right up the drop-off to me. By the time I had a clear shot and could identify with certainty which was the longbeard, he was 11y away.
it took me just under 3h to finally kill him.
Attachments
Kevin Snook
Well-Known Member
I've got some good stories
"The Emmit Harris Woods Holler Gobbler"
"The Captain"
"Jason Vorhees-the Friday the 13th gobbler "
Try to post when I get more time
"The Emmit Harris Woods Holler Gobbler"
"The Captain"
"Jason Vorhees-the Friday the 13th gobbler "
Try to post when I get more time
Joe2Kool
Well-Known Member
The first few years I turkey hunted, I made every mistake known to turkey hunters. Then I started making up new ones!!
Bell3wv
Well-Known Member
3 hrs! I'd been back to camp, cooked breakfast & had a nap. Congrats!
Since the one at the beginning of the post, 3 hours has been my limit. I figure there has to be another, a little more fired up somewhere.
Popcorn
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I mostly hunt late season after you guys have call educated the remaining birds. The results are that I never really know how long I have been working a bird. 3 out of 4 seldom if ever gobble but most eventually come in to that stubborn hen they can't seem to find, usually about 18 to 20 yards mostly between 11:00 and 1:00
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Cant believe so many of you give up so easy
Huntaholic
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About 5 hours on 1 specific bird at Catoosa decades ago.
30-06 type of guy
Well-Known Member
Last year 2nd day of season. I roosted em and got back at 1:30am. 430am I sat about 80 yards from him on the limb. They pitched down on the other side of the ridge and gobbled their brains out. He got closer but wouldn't pop his head up over the ridge. The wind picked up and they went to the bottom. A group of guys walked by em crow calling but he wouldn't respond to it. Little bit after they finally walked away he gobbled again so I closed the distance. I got into it with another hunter and a hen from the other ridge and she came right down to my lap then went to him. After about 10 mins I called her right back to me and let her pass me. Not long after a couple jakes came out then the gobbler. They ran him back in the cedars but I called him back. 11am I pulled the trigger and now waiting on him at the taxidermist
Wooden Arrow
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if a bird is still gobbling, i'm not leaving unless on an area where hunting stops. too hard to find a mouthy bird these days...
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My hunts are all day everytime unless i kill one, i dont leave where i know there are birds, youve got to be more stubborn than they are.
MidTennFisher
Well-Known Member
One time I played with one from flydown until about 1130 because a hen got in the mix and took him away.
I used that as my excuse to take a lunch break and nap in the woods. This was while we lived in MN for a few years so opening week of turkey season is still pretty cold. No ticks yet so I napped on the ground where I gave up on him for now.
Around 1230 I was woken up by a gobble, I prayed that it was real and not just a dream, then he gobbled again. Came from where I last heard him and the hen. About 30 minutes later that bird was dead.
I used to have a screenshot of texts between me and a friend when I said I was just woken up by a gobble. He replied that mid day gobbling birds want to die, go get him. Then about 30 mins later I sent him a pic of me holding his legs to show the spurs.
Sometimes you just gotta be patient and wait them out. Patience is the most effective turkey killing tool there is.
I used that as my excuse to take a lunch break and nap in the woods. This was while we lived in MN for a few years so opening week of turkey season is still pretty cold. No ticks yet so I napped on the ground where I gave up on him for now.
Around 1230 I was woken up by a gobble, I prayed that it was real and not just a dream, then he gobbled again. Came from where I last heard him and the hen. About 30 minutes later that bird was dead.
I used to have a screenshot of texts between me and a friend when I said I was just woken up by a gobble. He replied that mid day gobbling birds want to die, go get him. Then about 30 mins later I sent him a pic of me holding his legs to show the spurs.
Sometimes you just gotta be patient and wait them out. Patience is the most effective turkey killing tool there is.
Been there brother.Do I count the times I gave up and then busted the bird when I stood up to leave
Wooden Arrow
Well-Known Member
if that hasn't happened to you, you've got the patience of Job, or you lie like a dog in the August sun...Been there brother.
Woodsman10
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It's a very common occurrence for me to find one at daylight and not shoot him until 11am to 1pm. Just keep in touch with him somehow, don't spook him, and make the move to a position when he is ready to get called up.
I will hunt all day when allowed or until more important things need to be done. I never give up. I will take a nap in the woods. Keep food and drinks on me, and more in my truck for the days I may walk back to the truck.
I will hunt all day when allowed or until more important things need to be done. I never give up. I will take a nap in the woods. Keep food and drinks on me, and more in my truck for the days I may walk back to the truck.
