What would your next move be? UPDATE- Got'em

[Stayinthewoods]

I've got a bird that has been roosting fairly consistently over the course of the last week and a half/two weeks. He's either roosting in what we'll call Spot A or Spot B over during this time frame. Spot A is where he has been roosting roughly 65% of the time.

I catch a break in my schedule and find time Monday afternoon to go after him. I set up right where I've heard him gobbling in the morning as I'm leaving for work most of the time in Spot A. I'm able to slip in quietly. I'm at the peak of a ridge top with a field down below. I'm calling once every 15-20 minutes. About 45 minutes before sunset I reach for my call beside me and I hear a sharp cluck and freeze. I know a turkey has seen me. This turns into a series of "I'm leaving town" clucks. So I slowly turn to get a glimpse. It's the gobbler already roosted up in a tree, 40 yards behind me. In all my years of turkey hunting, I've never noticed a turkey fly up near me and not hear it. I never heard wings or limbs shaking/breaking as it flew up. It was just there all the sudden.

He flew off, hugging the edge of the field towards my house. Since then I haven't heard him a single time before I leave for work. I feel like he's still around in the general area, but I want your input. I'll be able to go Saturday morning. What would your approach be? This isn't an area that's exactly littered with birds, so I can't just move on to another gobbler. Small tract of land.

 

[woodsman04]

They are very finicky. I've seen them leave the county over something like that. Also seen them gobble again and to be called up an hour later.
I would think he's still in the area but you just haven't heard him. Maybe he is in a spot C that you can't hear from your house.

 

[timberghost35]

I went this morning to find a spot to set up sat morning. Turkeys were in the field when I walked in. They saw me, kinda half walked into the he woods. I backed out. Working 30 mins, they were back in the same spot...

I have also seen them disappear over it.

if you know where he is roosting, deer hunt him. Make you a small brush blind, and just wait. Don't pick up a call. Let him do His thing and be ready and watch closely...

 

[Stayinthewoods]

Good advice yall. I may just let the whole place rest this weekend and go somewhere else. If he starts gobbling in the morning I'll know about where he's at. If I don't hear him much, I'll take the deer hunt approach. Good luck out there!

 

[megalomaniac]

I'd sneak right back in there, call very quietly and sparingly, then sneak back out if he doesn't show in 45 min. I would not stomp all over the property trying to strike him up for at least another week.

 

[Stayinthewoods]

Update: I went back one time about a week after and just sat quietly to see what happened without any action. Other than that, I stayed out of that area completely. Late Saturday morning I was about to start yardwork after breakfast and I could very faintly hear him in the distance. Ran inside, got dressed, and took off. Got to within 100 yards and called softly, gobble. Actually headed away from him due to the lay of the land and called softly again, gobbled in the same location. Walked about another 50 yards away from him and called one last time and immediately headed back towards him on a well worn trail quickly and quietly as I could. He didn't gobble the last time, but I wanted to convince him I wasn't sticking around.

About 10 minutes later I'm still sitting there, the woods are dead silent, and he sounds off ten yards in front of me. I nearly peed myself. He had walked down our 4 wheeler trail that has a high bank on each side and couldn't see him until right after he gobbled. He walked right in front of my barrel and I sealed the deal.

It was an exciting hunt. From start to finish it was maybe 30 minutes. But everything worked perfectly. I was able to break in the new shotgun as well.Thankful for another day in the woods!


20 lbs
11" beard
1" rounded/chipped spur, one broken almost flush

 

[Gravey]

Congrats on staying after him and getting it done!

 

[DoubleRidge]

Good deal!! Congrats!!

 

[thirdwilliam]

congrats

 

[PalsPal]

Well played.

Congrats!

 

[Union Co. Boy]

Nice bird and love that gun!!!!!!

 

[Stayinthewoods]

Nice bird and love that gun!!!!!!

Thanks, me too! I think one of my last post on here was looking for one in stock somewhere, and I finally found one. I'm wanting to get an old Belgium one eventually, but it isn't high on my priorities right now!

 

[TDW05]

Congrats!

 

[Union Co. Boy]

Thanks, me too! I think one of my last post on here was looking for one in stock somewhere, and I finally found one. I'm wanting to get an old Belgium one eventually, but it isn't high on my priorities right now!

I have an old one. They truly are Sweet! I hunt with a new model A5. Love them. Been using Browning's for over 40 years. Rifles and shotguns. Hard to beat.

 

[Wrangler95]

Great going,congrats!!

 

[megalomaniac]

Congrats, glad it worked out!

 

[billyboy]

That's a great story, congrats!

 

[Bone Collector]

Congrats!