Contributors to this thread:
As the seasons roll along, do you still get up at the crack of dawn in hopes of calling one in after he flies down or are you more successful calling in him late morning or afternoon after the hens have left him? What is working for you?
Jackpines, you certainly bring up a valid point. The birds have changed from my week two, to my hosting a friend today for week 4. Yes, those birds are gobbling on the roost, flying down, immediately strutting, and going where the hens lead them. I'm not sure that the hens are finished laying however? They are likely still filling the nest here (in Rock county) versus starting the incubation process. So this week will be better off cutting them off instead of getting disappointed by calling and watching your tom get led away by a hen who doesn't like your chatter, and doesn't want to share her man. This cold wet spring I believe has the hens a little behind schedule even though our season started a bit later. I think finding those sunny knolls or strutting zones, and keeping quiet, and leaving the decoys behind. Hens are going to avoid other hen decoys as well as your hen calls. Week 5 and 6 is when a late morning gobbler call works good for me. Also the best time to call at a tom who gobbles back to you on the roost, then zip it, and wait. Week 3 and 4 are the two toughest weeks to hunt, but none are impossible. You just need to shift your style 3 different times throughout the season as the birds breed.
Oh, I still get up early. Listening to all the varieties of birds? I wouldn't miss it for anything!
The best advice I have for later seasons is get in their "bubble". It seems you have to get closer as the Toms are less likely to "walk a mile for a hump".
Everyone has their own spin at any given time in the season - here's mine!
Yesterday we had a gobbler fly off the roost, land in a cornfield and then travel 125 yards or so and come into my Jake decoy at 18 paces. My bride however zigged when she should have zagged and the bird flew straight up at the shot and landed to run some 60 yards away. The bird then for almost a full hour paraded out in front of us up to and never closer than 50 yards. He'd gobble and displayed but kept his distance. He then walked off into the woods. 20 minutes later he was behind us as we were in a fence row. He lives to gobble another day!
I never change my tactics. Why is that Pat, you may ask?
Reason being is I like calling Gobblers across big fields and have them come into the deaks and display or fight! To me that is more important than actually killing a bird and I wait for that.
Like so many other "tactics" in turkey hunting does it work every time? No!! But what does?
Turkeys like deer are individuals and what one will do, the next will not! If we could absolutely pattern their movements and times they did what they do, there would be no turkeys left and everyone would have one in the freezer!! Late season is the best for me and I will be out in the am, looking to kill that gobbler that gave the wife the middle finger!
Well I sat through what I can only describe as a "Gobbler-a-thon" that started shortly after 0500 Hrs. I had three Gobblers surrounding me and the one that was to the West decided to make the trek over to do a "meet and greet" - only problem was this was the same Gobbler that my wife missed and educated at the same spot. It was funny because he was gobbling and as he got closer he would do the "alarm putt" as he remembered the bad experience I guess and then he would commence to gobbling again!
Long story - short! That Gobbler stayed around ALL morning. Never got closer than 45 yards and picked up a Jake to travel with. The Jake came right to me, but the wise ole' bastard - he stayed away and never let his guard down! He gobbled over 500 time I bet! Pretty neat show....
I stayed till 11:30 am and he by that time was gobbling in the distance!
I'll be leaving both the regular blind and decoys at home. Just setting up on dust bowls with my new Ghost Blind. Will call only sparingly.
Another good tactic Zim1. Do you have good luck with the ghost blind?
Well set up with the deaks and blind at 4:30AM. It wasn't long after, that a Gobbler fired up to the NW - it was still pretty dark and I thought a barred owl kick started his response. He gobbled by himself until normal time and then 4-5 others joined in on "Gobbler's Ridge" - (actually I've never called it that before, but I thought it would be more interesting in the story)...
I started in and hammered back at the boys as they were going nutz.
Nobody moved and I shut up and let them gobble and watched for a distant fly down. They were on a small ridge top some 150 yards away.
While I'm watching I hear what I think is a turkey drumming behind me. I sit and listen hard and sure enough...there's a gobbler behind me as I am set up on a huge dirt field... I wait and wait - he doesn't gobble and then suddenly...there he is! About 40-45 yards away and steps out. Her starts to alarm putt - gobble, alarm put gobble - I'm saying this cannot be true.
This has to be the same Gobbler my wife shot at. Here he is again! He stays at 40-45 yards and struts and gobbles to me. Across the field I look - here comes 2 gobblers from 150 or so yards out!
I figure this is going to be a piece of cake! There coming in on a string!
As soon as those birds are 50-60 yards away - the original gobbler "alarm putts" and the two change direction and walk into the field edge never offering a shot!
WTH?
The original gobbler goes into the woods - joins up with those two and gobble for 40 minutes and never come back into the field!! Walk close to the field, gobbling then fade back in!
3 Jakes came - I [passed and then another Jake and then a hen.....it was 11:30 - I was beat - went home....defeated!
Tomorrow - 2 hens no gobbler deak and MAYBE - no decoys...just call them. Have to see how I feel.
Warmer weather coming! The mornings I hunted there was a chill in the air...but hardly NO ticks - must be in a low cycle! I am also thinking of bringing out the Ole' "Hale Fire" Gobbler call! For those of you familiar with this call - hands down -it's one of the best if not the best gobbler call out there. "Haint" gobbler call was a classic, but was discontinued along with the "Hale Fire" when the two call makers, Knight and Hale and "Down N Dirty" filed suit against each other in court. Neither call is available. I just found a Haint gobbler call. It's brand new in the package. I'm keeping it as a collector's item. They sell for as much as 70 dollars now if you can find them.
My gobbler call is around 7 bucks Pat. I use a diaphragm call, and it works very well.
Get in the woods, leave the decoys home and stay away from ther typical tent and decoy look that they've seen for a few weeks now. -Only a few soft calls and make them hunt you through the foliage. You can't do the same thing over and over again and expect different results as the birds, although they can't reason or deduct, have been conditioned to the set.
I envy you Pete- I can call with a mouth call (HS Strut) (Tried Woodhaven -didn't like it) - I cannot gobble with a mouth call - However - a "Hale Fire" or "Haint" it's a different story! I remember a hunt where the birds wouldn't move - Gobble like crazy - but would not move! I got the "Hale Fire" out and thought - this isn't going to work, but minus the kitchen sink - nothing worked. I hit the call, they gobbled, hit the call, they gobbled. Within 10 minutes I sent a Rage broadhead right through a strutting gobbler....ya never know I guess.
I'm getting tired.... 3:30 AM takes a toll on an old fat boy! LOL
3:30 takes a toll on everyone aver time. I work early, so it is easier for me, but that 28 day hunting vacation I take at the end of October takes its toll, and I pray for rain sometimes.
As for the gobbler call, I basically say "cholk" through the call like I was clucking like a jake. Instead, I take a deep breath in, and exhale saying cholk cholk choke choke choke cho cho cho cho......and tapping my tongue to my diaphragm to the roof of my mouth.
Heading up tonight after kids first communion. Got a tent all set up for me and grandson.
Standing water and clouds of bugs in Juneau county have taken the fun out of this year's turkey season. The last 3 springs have been so wet, I forgot what dry ground looks like. Only thing I called in this weekend for my son was a red phase coyote. Came in behind him but within 15 yards of me. Of course that happens when I don't have a gun in my lap.
