Caught with my pants down!

[mark hay]

Any time we can get on the top , or near the top of a high point , ridge , or hill I think it is to our advantage . We all agree that for some reason the birds come up hill better to a call .
 I have very little decoy experience. Also , I prefer to stay away from fields . I'd rather get in the thick woods . I have never been successful in fields . I feel they can put too much space between themselves and my calling position .
 In the woods I try to stay high up , with plenty of cover on one side , and the crest of the hill no more than 30 yards , depending on the density of the brush . I don't want it so thick I can't see him at all , or too thick to be able to shoot .
 Picking a tree that will suit your butt and back for a long stay is important . Comfort is critical . Without it , we cannot sit PERFECTLY STILL.
 A lot of hunters like to be able to see good , in wide open timber . I have tried it and always the bird went around me outside of gun range . They can't see a hen so it's goodbye. A decoy would help ,,,maybe.
 In the thicker stuff , you are actually forcing the gobbler to look for the hen .
 Nothing is a GIMME . I think you know that .
 
 It is common , but not what we would call a hard fact , that turkeys like to roost in trees that are on the side of the hill or ridge , just below the top . If you could find a route of easy entry and quiet walking to approach the top and be on either side of the roosted birds , it is too your advantage . 100 yards is close.

[Cut N Run]

I agree with Mark 100%.  The gobbler I got last Saturday would go the other way to calling.[:@]   So, I set up in his wheelhouse and only threw a single cluck to see if he'd respond. He did.  When he flew down, I cutt quietly four times and he double gobbled back, probably because I was where he and his hens wanted to go anyway.  If I had called too much, too loud, or yelped, I'm sure he would have gone the other way or hung up bad.
 
The gobbler you're after knows to a degree that he's being pursued. Something caused him to change his roost (who knows?).  If you can move away from where you had been set up and get closer to his roost without getting busted,(like the route he takes between the roost & the field) you may get the drop on him. Even if you have to go in extra early.  Trouble is that it's near about a full moon and it will be real hard to get around unnoticed. You'll have to go extreme ninja mode. I'm not sure I would be totally married to using decoys either.  They help, but he's already been fooled by them once.  It is not necessary to use decoys to kill a turkey.  Maybe even consider dropping to a single decoy if you have to use them.
 
If he is following hens and you can figure the way they like to move around the property, go for it.  I think he knows that the calls and decoys that have been coming from that same area are not real.  It is time to mix things up and try a different tactic.
 
Good luck. Wait him out. Bust him when you get the chance.
 
Jim

[DeanoZ]

Mark/Jim thanks...it all makes sense, but unfortunately they are now roosting on the private land, which also happens to be the high point in the area.  They fly down into his field, mess around there for a bit and then come up towards the public land..they cross the road that delineates the private and public and then head down hill and will go on either side of the hedge row.  in both cases it appears that they skirt around the back edges of the field treelines looking for hens.  I have only been using a lone hen decoy and thus far it appears to be working..at least that's what brought that Jake and gobbler in yesterday..probably more so that than the calling I'm thinking.  Since the lone Gobbler broke right this morning and behind the hedgerow I have two options 1.  Hide in the point of the hedgerow, if he goes right or left I got him either way, that puts me within a hundred yards of where I believe they are roosting.  Option two is to go back to the first spot I was at opening day...saw  a couple hens there on Mon and Tuesday...and I can sneak in there without being seen and it looks like that may have been the direction the Gob was headed this morning.  Not sure which one I'll do at this point guess I'll just feel it out but I know the hedgerow point will be difficult to set up in the dark..lots of knarly stuff, unless I just plop a blind right there in the open.  I WILL NOT YELP, lol...I'll keep it all to soft clucks, scratchings (what do you use...your hands?) and purrs and I'll keep using the one hen deke.  I'm feeling good about tomorrow...tomorrow is the day

[mark hay]

As for the scratching,,,,,,your hand ,,,foot ,,,,grab a couple of long sticks . Lay one on your right/left . Each time you scratch he knows it's a different spot , like the hen's moving.
 That works , but it is a little fancy, and the more movement you make the bigger the risk of getting busted . Your hand will do fine . After you slay the beast , you can save his wings for scratchin' , flydown, and mock fights.
 Eager to see photos

[Rennat]

alot of excellent advise was given.. i wish i ould add to it but i really cant... the only thing i will add is if you do spook them off wait till they are out of sight and try circling around and getting in front of them , sit down and try again this may take you an hour or longer to do but i have been successful in doing this (a few times) basicly what im saying is if you get busted the day dosent have to be over... keep us posted i cant wait to see the pictures
Dan

[DeanoZ]

Well folks unfortunately I did not even get past the front door this morning...which may have been a blessing in disguise or the good lords way of saying not today.  My 22 month old son, was missing his daddy something fierce lately, woke up at 0330 and would not go back to sleep nor would he allow me to leave his side...in as much as i wanted to go find that Gob, it pales in comparison to the bear hug my little man gave me.  so the Gob will have to wait for another day.

I'll purchase an additional permit for next week and meet up with the Gob then...that will also give me the weekend to scout and refine my setup.

Rennat thanks for the advice, I had actually thought about doing just that when I missed out on the Gob that came in, but I was running short on time and hoped he might circle back around...but next time I just might put the stalk on him!  I see your from Maine, love it there..I went to Saint Joe's on Lake Sebago...someday I'm going to retire there...just need to convince the wife

I appreciate all the advice given here, you fellas have been great and with each post you enlighten me more about the habits of these wonderful creatures, for sure I've only scratched the surface!

Hope to have picture for ya Monday morning, but I'm sure I'll have a few more questions beforehand so stay tuned!

[1Morgan]

DeanoZ, i'm from NJ originally (never turkey hunted there) but i've lived in So Carolina for about 20 years now. Ya might wanna retire here!!! We get 5 spring tags and get 1.5 months to use em!!

[Gbln Fvr]

DeanoZ here's something you might try. This is one of my favorite methods. Stay out of the woods until about 9 am this gives the Toms time to follow the hens around a do their struttin and so forth which they're not really responding to calls because they're with hens. At about this time the hens will be heading for their nests and at this time the Toms will be in persuit of unbreed hens and just plain lonely. Start off with some plain yelping, if you get a responds this is when I hit them with some excited cuttin and yelping. Usually the Toms are cutting me off, and that's when I give it to them again. You will be able to tell if he's coming, he'll be gobbling. Then left him come find you no dekes. Give it a shot it's been a great success for me. Good Luck hunting!

[DeanoZ]

Morgan, thanks for the tip...SC is a beautiful state, my mom retired in N. Myrtle beach and I was stationed in Camp Lejeune, NC for a better part of my Marine Career and made many weekenders to SC. 5 tags and month and a half sounds awesome, I'm jealous!  Unfortunately my wife is a jersey girl through and through...I can't get her south of the mason/dixon for nothing...but who knows maybe I'll come pay you and the turkey's there a visit!

Gbln Fvr, thanks for the tip.  Unfortunately with my work, I have to leave the woods at 9am.  But if I get the opportunity I will give it a shot.  I'll say this much, the first two days of the opener here I took half days and stayed in the woods until noon.  In that time I through out yelps and as I mentioned above even the kitchen sink.  I hunt public land in Jersey and every tom dick and harry is out there yelping, so i think Mark might be right...they are call shy and have heard it all...but I'm willing to try anything once.

Got my permit for next week...for those that don't know NJ has a lottery system you can either put in for one of the four weeks in the month or satrudays only for a certain zone.  Guess that's how they manage the population...but for what we pay for tags and permits here sure sounds like they are making out.  If there are left over permits, you can purchase them.  Just so happens there are leftover permits for the remaining 3 weeks in my zone, so i picked one up for next week.  its less crowded during the week and i get more opportunity...lets just hope my son cooperates next week!  I'll keep ya all posted, right now I'm trying to figure out what my strategy is going to be.  I plan to go out there Sunday and see if I can't roost one for a Monday morning hunt.

[Gbln Fvr]

DeanoZ, With this style of hunting you are going to need to be able to run and gun. I don't know how big of an area you have to hunt, but you need to sound like a hen that is roaming. The problem I think you may be having and to why the birds are getting call shy is the calls keep coming from one spot. If you are able to be on foot and calling you just may get the responds your looking for. Hope this could be helpful and keep it in mind for an opportunity in a future hunt. Good Hunting!!