The Mad Gobbler Syndrome

[Turkey Talker]

Day 1. Bird is gobbling great off the roost. after fly down he gobbles once more and starts heading your way. you call a couple times and he just sits there strutting out of shot gun distance, gobbling his head off. 10 minutes later, he keeps gobbling as he makes distance between you and him. 15 minutes later, no more gobbles, nothing, no bird. you cant get around on a bird that doesnt exist.

Day 2. This time you try to set up on the bird as if he wants to go in the direction he went to the previous day. you are about 75 yards from his roost, he is gobbling hard. But the same thing happens....he gobbles,....gobbles some more.....he cuts off all of your calls with gobbles. Then 10 minutes later he heads the opposite direction again gobbling for a few more minutes then he disappears into the morning mist and silence is his game. You sit there for 30 more minutes playing the patient game. Nothing.

Day 3. what do you do?

remember...Day 1 you used a single DSD hen decoy. and Day 2 you decided not to throw it out cause you thought the decoy spooked him.

what is your game plan for the next day???

[Turkey Talker]

a good pair of Nike running shoes and a stick of dynamite?

[ccleroy]

Get in the woods with him, screw the decoy and talking to him in the tree....call one time when he hits the dirt, let him know where you're at and that's enough.

[guesswho]

My game plan is usually the same whether it's my first day on him or my 10th. No deke, no tree talk. He hits the ground, I get close and react to what he's doing. If I think he's a lonely scared two year old I try the ole buddy routine, if I think he's a dominant bird with the bulk of the hens I may not try him until later in the morning but I will try to stay close to him. If he don't like me as a hen I may play the intruder. Basically my game plan all depends on what type of gobbler I think I'm messing with.

By what you described, my first thought is a lonely scared two year old with possible running mate. Should be easy to kill in three days.

[ccleroy]

My game plan is usually the same whether it's my first day on him or my 10th. No deke, no tree talk. He hits the ground, I get close and react to what he's doing. If I think he's a lonely scared two year old I try the ole buddy routine, if I think he's a dominant bird with the bulk of the hens I may not try him until later in the morning but I will try to stay close to him. If he don't like me as a hen I may play the intruder. Basically my game plan all depends on what type of gobbler I think I'm messing with.

By what you described, my first thought is a lonely scared two year old with possible running mate. Should be easy to kill in three days.

Pretty much the same here.

[Spuriosity]

How about enlisting the help of a buddy. Set up 100 yds on each side of him. Have your buddy call just like you did before. Now when he goes 180 degrees from the caller, he will walk right into your lap. Got to hate a bird that doesn't play fair.

[FullChoke]

Call to him lightly once he is on the ground. If he hangs up again, spit and drum at him with your mouth. If he is the Boss, he will not tolerate that kind of insubordination and come stomping in ready to teach you a lesson on pecking order etiquette.

If he is a subordinate bird, the next day be on the other side of the roost and don't call, but do fly-down wing flapping and scratching in the leaves. Be ready as he should come sneaking in quietly.

Good luck.

FullChoke

[Grumpy]

Find the closest grocery store and buy one,,then go fishing!

[ICDEDTURKES]

Some may not like it, but a bird in the same tree two days in a row.. I am there the third about 2 hours before flydown.. He hits the ground, I cluck to get him to pick up his head.. Aint no shame in this game.

[hawglips]

Well, I'd probably have handled day one differently while he was strutting out of shotgun distance gobbling his head off and not budging. A bird like that I'll try to tempt him with movement rather than sitting there in one spot unnaturally. And I wouldn't be using a decoy unless somebody made me. I attempt to build the tension with a bird like that and try to keep the pressure on him.

[drenalinld]

How about enlisting the help of a buddy. Set up 100 yds on each side of him. Have your buddy call just like you did before. Now when he goes 180 degrees from the caller, he will walk right into your lap. Got to hate a bird that doesn't play fair.

I have done this both successfully and unsuccessfully. I like to call and hear a bird gobble. My brother is more patient and likes to kill them. He sometimes asks me to set up opposite him and call loud and aggressive. A couple times the bird has come to me, more times it has went his way, but not always in gun range.

I prefer to call them up, so my most effective tactic is to keep shut up until he is on the ground and then I do not call until I am close. In the woods I will sometimes get well inside 100 yards. It can take time to let him give away his location, but when he gobbles at whatever I am plotting a strategy to get tight. When I get tight, it's a few very soft calls (mostly clucks and purrs) and a little leaf scratching and click off the safety. I may repeat this several times in the same morning on the same bird. If you get close and calls soft, eventually curiousity will get the best of the gobbler or his hens. To be successful, hunt with your ears.

[Turkey Talker]

To be successful, hunt with your ears.

I need to get some hearing aids

[drenalinld]

I should have stated that differently! I depend on my ears a ton, probably too much at times. Certainly other ways for success. Sometimes I read my posts and wonder what is this crap?!?!

[Turkey Talker]

Sometimes I read my posts and wonder what is this crap?!?!

Thats what everyone says about my posts!