A little frustrated

[Ckirk4bama]

Ive been hunting these mythical birds for three years now heard some gobbling but never actually even seen one. I'm beyond frustrated, this year I have not even heard a gobble we've scouted found scratching and everything someone please help!

 

[Setterman]

If you aren't hearing birds or bumping them while hunting you need to find a new place to hunt. Sorry if that sounds mean, but you could be seeing old sign that was left well before the season and the birds are now long gone.

If a property has any turkeys it is almost impossible for you to never hear and never see them. I have seen places where birds do not talk at all, and I have seen places where they are ghosts, but never together.

 

[Relentless]

I think they are in peak breeding season earlier this year than normal. They are not gobbling much where I hunt and it makes it hard to get on a bird. I am hoping that in a couple weeks the hens are nesting and the ole toms are lonely. They'll get more vocal and we'll be on 'em to the end. Hang in there.

 

[Vermin93]

This is my first week turkey hunting by myself and I'm also frustrated. I've bumped several birds as I've been walking from one spot to the next, so I know they are there. I chatted back and forth with a gobbler early one morning, but he wouldn't come up the hill that I was on and he eventually faded away. I've heard gobbling early in the mornings, but it always sounds far away. It's hard for me to tell how close it is because I'm hunting some hill country with a lot of deep hollows. By 8am the gobblers have been going silent for the rest of the day, so I just hike from one hilltop to the next and call with the hope that I'll hear something or one will come in silently. I had one jake run in and I thought about blasting him, but I wanted a tom so I passed. I was probably being too picky for a beginner because it would be nice to have one bird under my belt after 4 days of hunting them. I have also concluded that I stink at using mouth calls. I bought some good ones, but I sound more like a dying turkey than a hot hen. I have been using a crow call and gobble call to try and locate toms and that's not working either. I can't generate one lousy shock gobble. I know the gobblers are there. I got a video clip of a strutting tom on a trail camera that watches a trophy rock that I put out for deer. A hen passed by on camera and then the tom passed by 6 minutes later at 6:30pm. I have other video clips of toms in the same general area. I know they are there, but I can't find them and they aren't responding to my calls or gobbling. Very frustrating!!!

 

[catman529]

This is my first week turkey hunting by myself and I'm also frustrated. I've bumped several birds as I've been walking from one spot to the next, so I know they are there. I chatted back and forth with a gobbler early one morning, but he wouldn't come up the hill that I was on and he eventually faded away. I've heard gobbling early in the mornings, but it always sounds far away. It's hard for me to tell how close it is because I'm hunting some hill country with a lot of deep hollows. By 8am the gobblers have been going silent for the rest of the day, so I just hike from one hilltop to the next and call with the hope that I'll hear something or one will come in silently. I had one jake run in and I thought about blasting him, but I wanted a tom so I passed. I was probably being too picky for a beginner because it would be nice to have one bird under my belt after 4 days of hunting them. I have also concluded that I stink at using mouth calls. I bought some good ones, but I sound more like a dying turkey than a hot hen. I have been using a crow call and gobble call to try and locate toms and that's not working either. I can't generate one lousy shock gobble. I know the gobblers are there. I got a video clip of a strutting tom on a trail camera that watches a trophy rock that I put out for deer. A hen passed by on camera and then the tom passed by 6 minutes later at 6:30pm. I have other video clips of toms in the same general area. I know they are there, but I can't find them and they aren't responding to my calls or gobbling. Very frustrating!!!

if you can find where they roost it helps. I'd have taken the jake if I were you - my first was a jake and on my 3rd day hunting by myself. I don't even carry a single locator call when I hunt, I don't feel the need for it. If they are vocal, there are enough crows and owls, and crows getting pissed off at owls, to make enough sound to get the bird to gobble.

If you know where the birds like to travel then it helps. This one spot I hunt on public land has a section of woods that is always loaded with scratch. You can see the birds strutting in certain fields but often I think they are just traveling through the woods eating. But I do also know the area they like to roost and that is a big plus for me.

Hope you all get one soon, and keep sticking it out. I was a beginner last year and still am far from being a seasoned hunter but hope I can help out a little.