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I swear there's only one gobbler left here

catman529

catman529

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On the bit of WMA I have hunted all season... went on my 7th trip yesterday morning to the same spot, heard one gobbler on the roost, and a while later (after one or two calls from the tube call) I heard a gobble close by to my right in the field edge.

Well I got the gun up and ready for him to pop around the corner of the bushes in front of me...

Then suddenly.... something snuck in from the left... so low down, I thought it was a predator at first. Then I saw it was a hen... she put up her head, looked, and walked on towards the gobbler which I never even saw.

Later on I got up and started walking, heard a gobble in the woods, set up very briefly, then walked around the whole entire place, at least a couple hundred acres.

All that land covered and I did not see or hear any other gobblers. I spooked a couple of hens, including one which I almost stepped on:

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Then I made my way back to the starting field where I always see birds. I stepped out into the field, started looking around, then spotted two familiar looking shapes. I froze, wondering if they were turkeys or just weeds, and then one at a time, they started running towards the tree line. I think it was the same gobbler and his hen.

I swear there is only that one gobbler left on the whole place and he's henned up. Even the jakes are gone... I bet many of the birds were shot. Should I wait for his hen to leave and keep hunting him, or should I head to another spot?
 
catman529 said:
Should I wait for his hen to leave and keep hunting him, or should I head to another spot?
Click to expand...

If your luck is like mine, whichever you decide, you will later wish you had done the opposite :) !

I will advise to not just assume that the other gobblers are dead. They go through periods where they just don't gobble much.

I would probably stay in the area where you know he usually is. You never know when he will turn around and his hen has slipped away from him and then he goes into a gobbling fit.

Good luck!
 
I guess I should stick with it a little longer. I know he's usually going to be in that one field. I have not gone on a single trip this year without hearing gobbling or seeing birds. Most of what I see are hens... earlier in the season, I heard and saw several jakes (killed one too) but now all I ever see or hear is one gobbler.

I guess he may haunt me if I don't keep at it.
 
That's what I call a season wrecker. They will drive you crazy and consume your every waking moment.
 
i would never just step out in that field. Turkeys will tolerate some noise but once you are seen, it is over.

There have been days i have hunted and never moved off the field edge. we are talking 4-5 hours. If it is a big field, eventually they will work around towards you.

Also. calling this time of year will bring any hen nesting near you to see who is near her nest.
 
VolDoug said:
That's what I call a season wrecker. They will drive you crazy and consume your every waking moment.
Click to expand...

I am thinking he may become a season wrecker for me. Looks like a 2 year old maybe. Assuming it's the same bird I've seen the past 3 trips.

droptine said:
i would never just step out in that field. Turkeys will tolerate some noise but once you are seen, it is over.

There have been days i have hunted and never moved off the field edge. we are talking 4-5 hours. If it is a big field, eventually they will work around towards you.

Also. calling this time of year will bring any hen nesting near you to see who is near her nest.
Click to expand...

I have made the mistake more than once... stepping out too eagerly, not really expecting something to be there. This field always has birds at some time of the day. I need to be more cautious every time I go out there. The taller weeds are making the birds harder to see, so I did not see the two before stepping out into the field.

I usually spend 2-4 hours on that field edge from dawn onward, till I get tired and start walking around checking out the other fields.

Next time I go, I will probably stay put longer if I can, and even if the gobbler comes and leaves, maybe he will be back. Actually I bet he would be back sometime during the morning. Always seems to hit that field... and I sure hope his hen leaves him at some point.
 
you might be suprised, the lone gobbler is probably the dominant bird. When you kill him the others will be more vocal.JUst because you dont hear them doesnt mean they are not their
 
Hunt, hunt, hunt. The season is almost over and that gobbler may just screw up and be where he shouldn't be...you wil get him.
 
Did not see him at all yesterday. Saw 4 birds total, all hens, 3 of which were feeding in the field early in the AM.

Dunno where they have gone... I might go back Saturday, to shoot squirrels and maybe look for that bird again before season closes.
 

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