Mountain Birds

[NoogaVFL]

Hey guys- I've been a lurker here for several years but have never gotten around to signing up. I'm primarily a deer hunter but I have been bit by the turkey bug the last couple of years. This is my first full year of really seriously hunting them.

I have hunted in middle Tennessee my entire life. My family has a 400 acre farm with a perfect blend of green fields and woods. It's a deer hunter's dream up there so I guess I have been a little spoiled.

Last year, I got on a lease with several guys I know. It's a lot closer to where I live in Chattanooga (40 minutes vs. 3 hours to the farm) which my wife appreciates now that we have an 18 month old son. Day trips are not a problem considering I had to leave for 3 days to make the farm trip worth it.

The lease is 1250 acres up on a mountain. I'd say that 95% of it is covered in woods. The only green fields that we have are a powerline right-of-way that stretches across part of the property for about 800 yards. There are very few manmade trails to use to get around everywhere. There are a few 4wheeler-sized trails. There is a huge cove right in the middle of the lease and it's kinda like a mini Grand Canyon. It's very steep and very thick with a creek running through the bottom of it. There's a 4wheeler road that goes down into it and that's the only way in and out.

I saw a ton of deer with plenty of decent bucks this past season just in the 6-7 total days I was able to hunt. I also heard turkeys flying to roost what seems like every evening. I know they're there.

This season, I have hunted 5 mornings- yesterday morning being the most recent. I have heard 4-5 gobblers every morning at dawn as I have stood in the middle of the lease on the highest ground I can get to. The problem is that I have no way of knowing if the gobbler that sounds close is in fact a lot further away from me. I have tried to get set up on them several times but have been unsuccessful. It is extremely thick up there especially since things have greened up. It's like Brier Patch City. All of the toms start and stop gobbling in the morning all within 15 minutes. They have been tightlipped from that point on every day. I don't even know where to begin when it comes to trying to get to these things. It's frustrating.

Yesterday morning, I tried to get to a gobbler within minutes of his first gobble because he sounded like he was down one small 4wheeler trail that heads about 300 yards into the woods. He gobbled one more time after that and then he was done. I called in the same spot every 15-20 minutes for about 2 hours and never saw or heard anything. I hiked back out to the truck for a snack and grabbed a set of 2 hens and a jake decoys that I got for Christmas from the in-laws. I set them up in the powerline right-of-way and let out some yelps. 2 hens came in about 10 minutes later and investigated but only hung around for 5 minutes. I was hoping they would have dragged a tom with them.

So that is the most action I've had this season. What am I doing wrong? Does anyone else hunt thick property up in the mountains like this? I'm trying to learn the best I can because turkey hunting is certainly the most addicting hobby I've had in a long time. It's such a cool feeling just to be able to listen to them. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Feel free to ask me more questions about the land in case I've missed something. I'm heading back up there on Friday morning to try my luck again.

 

[Setterman]

I don't have the time right now, but later this afternoon I will post as much helpful advice as I can. All I hunt is big woods gobblers and may have some advice that can help you

 

[NoogaVFL]

I don't have the time right now, but later this afternoon I will post as much helpful advice as I can. All I hunt is big woods gobblers and may have some advice that can help you

That would be great, Setterman. I look forward to it. Thanks!

 

[woodsman87]

All I can add is that in my experience most of the time they do quit gobbling after flydown. They probably have hens with them, and if there is a way for you to not spook them they should gobble some when the hens leave them.
As far as figuring out how far they are when gobbling, that is all you to learn how to judge the distance. I have been doing it for a long time and I even seldom get fooled by them. I hunted a new spot in the Talledega National Forest in AL this spring, and I swear I walked a mile in a circle trying to figure out where this one bird was gobbling. As luck would have it, when I had him pin pointed he had just hit the ground and got with some hens.

As far as hunting silent turkeys, you really need to learn how to listen for the spit and drum and for turkeys scratching in leaves. One of my big woods tactics is slowly walking on the side of hardwood ridges and listening for turkeys scratching or gobblers drumming. I will walk about thirty yards really slow and quiet, listening as a walk, then stop and listen for a few minutes before I move again. If the turkeys are tight lipped, so am I, but I will do soft yelps, clucks, or purrs on a good slate or glass call. Sometimes the gobblers will not gobble at you, but instead strut at you. That is why you need to learn how to listen for drumming and spitting. Gobblers will occasionally cluck back at you to try and get them you to show yourself.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Tapatalk

 

[NoogaVFL]

All I can add is that in my experience most of the time they do quit gobbling after flydown. They probably have hens with them, and if there is a way for you to not spook them they should gobble some when the hens leave them.
As far as figuring out how far they are when gobbling, that is all you to learn how to judge the distance. I have been doing it for a long time and I even seldom get fooled by them. I hunted a new spot in the Talledega National Forest in AL this spring, and I swear I walked a mile in a circle trying to figure out where this one bird was gobbling. As luck would have it, when I had him pin pointed he had just hit the ground and got with some hens.

As far as hunting silent turkeys, you really need to learn how to listen for the spit and drum and for turkeys scratching in leaves. One of my big woods tactics is slowly walking on the side of hardwood ridges and listening for turkeys scratching or gobblers drumming. I will walk about thirty yards really slow and quiet, listening as a walk, then stop and listen for a few minutes before I move again. If the turkeys are tight lipped, so am I, but I will do soft yelps, clucks, or purrs on a good slate or glass call. Sometimes the gobblers will not gobble at you, but instead strut at you. That is why you need to learn how to listen for drumming and spitting. Gobblers will occasionally cluck back at you to try and get them you to show yourself.

Sent from my Lumia 900 using Tapatalk

I will give that a try on Friday. I think the issue for me might be that there aren't a whole lot of hardwoods on the lease. The vast majority of it is covered in pines because the land owner has had it logged before and replanted.

 

[Setterman]

Nothing you or I or anyone else can do about the birds being tight lipped. They're probably with hens, and at some point should get more vocal.

There are several ways to try and pinpoint birds, first if they're gobbling at crows etc it's many times easier to pinpoint the crows then judge how close the gobbling is to the crows. Another way I'm successful pinpointing birds is close my eyes and as soon as a bird gobbles I look at the spot and open my eyes. This is how I taught myself years ago to pinpoint birds. Also, a gobble that sounds like a roar is either a long way away or obstructed by a land feature, where one that's clear with all of the rolls able to be heard is much closer.

I would get off the high spot and try being closer to where you think the birds might be.

You're in a tough spot, and roost only gobbling makes it tough. It eliminates the ability to hear one move closer, wait. And move closer etc until you're in the zone

 

[NoogaVFL]

Thanks Setterman. So you're saying that as long as I can hear the individual rolls in the gobble that he's close enough to hunt? I haven't heard any yet that didn't sound pretty clear in that regard.

 

[Setterman]

Thanks Setterman. So you're saying that as long as I can hear the individual rolls in the gobble that he's close enough to hunt? I haven't heard any yet that didn't sound pretty clear in that regard.

Usually when you can distinguish individual notes they're within 400 yards. Obviously there's variables but it's a decent assumption to go on

 

[NoogaVFL]

I will certainly give these tips a try on Monday when I'm able to hunt again. Thanks a lot guys