Season wrecker!

[PalsPal]

This one's getting under my skin.

He has been roosting in the same spot the 3-4 times I've been in there so far this season.

I know some don't like the challenge of messing with one that isn't in the mood to play, and will move on to greener pastures, but I like the challenge. However, he's not playing fair. And, to beat it all, he has another gobbler (could be a jake) roosting with him because he almost always tops the boss's gobble, but never on his own.

So far he has only answered my owl call. Crows, geese, donkeys, heavy machinery in the distance, my calling, ... nada. And he goes completely silent once he hits the ground. I know he has hens, because I have heard them on the roost; but they, too, don't make a peep once on the ground.

I'm pretty sure that he's going away from me once he flies down, because that's really the only way he could go without my seeing him.

The good/bad thing is that he's less than 10 mins from my house. I haven't hunted him mid-day yet, so that may be my next move, but I'm limited on days I can do that.

 

[Setterman]

Only one solution. 200 lbs of scratch feed and put a blind on the bait. He will be dead within a week. Haha

One like that is dang near impossible. Good luck with him and can't wait to see his picture posted here

 

[Mike Belt]

Years ago I hunted a bird that did the very same thing; roosted in the same spot every night, had a couple of jakes with him, and flew down and followed the hens. Every morning they'd head towards a big field. The hens would lead him into a field and they fed away. The bird would gobble on roost at anything I threw at him but would go silent once on the ground. As soon as the hens heard me calling they'd turn and lead him away from my set up. This went on for 3 days in a row. Much to the dismay of some I resorted to setting up a decoy on the far side of the field from where they typically entered. That morning the bird began gobbling from the roost and I had to bite my tongue and sit on my hands to keep from calling back to him. I stayed totally silent. They hit the ground and headed towards the field. The hens were the first to spot my deke. As long as I stayed silent they kept heading my way. It appeared that they were interested in checking out the new bird as long as he didn't open his mouth. They lead him straight to the gun.

 

[megalomaniac]

That bird is VERY killable... just not right now.

Give him another 7 to 10 days, go back in same spot (within 100 yards of roost tree), use a totally different call than you've used before, then make a soft 3 note tree yelp about 5 minutes before you think he's going to pitch down. Have the gun up and ready, he will come looking once his hens have broken off to set.

Best thing you can do right now is NOT booger him and push him to a totally different property to roost. Let him think he has the place all to himself and he is the king of his domain. Then sucker punch him when the time is right.

 

[Gobbler88]

Hang in there, you'll get him. Best of luck to you!