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Tough Turkey

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BV

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Maury Co. TN
I had a bird last year that kept roosting on this big wooded hill that was surrounded by cow pastures. When I would go to one side and set up, he would fly down on the other. When I would go to the other side and set up, he would fly down where I was the previous morning. I got a buddy of mine to come with me, he sat up on one side, I sat up on the other, and the tom went between us! I got up on the hill with him one morning and some how he circled around me and got directly behind me about 20 yards or so( I almost got him that time.) but he managed to slip away without me getting a shot. the way to his roost site,but I rarely have time to hunt in the evenings. What would you do if you were in a situation with a bird like this one? I would try the afternoon hunt on him and try to get him on
 
I would ambush him without making any turkey sounds at all. Try and pattern him for several days before season and just sit and wait on a spot where he is coming to consistently, there usually is some particular spot he will go to to strut. If not that, then be right around his roost tree( if he has a particular tree) around fly up time.
 
captain hook said:
Shoot him off the limb on a full moon lit night :D
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You have NO IDEA how many times I've pondered doing that! I even had the chance to once when I snuck up on him one late spring morning.
 
I to have encounter birds like this. But a buddy and myself found the birds of all birds . He has hunted him two full seasons, I joined in the last half of the season last spring. My first outing we should have killed him he came in my only problem was I had a six year old between my legs. This was the first mistake the tom had made in a year! I thought to myself this bird isnt so bright. From that day foward it was like he was spying on our plans. What I mean is he would not roost in the same place. He most of the time did not roost on the same side of the road. To top it off he gobbled like crazy each morning we knew his gobble. Make one sound like a turkey , his next gobble could be amile away usually one to two hours latter. I have had birds get much futher away, but this bird would leave.He would leave to a different location each time. We spend the last two days of season on our hands and knees trying to get within 50 yds. I hope a bobcat ate him.
 
a 243 should do the trick lol


man I have had a few of the same situations, just kept on him and eventually got 2 of the 3.....it never failed I went up he went down, i went Down he went up and so on.

We got 2 of them by hunting with a buddy and we split up. One of us did calling while the other was on foot just waiting on the bird to make a move, IF he moved any direction other then my buddy then I tried to beat him there.
 
If that bird is still alive this is what I would do.
First I would do alot of pre season scouting and locate where he likes to go after he leaves the field. If that doesn't work I would be waiting for him with a decoy around fly up time. If that doesn't work get as close to him under the cover of darkness and hope he hits the ground within gun range. If that doesn't work find another bird. Ive known hunters who put all effort on one particular bird just to see the season come to an end empty handed. Have fun
 
You didn't say whether or not he was gobbling on the roost and if you were calling to him before he hit the ground. If so, I'd say he's had his butt kicked and stays away from the vocal "hens". Another question is did he roost by himself or have hens. I've had lots of instances where the hens will take the gobbler the other way once I started calling. I'd say you have two options: 1) go in there several mornings in a row and sit in the same spot until he comes your way, and 2) ambush him on the way to roost.
 
Yea Gravy, he was by himself. Well at least a couple of times he was I know for sure because i got a glimpse of him. He was gobbling in the tree alot. But like Turkey Hunter's bird, he would just leave the country when he hit the ground.

I tried calling to him, I tried just scratching the leaves. He was a tough one let me tell ya. I dont have enough patience to let him ruin my season though. If I cant get him in a day or two, I'll go find another bird like I did last year ( that way I can say "turkeys do still respond to my calling after all :D
 
pjridge said:
Is there a possibility that he could see you when you set up?
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No, there was too many leaves on the trees and I was in way before it started breaking day.
 
I chased three mature gobblers for an entire season one year. I had nicked name the three gobblers the �Three Amigos�. I have posted a picture below of three birds. Opening morning I called them in across a pasture and took a shot and missed, I was sitting off the pasture in some thick brush and when I shot I did not see a large vine hanging down and hit the vine square and missed the gobbler. From that time on would call and the Three Amigos would by at the opposite end of the field. They would gobble in response to my calling but would never come close for a shot. Everyday I would move to where they were the day before. This went on for the entire season. The last day of the season I set up a pop-up blind in the middle of the pasture where I birds would routinely hang out. It was not a set that I would ever consider in normal turkey hunting. That last morning I called the Amigos up in the middle of the pasture and I was able to kill the largest of the three. In this case and unorthodox tactic worked to kill one of the Amigos.
 

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