# is it me or what?



## ezbite

ive only been able to get out 3 time so far this season. all im seeing is hens, havent even heard a tom. im starting to lose hope.lol. anyone have any suggestions what might help? i was using 2 hen decoys, that brought in a noisy flock of hens. thought maybe id throw a jake decoy in the mix, i did that and had a hen just walk right on thru like there was nothing to it. im hunting behind a natural blind in one area and a pop up blind in the other. i got an owl hooter and now that we can hunt all day (monday) im gonna see if i can find a roosting one before it gets dark and go back there in the morning(if i roost one) any suggestions? ive heard that because it got warm so quick that the toms are already henned up and wont gobble, what'd you think about that?


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## BOO

Where the hens are the gobbler should be as well. If you call and you dont get a response, it doesnt mean the gobblers arent there. If you dont get an answer when you call, dont call as much and dont call loud...nice and soft, just so your call will move through the woods. As far as the gobblers being henned up, I disagree. I shot my last tom at 8 and he was with another gobbler and no hens. Usually the will be henned up till about 10 or so, then the hens will break away and go to the nest, which will leave the gobblers alone...and looking to get some. I hope this helps!! Good Luck!!


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## Snook

Don't lose faith EZ. If your seeing hens I would suspect there's a Tom somewhere in the area. Don't get caught up hunting the same spot every day. Be versatile and hunt different parts of the property. If you have multiple properties than better yet, try them. IMO hunting the more dominant birds is better latter in the day(10am on...) and later in the season. Hen's get tougher and tougher to come by and his mood will change as he gets lonely. I have a theory I tell all my hunting buddies..."If you want to hear them gobble then hunt them at sunrise off the roost. If you want to kill them than hunt them later in the morning". Although, I have killed a few off the roost I have killed ten fold more later in the morning. Prime example was Thurs my hunting partner and I heard 4 off the roost (Ashtabula Co) called and they were henned up and happy. Entered the property from a different road later in the day and we killed two 21lb's from 10:30a-11:30a(each bird called in seperately...not together) No doubt some of the same birds we heard in the morning. I'm still waiting for that camera footage! (not on George's boat either unless you have the Buffalo Bill cheerleader with you) If you continue to struggle shoot me a pm.


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## ezbite

thanks for the advise, i figured if im seeing hens, males gotta be close. i might be hitting the call too loud, ive been trying to get it to carry, ill back off a bit next time out. snook, you might be getting a pm in a week.lol.


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## Hook N Book

Hold on, wait a minute...! Though I can not say I have a lot of experience with Turkey hunting, I can say you're over looking the obvious. If it's Tom's you're after, just take a mirror with you next time and take a look in it just at day break. 
And there you have it...problem solved...!


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## CrappieKiller

Tone down your calling like the guys said and just stay at it. One of these days it will unfold just like it is supposed to!


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## I_Shock_Em

birds are still gobbling...not henned up where i'm hunting. called in two toms this morning........and long story short...there are still two toms in the woods, although one probably has a few pellets in his ass


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## ezbite

Hook N Book said:


> Hold on, wait a minute...! Though I can not say I have a lot of experience with Turkey hunting, I can say you're over looking the obvious. If it's Tom's you're after, just take a mirror with you next time and take a look in it just at day break.
> And there you have it...problem solved...!


LOL, Rodney I'm looking for mr. Turkey, not mr. Walleye


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## bobk

The toms are starting to move alone down here in the south. I saw 5 different gobblers today all alone no hens with them. Hens came in later but no toms with them.


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## Hook N Book

Gobble, gobble...! :Banane07:



ezbite said:


> LOL, Rodney I'm looking for mr. Turkey, not mr. Walleye


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## kprice

I_Shock_Em said:


> I patterned my gun out to 75 yards and am confident that I will down any gobbler at that distance.
> 
> Could be the reason why.
> Maybe its just me, but I think over 40 + yards is out of range for a turkey. I have never had a problem getting a bird to come into the decoys at 25 yards then have a nice easy kill shot.


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## I_Shock_Em

i've dropped em in their tracks at 65 yds before...


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## Dukeboy17

I have been out 4 times so far this Spring and haven't seen any turkeys. I haven't even heard any turkey's. I went to Grand River 3 times and Shenango once. Anyone having success on public hunting grounds in NE Ohio?


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## ezbite

i just got back from mosquito, i saw 4 birds, 2 hens and a tom, he was in full strut, in a cornfield.... IN THE GAME RESERVE(no hunting area.lol.) and i had a hen walk right past me like i didnt exist while on stand. i swear these hens know were not allowed to shoot them till fall. im getting fed up myself. one more day of public hunting areas and im hoping to score on private land next week.


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## fireline

As the season progresses and the leaves come on the trees the distance that you can hear a gobble is reduced, I like to start my day high on a ridge top and listen for a bird gobbling, and try to cut the distance and set up and call to him. another thing you can do is go out before sunset and listen for a turkey to gobble when he flies up to roost and come back in the morning and set up close to where you hear him the night before.I like to be set down in the woods when it is still dark in the AM. Some days turkeys just don't gobble you can try to get them to shock gobble with a crow call, owl hooter or I have even used a goose call. Try several different calls some times you many try 4 or 5 and nothing and he will gobble with the 6th. As for decoys I like a hen and a jake with the jake right behind the hen, if it is windy put a small stick on each side of there tail feathers so they can pivot a few inches each way and dont look like a weather vane is a tornado. Good luck


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## ezbite

thanks fireline, never thought about the decoy movement and mine swivel alot in the wind. i actually have been hunting one bird out at skeeter. i heard him gobble at a crow one day but couldnt get any response from him on my call. so 2 days later i set up in a field closer to where he gobbled, after seeing nothing for many hours i started looking for him or signs of him, as i walked into a field and saw him about 70 yards away in the same treeline i was in, i slowly got down, he streched his neck up looking at me, walked into the woods. i crawled into the woods and saw him heading away from me at a nice easy pace. i got behind a tree where i could see him and hit the slate with a few light yelps, he didnt respond, i hit it again but with louder yelps and i saw him gobble back, (that was very cool). i saw he was moving away and i circled him to where i thought i could cut him off. after about an hour, i heard him gobble back over where i first saw him in the field. looks like i should have stayed put im going after him in the morning, i hope i can get him before noon because ive got business in the afternoon. i understand what they mean now when they say "its not the kill, its the thrill of the chase" if you would have told me id be out crawling on my hands and knees thru the mud of the forest floor, chasing a bird, i would have told you you lost your mind.lol. its was exciting, but its time to harvest a bird. at least now i can say ive seen one and know where hes at, now i gotta make time to get him before the seasons over


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## fireline

I have seen several good turkey hunters with mud stains on there knees


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## Snook

EZ...I see no turkey shooting footage The season is now over.


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## ezbite

and you will not see any this spring i tried and tried. even found a new area that has at least 5 gobblers in it, i know this because i saw all 5 of them about 100 yards in this field struting and fighting with each other. i didnt find it until the last week of the season and because of a rushed, bird too far away and an off balance shot, i ran em out (well, 4 flew and 1 ran). yep.. missed by a mile (so'd my 3 follow up shots.lol.), i got the happy trigger and i should have just laid down in the field and let em go after i got busted and returned in the morning. on a positive note, on the last day i as able to hunt i heard 3 gobbles about 5 minutes apart and each time he got closer. i can say this, im hooked. i never turkey hunted on my own before and its is exciting. when i saw that one in the treeline and then crawled after him and to see him actually gobble back to my call was great. ive still got a lot to learn, but im gonna keep at it. i did get the 4 missed shots on video, wanna see them


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## Z_28_0117

My first turkey hunting season was a bust too. I only went twice though and planned poorly. Fall season is 145 days away I didn't even see a tom, did see a few hens out in the road at egypt valley before the season started so you're ahead of me there. I did very much enjoy my first visits to public hunting land, turkey or no turkey. Picking out new camo clothes, upgrading the shotgun, pattering, reading, it took a bunch of time and effort to even get to where I was prepared to go into the field. But was time well spent. SO fall turkey and deer season is coming. Deer hunting will be a first time thing for me too, as much as I don't want the summer to fly by, I'm anxious to get back in the field.


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## Dukeboy17

This was my first turkey season on my own and in public land. I didn't see or hear anything the first 5 times out in the field. This past Sat and Sun I heard a gobbler for the first time and saw him about 100 yards away. I guess he saw me too because he flew off and I never saw him again. I was encouraged to at least be able to hear a gobbler and see one. It will keep me coming back next year.


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## Snook

Isn't turkey hunting a blast! All I can say for any newbies is to stay at it. Once you get your first bird they seem to come easier. It takes some time to learn turkey talk and where they want to be. I believe the MOST IMPORTANT part to hunting them is to have numerous properties to hunt. Usually one is talking somewhere you just have to find him. When one is ready to die all you have to do is sound SOMEWHAT like a turkey and he's comming! Then EZ you have to hit him when you shoot Good news is that you probably chased em' off to where I'm hunting. 

Ez get in touch with me next year so we can use that camera. I'll let you shoot first but then it's my turn!


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## ezbite

Snook said:


> Isn't turkey hunting a blast! All I can say for any newbies is to stay at it. Once you get your first bird they seem to come easier. It takes some time to learn turkey talk and where they want to be. I believe the MOST IMPORTANT part to hunting them is to have numerous properties to hunt. Usually one is talking somewhere you just have to find him. When one is ready to die all you have to do is sound SOMEWHAT like a turkey and he's comming! Then EZ you have to hit him when you shoot Good news is that you probably chased em' off to where I'm hunting.
> 
> Ez get in touch with me next year so we can use that camera. I'll let you shoot first but then it's my turn!


me thinks they'll be back


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## floater99

Public land is OK,tone down youre calling,scratching in leaves soft purrs,clucks.Killed a nice TOM last year,jake this year on public land,almost in the same spot.Birds were pretty quiet all season.I hunted 21 days this season mostly public land,passed on 3 jakes early on killed one wend of last week.They all cook good long or short beards.


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