Silent Gobbler

[TechSupportHunter]

Hey Guys,

I have only been turkey hunting the last 3 years or so. Have shot 2 rounds and killed 2 turkeys, but both were in fall. I have been doing nothing but striking out in Spring time. I have a couple decoys, I think I am pretty good calling, and I can generally find which area give or take 50 yards a gobbler is up in the tree. I have not been successful getting him to come checkout decoys or even gobble after fly down. I have a general idea when he might go, and have been trying to get on the path between roost and morning walk but can't seem to connect. Any tips on getting gobblers to stay interested after sun up?

Thanks!

[baldopepper]

Personally have never had a lot of luck calling in birds right after fly down. I know some guys do, but I find they usually come down with their hens in the early season and are more interested in going to feed than they are in increasing their harem. Also would recommend very strongly.against calling to them while still on the roost, use a shock call if you are trying to locate. Birds do go quiet after fly down as the season progrees and I think you'll have better luck late. Morning/early afternoon when the toms often split off from the hens or the hens are isolated on their nests. Birds in heavily hunted areas also get call shy as the season goes on. keep trying to get a pattern on them when they leave the roost and I recommend a minimum amount of calling, just enough to occasionally get a response so you can track them.  Seems to me a lot of the birds have been chased out of their usual areas and are moving around a lot. Had 12 Jake's walk past my house yesterday that I have not seen all spring-pretty sure they had been chased over my way from some distance away (always fun when that many respond all together to a call-very noisy).  Keep at it until at least midafternnoon, you only need to get lucky from one

[WaltAlpine]

I have heard similar advice from another member on this site before.
I shot mine the other day at 5:30 AM. He was well away from the roost and busted away from the hens and another gobbler and came to me from a few hundred yards away and ran right into me. I didn't make a single call. This is NOT the way it normally goes for me. All of the other good responses to my calling have been late morning and early afternoon. I am no expert, but it seems like the "out of the roost" shots are when you know their pattern and roosting spot well.

[baldopepper]

I have heard similar advice from another member on this site before.
I shot mine the other day at 5:30 AM. He was well away from the roost and busted away from the hens and another gobbler and came to me from a few hundred yards away and ran right into me. I didn't make a single call. This is NOT the way it normally goes for me. All of the other good responses to my calling have been late morning and early afternoon. I am no expert, but it seems like the "out of the roost" shots are when you know their pattern and roosting spot well.

What you're describing happens quite  often at this time of the year. The flock has a dominant Tom and often a secondary tom(sometimes 2 or 3 and often some Jake's). The dominate tom does a pretty good job of keeping the followers away from the hens so they are often wandering off looking for a little action on their own. These are the easiest to call in, especially the dumb Jake's.  I like to find a flock with a big dominate tom and hunt him exclusively.  Makes for a fun hunt because they don't get big by being stupid and they always have the security guard of hens around them.. Hunted one after I shot my first Tom for 3 days this year. He's still out there quite pleased with himself I'm sure. 

[MtnMuley]

I have heard similar advice from another member on this site before.
I shot mine the other day at 5:30 AM. He was well away from the roost and busted away from the hens and another gobbler and came to me from a few hundred yards away and ran right into me. I didn't make a single call. This is NOT the way it normally goes for me. All of the other good responses to my calling have been late morning and early afternoon. I am no expert, but it seems like the "out of the roost" shots are when you know their pattern and roosting spot well.

What you're describing happens quite  often at this time of the year. The flock has a dominant Tom and often a secondary tom(sometimes 2 or 3 and often some Jake's). The dominate tom does a pretty good job of keeping the followers away from the hens so they are often wandering off looking for a little action on their own. These are the easiest to call in, especially the dumb Jake's.  I like to find a flock with a big dominate tom and hunt him exclusively.  Makes for a fun hunt because they don't get big by being stupid and they always have the security guard of hens around them.. Hunted one after I shot my first Tom for 3 days this year. He's still out there quite pleased with himself I'm sure.

Well said.

[TheStovePipeKid]

I had the best luck at between 11 and noon for gobbles. Not a peep otherwise until evening. This was hunting in the hills. They kept pretty quiet except in that time range and during morning and night on the roost. They were still tough to work but you could at least tell where they were. Field birds gobble all day long if you hoot at them.

[Machias]

Are you saying you get setup within 50 yards of your roosted gobblers?

[TechSupportHunter]

No. I know the area where he is roosted is only about a 100 yard square. I got within 300 yards in the dark heard him gobble. Checked all the trees I could see silhouetted for movement/the bird and didn't see anything. Snuck in to the edge of the trees and heard nothing, no fly down, no hens, just silence.

I had the same thing happen last year in about the same spot, only I watched them fly down and then go silent.

[Pegasus]

No. I know the area where he is roosted is only about a 100 yard square. I got within 300 yards in the dark heard him gobble. Checked all the trees I could see silhouetted for movement/the bird and didn't see anything. Snuck in to the edge of the trees and heard nothing, no fly down, no hens, just silence.

I had the same thing happen last year in about the same spot, only I watched them fly down and then go silent.

If you try to get too close to their roost in the early morning you risk being busted and that certainly will keep them from responding once they fly down. In the morning when they fly down they almost always start feeding in the direction of the nearest water. They may take their time and stop along the way for some morning delight but they will get to the water. Great place to ambush them. This late in the season it is not unusual for them to not respond to your call but rest assured that they hear you and if you sit still long enough they may find you. Just don't over-call.  Also when they are silent a really loud use of a box call or peacock locator call may trigger a response so that you have an idea where they are located.

[baldopepper]

Birds don't always just drop down off the roost, particularly if they are roosted on a ridge. I've seen them sail down 3-400 yards +. They love those roosts that are just under the lip of a ridge so they can basically just fly horizontaly into the tree.Those birds are the ones that often sail down off the roost quite a long ways down.  If you call them too hard while they are still on the roost I can almost guarantee they'll fly off the roost and land quite a ways away. Birds roosted on the edge of a field will usually fly directly into the field, but often out into the middle and out of range

[Machias]

The last few years I have been sleeping in during turkey season.  I have on a couple of occasions called in a bird off the roost, but the vast majority of the gobblers I have killed have happened between 0900 and 1100.  If you get a bird to answer you after 0900, he's most likely alone and much easier to call in.  I still hit the woods at daylight, but not nearly as often as I use to, particularly when the birds are henned up.  One other thing I have found with older, hunted, gobblers is to really tone down your calling and be a lot more patient.  I have killed a couple of really nice gobblers with just a few clucks and some soft purrs.  They come sneaking in like a cagy ol whitetail buck.  Most wild hens do not carry on like most hunters and some of the gobblers pick up on this pretty quick, especially later on in the season when they've been called to a lot.

[MtnMuley]

Birds don't always just drop down off the roost, particularly if they are roosted on a ridge. I've seen them sail down 3-400 yards +. They love those roosts that are just under the lip of a ridge so they can basically just fly horizontaly into the tree.Those birds are the ones that often sail down off the roost quite a long ways down.  If you call them too hard while they are still on the roost I can almost guarantee they'll fly off the roost and land quite a ways away. Birds roosted on the edge of a field will usually fly directly into the field, but often out into the middle and out of range

Spot on once again.