That all important turkey hunting decision

[bigblueswami]

Its been one of those mornings. Birds firing off right at first light. Then nothing, notta. You've been there a few hours hoping and waiting. You make the trek all the way back to the truck, then you hear off in the distance that faint sound of a gobbler. Do you go toward the sound of that distant "Where have you been all morning?" taunter and heartbreaker or answer the breakfast dinner bell? Personally he probably be there tomorrow... but those biscuits and gravy at the house aren't gonna be around long... I'm heading to the house! [:D] Thought I'd throw a light hearted question out there for ya.

[Duster]

I'll head back after the bird. I can find something to eat later, plus I carry a couple candybars and small bottle of water with me in my vest. Thats good for a few more hours anyway. Food has to be low on your priorty list when the birds gobble.

[RutNBuck]

well i would do a little of both head to the house and grab a bite to eat then head back to the woods.....late day or afternoon hunting can be deadly...i have taken several gobblers from 10-2.....
had a funny thing happen just like you mention me and a bud had hunted a fired up bird all morning he would gobble on this ridge we go there he would be on the other ridge...we repeated this until we got headaches we headed to the house for a bite of lunch...we left our decoys in the field **MISTAKE*** came back and mr longbeard was strutting on the deeks...so at other times paitence is key...thats the joy to turkey hunting its always a gamble sometimes you win sometimes you lose...

"A wise indian once said,the more you move the less you will see,the less you move the more you will see"

" I live to hunt, but my wife says i may hunting a place to live"

[INKYHUNTER]

I had this happen a few years back, on the last day of the IN season. I drove home ate breakfast and was back about 11:00 AM. I located the bird and move into about 100 yards. He was hot! I had a fence between me and the bird. To make a long story short, he went silent and I moved a few yards to see over a small hill. I peaked over the hill and we were eye to eye. He was faster then I was on the draw.

[Boss Gobbler]

Well you cant get him from the breakfast table. So if you try and dont get him nothing is lost.[;)]

[B.G.O. of Kentucky]

It totally depends on if it is a bird I have messed with very much. If he is a bird who hasn't been worked much, I would go after him, but if he had been hit, especially earlier that morning, I would probably pack it in for the day.

BUT, once his hens sit, he will be ready to dance, so it is an iffy question...

[Hunt n nut]

I have never left the woods when a bird was gobbling.

[bigblueswami]

Okay I gotta tell this story... I have a couple guys that come up from Alabama every spring to turkey hunt. They both usually head to my place but there was a nice gobbler that had been cross a field on the place they were staying so one decided he'd wait there on him. The bird came out but when he got to the field, my friend had setup a decoy and the bird knew something was wrong. My friends gets turned around and gets a shot off but misses. So he comes down to my place to meet us. After a while we go back to the house and the gobbler has comeback and is making his way across the field, so the guy crawls down a ditch and gets out in front of him and.... BANG! He missed again. Well, that was hard enough on him but about 30 minutes later, we're sitting on the porch eating breakfast and guess who decides the coast is clear. Yep, the gobbler comes back out and crosses the same spot he was shot at 2. We might let him live that one down....someday. [:)]

[Ky Headhunter]

I won't walk away from even half-hearted gobbles unless I have a prior commitment(maybe), an emergency, shooting hours are ending, or I hear a hotter, closer turkey. Not many things I'll give up a good meal for, but this is one of them.

[Valley Station]

It ain't over till he hit the limb in the roost tree in the evenin'.
Never know when things will change for the better and Ol' Tom will make a mistake.[;)]

[schuyler olt]

I killed my biggest bird under this very condition. I had thrown it in in the face of a stiff east wind, had put everything in the truck and had changed out of my hunting clothes. I heard one gobble, got dressed, got all my stuff back together, and got to a place between me and the bird that was out of the wind. My belief is that when you hear a bird fire up when nothing else is going on, that bird is definitely killable. Most likely, if it's one of those quiet days, the bird won't gobble much more, if at all. If it's a quiet day, be very careful not to try to get too close, and don't overcall. If you were calling in the area earlier without response, think about using a different call. I agree that it's never over until they hit the limb on the roost tree, and you've got nothing to lose.