Freakin killin me!!

[EKUHUNTER]

is anyone havin as much trouble as me at killin a stinkin bird.......let alone seein a dang bird with a beard on it......i have set up on gobblers every morning for the past week and they seem to always avoid me......only one day did our "team" kill a bird and i didn't even see the dang thing......this morning i set up 60 yds from 3 gobblers on roost and did one of em come.....not a single one...went AROUND me where the hens had roosted the night before....Wait i failed to mention they pitched down at 6:20......it was practically dark!!!.......ok just needed to vent a little.....
if anyone else feels the need to vent along with me go right ahead!!

[Jerod]

keep at it! Gobble back

[kybowhunter90]

We will get on em buddy. They had the weekend off so they should be ready to go!

[turkey]

only takes five minutes for a bad season to turn good...hey action is always good...its not always about pulling the trigger...just think how good it will feel when you wack him!

[skin_dog1]

only takes five minutes for a bad season to turn good...

Sometimes less than that!!!! Stick with it. If you've been trying the same thing with no luck, switch it up some. I know everyone talks about calling too much, well sometimes I think hunters hear it so much they call too little. Ya gotta learn when to nail em every other breath and when to lay off. I figure if half the birds want alot of callin and half don't want to hear any then I'll call alot all the time and be successful 50% of the time!!:D lol Good luck and keep at it, it'll eventually come together for you.

[ky_hunter72]

Its not just you I've been through the same thing. Matter of fact texted a buddy of mine Saturday afternoon and told him that I thought I would be better off going to Kroger and buying a turkey. His reply "pick up two if you think about- well never mind probaly won't be any there either."

[kywaterfowler]

well ive been close to killing three gobblers, coudve killed some jakes. but yes im having trouble and its really getting to me! Maybe if i dont have to work ill get one today seems like a good day.

[bigpuddin43]

same here birds are tougher this year than ive ever seen. i killed my biggest yet opening weekend but it was a sit and wait in the rain and he came into the decoys. but as far as calls most birds dont want anything to do with them. seams like all our longbeards go the other way when they hear a call. had 7 jakes down in the field at about 125 yards this morning they gobbled back at me 3 times but then walked into the woods and wouldnt come. then 5 minutes later they came back out with a hen. then a black coyote cut across the field and they headed off the other direction. so me and my buddy headed to the truck. when we got there i decided to hit the woodpecker call. boom gobbles so i hit it again and they gobbled again. moved closer hit it again and boom they gobbled again so we got set up hit the trusty slate call and nothing. tried my other slate call - nothing. box call - nothin. so pulled the woodpecker call out nothin. eased through the woods and it was the same 7 jakes with a hen. I think we are gonna take my buddies girlfriend thurday or friday and try to get her first bird then just wait till next week maybe with some relief from pressure and getting some hens bred they will like the calls a little better.

[Bowhunter19]

I feel your pain.. I have hunted almost everyday. I am gettting tired of hunting them like deer. See what fields there using and go set up ground blind next day a couple of hours before they get there and wait them out. They never gobble or anything just walk out into the field with hens strutting and pay you no attention at all. Any body had any luck like that. Thats the only way I can seem to see em. :confused:

[wolverine1]

is anyone havin as much trouble as me at killin a stinkin bird.......let alone seein a dang bird with a beard on it......i have set up on gobblers every morning for the past week and they seem to always avoid me......only one day did our "team" kill a bird and i didn't even see the dang thing......this morning i set up 60 yds from 3 gobblers on roost and did one of em come.....not a single one...went AROUND me where the hens had roosted the night before....Wait i failed to mention they pitched down at 6:20......it was practically dark!!!.......ok just needed to vent a little.....
if anyone else feels the need to vent along with me go right ahead!!

I'm right there with you my friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WaterDog88]

It's been aggravating as heck for me, but I've had a blast. I always have fun even if I leave the woods scratching my head and cussin up a storm...

[quackwhacknstack]

sounds to me like my hunting buddy and I aren't the only ones having trouble killing one. We have set up on the same bird for about 5 mornings doing everything we can think of. Couple days ago sat up about 60 yards from his roosting tree and as soon as he hit the ground seemed like he made a dead sprint the other direction. Then the next time we sat uo about 100 yards away with him gobbling his brains out each time and he mad a b-line in another direction. So this morning we set up in a field amongst the woods practically in the middle of 2 different birds. One hit the ground about 40 yds in front of us on the bottom side of a little knob leaving us with no shot unless we shot while he was landing. Next thing we know here comes a hen and there he goes out the other side of the field back into the woods. Decoy set ups well the first couple times we had pretty boy by himself. Then one time we had pretty boy mounting pretty girl and had no luck. So this morning we head out with no decoys and still no luck. i don't know what the problem is but this bird sure is flirting with death.

[MMA]

Same here! this is the most difficult season ever!!! I finally got tired of the gobblers and took a Jake, im wondering if the long beards are going to do anything this year?

[thunderchicken09]

Ive heard and seen a lot of longbeards this year, but only 2 strutting and only called in 1, but it saw me and flew off to another state somewhere im guesin haha. The thing that made my season this year was my dad shootin his first turkey tonight. I thnk i was more excited than he was. :D

[1shot 1kill]

Its been tuff for me too, i was able to kill one of my nices long beards ever on the 3rd day into the season....but only becouse i patterned him out days before...he would walk away with hens gobbling at my calls everytime...i knew were he was going so i had to hunt him Indian style. Dont get me wrong, im very pleased with my bird, but wished i could have called him in. :D

[Hoosier5]

is anyone havin as much trouble as me at killin a stinkin bird.......let alone seein a dang bird with a beard on it......
if anyone else feels the need to vent along with me go right ahead!!

YES, Like you I am having trouble just seeing ANY Turkeys when I go out Hunting. When I am in my home looking outdoors I see some Trukeys but they are ALL HENS! THEN, I have this one Hen that comes very close to the house and I am certain she is doing this just to "Taunt" me.:eek: My Brother is currently hunting for his second Turkey, having harvested a "Jake" on the first day. All I shot, on the first day, was a 35 pound Coyote!! The most Turkeys, I've seen thus far were 9 Hens out in the back field, and I just saw them from the window as I wasn't hunting then. But havent seen any while hunting.:confused: Beginning to think there are very few Turkeys in my area, and I hope to correct this by establishing some food plots by next year, for all game animals.

[Hoosier5]

Its not just you I've been through the same thing. Matter of fact texted a buddy of mine Saturday afternoon and told him that I thought I would be better off going to Kroger and buying a turkey. His reply "pick up two if you think about- well never mind probaly won't be any there either."

Might try Wal-Mart too for that Turkey. I can just hear my late Granddad saying..." Wouldn't we RAISE CANE if we had to do this...."

[deepfryum]

sounds to me like my hunting buddy and I aren't the only ones having trouble killing one. We have set up on the same bird for about 5 mornings doing everything we can think of. Couple days ago sat up about 60 yards from his roosting tree and as soon as he hit the ground seemed like he made a dead sprint the other direction. Then the next time we sat uo about 100 yards away with him gobbling his brains out each time and he mad a b-line in another direction. So this morning we set up in a field amongst the woods practically in the middle of 2 different birds. One hit the ground about 40 yds in front of us on the bottom side of a little knob leaving us with no shot unless we shot while he was landing. Next thing we know here comes a hen and there he goes out the other side of the field back into the woods. Decoy set ups well the first couple times we had pretty boy by himself. Then one time we had pretty boy mounting pretty girl and had no luck. So this morning we head out with no decoys and still no luck. i don't know what the problem is but this bird sure is flirting with death.

These are the birds I love to hunt! Nothing better to me than a bird giving me a head ache trying to figure out how to get him. These types of birds create alot of memories and even get named sometimes. When we finally get him there is a bigger sense of an accomplishment than with most birds! Good luck with this bird and let us know if you get him!

[buckfever]

is anyone havin as much trouble as me at killin a stinkin bird.......let alone seein a dang bird with a beard on it......i have set up on gobblers every morning for the past week and they seem to always avoid me......only one day did our "team" kill a bird and i didn't even see the dang thing......this morning i set up 60 yds from 3 gobblers on roost and did one of em come.....not a single one...went AROUND me where the hens had roosted the night before....

First off, your undoubtedly hunting "henned up" toms. I had the same problem. It has already gotten better in my neck of the woods (Shelby Co), and you should soon expect to see some improvement where you're hunting.

I'd bet that the toms that went "AROUND" you already had hens with him when they circled your position. This means that it's probably the hens and not the toms that are avoiding your calls. Sure, the toms will gobble back to you when you sound off like a hot hen, but they're NEVER, EVER going to leave the live hens to check you out.

Try scaling back on the aggressiveness of you hen calls early in the morning, and you might have more luck getting some hens to come in (while dragging the toms along) if you used a gobbler call.

Good luck! :)

[Snareman2]

First off, your undoubtedly hunting "henned up" toms. I had the same problem. It has already gotten better in my neck of the woods (Shelby Co), and you should soon expect to see some improvement where you're hunting.

I'd bet that the toms that went "AROUND" you already had hens with him when they circled your position. This means that it's probably the hens and not the toms that are avoiding your calls. Sure, the toms will gobble back to you when you sound off like a hot hen, but they're NEVER, EVER going to leave the live hens to check you out.

Try scaling back on the aggressiveness of you hen calls early in the morning, and you might have more luck getting some hens to come in (while dragging the toms along) if you used a gobbler call.

Good luck! :)

If he already has hens with him, don't even hunt in the mornings. Consentrate your efforts later in the day, say mid-morning and afternoon. The hens will wonder off and the gobbler will be lonely (good time to call him in). Good Luck!

[Jerod]

sounds to me like my hunting buddy and I aren't the only ones having trouble killing one. We have set up on the same bird for about 5 mornings doing everything we can think of. Couple days ago sat up about 60 yards from his roosting tree and as soon as he hit the ground seemed like he made a dead sprint the other direction. Then the next time we sat uo about 100 yards away with him gobbling his brains out each time and he mad a b-line in another direction. So this morning we set up in a field amongst the woods practically in the middle of 2 different birds. One hit the ground about 40 yds in front of us on the bottom side of a little knob leaving us with no shot unless we shot while he was landing. Next thing we know here comes a hen and there he goes out the other side of the field back into the woods. Decoy set ups well the first couple times we had pretty boy by himself. Then one time we had pretty boy mounting pretty girl and had no luck. So this morning we head out with no decoys and still no luck. i don't know what the problem is but this bird sure is flirting with death.

Im dealing with the exact thing. Exact! Only thing left for me is hunting 11-4 oclock . Maybe the hens will go away soon

[gobblergetter]

Im dealing with the exact thing. Exact! Only thing left for me is hunting 11-4 oclock . Maybe the hens will go away soon

I've been hunting from 3:30-6 after work the last couple of days and have had some pretty good luck getting birds fired up around 4:30. I know it all depends on the area/birds/etc. but its something for you to keep an eye on.

Also, if the birds you are on head the exact opposite direction, take a buddy and have him set up on one side of the bird and you set on the other. have hime call and you stay quiet. text each other on your cell phones so you stay safe if/when you get up to leave or move.

[chasinhornsnfans]

glad to see i am not the only one. i have hunted for 5 mornings in a row. rain and wind it didnt matter i was there. several of the days i stayed in there untill atleast 1 oclock or later.
but i get the same response, if i do get setup on a bird he flys down gobbles at me a bit then leaves. or he flys down and goes onto the neighbors property and gobbles it feathers off.
so this morning i tried a different farm. got there it was still dark, and i knew where they were roosting. so i tried to sneak in they gobbled and off they went, waited long enough that i couldnt tell if my butt fell off from being numb or my leg fell off for being numb.

i think i will just give up and drink some beer for Oaks and Derby

[EKUHUNTER]

well my luck has changed just killed a bird this mornin at 6:45....

[CHL]

And there you have it! ;) Congratulations to ya. Now go smash another one's head in the morning!

[nyhuntingky]

season here was pittiful. jakes, jakes, jakes, think someone killed my long beard cause he roosted across the river. seen his 3 hens but not him, pretty good indication.
headed to NY next weekend, maybe will have better luck there.

[matewsq2]

the first week there was 10 birds killed on our farm not counting my neices youth hnt bird so my bunch has had a good season till this week its got slow what weve got to hunt 1 killed monday going to h&h today .

[Chimpy]

I hear a lot of guys saying the birds are henned up - am I the only one that gets up and flushes the hens when I see them? Any time I'm set up and a hen comes out, I will run at them, wave my arms, or whatever it takes to make them fly away. Much easier to kill a gobbler with no real hens around.

[Hoosier5]

If he already has hens with him, don't even hunt in the mornings. Consentrate your efforts later in the day, say mid-morning and afternoon. The hens will wonder off and the gobbler will be lonely (good time to call him in). Good Luck!

I tried to hunt in the afternoon but have seen NO Turkeys either Hen or Toms.:confused:

[Hoosier5]

the first week there was 10 birds killed on our farm not counting my neices youth hunt bird so my bunch has had a good season till this week its got slow what weve got to hunt 1 killed monday going to h&h today .

You guys must have more ag. crops or food plots up there in Marion County.

[chasinhornsnfans]

I hear a lot of guys saying the birds are henned up - am I the only one that gets up and flushes the hens when I see them? Any time I'm set up and a hen comes out, I will run at them, wave my arms, or whatever it takes to make them fly away. Much easier to kill a gobbler with no real hens around.

yeah, that works, but just to show how crappy my season has been, i have only seen 6 hens without a tom w/ them. 5 of those flew over me to the neighbors place, then one youth weekend with my son after the jake already walked off.

[skeetshooter105]

Have hunted the past four days without hearing a single gobble, no hens coming off roost with sounds. Hunting two farms that carry over 100+ birds. Very little hunting pressure. Do know for a fact most hens are on the nest..Have sit in makeshift blinds on known travel paths in open pasture fields for past two days with seeing one (1) single bird. No calling, just listening with eyes open..Nothing, like the dead sea. Late in season! YES! Jakes are being killed by being shot on travel paths. Not coming to calls or decoys. Have killed a great many turkeys in my 60+ years, but this year is the worse.

[WoodsWhisperer]

I'm gettin so damn aggrevated, I'm limited due to lack of land to hunt, and I have seen several nice birds in shootin distance struttin their hind ends off. Only problem is they are across the fence on another property. Have thought about goin ahead and pulling trigger, but I don't hunt like that. So, I'm tryin to hang in there but almost ready to throw in the towl that I've been using the last few days. Hope atleast everybody elses luck gets better...

[bowhunter269]

Also, if the birds you are on head the exact opposite direction, take a buddy and have him set up on one side of the bird and you set on the other. have hime call and you stay quiet. text each other on your cell phones so you stay safe if/when you get up to leave or move.

good advice. I've used this tactic with my Dad in the past and it works like a charm. If I work a bird and he always leaves in the opposite direction gobbling, he's a prime candidate. I put Dad on the opposite side of the bird and I call very agressively. Dad has had a hen lead a big ol' gobbler to him on three different occasions over the years using this strategy, and each of the birds was 3+ years old. All 3 birds he killed using this strategy had a single hen with him. She was obviously leading the ol' Tom away from me.

[Dissel]

Birds have been putting a hurting on me as well. Finally had a shot at a bird today, but messed that up. Maybe next weekend