I need some help

[kylerprochaska]

So I've never turkey hunted before this year...I've been out three times so far this year.  Yesterday I had 4 jakes at 5 yards but they came in behind me and I would have been shooting through a few cedar trees so I didn't shoot....about a half an hour later I had a single jake come out at 40 yards.  He was strutting and gobbling but wouldn't come in any closer.  Today I went out and located 3 longbeards (7 inch beards).  They were strutting and gobbling but they were on the other side of the gulley that I hunt.  I had my hen decoy set up in the bottom of the gulley out in the open.  My question is....am I calling too much....they would gobble at my call about every other time i would call.  But after about 6 gobbles they were out of sight and i could not find them the rest of the day....Im stumped...I don't know what Im doing wrong.  Any advice?  It was really windy today could that have been the problem?  It is still alittle early yet....

Thanks,
Kyler

[sailordad]

kyle
not that i am an expert.however in my experience most newbies in the turkey field call way too often
now if you get a tom to repsond back to your call.i stop calling
he knows exactly where you are already.i may call again in half an hour to three quarters of an hour later.
but then its just three soft yelps and a lite little purr and stop again for atleast that same amount of time
given time that tom will more than likely come seeking you.if they are already with hens it is almost im[possible to get him away from them
that when you need to get the attention of the dominant hen.make her come to you and he will follow.
as far as decoy placement goes.put them where you want to shoot the bird
if you want a 10yd shot,put the decoys at 10 yds.place hen decoys facing away from you.jake/tom decoys facing you.a tom will want to mount the hen,so they will come in from behind her.toms will want to confront other males face to face so they approach from the from the front.
i would also recomend keeping obstacles from between you and where you think they will be coming from
obstacles such as gullies,falled trees,fences etc.they dont like to cross such stuff when looking for a little love.
also i finf it real hard to call toms down hill,much easier to get them to come up a hill than go down for some reason.
try and find out where the y like to be at a certain time of day and put your self ther atleast an hour before they get there.
if you know where they roost that can help too.the birds in my area roost in the same spot night after night for years now.
but roosted doesnt mean roasted either
remember too, it is hunting.if it was easy they would call it grocery shopping
dont feel bad about not getting one if you dont by the end of your season.
i spent 8 or 9 spring seasons and 2 fall seasons in the woods before i brought home my first buzzard.
but it made him taste all that much better 

[kylerprochaska]

Thanks sailor! next time I go out I'll try your calling method....and I def. calling way too much then lol...I just need to work on my patience

[sailordad]

kyle check this out

2 springs back i was hunting this farm that i always hunt
the owner told me to set up behimd the barn/sheds right on the filed edge.
he said he had been seeing the toms come in and feed there for weeks.
i get set up,its drizzling out.i sit for 4 hours,done see any or hear any birds.
so i walked around all the buildings and thru the little patch of trees by them.i did this to see if they were in the other filed.
sure enough they were that morning.i yelped abot 4 times as loud as i could.
the big ol boss gobbled back 3 times.i stopped calling and just sat ther for minute trying to decide as to what i should do.
i decided that since it was only 39 degrees and drizzling and my blind was about 350 yds back behind me and the heater was full of gas that i would go sit in the blind and see what would shake down for the rest of the a.m..as i walked back to my blind i decided to call a little bit.as i walked i would pace of about 50 or 60 steps,stop and yelp 3 times,walk another 50 or 60 paces and yell 3 more times.i did this untill i got back to my blind.
once igot in my blind i stated calling about every hour,3 clucks and a soft purr and that was it.no decoys out or anything.
i sat the untill 2:45 p.m. watching the drizzle slap the filed in front of me.i was about to say the hell with and call it a day.
thats when i looked out the back of the blind to see this big ass tom come waddling in following the same trail i made coming back to my blind as i called.
he never made a sound.the land owner told me later that day that he seen me when i walked back to my blind calling like that.he also said that tom follwoed the exact same trail nad would stop and look real hard everytime he came to a spot that is stopped and called from.
so they do know exactly where you are calling from if they respond to your call.
patience is one of the best tools for turkey hunting.espeically if you have a small area to hunt like me.

all the best for the rest of the season too.
oh ya,little trick that works for me.
every day i get to the turkey woods i pray to the god of the hunt and the woods and pay a little homage by burning a turkey feather.
i do all of this well before sunup.(wife says i am weird,but it seems to help for me  )

[Josh]

thanks for the info, helped me too!

[lowell]

I think I want to hunt with sailordad...... all good advise!! 

 All birds seem different,  some like calling and some don't.  But if you get their attention then be patient and see what happens before  you do more calling!!

[crooketarrow]

   First off don't call just to hear him gobble back.This is what most hunters do.Start off solf and call just loud enough for him to here you.Here's a little tip just like calling deer YOU CAN GO FROM SOLF TO LOUD BUT NOT FROM LOUD TO SOLF.IT NOT NATURAL.If gobbles back.Now you have to make him impaitent and if he see's your decoy when wait to see what happens.I only call when he's out of sight because he will pin point you and see you move or call.Bemember if you can see him he can see you.
  I only set up to where he's already in range went HE COMES INTO SIGHT.I'll use a hill top and set up behind it.A blow down or something he has to come around to see the hen [you] again he's already in range.Call solf this sounds more natural.When you call loud you but stress into your calls.Yes some hens call loudy but far more just call solfy and again this is more natural sounding.Here's another little tip when calling solfy yelps purrs I'll and a little whine in front of it.Again this sounds more natural.Practice calling as lighty as you can.This sounds more natural and takes the stress out of your calling.
   There's so many varables you can't tell someone else how to call.You can tell someone the do's and don'ts but you have to learn to call turkey yourself.There all different.