Just cannot close in

[borch]

I'm guessing that your gobblers are henned up. Your calling isn't driving them away. But rather the hens are leading them away from the competition.

Also another tip. If you've got a gobbler that sounds to be getting closer and stops gobbling. Wait at least 30 minutes before moving. Often they'll come in silent(usually strutting) the last 100 yards or so.

Henned up gobblers are tough. I've had my best luck just trying to loop in front of the flock and wait for them to come in. Maybe do some soft purrs and clucks.

Good Luck!

[snapper]

Ditto borch...that is some great advise there...couldn't have said it any better! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[borch]

As far as how often to call. Another tpugh question. A lot depends on the bird. Just remember the more you call and make him gobble the more likely other "real" hens will respond and steal him away from you and he's more likely to hang up.

When I know he's coming I rarely call much after he's inside 75 yards. He knows where I'm at and I want him to try and find that lonely hen. If I call it's usually clucks, purrs or some leaf scratching.

As far as setting up goes. I try to setup with the sun at my back when I can. This usually puts me in the shadows and less likely to get picked off. Otherwise get a good backdrop and something in front of you as well(I usually pack a pruner that I can use to cut shooting lanes and make natural blinds). One of the bad things about hiding behind a tree is that if the bird move too far left or right you have to more to the other side of the tree to get a shot. Which means a lot of movement and more likelihood of getting picked off.

Good Luck!

[Rhino]

Sounds to me like you are dealing with henned up gobblers too. I agree with borch. He gave you some great advice on both post. When I get a gobbler in close I usually go stricly with soft calls (single clucks, cluck and purr or the softest yelps I can possibly make) or go completely quiet. The less you call to a gobbler that's close, the better. Like borch said, he knows where you are. The only exception is when I use a gobble call to try to break a hung up bird out of his position. (I only hunt private land so be cautious if you decide to use a gobble call on public land. You don't want another hunter hunting you.) Sometimes just shutting up will do the trick too.

If the gobbler moves away from you work your way around in front of where he is headed. Use any available cover to hide your move. Don't use any calls except a locater call until you get in front of him. Turkey hunting is more like gorilla warfare than a calling contest. You've got to do whatever it takes to get yourself between where a gobbler is and where he's going, with or without his hens. Trying to call a gobbler back to where he used to be is a low percentage way to bag a gobbler unless he has already indicated that he is strutting back and forth on a line.