Tom's held up

[haverhunting]

After going out and trying to help two of my buddies get thier birds I am lost for things to try. The birds are just stopping as soon as they see the decoys or they hold up 100 yrds away when we don't use decoys. I have used all my calls, calling aggressive, soft, or very little at all. I have talked to many other hunters and the same thing is happening to them to. WHAT CAN I DO TO MAKE THE DARN TOMS COMMIT TO COMING INTO RANGE?

[rbs]

Are you in an area where you can get out of the blind and go away from the shooter and call? that has worked before for me. Sometimes I am 100yds or more away but they think the "hen" is going away and they follow. Doesn't work all the time but it has worked before. Good Luck!

[Steelhead7]

Last year I had two tags in Wi and chased the same three for days that were always seen in the same pile of pines all the time and man they loved to gobble and strut and parade around and never ever gave a shot. I tried the whole 2 shooters one sneak away thing. THose birds were too darn smart. Good luck to you. When my tag becomes good next week those are the 1st guys I'm going to go look for, it's been a year but I still am angry and I love them for it.

[Borch]

Use a setup where the bird is out of sight until they are in range. I try to do this as much as possible. Common sets are hunting on a ridge near the edge. Set up with a rise in a field near your set up. Set up on a field, logging road where there is a bend in the road. If the bird can see you from over 100 yards away and has been pressured at all you're giving him too much time to pick something out that he does like.

Call far less and use more leaf scratching using a scratch, scratch, pause, scratch sequence. I've killed late season birds only using scratching without a single call. If you do call use more purring with less yelping. Also try to throw you calls around so the bird can't pinpoint your location. This is especially effective when not using decoys and you have some cover nearby. Then I only call when it looks like the bird is losing interest and getting ready to leave, It becomes a game of patience for sure.

Then there's the more aggressive route as well. Set up a breeding hen/jake set up and call with some aggressive purring. At time dominate toms will come unglued and attack this set up.

Good Luck!

[haverhunting]

Tryed it. The dirty bugger went around the blind and me from the oppisite direction after we herd him come off roost. This bird in particullar is getting the best of me. But others in this area are haveing the same troubles as I am.

[Shoot2Kill]

Sounds like they've been called at a bit and are onto the game.....

Borch had some great suggestions.

Set up by his roost tree in the evening and just wait...no calling, no decs, nothing. Ambush him when he's coming in for bed time if you know right where he's roosting at.

Or...

One thing I'd add....how realistic is your dec set up? Add some movement to that set up by tying some fishing line to a strutter jake dec and see what happens and sound as horny as you can on the call!

[Archerysniper]

I just made some sleds so I can pull my decoys from 20 yards right to the blind and then turn them and walk them right back out. I have allways had your problem during the over counter archery season the birds have seen and heard everything by this time hardley any calling and just the decoy walking around.

[Gordie]

Been sorta the same deal with me Ive had birds gobbling all around us yesterday and they wouldnt come close and the one spot no one has hunted but me. I was thinking that this tom could have been with the bird that Joey shot and is call shy now but he gobbles to beat the band then just shuts up and had it happen on state land yesterday very frustrating but still gets the heart pumping to hear that gobbler

[Sorgy]

Sniper,

Lets see some pics of your decoy sleds I was thinking of making one up this weekend- but in your case it sounds like 2.

They are very spendy for the few commercially available ones.

Good Luck on your hunt.

Steve

[hunt4food]

I hunted the first season and ran into the same problem 4 times. Toms would come no closer than 70 yards. I was in different set-up situations and for sure different birds. I struck out for the first time ever in my turkey hunting carreer. These MN birds seem to be getting smarter and smarter every year. I will be hunting with my dad tomorrow morning and like the idea Borch mentiioned about changing positions so the tom will be in range by the time he sees the decoys. I am gonna try that tomorrow.

[2044Mustang]

I just got back from my hunt in south eastern MN and found the same thing. I lucked out and had the boss tom come and try to destroy my pretty boy decoy. He figured out something was up and started to walk away, I was able to shoot him at this time. My dad was hunting the same property and saw several birds but just like everyone else they stayed away, closest was 70 yards. He had 5 toms gobbling at 100 yards and then just turned and walked the other way. I'm not sure what it is but this is definitely a weird year. This is the first time ever my dad has not come home with a bird.

[Archerysniper]

Sniper,

Lets see some pics of your decoy sleds I was thinking of making one up this weekend- but in your case it sounds like 2.

They are very spendy for the few commercially available ones.

Good Luck on your hunt.

Steve

I don't have any picks right now the sled is in my buddies blind the are going to use it for his sons season that starts tomorrow. I'm a plumber and had some pipe and fittings laying around It takes three 1/2" tees two 1/2" 90's two 1/2" 45's two 1/2 street 45's one 1/2 coupling and a 1/2"by1/8" reducing coupling and 3-1/2 feet of 1/2" pipe I will get some picks up as soon as he's done with it or build another one.

[Sorgy]

Did you use copper pipe? I picked up some steel rod from the "Save Big Money" store and will be trying to bend something up- I think the hardest part is making it heavy enough or have a big enough footprint to not blow over- More stuff to haul.

Good Luck

Steve

[Wallydog]

Two words of advice.................

"WILDCAT CALL"......................

I've had the opportunity to hunt with a fella from MO that has identified a total of 54 individual calls birds make in spring and fall and named them all. Knowing some of the soft calls they make (that typically you can only witness when hunting from a blind) has made the difference for me on multiple occasions!

Everyone yelps, purrs, clucks and cuts. Different calls CAN close the deal.

WD

[Archerysniper]

Sorgy I tried 1/8" rod and didn't work very well 3/8" rod would be heavy enough to support it as long as it is wide enough. Yes I use 1/2 copper pipe wich was heavy enough that I was trying to get it to tip over by jerking on the string and couldn't get it too fall.

[Archerysniper]

Wallydog I know what your talking about I have turkey's that I raise for butchering they look and sound like a wild one and I can really get thier language down when It's feeding time they make some really strange sounds when content and feeding and nothing like any of the calls that most people use for hunting.

[zzammon]

Ditch the tent, they can stand out like a sore thumb. The camo patterns never really match the current vegitation. Or Run-N-Gun. If they won't come to you, go to them.

[haverhunting]

Walllydog

So are you gonna share with us what the wildcat call sounds like or just keep us guessing?

[Borch]

Meow.....

[gob4me]

Right now is the peak of the breeding cycle if you listen to the hens they start to scream when you call to the toms.Myself and my son and his friend tagged out this weekend.We had to get close within 70 yards of the roost tree and used real strutting tom and dsd hen decoy and just soft clucks and purrs.When I yelped aggressive and cut hens would cut me off and steal toms.Been out twice this week after 5:00 pm and toms get going nuts better than last weekend.Just have to be patient and dont give up.Good luck it will get better its just startng,this year will be biggest harvest ever lots of turkeys.

[lindy rig]

Just got back from hunting SE Minnesota. My uncle and I hunted hard for 4 days and neither of us got one. Frustrating is an understatement.

I have heard it's best to be patient, but if they won't come to you should a guy try a sneak attack? Could hear one gobbling on a ridge a couple hundred yards away and hindsight I wish I would have gone after him.

[haverhunting]

Frustrating YES!! The 3 words of life are Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda...

These words apply to so many situations it's scarey..

[walterman]

A turkey is a turkey. In the spring a toms main goal is to breed as many hens as possible. Be patient....sit the tom out, if he gobbles he knows you are there. When he's finished up with his hens he will come investigate your calling, even if its an hour, two or even three. So be patient and pay attention to the small details. Use the most realistic decoys you can afford, style of calling, and hunter position are key.