What am I doing wrong?

[the man]

I have been hunting with my bow eight times in the past 2 weeks and I can't get one. The turkeys go to one spot and I'm in another. Then I go to the spot that the turkeys were gobbling at the next day and they are in the spot I was hunting the day before. I'm moving my double bull to try to intercept them but they always go to the opposite spot. Basically a game of cat and mouse. I have called to them and they start to come way but not even 10 yards walking my way before they just stop and look around. If you were me what would you do? Should I just keep my blind in one spot and keep hunting that they go to that spot? Tips? I don't think I have ever been more frustrated when it comes to hunting.

Thanks

[Dave S]

Quit moving. Stay in one spot. I've had birds do this also and once I decided to make my final stand for the day trying to draw birds in, I went back out the next morning only to get my bird where I finished the day before.

Another thing is to make sure you're not calling too much. You've already mentioned they've started your direction but then they stop. I would stop calling in this instance and if possible put out one hen decoy, preferably one that will move freely on the stake. Tie 2 lengths of mono onto the decoy, one on the tail and one to the breast and then run the 2 lengths of mono back to your blind. You can give the decoy a little motion this way and it might be enough to entice the birds to come in.

One other note......make sure to take the mono out with you and dispose of it properly when done. Mono and wildlife don't get along.

[paceman]

Welcome to the world of Turkey Hunting. They are not as easy to hunt as the shows on TV show. This time of the year they have been hunted for 6 weeks and are pretty weary. I agree with LEP. sit in one spot with 1 or 2 hens and don't call too much. Bring a book and sit all day.

[DonBo]

Welcome to the world of Turkey Hunting. They are not as easy to hunt as the shows on TV show. This time of the year they have been hunted for 6 weeks and are pretty weary.

Nuff said.

[Borch]

Sounds like my season. Other than right away on the first morning when I missed and the last evening I was always in the wrong blind. It's just turkey hunting. Keep after them and you'll end up crossing paths. Once a turkey knows where I'm at I put the calls down. I'd also hunt later in the day. Our group only had 2 encounters in the early morning. Afternoons were actually more productive for us. This time of year if I was only going to hunt 1/2 a day I'd sleep in and get some yard work done in the morning and then sneak out.

[the man]

Welcome to the world of Turkey Hunting. They are not as easy to hunt as the shows on TV show.

Had a feeling someone was going to say this. The turkeys probably done with breeding as of now but has anyone ever tried running a dowel or stake through a hen and then mounting a jake on top? My hen decoy isn't the most top quality looking decoy most of the paint on the head is starting to chip off of the head. Do you think the turkeys care?

Thanks

[Borch]

I saw toms strutting for hens late last week. Hens are done long before toms give up. So it could work even though the probably isn't a lot of breeding going on right now.

There's always hope.

[Wallydog]

Patience, patience, patience.

Just think if they had a sense of smell!!!!!

WD

purrs and soft clucks for finishing the birds

[delzz7]

Your not the only one struggling . I been playing cat and mouse with them too. I know if i would just sat on this funnel, instead of trying to out smart them. I would have had multiple opportunities. I have one of those breeding decoys. It worked the first time I used it, but for some reason never tried it again . I did try it on Monday morning but it fell over in the dark. I had 3 toms fly off the roostat 80 yds. Every time i called they would gobbled but wouldn't come in. Probably would have if the decoy didn't fall over or if i had s hen decoy out.

I dont know why I thought late season was going to be easier.

[Musky Buck]

Vacate the blind so you have mobility and go cut em off on whatever route they want for the day, if you have tree cover or something etc.

[the man]

Vacate the blind so you have mobility and go cut em off on whatever route they want for the day, if you have tree cover or something etc.

Think I'm going to stick with the blind because it is almost impossible to draw on a bird and not get busted. It's what I did last year.

[bigbucks]

You're down to a day & a few hours, unless you're not hunting MN. Don't be afraid to be aggressive, you're probably one of maybe five guys in the state still hunting turkeys.

Ask paceman, he snuck up on some & ambushed one with his bow about two weeks ago. Of course he's "stealthy" he might be right behind you right now...

[Sturg]

Keep plugging away. I drive a little route in the country before work every morning. The turkey activity has slowed from 10 days ago. I am mainly seeing toms cruising between 6:00 am and 7:00 am. Not many hens this week. They are gobbling at just about any noise. They are still strutting. I had a tough late hunt a couple years back. Two mornings in a row it came off the roost and would gobble at my calls but wouldn't come my way at all. I could see it both mornings at about 100 yds out so I know it saw the decoys. The third morning I moved the blind near the place I saw him walk off to the previous two mornings. I put the decoys out didn't call at all. I hid the blind between two cedar trees so he couldn't see it until he was at the decoys. It did the trick. As he turned to look at the blind, my arrow was on the way. It was the 8th day of my bowhunt. Good luck on your last day!

I took these pics this morning on my drive . I saw 6 different toms and no hens.

[Beast26]

Welcome to the club. I hunted the E season this year and hunted hard for two days. Never once heard a bird gobble in two full days of hunting but did see 7 gobblers, 4 hens and about 15 jakes. I decided that I wouldn't settle for anything less than a longbeard. The first morning I had a hen so close to me (3 feet) that I thought she would see me breathe. It was so neat because she was yelping like a lost puppy and talked back and forth with me for about 20 minutes until two gobblers came out in the field. The gobblers wanted nothing to do with my hen decoy when the real thing was in the field.

I was able to sneak within 50 yards of the two strutting gobblers but they eventually walked off. The next morning I setup near where they were strutting the morning before and I couldn't get them any closer than 50 yards and I don't like to shoot more than 35-40 even though I know my 10 gauge is fully capable of 60-70 yards. I went home empty handed.

On Friday my wife gave me the go ahead to go down and hunt in the morning (fishing opener). I did the 90 minute drive and spent a total of 20 minutes in the field before I was done. I setup exactly where the birds had come out earlier in the week. The first time I hit the box call they gobbled and flew down from the roost about 200 yards away. I had to reposition myself because they weren't coming from the direction they did the previous two days I hunted. Basically they had to come between a choke point to get to where my decoy was in the field behind me (Minnesota river on one side and a pond on the other with 40 yards in between).

Sure enough they both appeared and the minute they saw the hen decoy behind me they came in on a string. They closed the 70 yards between me and them so fast that I had to wait for them to get behind some brush to get my gun up. At 25 yards I crushed the bird below (Winchester Xtended Range 3.5" # 6). The other bird was bigger but not as close and with it being the last day I wasnt't going to be picky. This is the first bird I have called in and harvested by myself.

I learned that when you have the birds patterned setup on them and be patient. I would have bagged my bird the first day had I been smart enough to get setup where they wanted to be. BTW 22.5 lb 11" broom and 3/4" spurs (too bad the spurs were so small)