I was in the woods at 5:10, sitting where I stayed until noon yesterday (but at a different tree). In the past I've discovered that sometimes a gobbler will show up after I leave, so I figured I might meet him there this morning.
At 5:45 everything was still quiet except for the songbirds. The fields were fairly light, but the woods were still fairly dark, so I decided to give a little tree yelp. Nothing responded, at least vocally, so I'm sitting there for a couple of minutes when suddenly a gobbler is 20 feet from me to my right, standing beside the tree I was calling from yesterday and behind a small bush only big enough to hide him. He must have seen my head slowly turn because he putted, turned, and flew down an old trail.
He never gobbled, and I don't know where he came from. I just know he was standing 22 feet away at my extreme right. I stayed there for an hour and 15 minutes calling very softly occasionally. Then I moved about 200 yards to the spot where I killed a bird two weeks ago. Three hours later I spotted him coming, but he was about 60-70 yards away and heading for a field. I couldn't get him to change his mind, so an hour later I left, being careful to take the long way out so I'd reduce the chances of running into him. He'll be there tomorrow. If only he would gobble. Even once! It's so much easier if they gobble!
Steve.
I wouldn't consider that a failure at all. I think it's a lesson learned. It took me 3 days of hunting to get a bird in NY this year. On the 3rd day I left my stand to do some walking. After 15 or so minutes a bird gobbled unsolicited downhill from me. I set up and yelped a couple times on my box call. He gobbled again from below. I din't respond. A few minutes passed and I saw movement. It was a 20 pound longbeard with a 9" beard at 39 yards. Bang flop....BUT then the bird from below gobbled again. TWO birds. Just about the same thing happened on the 3rd day. BOTH days the birds gobbled on their own. Had they not, I would have never known they were there. I honestly feel your frustration. I only heard 3 gobbles here in NH. I believe the season should be moved into the month of April. I think with the climate changing, so is all wildlife habits. I may be wrong, but that's my belief. Best of luck to you.
