Why do gobblers always hang up on me when I call them? They gobble like crazy at first but then they stop and never show. The he

[pjsabella]

Why do gobblers always hang up on me when I call them? They gobble like crazy at first but then they stop and never show. The hens always come in but the gobblers don't. What am I doing wrong?

[pineywoods]

When you find out, let me know. Sometimes it's calling too much---or not enough. Sometimes it's just turkeys being turkeys. It is really frustrating. If you're in a situation where you can use decoys, that might help.

[pjsabella]

lol that's why I love and hate turkey hunting at the same time!

[pineywoods]

pjsabella---Like Tom Kelly said, "I don't hunt turkeys because I want to hunt turkeys. I hunt turkeys because I have to hunt turkeys." You have it right---the frustrations make the success all the much better.

[Old Salts]

Maybe your using to much bass in your , HEY BABY' COME HERE!

[MN Outdoorsman]

I second what pineywoods said: when you find out, let me know. Happens to me all the time. I recommend going to the turkey section under the message board and asking Charlie Elk, he really knows his stuff.

[MN Outdoorsman]

This just came to mind. I read that gobblers gobble to attract hens to them. They typically stay in a small area and will call hens in that are ready for them. Perhaps him gobbling and not having a hen show up( you the caller) confuses him and makes him suspicious. The times when you can call a gobbler away from his area towards you is probably when they go against their natural tendencies and that may be maybe one in three birds, just a guess. Hopefully that rambling made sense. I'm not an expert that's just something I read.

[MN Outdoorsman]

So my theory is that when you can't get him to come to you it is probably because you are out of his comfort zone/territory and his instincts or whatever you wanna call it tells him that if the hen is ready she will come to him/ he will see her moving around so he knows there is no danger to advance towards her. And the occasional bird you do get to come to you may be the exception or somehow you managed to get into his comfort zone without him noticing you.

[pineywoods]

MWK-MN

You are right on top of it. The hunter is trying to get the gobbler to commit an unnatural act in coming to the hen when the gobbler has lots of experience of his superlative male magnetism bringing the hens to him in previous encounters.

[PigHunter]

When you find out, let me know. Sometimes it's calling too much---or not enough. Sometimes it's just turkeys being turkeys. It is really frustrating. If you're in a situation where you can use decoys, that might help.

Good advice. I may try Turkey hunting again next Spring.

[PigHunter]

This just came to mind. I read that gobblers gobble to attract hens to them. They typically stay in a small area and will call hens in that are ready for them. Perhaps him gobbling and not having a hen show up( you the caller) confuses him and makes him suspicious. The times when you can call a gobbler away from his area towards you is probably when they go against their natural tendencies and that may be maybe one in three birds, just a guess. Hopefully that rambling made sense. I'm not an expert that's just something I read.

Well, that sounds as good an explanation as any.

[PigHunter]

So my theory is that when you can't get him to come to you it is probably because you are out of his comfort zone/territory and his instincts or whatever you wanna call it tells him that if the hen is ready she will come to him/ he will see her moving around so he knows there is no danger to advance towards her. And the occasional bird you do get to come to you may be the exception or somehow you managed to get into his comfort zone without him noticing you.

Well, that sounds as good an explanation as any.

[PigHunter]

MWK-MN

You are right on top of it. The hunter is trying to get the gobbler to commit an unnatural act in coming to the hen when the gobbler has lots of experience of his superlative male magnetism bringing the hens to him in previous encounters.

I know guys who think like that, lol!

[PigHunter]

Thanks for posting this question. It reminds me that I've never shot a turkey and need to brush up on skills before next Spring.