Hunting and Fishing in NJ - A forum for NJ Hunters and NJ Anglers

I had a bird real hot this morning. He was coming in to the box call. I was facing a field in brush at the edge of woods and I actually watched 3 of the birds fly down, but in the wrong direction. I also called two hens directly in to me as I mimicked their every sound and they stood 10 FEET away staring at me for several minutes before wandering into the field and purring. This, however, did not entice the gobblers who were answering them, but not interested enough to follow them.

Anyway, about a half an hour after the girls crossed the field and disappeared into woods on the other side, I was working a bird, and he was hot. He was cutting into my calls, so I called back right away. When I thought he was about 50-60 yards behind me, I changed over to the slate call to reduce my movements. He continued to answer on every call and again, cut into my calling. Once he sounded to be no more than 40 yards away, I figured that I better get that gun in my hands and the call out of it, so I slowly, I mean R E A L slowly put the call down and got the gun up on my knee. I kept peeking to my right through the brush, but did not see any glimpses of red. So, the next call I made was with the mouth call. I am not an expert, but I really am not all that bad. I made three or four soft purrs, and that was all she wrote. Not another answer to be had. I sat there for over a half an hour and nothing . . . I put the gun back down, picked up the box call and started again, but nothing. Bottom line, I messed up when I called with the mouth call.

So, I left there and drove the fields, sat someplace else for an hour and then returned. No sooner than I got into my spot, I heard a gobble. I called with the box call and I got an answer, again, and AGAIN he was cutting into my calls, but this time, he was only about 40 yards away to start out and still pretty much behind my right shoulder. I alternated between the box and the slate call and he was really hot, just not enough to close the gap. He simply wanted ME to come to HIM, so, I belly crawled just a little (maybe 10 yards) to close the distance between us. I was NOT sneeking up on him as I still did not knew exactly where he was, just a general vacinity and my driving the area led me to the conclusion that I was the only hunter on the mountain this morning and I know for sure that I WAS the only hunter on the property. So, anyway, after I moved closer to where the gobles were coming from, I called again, and again I got an answer. This happened THREE times and then all got quiet again, and then no answers, nada, nothing, zippo. 10 minutes passed and then my cell phone alarm went off signaling me that my hunting day was over . . .

So, I have already gotten my daily lesson in what I did wrong from NJPlotts and I will be at it again in the morning, I just have to hope that the birds roost in the same spot tomorrow morning . . .
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I just have to hope that the birds roost in the same spot tomorrow morning

Good Luck Robin Sounds like you have them pinned its just a matter of time