Strange Bird

I am new to turkey hunting. What I read from most of you is that when you get a bird interested do not over call. So Saturday in the lightening and rain I am on a bird. Just as I get set up and he gobbles from a tree about 100 yds away. I let him gobble a few more times before I decide sound off. When he flies down he lands on the other side of a deep creek (guess he didnt like my call). He is sounding off so I give him a little more. which seemed to get him closer by the sound of things. then he starts heading up the ridge on his side. I keep hearing him further so i get up and cross over. I get within 100 yrds and set up then sound off. It got his attention because he started moving closer to me. I shut up and get ready. then the lightening hit and he shut up. I just sat there till it passed. He starts to gobble from across the creek 300 yrds away. I move back over to about parallel on a hill with him. he is in a field over the property line. i set up and sound off. He moves down the hill to where it is easy to cross the line. I move down to a great spot. he sounds off, this time i dont yelp, I cut with my mouth piece. He seemed to like that alot as he moved quickly in my direction. I make out his movement through the brush about 120 yrds away. I know it is the time so i shut up and get real still. Next time i hear him he is over 300 yrds away. I move down to where he came back out of the field (seen his tracks) and set up. He just kept moving away. He got into a swampy area over the property line. I hope he is there next season because the area is now closed. I had a blast hunting him but was sorely disappointed coming home empty. I guess I should of picked up on him needing to hear something sooner before he was gone. This same bird on opening morning I set up (unknowingly) 20 yrds from his roost when he sounded off I moved and He saw me and flew off. Do you suppose that he remembered the sound of my call? That would be one smart bird. I only hunted him 4 times through the season. I was starting to think maybe he was a bird out of the closet.

Well if you read all that thank you. I will add that to my learning.

Just take it in stride brotha

Learn all u can from your mistakes because you are gonna make plenty but if you figure out your mistake you will become better and better

Good luck

More often than not less is more, especially this late in the season. Sometimes though and almost inexplicably they just like to be called to.

I don't know how long all this took place, whether it was an hour or 4hours, but it sounds like an awful lot of moving "towards" him in a short amount of time. I would have moved out front of him (if possible), but more than likely I would have moved away from him and called aggressive and even done a gobbler call after moving away. Not that what you did was wrong, I've done the same thing. But I only keep following them from behind when time is tight or it's the last time I'm gonna chase him for awhile. I call it "Bump him or kill him", cause one of the two has got to happen soon or I have to leave. If I can hunt him again soon, I'm letting him walk on off and we'll do it again soon.

thanks guys for the advise. Yes he started at 0530 and the last i heard him was 1100. I dont know what he was moving to. I thought it was strange that he was heading up the other ridge and because there is only tall pines up there. i was set up between him and a field. after going half way up the ridge he then headed back to the creek where it was flat and he could walk across (Very small creek). i dont know why he finally ended up down in the swamp bottom but I guess it was because i was after him. I dont know. but thanks again for the advice.

Just remember the same ol' rule's apply...
Sweety britches will make you do some crazy shiz!!

On a brighter note, next year his hooks will be even longer!!!