What's my next move?

Went out today and climbed one hell.of a mountain before sunrise. Had a turkey below gobbling good. I circled around and got in like with where I thought he would come up. Also an old road there. So he is getting closer and closer only to stay on the other side of the hill guessing 70-80 yards away. He continued to gobble straight up the mountain. I waited about 30 min and then circled back and went up hill. Got on his level and belly crawled to him gobbling on his own to about same distance as before, but any closer and I really risk bumping him. I let some soft calls out and he answers. Then gobbled again then gobbled as he walked back down the mountain. I say there about another 30 and nothing. So my question for you experts. Why didn't he come in when I was same level, no major obstacle, and he answerede. And do I go after him tomorrow or wait till Thursday?

Probly followed his hens down the mtn

Turkeys do what turkeys want to do, I would keep rule number 1, and hunt him. Rule number 1 dont scare the turkey. But like 257 said probably had some hens with him.

What I figured, not much else explains him gobbling but not coming in. I think I'll be 80 yards to the left in the am and probably not call. See if they will walk right to me.

Dani summed it up , turkeys just do turkey stuff . Get back in there after him he may strut right to the barrel next time .

They're robots set to "random." Who the heck knows!?

Yes go after him tomorrow. Just take his temperature and make the moves that the situation dictates.

Classic "hung up" scenario. Who knows why. Had it happen Saturday and Sunday on the same two turkeys in the same spot. I'm going to give them a little rest and give the hens time to separate.

It reminds me of a hunt a few years ago. I had the opportunity to hunt for two days with World Champion Turkey Caller, Paul Butsky. By the end of the first day, we had two setups but the birds did not come in. I said "Paul what happened?" He said "some days it just ain't your day".

On that same note, He only used a mouth call that he made himself. I asked him why he only used one call and didn't use a slate call or box call for a little variety. He said "I won six World Championships with this call, if they won't come to it they can kiss my a$$"

Sounds like he had a place he wanted to go and expected you to come to him. Can’t blame him that’s the way it’s supposed to work. If you get on him again just go to where he wanted to be last time before you ever call to him. Sometimes it don’t work but sometimes it does and they come running right up your gun barrel. Mountain turkeys have places they like and want to be in when they try to gobble up hens just like field turkeys do, but it’s hard to just look at a place and decide whether or not that’s where he wants to go.

He knows where you are. Let him do his thing with the hens around him and he will come find you. You just have to be patient.

I'd be there again first thing tomorrow. Better yet, let me take over from here.

That's why we like hunting them so much, we don't know what they will pull next. I've been chasing them for over 40 years, and they still pull stuff out of the hat. It does not help if he has hens with him. We are trying to make them do something that is unnatural to them, go to the hen. In their world, the hen is supposed to go to them. It's fun matching wits with them, I guess I'm not too smart, because they've won a lot more of these games over the years than I have.

He could probably see that there were no hens, where the calling was coming from. Hens led him away from other hens.

IF you have time to hunt up in the morning and hens are starting to nest, go back to the place you lost contact with him late in the morning. He’ll often be ready then.

This

Well, did you shoot him in the face?

No, was raining and ai sat there till past the time he walked by, but was wet and cold. Need new rain jacket. Ended up seeing some in a field, but no luck. Belly crawled within 80. But hens and a Jake.