Frustrated/Confused Hunter Advice?

I have been hunting a property all season (about 90 acres in Chilton County) and really have only been in the game one rainy day. On the rainy day I had hens working in the timber and then two other birds out in the field. Other than that day, I hear gobbles way off the property but really no action on it. The birds appear to be gobbling from another patch of timber across a large cow pasture that adjoins the property to the west. Any tips/tricks for the last few weeks of the season to change luck? It seems that they certainly use the property on occasion but it is mostly a pass through property. What is the best approach in this situation?

I am new to turkey hunting but I am really invested in learning and trying to figure these birds out. There's nothing better than being in the woods as they wake up!

You need more than 90 acres. Not a lot you can do to change that unless you’ve got the ability to alter the habitat through thinning and fire.

the best approach is to try to get access to that other property if that's where they're hanging out. Obviously that can be easier said than done

Yeah next season I will try to find different land or try to figure out public. This is my first season hunting hard for turkeys and I was lucky enough to gain access to my bosses land. I'm just trying to see if I can make it happen this year with what I have.

Hear gobbling....get as close to it as you are able....call to them and hope they're lonely.

*disclaimer: I've killed 3 birds in 8 seasons of hunting, and the first 2 weren't until the end of S6, so you should probably disregard any advice I post*

Gomer, I will take any advice given! Got to try it all at this point.

How fast can you run? got a good pair of running shoes? property lines get a little fuzzy during turkey season.....


(this is a joke....I am NOT condoning any sort of piddling)

at this point in the season -- i would setup on your side of the line, right on the edge of this pasture, with a jake decoy in front (visible by anything in the pasture) & a hen behind it & you positioned on the jake ... cutt like hell with a box call as soon as you believe they've hit the ground, and if they gobble to you, cutt like hell again -- if they gobble to your second cutt, cutt like hell to them a third time, and then shut up & be patient ... yelp every now & again w/that same box ... before you begin any of this, recite this prayer word for word - "Lord, thank you for your blessings & grace; pls Lord, just send me a dumb one - you can have all of the smart ones; thank you, Lord!"

are there cows in the pasture?

try to sound like the hen in this video:

You’d probably snap your femur trying to run back across the line with a bird.

Gomer & sprinting are mutually exclusive terms - he breaks stuff just walking around & negotiating steps

Y'all aren't wrong...

I like what BGD said

Also - maybe since it is a pass through - it more of a 10 am spot - not as fun as first light but May be best chance

One of my areas are only 80 - want more but that what I got

Next season - u hav a few options - plant some chufla in pasture if u are allowed this June r early July or put out about 100 pounds of cracked corn next February and see if they find it - if they do and it gone quick - put 2 more bags out bout 22 days before season - should be gone 10 days before season if they hit the February bags quick - that may hold them on your place more
they like to strut on open areas like the pasture u mention
Start listening from the gate before next season - or in a spot they can’t see u and see if u can figure out where they at and where they like to go - don’t bump them r spook them - season starts - get where they want to b and if it in open pasture - hav a decoy - avian x and Dave smith make great looking hen and Jake

You gotta go to where the birds are and kill them and then get back to your side this is the main reason we bow hunt our birds

Hahaha it is a BIGGGG pasture no way I'm running without being shot by the landowner.

BamaGuitarDude, I really appreciate the advice and yes there are cows in the pasture

TDog thanks for the next season help, I do have pasture but will need approval. The corn is likely not an option since there is a person that deer hunts the property. Do you recommend chufa over clover? Clover seems to be easier/more resilient, but is chufa work the extra work?

alright, well - that's not a deal breaker if they've been in the pasture for a while - maybe they'll be away from the action long enough to allow a bird to come running over to you ... try not to spook the damn cows - if they get to snorting & stomping around & running & acting stupid, it can mess you up ... sometimes when you call aggressively, the crazy things can act all stupid on you ... mama's w/calves are the worse about this - but usually there's one crazy one in the bunch LOL i've had 'em REALLY go all stupid after a shot LOL get your bird & get the hell out of there, if you get lucky enough to kill one

Saturday, i had a bunch of dang doe stomping & blowing & acting all stupid on me -- had to get up & run the stupid things off TWICE & then wait a LONG time for things to settle down ... all manner of things are there to mess up a turkey hunt ... you just gotta be super patient

When you call, do they respond to it?

I remember one of my first hunts for Osceolas we had a gobbler on a fence line that was heading our way but a damn cow noticed us and was very clearly agitated. The gobbler noticed the cow and the cows agitation/stare at us and that was enough for him to never come within gun range. The jakes did not care and came in by the bunches but the damn gobbler just sat back in the other field strutting with what felt like a big ole middle finger.

yup! cows can be very aggravating - but there ain't nothin' you can do about that ... this cutt 3 times w/cows around worked for a newb hunter i went with to help him kill his 1st bird many moons ago - the bird we were working (could see in a pine tree across a huge pasture, gobbling) isn't the one that died that day - another one ran to us from behind & got right in front of my buddy's gun LOL ... it was a good lesson - ALL birds are hearing your calling so be on alert

thankfully the cows were away from all of this, so it worked out Ok that day

If u hav hogs - they will get your chufla - but chufla can work if hogs not there to get it - but I never planet w cows

BGD gives good advice - just put the slip r sneak past cows

Remember not to move if u see gobbler they will b able to see u and if it first lite - be hid before u make any calls

I would want to keep a check on that pasture at different hours in morning without spooking birds to see when they may b using pasture before season - maybe even use a game camera - I Would think they hitting pasture sometime

Throw out bag chops feb 12-16 after deer goes out - see if they find it

my dad's a cow lovin' fool - still messin' around with the dang things in his 80's - a mama nearly killed him a few years ago... anyway, we've learned to hunt around 'em - we usually like to section them off our core areas, but ... he forgets to do that sometimes ... he's got a JD Gator that's very old; when he cranks it up, it makes a terrible racket going into gear, along w/the brakes ... was turkey hunting one time - WAY on the other side of our property - he forgot we told him not crank that damn Gator & next thing you know, we've got gobblers coming in & he starts up the freakin' Gator (which he LOVES to cruise all over the property, no regard to where we hunt LOL) -- the gobblers throw their heads up, looking in that direction, and it was game over -- they got out of dodge ... showed me right there just how "in tune" birds can be -- they're amazing creatures, esp for survival & knowing what to avoid LOL

🤣🤣🤣

Dang - this is not near as frustrating BGD - but it just shows how sharpe turkeys are - I was hunting w a guy in Missouri - he was a deer guide but I was turkey hunting his land and I had him go w me cause he new ever curve of the land - we spotted a strutter and hens about 600 yards away - could not even hardly see w naked eye. He was wanting to close the distance and go straight toward them. We argued nicely for a while - I was telling him - if u cutt out across this field toward them - u will spook them - we went back forth for while - he said no way - I finally said - lead the way and watch what happens - after about 10 yards the turkey ran out of the field - he could not believe it - I was nice but did say - I told u that was gone happen 🤣😀

I killed him several hours later just before 1:00 had 1 1/2 spur

deer hunters love to make a direct line on a bird LOL funny story - i’ve had similar arguments before

Lol great story, the birds really are impressively perceptive some days and other days will lose their minds and all sense of reason. I just need to be hunting on the crazy days!