# Calling in a Tom that won't respond to calls!!!!!!



## BrentKirkpatrick (Apr 21, 2005)

*How do you call in a Tom that won't respond to a decoy or turkey calls?*​
Ambush him?562.50%Make a lot of purrs, putts, and clucks?00.00%Lay off the calling and don't call as much?337.50%Call it a stalemate and get used to the fact that he's not going to cooperate?00.00%


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## BrentKirkpatrick (Apr 21, 2005)

Okay ladies and gentlemen, I have a very frustrating situation and I need some tips on how I can deal with it. I am hunting some land east of El Dorado, Kansas that has a creek, draws, pasture, feed fields, sloughs, etc. There is this gigantic Tom out there that has a beard that appears to be about 15" - 20" long and it drags the ground. He is by far larger than all the rest of the Toms on that land. I tried to ambush him one time about a couple years ago and I got trigger happy. He was coming in nicely and I took the shot when he was about 60 yards out. This particular Tom WILL NOT come in to a decoy, nor will he respond to calls. He is the last turkey to pass by and stands out in the pasture letting the hens come to him. I have tried and tried to call him in, but he will not budge. When he does come in, he stops about 250 yards out and won't budge another inch. How in the world can I hope to bag this big bird? I've tried everything I can imagine and he still won't come within gun range. This is now my mission in life, to bag this gigantic Tom. If ANYBODY has any ideas, I would love to hear them!!! I'm going out tomorrow morning to see if I can ambush him. I really appreciate everyones' ideas!!!!!! :huh:


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## Dan Bueide (Jul 1, 2002)

Sounds like a toughie.

I think you're going to have to tick him off to get him, or just get plain lucky. Have you tried including a jake decoy with your set?

Getting set up with a jake and a couple of hen dekes in one of his favorite places would be my first try. Hen calls at first, and if that doesn't get his attention, I'd see what gobbling at him produces.

If that doesn't work, I'd try to maneuver between him and his hens and then gobble to him.

If that's a bust, I'd go the ambush route, trying to find his roost haunt and setting up on his favoite path to open country in the morning, and vice-versa in the evening.

15-20" beard? Not likely, probably more like 11-12, if he's a "dragger." That's okay, I can tell he's really gotten under your skin. :beer:

Good luck.


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## BrentKirkpatrick (Apr 21, 2005)

I went out this morning to see if I could ambush that gigantic turkey. He had changed his route and was travelling deep in the pasture behind me. When I saw him, he was engaged in a fight with another large Tom. I thought they would be too busy fighting to notice me sneaking up on them. Well, they both saw me coming and took off. I was hoping the other Tom would kill him so I could just walk up and tag him.

I will try those various techniques you suggested. However, I have never "gobbled" at a Tom so I'm not sure I can do it effectively. I had thought about putting out a Jake and a hen decoy, but I figured that large Tom would think that hen belonged to the Jake and not come in. He roosts on someone else's property but it's difficult to tell which way he's gonna enter the land I'm hunting on. I'll keep trying to get him. I'm making this my mission in life so I'm not giving up until he either dies of old age or "lead poisoning" from my 12-guage. Thanks so much for the suggestions. Have a great day !!!


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## Militant_Tiger (Feb 23, 2004)

Couldn't use a rifle could you?


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## BrentKirkpatrick (Apr 21, 2005)

I wish I could use a rifle to hunt turkeys, but unfortunately it's illegal here in Kansas. I have a Moisen-Nagant Russian cavalry carbine that is accurate up to 1200 meters and that would be perfect for this troublesome Tom. The only weapons we're allowed to hunt with is the Bow & Arrow and Shotguns.


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## iwantabuggy (Feb 15, 2005)

You may want to try another technique.... I guess I'd call it "non-verbal turkey calls". Get an old turkey wing, make a few flapping noises (not too much though), do some scratching on the ground trying to imitate a scratching/feeding sound, and some other small rustling sounds. You will need to be pretty close (probably less than 150 yards), but it can work, and is a lot less likely to make him hang, or worse yet, turn and run. You may even want to throw in a few verbals.... feeding clucks mostly.... very quiet.

My wife and I brought a 20 lbs, 9 inch bearded tom in last week by doing nothing more than walking in close (out of sight) as quitely as we could. I guess the big tom (big for Idaho anyway) must have thought we were another turkey because he walked right up, clucking, and looking for the source of the sound.

I had been calling to him about 1 1/2 hours earlier and he just turned and walked away.......

By the way, he is tastey. My wife shot him at about 20 yards. I am a fairly new comer to turkey hunting, I have only been hunting them for about 10 years. Didn't even see one until my 3rd season. Since bagging my first, in my 4th season, I have gotten at least 1 and some times 2 every spring since.


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## Dan Bueide (Jul 1, 2002)

> I have never "gobbled" at a Tom so I'm not sure I can do it effectively


I do his only rarely and as a last resort, but it has closed the deal at least once.



> I figured that large Tom would think that hen belonged to the Jake and not come in


Hens belong to no tom, other than the Alpha. Unlikely you'd get your tom to deviate far out of his path to try and snare an extra hen or two (wouldn't want to risk losing the heram he's got). But if you get set in one of his favorite strutting areas, the Jake may be what gets him beyond decoy shyness and brings him into range.



> a Moisen-Nagant Russian cavalry carbine... would be perfect for this troublesome Tom.


Nah, this guy deserves to be taken close if at all.


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## oatsboy (Mar 29, 2005)

after years of you and who knows how many others have been playing the game,chasing him around,educating him,he knows your moves before you set your alarm clock.stop playing the game,go back to basics,leave all the new fangled gimmics at home.youve already have him patternd,so take your boots and gun and go get your trophy.
dont get me wrong,calling, decoying and differnt stratiges all have their place and when used effectivly bring with them memories and a high degree of satisfaction.set-up and time is allways essential,but i feel this alone will seal his fate.just my 2 cents.


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