This is the third year I have turkey hunted and pretty much until today I hadnt seen a gobbler less than 75 yards off. My friend started calling this morning and the gobblers were gobbling back on roost pretty well, but when they hit ground they shut up. Well he called again and hen called back HE was actually calling in a hen! Well behind the hen was a pretty good size Gobbler and I was FINALLY going to get my first bird. He was sturting I guess 20 yards in front of me and he moved to right ( now remember I cant hardly control breathing, about to pee on myself from the excitement) so I watched him. He was getting ready to hit little opening and I slightly moved right. BUSTED!!!!! I swear I should stick to GOLF!! I felt so bad because guy has been calling for me now 3 years and we havent been sucessful. It is really weird. Everytime I dont go with him he shoots one but when I go we see nothing. I know it isnt his fault because we roost night before and do all we can. Apperently the moons havent been aligned right for me yet!!

All part of the game. You got to enjoy God's show for a little while. Your time will come. Still a great way to start off the day. You could have been working.....
Do you get so excited you think you're gonna pee your pants when you play golf? Didn't think so.....

Oh yea..one more thing. Check your back for monkeys. Rumor has it that there's one that's been displaced and looking for a new home....

I was wondering where that dang thing came from.

The above post was ME! Forgot to sign on.

Trust me there is plenty on monkeys on several backs this year. LOL

The monkey is definately loose. And he can settle in and stay for awhile. He's a barrell of laughs. Seriously, don't fret. I think I have found more ways to mess up a hunt that I should be writing a book about it. If I weren't so dang thick headed, I'm sure I'd given up hunting long ago if I only measured my time afield by the weight of my game sack! I've said it before, turkey hunting is an education. Learn everytime you go afield. Stay in the game and enjoy yourself along the way!

Hang in there cobra, still early in the season. I think I have it figured out! Last year that darn Monkey rode around on my back, so this year I started out carying Gobblers on my back, now that darn monkey don't have room to ride my back.

Just checking, but you do know that you cannot move a muscle unless the gobblers vision is blocked by a tree, rock bush,something that is preferrably close to the turkey. He will bust you every time. Otherwise, keep after em your knocking on the door now. turkeys don't gobble and strut to attract hens they do it to shake up turkey hunters

Fat Cobra - if it's any consolation you are not alone. I hunted for EIGHT years before I finally killed my first gobbler. I always hunt alone and have experienced pretty much every mistake, misfortune, screw-up, and mistake you can make while turkey hunting. I have called in hundreds of birds but have taken only a fraction of them. Give it time. It is truly a learning process. Ask any old timer and they will tell you that if they knew what they do now, back when they started hunting they would've lilled 'em all by now. As my turkey hunting mentor ( an old 60+ season turkey hunter) told me "To kill a turkey you need three things: patience, perseverance, and a shotgun". I bet you already have two of the three. Keep at it; if nothing else it is a true spectacle of nature to listen to 'em rattle! Oh, how I love hearing them gobble at sunrise
Remember this: they really don't want to be killed more than you want to kill them.

Fat Cobra - If you think that you have a monkey on your back, I must have an ape on mine. This is the second year that I went on a guided hunt. Last year in Pa. and this year in Va. Last year the guide did no pre-scouting and wanted to sell us real estate. This year we went to Va. Paid a guide $950 for three days of hunting. I saw nothing. We didn't even set up on a bird. Terrible hunt. The other three guys with me had great guides. All of them saw birds and either killed a longbeard or missed. Let me know how I can get the ape off of my back. Michauxjake