Yesterday morning I arrived at the farm I was hunted @ about 5:30. As I shut off my truck , sitting there getting my thing in order I could already hear two bird gobbling they heads off just arcoss the field from me. That put a big smile on my face . So I wasted no time and headed to that area. I got with a 100yrds Of the birds , put out a Jake and Hen in the field ,found the tree that was comfortable sit and waited . Just before sun up the two boys were still hammering away. I give them a couple of tree yelps and they fired back.two more calls, both time being answered by strong come backs. I waited ....nothing ....more nothing. I gave a few yelps out and one of the boys answers back and he was closer.Another big smile . Twenty five minute go by and he is calling to me and I'm saying very little trying to play hard to get. I could tell he was hung up . Here's where thing goes bad. I called to him after five minutes of quit . He answers , but he leaving the area. I try to ease down to the area close to him. I found the Blackwater River to be very full. I called to him he called back . We played the game for about another 20 minutes I could not find away to the other side . He must have gotten tired of me and finally left the area.
. But I play the , I just did not score. ? to all how can you get a bird to fly over water? Help.
Tim

Short of building a bridge, I have never had luck getting one to cross any water.

Ol' Three Toes speciality is getting birds to fly the water! Maybe he can help. I'd say that the bird simply didn't want to come across that bad. I know he sounded like it, but, then doesn't every gobble sound like he wants to badly. Nothing you could have done short of going for a swim. Maybe he had lady friends with him too. You played the game for awhile. Keep after him. He knows where you are now. He'll likely come looking for you next time.

Stay after him Tim.. u will connect!!!

If you can spend some time with him, and stay in touch through the day, at some point the hen is likely to leave him..at that point where he starts gobbling later in the day, use the same wings you use for a fly-down, and right onthe waters edge siimulate a hen flying across the water...sounds strangeto do in the middle of he day, but the gobbler hopefully might think the hen has flown to the otehr side and thus come over there to your side....I am not sure i have thetime /patience to do all this, but i have a friend who says it worked for him, and alos something similar is on an old primos video I think...

Keep at it Tim! Pull every trick out of your hat. He isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Can you get permission for the far side of the river. That would be the best.

Drop him like a sack of hammers

Tim... I have called some across rivers before but the only reason they came is because they wanted to. What i am saying is you could go back there the next time and do the same thing you did this time and he could fly right into your lap. I know some will disagree with this but i hunt near a river and if they are across the river i will call like crazy while on the roost (cackle and a whole lot of cuttin) hoping when he flies off the roost he will glide on over.Good luck!

Doug

Went back Saturday morning with my son . We never heard any birds. The wind was blowing pretty good. So we sat up in the area where I had heard the birds two days before. We satyed there for about three just hangin out and having a great time. Never seen a bird but had a great time. Anytime Zach has been turkey hunting with me we have never been able to hear a gobbler. He looked up at me Saturday just before we had to leave for his 1100 ball game nad said ...maybe he was bad luck. Almost break my heart. I took him that could never be. Luckest man in the world to have a boy like him.
Tim