On Saturday I had a gobbler answer my owl hooter at about 6:30. It sounded like it was approximately 300 yards away so I tried to close the gap a bit and blew the owl hooter again. The bird responded and sounded like it was maybe 150-200 yards away roosted in a tree so I sat down and waited for another gobble.......and didn't get one. The bird shut off after two gobbles. I think I may have gotten too close and thats why he didn't respond. How far away should I set up from a roosted gobbling bird? I wanted to be close enough to avoid having him stray away when he flew down but I guess I got too close and spooked him.

What was the terrain like? I do not think he could see you. Also, how long did you wait? Did you hear him flydown? I know I am asking alot of questions but there are so many variables. After blowing the owl hooter, did you make any other calls. Flydown cackle? My guess is he was with hens and just pitched down with them and moved on.

You're right about a gobble sounding farther than it actually is through foliage!!

Saturday, I stalked toward a sparsely-gobbling bird and thought I was 100 yards away or more. Turns out, He was behind a thicket at less than 40 and didn't think too much of my surprise-calls. He walked away.

I'd like to sit close enough to hug him...but 100-125 yards will do.
And I don't think you spooked that gobbler. I think he had several hen roosted close by and the two low key gobbles were just to let the hens know he was still there. I've heard them do that this time of the season.
When they get all their hens together the hard aggressive gobbling stops for a while or at least until most of the hens have been bred and start leaving to nest.
GS...

Thanks for the information. About the terrain.....unfortunately I had no idea of the terrain on Saturday morning. I am hunting the Quantico Marine base and its my first year. Each day you have to get a tag that allows you to hunt only a certain area of the base. On Saturday, I was in a zone that I had never been in before. Therefore, when I heard the gobble I had no idea of the terrain around the gobbler. I thought that he was roosted near the edge of a field but after an hour or so after his last gobble I walked the extra 150 yards to where he was roosted and it turned out that the "field" that I thought he was roosted near was actually a small opening near a creek bottom. Its tough hunting birds when you show up to an area before sunrise and have never seen the terrain during daylight. I guess since this is my first year there I don't really care if I get a bird or not, the knowledge that I will gain by learning the area will help me in future years. Afterall, even though getting a bird is nice, its the adrenaline rush that I get when I hear a gobbler sound off to break the morning silence that really makes me love turkey hunting. Getting the turkey is just the icing on the cake.