What are things that that gobblers avoid i was told they don't like going up hills or cross big creeks or go over fences things of that nature maybe some of you have heard rumors, about things gobblers will avoid??

Last year wintessed a few mountain Turkeys walk up a steep hill, and witness two turkeys glide across the James River.

Just when you think you know what a turkey "won't" do he will do it.
I've had'em come across creeks, come down hill, even had one come thru 2 barbed wire fences!
It pays to know the territory you're huntin' and helps to set up on the path of least resistance BUT...
If he's gobblin' stay with him no matter what lies between you and him.

Barry +1. Also stAy set up for a while after he stops gobbling. As far as what they avoid i think large tree blow downs and anything that gives a coyote or predator a goood ambush point is not a good thing to have between u and him. I have seen them come through such stuff and i have also seen them stop short and just stand there and gobble. I think the best set up is where he only walks across a short clover clean pasture. Or through open large treed woods. I canno believe they will walk through an impassable cedar thicket but have seen them do that very thing

Also watched them walk through a herd of grazing cattle and also spook them a herd of cattle

I think that the most underrated barrier is open space. If he has gotten to where a hen calling from your location (or MAYBE that of any decoys he can see) should be able to see him, he feels like he has done his part. You want him to be in range at this point.

Me !

Open spaces can often be easily conquered with some creative decoy use

Also being killed by me.

Pretty much what others said, but that is what makes it such a great and challenging sport. They do cross streams, rivers, ponds, roads, blowdowns, come down hills, through thickets and other unpretictable things. I just then don't give an excuse but think what went wrong or what did I do wrong for that bird not to come in, bad set up, using wrong call and other things.

This is something me and my buddies shall we say discuss most of the time.


Earl

I was calling for a friend of mine one time who is a very acomplished turkey hunter but is not from VA. He was not used to how thick some of our woods can be. Anyway we struck a gobbler about 200 yds off gobbling like mad answered every call. He insisted we move the because of all the brush between us. I insisted we sit still the gobbler would come through it, so after several tense minutes of discussion I moved to appease him. We made our circle and I cut loose with my box to locate him. Gobbler triple gobbled about 200 yds off right where we had just left but under no circumstances would he come back. Same hunt next day struck another tom 6 or 7 hundred yds off on the other side of a wide open farm field. To my friend to sit next to the woven wire fence where he could see into the edge of the field. He sits down I call turkey double gobbles and is on the move. I look down and my friend is is moving back in the brush he doesn't like his spot. I look out in the field here comes the gobbler on a dead run. Friend finaly sets down gobbler runs in and bam bounces of woven wire fence and friends previous spot he could have reached out and wrung his neck. Gobbler is now pacing up and down thw fence alternating between gobbling and plowing into the fence. Finally turkey finds a hole and friend shoots him at about 20 yards. You just never know thats what I love about turkey huntung.

It's generally better to get at the same level or above but I've seen to many die that did things they weren't suppose to. Like an old quote "the only thing predictable a turkey will do is be unpredictable"

They certainly seem to avoid me quite a bit!!

Oh yeah, called 2 across paved Sate roads. Well, one was actually strutting in the road when a car came and made him fly.

A slight breeze in the wrong direction, a twig across the trail, a pebble, another turkey's turd, a spent shotgun hull...

I could go on...

All I will say is I've seen them hang up for no apparent reason and I've seen them come in against all odds... Like everyone said, it's what makes it fun.

In all seriousness... the more obstacles you can eliminate the better off you are.

Just reading these few comments and knowing each of us have a few more that we kill any birds at all.


Earl

Creek's for me. I once had three gobblers hang up on a creek that had to be all of 12" wide. Couldn't believe it. They gobbled about 87 thousand times and wouldn't walk across it. I mean they could have stepped across the water. Amazingly, another hunter slipped in on the action and pulled them away from me (he was on the same side of the creek they were on). I heard the Kaboom and watched a bird flop down the hill and die in that same trickle of a creek and watched the hunter walk down and pick him up. Was a very bad day but a great day, because I played the game hard for at least 45 minutes and it was one helluva game to play. PS. I was on private land and the other hunter was on adjoining private land. The dividing line was indeed the creek.