I’ve had a little more luck recently with the Wild Turkeys in the neighborhood woods patch. During my last couple of session, the hens in this group have roosted immediately above the patch of ground I cleared of bush honeysuckle. Previously, they roosted in trees a quarter mile up the hollow. This is problematic because I haven’t been able to set up quietly enough not to flush them. I was able to call in a few of the Toms, although this is hit or miss. They love hanging out and strutting in the backyards of the streets that border the hollow. We call back and forth and they are obviously trying to get me to come to them. Finally, on this occasion, they couldn’t stand it so came in to find the hen (me) that was sounding so pretty. They did not come all the way into my prime shooting lane, but I made the best I could of it.
I have read and am beginning to learn how keen their sense really are. I need to be careful with calling as they come in. When they enter the area, they tend to ignore the decoys altogether and instead look directly in my direction. They know precisely where the calls emanate. Turkey hunters will often call at the location they wish the birds to appear and when they hear the Toms coming, they move into their shooting position. This is kind of hard to do when using a bag blind and where the birds can see a long distance. The small geography I am working in has some limitations.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 