Understanding a GOBBLERS Behavior / Having more TURKEY HUNTING success 

My father inlaw had a turkey go the other way every morning he called to him, and the turkey always went 180 the other way. I went one morning with him to do the calling. I stayed about 75 yards from the rooster turkey behind a large oak tree, and my father inlaw went about 75 yards behind. After listening to the Tom gobble about 20 times, he flew down. I gave him a few very soft yelps and off he went the other way gobbling. About 6 minutes later I heard the shot that ended hunt. Nice Tom with good hooks and a 11 inch beard. This bird knew the game and how to play it, he had been hunted before. It took two hunters to kill this old tom.

Dale and fellow turkey hunters, I set up on a steep wooded hillside and yelped a couple times and sure enough a gobble came back from about 150 yds down in a bushy flat area. For the next twenty minutes this tom would answer every cluck, yelp or made up sound I did on the slate and stick but would only travel side to side at that 150 yes going from 10 to 2 o'clock in terms of position but would not come in. I figured he would spot me if I tried to advance on him so I remained still. Suddenly my slate got some sweat on it from my forehead and stopped working except for a delayed couple of clicks. As soon as I stopped the back and forth he got all worked up with double gobbles and closed the distance down to 50 then 25 yds. in an instant. The only thing I could do was lay down on my back from a sitting position cross my left over the right to avoid shooting my foot and made a head shot at 20 feet with my 3 1/2" magnum. Game over. Big Tom, only the second one I have ever shot. They are an amazing bird, and I will never forget that hunt.

The more I watch your videos, the more I’m learning about what has happened in past interactions with gobblers.

Dale outdoors is for those turkey geeks like me and I look forward to his videos every spring. He is always spot on. Great job, Dale

Awesome material. A lot of times if I have a turkey that is trying to get me to come to him, I will Flip the script on him and start playing hard to get. If I’ve got him fired up, and I move in the opposite direction while calling, he will think “oh no the hen is leaving.“ and he will follow. Sometimes I’ll even gobble to make him think there’s someone else moving in on his lady. I’ve had em come running looking for a fight.

I'm a black man from nj that moved down south. First year turkey hunting your information is vital. I'm a avid deer and hog hunter but your info makes me feel better about my first year

The best turkey advice comes from this man right here! Thanks Dale for all of the information. Best of luck this season!

Thank you for these videos and your time,knowledge. Awesome help even for a older hunter

This dude is one of the best turkey teachers around

So ready for this spring!!

Absolutely appreciate your videos and all your experience that you share with us. I'm trying to get a turkey with my crossbow this year.

I absolutely need this video!! Thank you!!

Thanks Matt! As always, great video.

Thank you for your knowledge and wisdom in Turkey hunting.

Matt, Nice piece on turkey psychology 101. Really enjoy your knowledge.

This is some awesome advice, thanks for sharing

Great video as always. Keep'em coming

Turkey hunting is 90% knowing birds and 10% knowing how to call lol. Love your videos man.

This man gives the best, most professional advice on turkey hunting

Love your videos informative entertaining never to old to learn more

I’ve been wanting to thank you for all the info and tips you have given out to all of us. I just started Turkey hunting last year but I’ve been able to call for years, just didn’t know when to call or what sounds to use when. I did kill my first gobbler last year and killed two more after him. I am hooked! Can’t wait for March 15th here in Mississippi. Thank you for helping me continue to learn about these awesome birds!

Great advice Matt!

I’ve been turkey hunting for 25 years I scout and I find out where a gobbler likes to hang out during the day.I set up there if possible stay all day and I’ve killed over 60 gobblers

Last year, I harvested my biggest Tom weighing over 21Lb. The first day I setup across the trees, he started gobbling like crazy, but went opposite direction like a one way street never looked back. So I knew where he was heading exactly, the next day I set up in the middle right where he was gone the day before. I used a breeding hen & a jake. Boy, as soon as he came and saw the setup, he marched and kicked that jake really hard before he took a Winchester XR, I had early breakfast at home that day😂

Great video - very helpful! Thanks! I wish I would have seen it before my hunt last week. I would have recognized the birds I was dealing/struggling with.

Another awesome turkey lesson from the Dr. of Turkey college Professor Matt Dale 😂 Your a damn good teacher

Thanks I really liked this video. It explained a lot

I just found you Dale. Tagged out in Greenbrier county WV at 7:25 this morning. Started gobbling at 5:50 and never stopped. He flew down made his way to the strut zone and stayed there thunder gobbling for 2 hours. I had to go get him !!! Thanks for all the great advice

The only thing that is predictable about a wild Turkey is they are unpredictable now that's 50 years of experience lol

Love your videos man!

Good job Matt!

First time I watched one of your videos because I am always searching for tips and trying to learn. Great advice! I've been busting birds since the mid 80s and I would have given all of the same tips. Just last year I had to crawl up on an old mature gobbler (type 3) that kept going to the edge of a pond surrounded by heavy brush every morning, and it was too thick to try and maneuver through in the dark. He came in only spitting as I crawled through the brush. I've never seen one stay in an area like that ever, so I guess he had some hens nesting there and wanted to be close.

Another great lesson! I saw you were on the TWRA RU-vid channel and that was great too!

After an early season miss, these are the gobblers i have encountered this year. I'm fairly new to turkey hunting. This video helps!

Keep that good info coming!

I've got 2 adult turkey🦃 in my range backyard and they got 7 matured chicks.. I am so fascinated of their behavior, it's very fun like when you are chasing their movement for an hour.. And in a matter of minutes, the male one 🦃 will gobble and that's behavior makes them so interesting.. I treated them like they are the king and queen of the backyards..C",)

Great video ! I have made every mistake you can make and you have explained them all......

I agree in some cases on the 1st example but sometimes they are walking with hens as well. I had that happen in Nebraska were they were walking with them and gobbling. The good thing was I could see them and learn from what I was seeing.

I have encountered all of these situations and that’s what I do to get it done! 👍

Great information, also a good turkey fan while you are going after the sanctuary turkey can really help you with the crawl to close that last distance or bring him to you on the edge of his sanctuary and you can even move up on him with fan infront of you( but not recommended on public land its just to dangerous) also if you pay attention and get the sanctuary boundaries you can move up when he's walking to the other end( if you're quiet) then once on opposite end of bubble software call him back !

What a great video!

Thank you!

You talked about crawling. I did that one day and came over a log a ran into a 6 foot timber rattler lol.

Thx Matt.

Really appreciate your info! Great work. Give us some breakdowns on your gear or make some for us to buy!

Great info!

Awesome video brother

Under standing turkey 🦃 behavior is big. Being a great woodmen and know what that Turkey will do in different Terrain is next to priceless knowledge. Another great video brother!

Excellent video. Subsribed. Thank you for honest no bs info

Good stuff as usual. I wish this video was around last year! I hunted the same bird for 2 weeks and he was a roadrunner turkey and sanctuary bird and in some rough nasty country.

Great video and thank you A lot of time that happens to me and I’m always wondering what I did wrong now I got some idea on what to to Thanks a lot

Matt -- Thanks for the good info an knowledge. I always look forward to your videos, appreciate all you do for the turkey hunters out there.

good video and tips. hunting is my life and turkey is #1. enjoyed the video always good to refresh

Great information ☺️

Hi Dale well today may 20th in PA. I had 2 flextone decoys in a feild a Jake and a upright hen The gobblers have not been gobbling for a week nothing, but I kept at it I knew these gobbler were useing this feild, so I put the decoys where they could see them from the woods, I clucked and purred and soft yelped about every half hr, 5 gobblers came right to my decoys and never made a sound except 1 dragged its wings, that is all I herd and they came from behind me, almost got busted but I got my Turkey this morning just goes to show just when you are haveing a tough season keep at it it can change for the better just when you are ready to give up. Thanks for the vids.

Hunted a sanctuary gobbler last year, he was in more like his “fight club” watched him whoop up 2 younger gobblers in the same field, high water and private boundary made it very tough to get close, unsuccessful , but this year I’ll try harder!

Hi deal IAM new on your channel, but after listening to you on these turkey senerios I feel like a pro already. IAM all fired up, turkey season comes in this Saturday. If I get one I'll let you know. Thanks allot for your advice

Do you have tips for understanding woman behavior?

Great video sir

Im gonna order your mouth call and shirt and mug!!!

Thanks, man!! :)

Finally i found a video with useful turkey huntung tips thank you so much!!! Them toms that wont come in are tricky indeed😂

Opening day can't get here soon enough for me!

Dale could you do a video on how You cape your turkeys and get them ready to hang on the wall?

I believe you need both calling and woodsmanship skills to kill gobblers like that. And sometimes more patience as well to get gobblers like that!!! Great video matt!!!

thanx

Great topics!!! Learned from this thank you

I've been hunting turkey 30+ yrs and to me you are the man for explaining it all...........the only beef is for Sanctuary birds......it's a bad idea imho to stalk a turkey on public land.......in Pa. it's illegal........but this channel rocks regardless.....ty Dale.

My greatest turkey hunt was a bird I was able to sneak on mid-morning that was on his strut zone. He never left a 40 yard line...back and forth for over an hour. He finally broke and came to me at 7 yards with some purrs and light leaf scratching.

Everything you mentioned is exactly what you have to do here in NM on our Merriams!

Looks like Dale is in full strut

Trying to run and gun turkey hunt with a bow and a ground blind is so much work

When's the dale outdoors turkey vest comeing out👍🇺🇸

Hey Matt, great video thanks for the tips. How can you tell what time the gobblers are flying down? I've been sitting down at first light calling with gobblers but can't tell if they're still on the roost or they've flown down already.

Been hunting turkeys 35 years, quit gun hunting 25 years ago and hunt only with a bow. With a gun it was no challenge. I’m 66 and hunt out of a blind exclusively. I find a good spot set up and stay all day. I shot my 40th turkey last spring with my bow. Patiently waiting is the key

Thanks Matt, how much longer for your season?

this is my first year going hunting. I know it's a long shot to get anything but I'm excited to learn and hopefully one day one!

Excellent advice and 100 percent correct my man I consider my self a pretty dam good turkey hunter and over the years of mistakes I learned from um and everything you said today ive did with success and keep in my Arsenal now so for every new turkey hunter listen to this man hes not steering you wrong at all 1 advice learn turkey behavior!! Great video my man!!

Great tips I’ve killed I don’t know how many gobblers but still learn something I ain’t never heard of before. Thanks for sharing your experience with us GOD BLESS

The third turkey is easiest to kill, you get behind a full strut decoy and crawl to him , works every time

I've got Parkinson's it's hard for me to walk very far. Sitting down for 2-4 hours will be challenge. I'm going try. Can't use mouth calls .I enjoy your series

Great advice..!! Also..stalking turkeys is illegal in some States..

Dale, Live your videos. I ran into a sanctuary gobbler a couple years ago. I tried slipping on him, he heard me coming and came towards me. Gobbled real close and when I tried to take cover, he putted and backed off, but kept gobbling. He wouldn't budge after that.

I like your channel

How about a video on scouting for turkeys, what land features etc. do you look for?

I hunted a sanctuary bird ...worked my way close...I got close...stopped calling ..it strutted right by me and gobbled maybe 30 feet away...wow...and then it went bye me...when it got maybe 60 yards past me, I turned around...set up...purred a wee bit and he spooked and flew off...no way it saw me...it spooked right after I called.!

Very informative. I’ve killed a few birds by hardly calling to them on public land

Ive been huntin gobblers a whole lot of springs now. If a youger hunter wants to learn to be a good turkey hunter follow and listen to this Gentlmen.. he speaks the truth on Spring gobblers. Thanks Dale outdoors.

What is the scope and choke you are using on your shotgun? Thanks, enjoy your videos.

Never heard u talk about decoys… did u use any?

I have very deep heartaches over past hunts lol a pang of disappointment whenever I think of my blown hunts 🥴

Great info. Thanks. Turkey 410 g ???

My biggest problem with turkey hunting is getting outa bed that early on my day off lol

Great info. Unfortunately some of us are disabled, bad leg, and can’t take off running lol

behavior and the willingness to hold out for the bird to come in. to many give up and walk away only to jump the turkey on his way to you.

All you need to do is use a mountain lion call and they come running in. That is what I do.

I have noticed over the years, a lot of times the gobbler like 1 and 2 in this video. He gobbles and goes the other way. I have had success with these birds just waiting for a couple of hours of no calling. It's tough, but has worked on several old birds. Most of my land I have permission is not large enough to move around on them. So I have learned to just be patient. I learned this by trial and error. I set up on gobblers and they would gobble their head off and go the other way. And after a while I wasn't patient enough. I would get up to leave. By the time I got back to the truck he was gobbling right where I was set up. So, now I just take my time. If he don't wont to come in now, he will remember where that hen was and come looking for you. This is truly effective with a gobbler with hens. Once his hens leave he will come back. Soft calling is a must on these birds is my opinion. Thanks for the videos and enjoy the footage of your hunts.

How do you decide what call (mouth, box, etc) to use and when.

Been schooled by a lot of those same ones. Started in my state when they reintroduced them from western ma Ny state 1990 you are bound to get caught 🦃👍

Great info! Best I've seen on youtube! Keep up the good work and good luck turkey hunting! What great time of year to be in God's creation.