Blind burnout ?

[Kurt Miller]

Do turkeys begin to put 2 and 2 together and stop going to a particular spot if they've been spooked or arrived to not find the decoy setup to their liking?  I have a great natural blind within sight of my house and called a few birds in over the years in this area.  Not a lot of repeat performances though.  A few hung up, a few narrowly escaped (missed) and one actually never left the scene (big boom got him-- pre-trad days)

I had a vocal Tom come straight in this morning, walked right by within 30 yds, barely slowed to a half strut within sight of 2 hen decoys and disappeared without a peep.  Do you think he'll come back to the exact setup and my limited calling skills?

[Glunt]

Yes,  they "learn" to avoid danger but theres a new crop of birds pretty regularly.  That same tom may not come in again, but hormones often get in the way of common sense (not just with turkeys).

If I were targeting him, I would go without decoys or add a jake and relocate a bit.  If you have a good population to choose from, the next tom might charge right in.

I've had days where birds got to the set-up, didn't like it, and left the scene in a hurry.  Then a couple hours later there are toms knocking over the decoys.

I hunted a completely virgin property that was loaded with birds.    As expected, the birds had no fear of the blinds or decoys.  A couple years later it was leased to an outfitter and hunted hard.  After a couple years of that they were pretty wary of the blinds.  Of course there are always jakes to fall back on!

[OS]

The more voiceturous they are the more they expect the hens to come to him once in sight.  Let him move on a bit and pull the decoys then start calling again.  He'll think the hens have moved away and come in looking for them again
Rob

[PaddyMac]

I spook the same tom just about every morning I get out on my workout/stumping route. I think he got his butt kicked by the alpha tom just across the highway but is still hanging in the neighborhood. I'm hoping this isn't the same situation as my "garden bucks" that disappear the day before bow season.

[Stone Knife]

Turkeys are dumb