Establishing practical solutions ahead of time for common in-the-field problems can make tagging a wary longbeard a more likely prospect. Photo courtesy of Travis Faulkner.

Solution 2: Float And Call
If the gobbler decides to stay glued to the roost, it's time to switch gears and change strategies. Beating your hat against your chest and hitting the longbeard with a loud fly-down cackle should really get his attention. Your next move should be to walk directly away from the roost while contently yelping and clucking. Now, the gobbler will start to feel a little insecure and anxious when it appears his hen is leaving him behind in the tree. With this strategy, the gobbler will typically hit the ground running and gobbling every few steps in an attempt to catch up with the hen. Once the longbeard is out of the tree, it's safe to set up and start calling with some soft yelps and purrs. This dirty little trick has allowed me to connect with several tough toms in the past.

Just when you think you've seen everything in the spring woods, some joker with a paintbrush-thick beard and super-sharp spurs will hit you with a curveball.

Anyone who has ever thrown on a turkey vest and rubbed a striker against a slate call has undoubtedly encountered a tom that has jerked their blood pressure up a notch or two. These are the bad boys who are responsible for making all of us look foolish by skirting around our setups or walking off in the opposite direction gobbling every breath.

Unfortunately, these tough birds are the ones that we can't get rid of and will haunt our memories for a lifetime. It's really easy to forget about a loud-mouthed 2-year-old that basically jumped into your lap on opening day, but a hardheaded bird that gives you fits all season will be keeping you up late at night.

On the other hand, the one positive thing about tangling with a tough tom that has evolved into a master escape artist is being able to face a challenge. There is no sweeter feeling in the spring woods than connecting with a longbeard that played hard to get and was anything but easy to tag. On that note, let's take a detailed look at some problems you may encounter with difficult birds this spring and learn what high-impact strategies you can use to close the deal when things get rough and tough. These deadly tactics and techniques will enable you to consistently tag and bag "bad news birds" all across the country.

PROBLEM: STUCK ON THE ROOST
Have you ever bumped into a longbeard that likes to stay on the roost way after daylight and gobbles at anything and everything? These birds can absolutely drive a hunter crazy -- and for good reason. Every echoing gobble increases the chances of the longbeard attracting either hens or another hunter. This is definitely not what you want to be hearing, especially on a tract of public land that receives intense outside hunting pressure. However, there are a couple of things you can do to get jabber jaws on the ground and headed your way.

Solution 1: Make The Right Call
Let's face it: It can be really easy to let a loud-mouthed longbeard work you instead of you working him. All of us love to listen to those ground-shaking gobbles, but calling to a longbeard on the roost can lead to disastrous results. When hunting a gobbler off the roost it's important to set up as close as possible. Remember, making it easy on the tom to get to you after fly-down can make all the difference in the world. Next, make contact just before daylight with some soft, sleepy tree yelps and then go completely silent after the gobbler answers your calls. It's tough not to call back to the longbeard when he starts gobbling every breath, but you need to get him off the roost as quickly as you can. Being patient and waiting for the gobbler to hit the ground before working him can dramatically increase your success.