Advice needed on henned up toms

[djnoodle]

Called to two toms all day long today. They were up above us on a ridge the entire time. First couple of hours after daylight, we were seeing hens coming from the clearings on the bottom and going up to the ridge.

The toms would gobble two times and we would answer with yelps from down below. They would not come closer. Early afternoon I walked up to the top of the ridge. I was hearing them below me, sometimes 100 yards away or more, a few times within 100 yards. Did not ever see them.

At about 4 pm I left the ridge for about an hour and checked out the other side of the canyon. When I returned, both toms were with hens down in the bottom of the canyon by a river. The problem is they were on land I do not have permission to hunt. They were about 1000 yards away from where I was closest to them on the ridge.

I believe that these toms were with henned up when I calling to them before.

Am I better off to try and slip up on top with them and try to call the flock over to me, or should I hang out in the clearing up river from where I seen them strutting with the hens?

In other words, are they more likely to leave these hens and come to me at some point in the day, or should I try to get close to them?

Frustrating day...


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[PA BEN]

If you can keep them gobbling and keep him located get right in his wheel house. I had a Tom do this to me, once I got very close he came i quite. I worked a tom kept him gobbling while buddy put the sneak on him. 

[HuntandFish]

The two toms are most likely spending a fair amount of the day fighting each other and just shock gobbling to your calls. The best way to hunt these birds is to spot and stalk, which shouldn't be to hard since you can keep them gobbling. Spot and stalk is a real thrill and a good way to test your stalking abilities....you'll find out real quick just how sneaky you are...

Keep in mind they will usually have a group of hens with them as you suspected, but they are there as look outs usually for the sparing toms, so you have to get past them first, a formidable challenge, but it can be done...I should know!

Good luck,
H&F

[RadSav]

Always easier to call a bird to a place they want to go anyway.  So I would try to get in front of them first.  Especially if that takes them past a known strutting zone.  Then if that doesn't work try to stalk them.  Stalking a tom is one thing.  Trying to stalk two toms and a dozen hens is a whole other can of worms.  Unless they sleep in your barn and feed in your hay

[Karl Blanchard]

I would urge people not to stalk turkey's unless on private land where there are not other hunters.  On public land this tactic can be dangerous or even deadly.  You don't know if there is someone set up on those toms trying to work them.  You slip into gun range and blast the bird but the other guy sitting against that pine on the other side of the bird just took the rest of your pattern to the face!  I had this happen to a friend years ago.  If it weren't for his glasses he might have lost his eyes.  #5's to the face make for a bad day!

In regards to your original question, it sounds to me like you are over calling.  Those birds were working a strut zone and in nature, the hens are supposed to go to the gobbling tom.  If you act too interested he is just gonna stay put and do his thing.  Sure they will gobble, but that is just to let you know where he is because like I said, you are supposed to go to them.  If the hens are bred then they should break away from the toms by mid morning to go tend to their nests.  This is your time to strike!  You know where they are, just get in ear shot of their strut zone and wait.  When the hens leave them they will hit that strut zone and start gobbling and strutting trying to attract more hens.  That is when you can work him successfully.  The hardest part of calling birds is knowing when to be conservative and when to really hammer em!  Usually less is more though when calling, especially pressured birds.  They get very accustomed to hearing guys just beat their box calls to death.  If you think you aren't calling enough, call less.

If they do have hens still when you set up on him and they start yelping, just mimick them yelp for yelp.  That can usually fire up the hen and get her coming your way.  Sometimes that drags the tom with her, sometimes not.  Good luck!

[Wacenturion]

As mentioned above...probably over calling.  Find a spot somewhat close to where you are fairly sure they pass or frequent in their daily routine.  Plan on making a day of it.  Make a few calls early, get a response and shut up.  At some point those toms may be henless during a period when the hens are off laying.

They remember where they have heard hens.  During that henless time, they just might decide to check you out, that is if you have not convinced them you're not for real by overcalling.  My son killed one of those unkillable birds in Klickitat years ago, by doing that.  He was frustrated and wasn't about to give up.  That gobbler would answer first thing on the ground as well as throughout the day.  I suggested what I mentioned above, call, get response and shut up from that point on. He did that and later in the day, low and behold, that guy quietly snuck in.  That was the last day that smart gobbler did anything...dead bird.

Boring, but may just be what is called for.  Curiosity is a wonderful thing if you use it to your advantage.   

[djnoodle]

What a difference one day makes!


This morning, I shock called and heard them again over on the same ridge. This time, instead of continuing to call back and forth like the day before, I went a few hundred yards up the road, and headed up to the top of the ridge. For the day if that is what it took...


I got set up and called and got that same response that I have been getting. This time I not only waited two or three gobbles to each call back, I also sat down and stayed put. For as long as it took. It took about an hour.  Gobbles got closer and closer and then a gobbler walked past my decoys and up the hill beside me. Only 20 yards away. Problem was he was on my right side and I could not swing the gun without spooking him. He walked right past me and I never seen him again.


Fast forward about three hours and I had a nap and something to eat. I used that time to think about everything that I had done, and that the gobbler had done, and why the reaction from the birds is the way that it was.


I moved to a new spot, but a similar spot. Let out a yelp. Got a response about a hundred yards away, down below me. Walked about 20 yards into a clearing and I thought 'I should setup the decoys here.'


He didn't give me the time!


He gobbled and I could tell he was 60 yards or so down the hill across the clearing. I leaned up against a tree, answered his call and after a stern talkin to, he finally popped up over the ridge into view, white head and all!


This was my second day turkey hunting. I am not an expert. But I feel great about this hunt. I learned so much in a short time!    I want to thank everyone here for coaching me and sharing information. Turkey dancer and PA BEN are two names that come to mind, but I know there are many more!

[bigbeamhunter]

Nice job

[Deer slayer]

Way to make the adjustments. Congrats.

[RadSav]

NICE!! 

[PA BEN]

Nice job and a great bird. Hope mine wants to play this morning.

[jackelope]

Congrats!

[kevinlisa06]

Good job way to get it done!


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[Wacenturion]

 

[baldopepper]

Nice job. Patience and perseverance are usually what pays off on those weary old toms.

[djnoodle]

Just skinned him and got him ready for cooking. Beard measures 8 1/2 inches and the spurs are 5/8th inch.




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[ghosthunter]

Nice

[Hangfire]

I have been hunting turkeys only since 2002. I used to try to get a reply to my calling and keep calling and following the birds and getting frustrated. I normally got my spring bird but some times 15-20 outings.  I want the birds close since most of my hunting is with a flintlock. I gradually learned a few things and the success increased. I found I killed most birds after 10am and after May 1st. The most fun is in the dark, call when on the roost and get him to march right in, but seldom happened. I have found that getting out there in the dark is the most fun but if I can't don't worry about it. If I hear a henned up bird don't chase him but stay put. He may come in about 10am. Reduce my calling. If he answered me, he knows where I am. I find that I have the best luck getting them close if I am behind a deadfall or some kind of blind.

Because of ill health of my mom the last three years I didn't get out a lot, last year only one time, so I made the best use of my time. It took 4 hours to find a bird last year. I got him to respond to the call from about 400 yards. I moved about half way to him, got behind a deadfall and gave short little yelps with a scratch box call. One answer to every 2-3 gobble. When he was within 100-150 yards I shut up. I shot him at 17 steps from me.

[mossy8352]

That is getting it done and nice bird!

[turkeydancer]

 
Congrats - always get on the same level or above the birds (although they can be called down hil, it's generally not where they want to go) ... and as you learned, call sparingly using his natural curiosity and sex drive against him.
 

[tonymiller7]

Good job, I always try to get above them or at the same level before calling to them.  I've had way better luck calling them up to me versus down to me.  Don't know why it works that way but it does for me.