There's a dominant tom around here somewhere

[HoofsandWings]

I keep running into toms that have been beaten and have no hens and are reluctant to come in.
I think I saw the dominant tom this morning from about 500 yards. He was big and had maybe 2 dozen hens.
Since all the beaten toms don't gobble, I think I will try the big tom decoy at first light in the same field I saw him before.
I think it is a pretty boy, but I can't be sure. The decoy is large. I will put a hen a ways from the tom, maybe the dominant tom will run right over.
At 500 yards, the dominant tom looked impressive. If no luck there, I will see about getting one of the beaten toms to come out into another field.

[turkeydancer]

Sounds like a good plan ...     Let us know how it goes ... 

[BOWHUNTER45]

My buddy tells me that when he put out his strutter decoy the other day the gobbler came out seen his decoy and gobbled twice and left the scene ... this is why later in season Bowhunter leaves my decoys home ...not saying a bird or 2 will come in but I killed more at the end of the season without and I try to stay out of open fields ...if you see birds in a field try to get in the timber and above them or wait and see which way they are headed and try getting in front of them ...I love being in the timber in about a week from now ...whole different ball game ...birds are hot right now ...by friends got 3 in one day and are home now ....all killed with a box call 

[HoofsandWings]

In some ways my hunt entered the twilight zone.
I have my decoys out. It gets light. There were no gobbles anywhere. All was quiet except the hens.
When suddenly out of the west this turkey comes flying right at my decoy. For some strange reason, he did not like what he saw or saw something he did not like. So he lands and does an 180 and comes trotting past me and sees me, which at the time was pretty easy since he had to run over my feet.
Apparently, I had found an area with lots of hens and only yearling jakes. In the hours that followed, a half dozen jakes came past me over to my hen decoy.
No fans, just a walk by.  As close as these birds were, I saw no beards, no waddle, no nothing except a red head. I saw lots of hens that were bigger than these jakes.
Well, there is the fall seaon and I still have unnotched tags. Long drive home with no turkey to show for it.