So I saw this question posted to Lovett Williams and he could not answer if Hens strutted or not.
Well, I can answer with a resounding YES!!!
3 or 4 seasons ago I was slipping from food plot to food plot looking for a gobbler. Found a strutter and saw the beard. I hit the ground and the sneak was on. I got within about 70 yards and sure enough still strutting, full fan, and thin 8" beard.
I started calling and here it comes thru a small briar thicket. First shot I got i rolled it up.
Went over and it was a HEN!!! 8 inch beard, 12 pounds at best, and little pink slick legs
I was mortified!!! It never gobbled, but she was Strutting just like a gobbler!!!
Anyone else ever seen a Strutting Hen?
I've seen it when hens attacked a hen decoy of mine. On the TurkeyHuntPublicLand site, there is a video where 2-3 hens attack a decoy and they are strutting.
About 7 years ago, I had a hen come in gobbling. It didnt sound like a Tom at all, but it was unmistakably a gobble. She was mad at my cutting i guess, and apparently was ready to rumble.
Saw on on a Primos video it was a merriams. They called and she would strut!
I took this video back in 2009. Watch the hen strut from 53 seconds until 1:25.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JlsaYaT6IA
My son shot this video last year of me killing this monster gobbler. Watch the hen strutting next to the decoy with 2 Jakes from 3:03 to 4:35. This hen is also a bearded hen. The other hen is standing in front of the decoy pecking it's head.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhRh7D2Rk8M
That's awesome guys, really nice video as well. I had no idea a hen would strut. I don't know that I would have believed it had I not seen it.
I have watched a hen strut for almost an hour and taken pictures. Pretty amazing.
Last spring I had a lone hen come to my hen decoy. Strutted -tail fanned, wing tips on the ground. Pecked and pecked the head of the decoy, spinning it around on the stake. She finally gave up and walked off.
It was a nice show!
I've seen a hen strutting before, but don't think I could make the mistake of thinking it was a gobbler strutting.
A couple of days ago I got to see a strutting hen for the 1st time!!! :you_rock:
I called in a SC Lowcountry hen. When she got about 10 feet from my deke, she started puffing up. Then when she got to 5 feet, she blew up into full strut!!!! Full fan, wings dragging the ground, everything but a gobble. :o :you_rock: Then she walked up to my deke and started bumping it with her chest!! :icon_thumright: The deke spun around on it's stake, and she followed, bumping it as she went. When her fan blocked her vision of me, I grabbed my cell phone and turned it to video mode. I got some video, but I can't figure out how to download it to the computer yet. When I do, I'll post it up.
It was a very cool experience, and the first time I've seen it in my turkey hunting career!! :z-guntootsmiley:
Seen my first one 3-4 years ago. Came to the call strutting the whole way. Bout rolled her up but no beard so I had to watch.
Just saw 2 hens doing half struts. Hung around for about a half hour and watched them. Very cool. Bubba
I have learned that hens that are nesting are territorial. Some of them do not like other hens around "their area". Yes, I have seen them strut and display like a gobbler.
If you hunt turkeys long enough you will see them do all kinds of things.. yes it's just part of what some hen's do and that's strut... I've had hens come up to my calling and just about spend all morning with me and just sit and rest..nature at it's best...
Gotta admit it was very cool and cool to hear them purring aggressively. Bubba
Have seen a couple half strut. Did hear, then see, a hen gobble. She sounded like a jake. For what it's worth, none of these trannies had beards.
Had a hen strut and gobble while pecking a hen decoy,very cool to see.
Greg
Called in a strutting gobbling hen several years ago.
Quote from: Turkeyman on April 24, 2021, 04:14:50 PM
Called in a strutting gobbling hen several years ago.
Same story here. In 2017 or 2018 I had a hen half gobble at my calling from behind a big rock in some real thick stuff. Around she came, wings dragging and fan raised all puffed up. Rather comical but neat to see. She was really aggressive.
Have "Her" strutting right with the toms.
MK M GOBL
I've saw it four times. I mean full out strut. Three times it was a display of dominance because I was mimicking her, and once she was strutting with a tom. The time I watched a hen strut with the tom was very neat. It was like they were dancing.
About 10-12 years ago has 2 hens come in and 1 was full strut spitting and drumming. Glad my to be wife was with me for witness.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Y2VQ8wBy/Video-Capture-20200411-102304-2.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Z5TsLs1P/P5190577.jpg)
This is a video a friend of mine shared from a hunt in 1990. The video was shot on VHS and I don't have any way to transfer the footage to a digital file so we tracked down a VCR and I filmed it off a television with my phone. The sound quality obviously isn't great since we had to do it that way, but you can hear the hen cutting real aggressively in the beginning of the video and then see her strutting as she approaches. Jump forward to the 5:45 mark for the best footage of her strutting. He'd actually witnessed another hen (perhaps the same hen) do the same thing the day before. Pretty rare thing to witness, but obviously it happens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0o5Iv1EUgc
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I have seen several different hens strutting and once called in a hen that strutted and gobbled all the way in to 10 yards. The gobble sounded like someone shaking one of the old Red Wolfe gobble calls.
Got video of a strutting hen a couple years back. Believe this is what Mr. Williams said is a hen with gobbler plumage as well. Pretty good contrast with strutting gobbler in same frame. Judge for yourself.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LdDr7PH3NhM&feature=youtu.be
I've seen hens strut a couple times. Not very often but if they get mad enough they will.
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I've always considered full fan and wing dragging to be strutting. Bowed up mean walking while putt and purr I've considered aggressive posturing. I've seen only a couple hens "strut" but a good many posture.
Quote from: RutnNStrutn on March 28, 2012, 12:23:16 AM
A couple of days ago I got to see a strutting hen for the 1st time!!! :you_rock:
I called in a SC Lowcountry hen. When she got about 10 feet from my deke, she started puffing up. Then when she got to 5 feet, she blew up into full strut!!!! Full fan, wings dragging the ground, everything but a gobble. :o :you_rock: Then she walked up to my deke and started bumping it with her chest!! :icon_thumright: The deke spun around on it's stake, and she followed, bumping it as she went. When her fan blocked her vision of me, I grabbed my cell phone and turned it to video mode. I got some video, but I can't figure out how to download it to the computer yet. When I do, I'll post it up.
It was a very cool experience, and the first time I've seen it in my turkey hunting career!! :z-guntootsmiley:
Too funny, exact same thing for me this year, right down to the cell phone. I did not video though, just snapped a few pics.
What's this world coming to?