Sunday afternoon I went out and walked 100 yards from my truck and had one respond to my box call and he wasn't 70 yards away. We dove on the other side of the road let things settle down a bit and called again and got another response. He sounded closer this time so I was just going to shut up and let him come in. About that time a hen with him starts going crazy.. yelping, cutting, clucking... I mimicked her twice and he gobbled at us and she carried on. After that the gobbler never made another noise while she was making all sorts of racket for over an hour and never seemed like she left a 25 sq foot area.
What do y'all do in this situation? Keep talking to the hen hoping she will come investigate and he follows or just shut up all together?
We eventually tried to get bold and go around and get in the bottom on the other side of them, but the woods were so loud we think it scared them. In hindsight we should've just waited there all afternoon, but she wasn't moving anywhere and he quit gobbling... :OGturkeyhead:
I would have waited and prob kept mimicking her... or left and came back the next day.
I would not have bumped them... Ive done that too many times.
Mimic her every sound, only louder, longer and nastier. When she fires up, get nasty right back!
Quote from: chcltlabz on March 21, 2017, 04:16:09 PM
Mimic her every sound, only louder, longer and nastier. When she fires up, get nasty right back!
X2. Get her upset and watch the fireworks. Seen it several times before.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
when ever you have a hen carry on like that, get louder and nastier than her, tick her off so she comes looking for a fight and he will follow right along
Quote from: chcltlabz on March 21, 2017, 04:16:09 PM
Mimic her every sound, only louder, longer and nastier. When she fires up, get nasty right back!
X3 if you can get her to come in hopefully he'll be in tow.
Regardless sometimes it doesn't matter what you do. It's just wasn't meant to be...A old turkey hunter told me one time the ones you think your going to kill are the ones that you don't and the ones you don't think your going to kill are the ones you do...Turkeys being Turkeys...
Pick on her, call to her hard and keep her pressured. Sometimes she will come in and bring the gobbler with her. Sometimes the gobbler will hang back and she comes in by herself extremely ticked. Other times she will lead him away and break your heart.
I have got up and flushed them and called them back but that tactic has failed more than it has worked so if you don't have another bird to go to you may not want to try that.
I'd walk away. Swing way around and and try to be on the other side of them, or at least past half way. Then I'd sit tight and just listen and adapt from there. If he didn't gobble anymore after an hour or so I'd Cutt at him and see what happens, no response I'd move closer and Cutt again and so on. No response after three or four tries I'd ease out and try him in a couple of days.
Quote from: chcltlabz on March 21, 2017, 04:16:09 PM
Mimic her every sound, only louder, longer and nastier. When she fires up, get nasty right back!
:agreed:
I've killed more than one Tom that was a tow of a sassy hen that though she would get the best of me. Challenge her to a cutting contest.
Quote from: Gooserbat on March 21, 2017, 11:56:59 PM
I've killed more than one Tom that was a tow of a sassy hen that though she would get the best of me. Challenge her to a cutting contest.
x2 Heck ya....That's when it gets exciting and fun...
Quote from: Greg Massey on March 21, 2017, 07:14:54 PM
Regardless sometimes it doesn't matter what you do. It's just wasn't meant to be...A old turkey hunter told me one time the ones you think your going to kill are the ones that you don't and the ones you don't think your going to kill are the ones you do...Turkeys being Turkeys...
so very true,, but that don't sell magazines, tv shows, or turkey hunting stuff..
I would do one of two things. Either make the same sounds she does mimic her every call except louder and nastier..................or I would get between the two of them and call but not as aggressive.
Quote from: guesswho on March 21, 2017, 07:50:00 PM
I'd walk away. Swing way around and and try to be on the other side of them, or at least past half way. Then I'd sit tight and just listen and adapt from there. If he didn't gobble anymore after an hour or so I'd Cutt at him and see what happens, no response I'd move closer and Cutt again and so on. No response after three or four tries I'd ease out and try him in a couple of days.
Agreed. For me Sitting and waiting and waiting if theyre not moved isn't as fun as being on the offensive. Even if I didn't get the bird I'd have been more excited. Kid of like sitting in interstate traffic an hour to go 5 miles to get home or taking a 1 hour detour to get there.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: WNCTracker on March 22, 2017, 05:23:33 PM
Quote from: guesswho on March 21, 2017, 07:50:00 PM
I'd walk away. Swing way around and and try to be on the other side of them, or at least past half way. Then I'd sit tight and just listen and adapt from there. If he didn't gobble anymore after an hour or so I'd Cutt at him and see what happens, no response I'd move closer and Cutt again and so on. No response after three or four tries I'd ease out and try him in a couple of days.
Agreed. For me Sitting and waiting and waiting if theyre not moved isn't as fun as being on the offensive. Even if I didn't get the bird I'd have been more excited. Kid of like sitting in interstate traffic an hour to go 5 miles to get home or taking a 1 hour detour to get there.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
In taking that detour you take a chance of hitting a pothole also.. I would rather back out and hunt them another day. One day not responsive the next day a new ball game. I'm not interested in bumping the bird or birds. That's why it takes patience's sitting in traffic ...most of the time taking the offensive you still loose but agree you might win 1 out of 10 tries. That's turkey hunting..
True. I guess it depends whether you can hunt the next day or the next week too
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: Greg Massey on March 22, 2017, 05:51:31 PMmost of the time taking the offensive you still loose but agree you might win 1 out of 10 tries. That's turkey hunting..
If I ran 1 out of 10 I'd probably back out and try him another day too. ;D
Quote from: guesswho on March 22, 2017, 06:47:19 PM
Quote from: Greg Massey on March 22, 2017, 05:51:31 PMmost of the time taking the offensive you still loose but agree you might win 1 out of 10 tries. That's turkey hunting..
If I ran 1 out of 10 I'd probably back out and try him another day too. ;D
You just need a little more patience's and slow down... you just need to count 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
My attention span fades after about 3
Without leaving and returning another day, it seems that you have at least three options, as follows:
1. Return her calls in an aggressive manner. She just might come to you looking for the "hen" that needs to be put in her place. This has worked for me several times.
2. At some point in returning the real hen's calls in an aggressive manner and she doesn't come to you, add some gobbles, giving the impression that an intruder tom has not only moved in on the new "hen" but also is trespassing on the real gobbler's territory, challenging the peck order. This is my favorite way to call a gobbler and has worked for me many times.
3. Move away from the gobbler/hen, still calling aggressively, giving the impression that you (hen) are loosing interest. A greedy gobbler just might try to gather the leaving "hen" as well as the real one he has right in front of him. As any turkey hunter knows, a turkey will do what a turkey wants to do. You never know what might work today but not tomorrow.
Quote from: TRG3 on March 22, 2017, 09:55:56 PM
Without leaving and returning another day, it seems that you have at least three options, as follows:
1. Return her calls in an aggressive manner. She just might come to you looking for the "hen" that needs to be put in her place. This has worked for me several times.
2. At some point in returning the real hen's calls in an aggressive manner and she doesn't come to you, add some gobbles, giving the impression that an intruder tom has not only moved in on the new "hen" but also is trespassing on the real gobbler's territory, challenging the peck order. This is my favorite way to call a gobbler and has worked for me many times.
3. Move away from the gobbler/hen, still calling aggressively, giving the impression that you (hen) are loosing interest. A greedy gobbler just might try to gather the leaving "hen" as well as the real one he has right in front of him. As any turkey hunter knows, a turkey will do what a turkey wants to do. You never know what might work today but not tomorrow.
yes to this, I get aggressive after trying the patience game first. I will try a hen rape scenario. I use my wing scraping bark and and leaves and flop the wing to mimic a gobbler mating a hen. Throw a gobble with my gobble tube in there and hang on. This works at times and not at others. You just need to be in the right moment and have confidence in doing it.
I'm playing the "Up one" game with her, every sound she makes I mimic but add something to the end.. if she cutts 4 times I will cutt 4 times and add some yelps if she does a long yelp run I will do a yelp run but pop some cutts in. If you can drag her in he will be right behind
if that doesn't work but she's still there talking i might try and gobble at her again to bring her in or challenge him for her.. My mouth call gobblers aren't always bold and true so I mix in jake yelps like I'm a half cocked young gun that needs a beating :z-guntootsmiley:
Making the physical move on them depends on topo, noise, cover and if I think another position is a better one than where I'm at now
Like everybody said. Pick a fight! But I will say this. You better not move a inch if she comes in because she is going to be on high alert and any movement she sees shes coming to investigate!
I would mimic every sound she makes, and get her fired up.
As others have said........tick off the hen.
Give her the most aggressive calling you can.
Nothing like 2 girls fighting, with the boys watching right with them.
:character0029: