Single strutter in a flock tactic?

[Cullenhunter]

So at my farm every year there is only one strutter and this year there are two other long beards and a jake with about 5 hens. I recently purchased a strutter decoy a want to put it to use. So I f I were to target the strutter would I use different tactics than targeting the non dominant gobblers.would using this decoy make the strutter want to fight or since one bird is always strutting a year would seeing another strutter make him nervous and not come in.  And if I had the strutter and the 2 long beards come in would it be wrong to shoot a non dominant bird thatr and has a longer beard.

[beakbuster10]

I would think a strutter decoy and a submissive hen with a feeder or two would seal the deal, as far as bringing the strutter in. As far as multiple longbeards coming in, everyone is different, but I'm in the camp of killing mature gobblers. If I have time to pick a larger bird with longer spurs and beard, great. If not, I still did what I set out to do, killing a long beard.


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[MK M GOBL]

So at my farm every year there is only one strutter and this year there are two other long beards and a jake with about 5 hens. I recently purchased a strutter decoy a want to put it to use. So I f I were to target the strutter would I use different tactics than targeting the non dominant gobblers.would using this decoy make the strutter want to fight or since one bird is always strutting a year would seeing another strutter make him nervous and not come in.  And if I had the strutter and the 2 long beards come in would it be wrong to shoot a non dominant bird thatr and has a longer beard.

I would take the best shot opportunity, longbeard down! Of course you have an axe to grind with the strutter.

MK M GOBL

[Farmboy27]

killing the strutter is great, but he is not always the "best bird".  Have seen(and shot) longbeads in a flock that had nicer beards/spurs than the strutter.  That's what I love about turkey hunting.  Any bird can be a trophy, not deer hunting where a " buck is looked down on because someone else shot a +1" buck!

[kwcb12]

Like beakbuster said the strutter and a feedning hen should work.  Been using this tactic on hard to hunt field birds since the strutter decoys came out.  It's still no guarantee he will come but if he does hold on to your hat because he's coming for a fight.  If he comes out and struts around then moves off it's not a lost cause.  Probably just means that he's not the man of the field and the other two longbeards have beat up on him.  I would then target the two together as they will probably come in to tag team your strutter decoy.  If your dead set on killing the strutter come back a day or two later with a jake decoy and the hens.  Have had this work on birds that shy away from the strutter decoy.

[arrow1]

killing the strutter is great, but he is not always the "best bird".  Have seen(and shot) longbeads in a flock that had nicer beards/spurs than the strutter.  That's what I love about turkey hunting.  Any bird can be a trophy, not deer hunting where a " buck is looked down on because someone else shot a +1" buck!

Perfect example I just experienced in Florida.  I had 3 birds work into the strutter set up with 2 hens.  I shot the bird that strutted and gobbled but then one of the other birds whopped him when he was down and I could clearly see this bird had some serious hooks,  Bigger than the bird I shot.  I've experienced this in the past as well but a mature bird is always my goal and preferably one that gobbles.

[jims]

I change my setups on a regular basis depending upon the reaction and time of year I'm hunting.  Obviously if one thing doesn't work try something else!  If you are hunting the same group of turkeys for several days and they hear the same calls and see the same decoy setup...guess what?

It's up to you which turkey you want to harvest.  If you shoot the dominate tom he may be replaced by another..or it may take a year or 2 for a jake/jakes to age and replace him?  Size of beard and spurs may not matter to you?  Do you plan on having it mounted?  If so, you may like having a full tail, long spurs, and beard?  It's more or less a judgement call for you.

[Cut N Run]

Try making a jake fan by leaving a few middle feathers long and shorten the outside feathers.  Then put a short, stubby beard in your strutter.  Put a submissive or feeding hen in front of the strutter jake decoy and see what happens. Dominant birds really don't like that.  The gobblers spend much of the winter deciding the pecking order and having a young outsider show up and break the rules tends to get the youngster's @$$ kicked.

Jim