Hen interception

[Marc]

The last couple years, the toms have been outnumbered by the hens...

Even later in the morning, when I am able to find a lonely tom, sometimes I will see (and hear) a hen intercept him...

Last year, I had a tom coming in on a string, and watched the hen walk right past me and take the tom in the opposite direction.

Right now, I know where the birds are roosting, and where they are going...  I also know if I call, that the hens will likely redirect (from previous experience)...  Part of turkey hunting to me is calling birds in, and I do not think I would be satisfied, just shutting up and ambushing birds.

I am hunting Rio's and have heard that they are the worst at intercepting and redirecting toms...  It can be quite frustrating...  Guess I have to learn when to put the call down...

[Coroner01]

I was told once by an old hunter that there are also "dry" hens in the flock.  These hens will breed all day, and never make a nest or lay an egg.  I asked my old buddy "why" do they just breed, if they even know they are dry hens and ruining my life.  He smiled and said " I just think they like it".    I have mocked a fight and pulled a dominant bird away from the harem's.  In Northern Illinois I have busted up flocks the night before off roost, because in the morning, Ill be between them darn ladies and the boys.   AL

[troutfisher13111]

I have been known to stand up and scare hens off if the Tom is far enough away where he can't see me. Or even just wave my arms. It works wonders if I am in position to scare them away from the Tom. If they are in a position where they are gonna likely scare towards him, obviously I won't try it.

If I can get between the hens and Tom while they are on the roost, it's game over for him. Often around here they are roosted a good distance apart, like at least a 100 yards.


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[Rzrbac]

I have been known to stand up and scare hens off if the Tom is far enough away where he can't see me. Or even just wave my arms. It works wonders if I am in position to scare them away from the Tom. If they are in a position where they are gonna likely scare towards him, obviously I won't try it.

If I can get between the hens and Tom while they are on the roost, it's game over for him. Often around here they are roosted a good distance apart, like at least a 100 yards.


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^this is exactly what I do as well.

[Marc]

My experiences recently have been late morning, and watching hens come out of seemingly nowhere and intercept a bird...

I would be very curious to know if a nesting hen will get off the nest to steal a tom or drive off an interloping hen?

Last weekend, I was watching some birds in the distance, and was calling at them...  Far to their right, I hear a hen start that continuous yelping, meet up with them, and walk off the opposite direction with them...


Kinda' like a crazy ex-girlfriend...  "If I can't have him, nobody can..."

[Cottonmouth]

I have been known to stand up and scare hens off if the Tom is far enough away where he can't see me. Or even just wave my arms. It works wonders if I am in position to scare them away from the Tom. If they are in a position where they are gonna likely scare towards him, obviously I won't try it.

If I can get between the hens and Tom while they are on the roost, it's game over for him. Often around here they are roosted a good distance apart, like at least a 100 yards.

I've done it several times myself, but if he's far enough away I'll jump up and try to scare the heck out of them so they don't stand there and putt for 10 minute and spook everything. My thinking is if he hears one flying off, he might just think one is flying down
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[troutfisher13111]

If they start putting, I yelp long and loud with my mouth call to drown them out. Works wonders

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[Cottonmouth]

Never thought of that....will have to remember that one.

[troutfisher13111]

Last time I did it was when I killed one of my few field birds. I was on the edge of a field and so was he roosted about 150 yards south of me. I was as close as I could get due to property lines. As it's getting light a hen starts yelping from a tree about 100 yards north of me. A little bit later she and another hen fly down before he does and start making their way towards him on the same edge of the field. They get about 30 yards from me and I start waving my arms they instantly turn around to leave hastly and start putting, only a couple putts made it out before I started a long series of about 20-25 yelps. By the time I was done they were long gone and he was still gobbling on the limb. He eventually flew down and came right to me.

The funny thing is there was another guy directly across the field from the roosted tom and they were only about 100 yards from each other. I'm convinced the tom was so use to the hens traveling the field edge I was on that it gave me the advantage.

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[Tomfoolery]

Ive had hens run past me to a gobbling bird 1 too many times. If i see a hen coming past me heading to a gobbler i will get up and run her off. If i bust the gobbler in the process i figure my hunt is done either way. Worked out for me on my merriams hunt. Had a gobbler with hens and the hens cam up past me. And when i called the hens cam back headed for the tom. Jumped up and ran them off 10 minutes later the tom was flopping on the ground.