Strutting hen?

[Marc]

Called in a hen, that went into full strut for almost an hour...

Came within feet of me...  I was calling a bird in front, and heard the hen...  Thought it was another hunter, till she started moving towards me quickly.

She came in behind me, and I caught a glimps of a full fan, and was trying to figure out how to turn around and shoot...  She came right by me in full strut spitting, and seemingly trying to drum?

Got her on video, but have no idea how to post?

Oddly, as soon as she came in, the bird in front went quiet...  Kept expecting him to appear, but never showed.

I have seen hens "puff up," but never seen one strut and spit with wings dragging...  Anyone else experience this before?

[hipp2412]

That would be cool to see. I once had a smoke phased hen come in gobbling. Sounded horrible, but no doubt it was a gobble. She came in aggressively to my decoys and then laid down. I would hit the call and she would gobble. Crazy stuff! Hopefully you can figure out how to post that, would love to see it.   

[Dtrkyman]

I have a video somewhere of s strutting hen, I was working a gobbler and when I first saw her coming down the ridge I thought it was him, he never showed and she hung around a long time also.

[Greg Massey]

It happens all the time, it's just turkeys being crazy turkeys... I've seen it several times ....

[jumiss]

Called in a hen, that went into full strut for almost an hour...

Came within feet of me...  I was calling a bird in front, and heard the hen...  Thought it was another hunter, till she started moving towards me quickly.

She came in behind me, and I caught a glimps of a full fan, and was trying to figure out how to turn around and shoot...  She came right by me in full strut spitting, and seemingly trying to drum?

Got her on video, but have no idea how to post?

Oddly, as soon as she came in, the bird in front went quiet...  Kept expecting him to appear, but never showed.

I have seen hens "puff up," but never seen one strut and spit with wings dragging...  Anyone else experience this before?

In 2023, that is clearly a "trans-hen" that goes by the pronouns of "he/him"! 

Sorry...I just couldn't resist!

[Tail Feathers]

I saw an Osceola hen break into strut on a blown down tree last week.  She only held it a few seconds but it was cool to see.  She also did a few kee kee runs for me.

[guesswho]

I saw one in Nebraska several years ago.  She entered a field within 30 yards of me.  She saw several other hens a hundred yards or so away.  She went into full strut.  The other hens saw this and ran to her.   Then she came out of strut and they all walked off in the direction she came from.  That's the only time I have seen one actually strut in 55 years of turkey hunting.   I've seen several half strut.   But she is the only one I've ever seen ball up and go into full blown strut mode. 

[Cottonmouth]

I've seen a hen strut in Nebraska a couple years ago.

[ManfromGreenSwamp]

Yesterday GA


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[HookedonHooks]

I just got off the phone awhile ago with a buddy who witnessed it today on the Kansas archery opener. I've encountered it twice, both times also in Kansas.

It's one of those deals where you don't even believe it until you see it in person. Most would suggest you were seeing a beardless Tom with low testosterone and bland head colors. I believe it, because I've seen it as well.

[Happy]

I have had some of the domestic hens I have raised do it. Had one or two try to gobble when they were young as well. I ain't sure but I suspect it is a dominance things. Hens have a pecking order as well

[Kylongspur88]

I've seen them do it in the fall. It can be a dominance thing with boss hens

[TrackeySauresRex]

I had one do it and lay out some goofy gobbles once

[huntineveryday]

We had two hens come into the decoys a couple years ago and proceed to beat the tar out of the DSD Upright Hen decoy. Like, the decoy was on the ground, on its side, and they were still kicking and pecking at it. Puffed up, but not strutting. That evening, just over the hill, we had two hens (I'm guessing the same two) come in and go at the Upright Hen again, this time one in full strut, the other at 3/4 strut. They came in silent, but once in started cutting. They continued to strut while pecking and kicking that decoy for close to 10 minutes. During the middle of it a jake came in strutting and started going to town beating on the 1/4 strut Jake decoy. I have a short video of it somewhere, it was pretty fun to watch for me and my youngest kid. Seemed like the birds in that pasture didn't like outsiders much!

[MK M GOBL]

"She" was right with the boys doing the dance.


MK M GOBL