How often do you engage or kill a dominate tom?

[Brillo]

I have played with a lot of jakes, fewer subordinate toms but never a really mature, dominate tom.  I've seen some and called to them but I don't seem to be able to fool them one little bit.  What is your expectation when you pick up your gun?  Are you thinking about that at all or are you planning on first come first served?

[davisd9]

Any opportunity I get.

[Greg Massey]

It all depends on the situation, but I have killed a few subordinate Toms along with the satellite gobblers .... I find the subordinate is easy to kill if he has competition coming from a different direction into the mix of the calling battle ...  All of this makes for an exciting hunt...  Gobblers coming from more than one direction...  I will take whichever opportunity presents itself ....

[runngun]

If he responds to my calls, I believe in my own mind that I can shoot him. If I can get him turned, my way.......

You done got my blood pressure UP!!!! DADGUMITT 

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[zelmo1]

Early in the season, the subs are easier. The later in the season the dominant gobblers are in more of a fighting mood. If they are together, the subdominant gobblers can lure the dominant birds to their demise. Z

[Tom007]

I consider a dominant Tom to be at least 3 years old. This doesn't mean that the oldest birds in a flock are always dominant, but they are for sure wary, savvy, and very woods smart. These are the ones we all want to engage with. Most hunters on here have harvested their share of dominant birds for sure. These guys are usually strutting for their ladies bringing the rest of the flock in tow.  Call in their hen, they usually follow right to the gun. Some of the oldest birds I have been lucky enough to harvest are the most memorable hunts for sure. Some even took multiple days and several set-ups to get them. Remember, it's been my experience that the breeding hen will always lead their "Guy" away from your calling. She usually doesn't want to share her man with anyone. Tactics that worked well for me on these guys are knowing where they are roosted, soft, limited calling, figuring out where their hen (hens) want to travel to, and solid inconspicuous set-ups. Finally, PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE! Don't push the envelope, you mess up and he's gone. When you do harvest one of these guys, you will experience a "Rush" you will never forget......

[GobbleNut]

How often do you engage or kill a dominate tom?

I "engage" a lot of them...I "kill" very few.   
Of course, the definition of a "dominate tom" has to be clarified somewhat.  My definition is more based on age than dominance in terms of being the boss gobbler in a group.  Depending on where one is hunting, a dominant gobbler may be no more than a two or three-year-old.  There is a big difference between killing one of those than killing a gobbler that has survived more than three years in a "pressured" hunting environment. 

I have killed very few gobblers that I thought to be more than four years old, and the ones I have killed were either the result of hunting a lightly (re: controlled, limited hunting pressure) hunted area,...or were the result of some sort of "extenuating" circumstance that put me in the right spot at the right time and under the right conditions of the moment.

Due to the way I personally hunt...that is, trying to find a responsive gobbler that will carry on a conversation and come to my calling...I generally don't do the things that cause those "extenuating" circumstances.  As such, the great majority of the turkeys I have killed have been two and three-year-olds, although there have been handful of exceptions over the decades. 

In short, I hunt for that "classic" encounter where a gobbler comes in gobbling, strutting, and drumming to my calling. Those old "dominant toms" have kind of figured out that doing that is not such a good idea once they reach a certain age and have survived a few "hunter encounters".   

[Tail Feathers]

I take the first long beard that comes into range usually.  With multiple toms, I'll pick the one that looks the biggest or acts like the boss. 
I truly believe every longbeard is a trophy.  I've never seen the spurs on one before I pulled the trigger.  I've killed the boss bird, I'm sure I've killed some subordinate birds.  I've never walked away from a successful hunt unhappy.

[Brinkcalls]

Full fan, good beard. Dead.
I try to kill the "dominate" bird, but I'm more of a setting kinda guy. If it looks good, feels like a good hunt. He's a goner.


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[Bedge7767]

Every chance I get.

[Kygobblergetter]

I've killed some good ones but I don't really think about it at all when I'm going out. I hunt (or try to) any gobbling bird I can find. Sometimes that's an old bird and sometimes it's not. I've killed some 2 year olds that I just knew were going to have big hooked spurs and I've killed some limb hangers that I expected to be 2 year olds. That is not the norm obviously


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[austinc]

I've engaged a few, rarely kill them. Theres actually one I dealt with on multiple hunts last year that by the end of season I was hoping he'd get struck by lightning!  he whipped my butt all season, but if he's still around this spring,  I'll try him again. Super hard headed and unpredictable bird...

[silvestris]

After 51 years of chasing this bird I am unsure of how to define a "dominate gobbler."   I just don't know how to do it and I am unsure whether it matters; you give him the call you think will work and if it doesn't work, you then have something to think about.

[sasquatch1]

I take the first long beard that comes into range usually.  With multiple toms, I'll pick the one that looks the biggest or acts like the boss. 
I truly believe every longbeard is a trophy.  I've never seen the spurs on one before I pulled the trigger.  I've killed the boss bird, I'm sure I've killed some subordinate birds.  I've never walked away from a successful hunt unhappy.

X2

I've NEVER not had a smile on my face with a dead longbeard


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[capecodmike]

Full fan, good beard. Dead.
I try to kill the "dominate" bird, but I'm more of a setting kinda guy. If it looks good, feels like a good hunt. He's a goner.


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Couldn't agree more.