competing with boss hen?

[cohuttariverrat]

Well the birds here are rather hened up all day. I have a few questions. I understand to copy boss hen hoping to get her fired up enough to bring ole tom in with her. I have also got in a few calling contest with the hens, just never had her bring him in. My questions is the loud mouth of the hen flock always boss hen? general how long of calling sessions do most have before she commits to coming in? opening morning I battled it out with a hen for a good 15-20 min. ole tom was just hammering right beside her until she took him away. Does calling that much to them have any negative effect on the flock for another day?

[bamagtrdude]

I've had boss hen competitions last for over 1 hour, multiple mornings in a row.  In the cases where I bagged the gobbler, I was able to run her out of dodge, and leave him "stranded".  Many mouth calls have met their demise to these "calling competitions".  Re: it hurting anything, nah - you're sounding like an aggressive, boss hen, and he's gobbling right back to it, right?

YMMV.   

[West Augusta]

I've picked fights with a couple of hens and ended up carrying the gobbler out of the woods.  It's a blast if it works. Only adverse affect was for the gobbler in my case. 

[L.F. Cox]

"Call the hens and the gobbler will come" is most times just a fairy tail started by some outdoor writer.

Spring hens are not that vocal unless something upsets them.....when one starts talking and comes to you in the spring she's coming to bust yer arse.

Like was said...best you can hope for is to flush her away from the gobbler....if you can't then most times you will be screwed.

[Gooserbat]

Sometimes it works and sometimes it don't.   I killed a double a couple years back buy chalenging the Ol'Laddy  and it worked...She got real single real fast.

[L.F. Cox]

I've killed them too....but I don't dwell on the past too much.

[Twowithone]

It worked for me 1 time me and her were going at it hard bickering back and forth she came in with a couple hens and the ol man well he took a ride home with me that day.

[SwampSniper]

I got after a nice tom last year that was in a field by himself. I would call and he would gobble but it wasn't until 3 hens came out into the field that I actually was able to get him to move. I worked the old boss hen and got her pretty flustered. She brought her gals with her and he soon followed. Got lucky that day, brought home a nice one. So, it can work.

[Old Gobbler]

Gobblers down here in Florida , go silent much of the time when they hit the ground , sometimes they never make a peep even on the roost

if they see the hens pitch out , they quickly fly down and tag along ....for the whole day . Often times they tag along or play third wheel and are within 10 - 20 yards , sometimes they just seem to be blocking the hens every move as they strut about trying to get some attention -- sometimes as the day wears on they can tag behind a flock of hens at longer distances even up to 100 yards sometimes I swear you  will need 3 sticks of dynamite to blast those gobblers away from those hens - you got to get those hens yapping and with some patience pull them in - in open country you can watch hens bust out into a flat run from a open field , and leave the gobbler(s) standing there partner-less - my only assumption is they are going to go sit on the nest and they don't want anyone seeing where it is

Hens are a piece of cake to call up , now people are prone to use the loud yelps and all , but when you think of all the hens and the calling you hear them doing , yes there is some plain yelping ' but mostly in the early morning - during the day clucks of all kinds really seems to get them to start a back and forth , I don't like the cutting style some hunters use with loud cuts off a glass pot call ,it just too loud - I'm talking  a nice ordinary cluck , cluck a bunch , if you get a answer back , I just play Simon says , and replicate whatever the other hen is doing if she locator yelps with a 10 note yelp I answer back , same volume etc... this can carry on , I'll even cut her off and start yelping while she is yelping - eventually she will come in to investigate , - I can't tell you how many times I'm çalling back and forth with a hen , and all of a sudden a hell of a gobble roars off from the bushes 80 yards away and here comes mr. gobbler coming in to investigate what all the commotion is all about -- boom ....

Kee Kees .....it's not just for fall hunting get good at kee kee calling '  and eventually you will strike a nerve with a hen -  every turkey hunter knows this situation ( scenario) hens in a roost tree , yelping and cutting , gobblers closer to the hens - one or two hit the ground to the side ..... Better get those hens interested in your calling soon , cause I can guarantee the gobblers are going to pitch down right on top of them , start kee keeing get a hen over to you before it's too late - there is lots of confusion in the morning as a flock of birds light out of the trees , take advantage of the situation and get those birds mixed up and running about trying to  figure out where the rest of the flock is at even before some have hit the ground

I see to many turkey hunters fall under the trap of being " one trick ponies " yelp yep ....gobble , sit and wait -  I'm sure it works much of the time with cooperating gobblers , but no one style of turkey hunting method is going to work for all situations and or locations - some of the most successful and lethal turkey hunters I have ever met where hunters who had experience fall turkey hunting , they understand changing tactics more than a spring hunter and are willing to apply fall hunting methods in a spring situation often times with good results

[Garrett Trentham]

I've had it work in the past, but it's rather rare for it to pull the gobbler in as well. Usually they won't respond to any calling and will take the gobbler the other direction to avoid having to share their man with yet another woman. IF you do get them to respond, they will usually stand in the same spot and get excited but eventually turn around and leave with the rest of the pack. Next highest likelihood is that the one aggressive hen will leave the rest of the flock and come right up in your lap alone. The few times I've had this happen, the hens literally walked up in my lap looking me in the eye like she knew I was the one making that racket and she wasn't going to have it. The third chance is that the gobbler will follow that hen.

That being said if you've tried everything else, it's a tactic that may work and has in the past.

[memert116]

I think you can educate them at some point.  If you have no options then pick the fight with her and see how it plays out.  I've had quite a bit of success by leaving the area to check other places or even to go have breakfast and then come back later in the morning once the hens have gone to nest and calling softly and infrequently.  Gobblers are often out looking for "something" to do.....

[Skeeterbait]

More times than not fussin with the hen has caused her to lead him away for me.  Try something different on her.  Kee kee and Kee Key runs have brought hens to me.  I don't think they can associate it with fall young birds vs spring.  I have had them come in upset looking for the young bird in distress.  I have also had some luck pulling a gobbler away from hens with fighting purrs and cutts. I do it on a slate and I have hear of doing it with a couple of push pin calls.  I had two henned up two year olds literally run 200 yards across a clearcut to me looking for a fight.

[cohuttariverrat]

Lots of /?good info here and thanks. I was taught soft calling and not over calling. Picking a fight sure throws that out the window. I have yet to bring her or him in. I have had a jake come investigate during a good battle. I will try to get down right dirty next time this situation happens. I may not be aggressive enough. Other question nobody hit on was if you got a flock u know is mostly hens is the loud mouth that answers back to your calling the Boss? I have noticed only one hen will argue with you and the other hens may cluck or cut a little

[bamagtrdude]

Other question nobody hit on was if you got a flock u know is mostly hens is the loud mouth that answers back to your calling the Boss?

Normally, yes.

[Garrett Trentham]

I wouldn't just immediately start calling aggressively to the flock. If there is a hen that is more vocal than the rest, hone in on that bird and repeat every sound she makes to a T. If she's a dominant hen it will get her fired up and she will get aggressive at which time you will as well. Using this strategy ensures that you don't blow them away by calling too loud and aggressively from the start.