What to do with with a bird that's hung up

[luked]

Had a bird this morning I worked for hours and he just wouldn't move. Tried to move in on him. Yea that didn't work either. So what do you guys do when a bird is hung up. There wasn't any ditch fence or anything like that I could see causing him to hang up. He did have a hen with him I'm pretty sure but never could get a good look through the timber

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[SteelerFan]

Go eat breakfast...


Try him later, or if you run out of legal time - another day. Like I tell my buddies, if you were at a night club sitting with a pretty gal or two or three, and some other gal across the room wanted you to come over and talk - would you leave?

[WildSpur]

I do things a bit different.  Granted I hunt the hills so I have anatomy of the land to work with. 

If I called him to a point I will safely back out and completely circle around.  Do it right and you will call 2x just for location and you will be sitting for 5 minutes provided he is henless.  Jme.

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[Bowhuntr73]

Good plan of attack!!

[renegade19]

I do things a bit different.  Granted I hunt the hills so I have anatomy of the land to work with. 

If I called him to a point I will safely back out and completely circle around.  Do it right and you will call 2x just for location and you will be sitting for 5 minutes provided he is henless.  Jme.

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Same here.  I might not circle, but I definitely move, reset on him.

[KYHeadhunter02]

Use a gobble call, get aggressive calling, if that doesn't work circle around and get in front of him if possible. It has happened a lot to me.

[buck_hunter21]

If you can move on him, I would do that as well. The biggest thing I would do is just shut up. I have had gobblers do the same thing. Gobble and gobble but wouldn't move. I completely stopped calling and a lot of the times they continue to gobble and eventually start working to where they last heard the hen.

[silvestris]

Fire him up, then shut up.  When he quits gobbling, get your gun up and start looking for him.

[Marc]

Usually I get in the truck and punch the steering wheel...

I will try gobbling and fighting purrs at the point in which I realize I cannot coax him in while working any given bird with a hen...

Best method is to be where they are going, or wait till the hen leaves....  That moment when the hens leave there is a period of time that the birds are extremely vulnerable...  If you are in the woods at that moment, a tom will come in fast and hard....

[Cleveland48]

I usually curse throw my calls around in a temper tantrum! Lol I usually have my best luck by repositioning.


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[Timmer]

THIS...

Fire him up, then shut up.  When he quits gobbling, get your gun up and start looking for him.

Or may this...

I usually curse throw my calls around in a temper tantrum! Lol

[jims]

A lot depends upon the situation.  If a tom is within sight of decoys...decoy movement of some kind definitely helps.  Excited calling may fire a tom or the hens he's with up.  Getting a lead hen excited can get them heading your direction just as much as firing up the tom!  Movement from one position...either go away or towards a tom can often help.  Getting a tom fired up and giving him the silent treatment may get him wondering what the heck is going on.  Knowing what to do in a particular situation can definitely pull things in your favor!  Experience and being willing to try new and different things will likely pull things in your favor!  Keep at it and you will succeed!

[mikejd]

I do things a bit different.  Granted I hunt the hills so I have anatomy of the land to work with. 

If I called him to a point I will safely back out and completely circle around.  Do it right and you will call 2x just for location and you will be sitting for 5 minutes provided he is henless.  Jme.

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This was going to be my exact advice. I love doing this.

[g8rvet]

Had this happen to me this year in a fresh burn.  Woods to thin and flat to even consider repositioning. I tried to talk myself in to trying to make the firebreak and belly crawl from there, but the break was 25 yards closer to him. So I just sat there and took it like a man (whined, cursed, etc).     SO frustrating, but it happens.  I have repositioned successfully, just not an option this day. 

[Farmboy27]

All depends on why I think he won't come. If I think he has hens I'll go look for another bird and come back later in the morning to try him again. I don't risk moving around a lot on a bird with hens because there's a good chance it won't work anyway and I could spook him. If I think he's by himself and just being a turkey, I'll move on him. I'll give each set up enough time to be sure he's not coming and then I'll move again. Last year I set up 6 times till I finally killed one that was hung up. Sometimes it doesn't take a drastic move to make a difference. I just look around and say "ok he doesn't want to come right here, were does he want to go?"  Easier said than done, but find that spot that he likes and you're in business.