Advice/help please

[Dr Andy]

The land I hunt on is a cornfield adjacent to DNR land w/no hunting The DNR land is all wooded ravines and is fenced in. The turkeys are in there I had 2 gobblers hang up and would not come into the field. Any Tips?

[mouthcaller]

Andy

You havea problem, namely:

1. Despite the fact that gobblers can run, climb, or fly virtually anywhere they damn well please, they typically are reluctant to cross a fence, or even natural obstacles like a stream or blowdown to come to a call.

2. I have encountered situations where gobblers, even fired up gobblers, were reluctant to step out of a woods into a wide open area (field or road), and visa-versa. It is like they are saying, "I'm in a safe spot that I like, I don't know what's out there where you are, so you better come to me or else I'm notplaying with you".

I would suggest backing off the fence line a bit, giving the birds room to come to the edge of your cornfield without feeling pressured. Use multiple decoys, maybe even one of those pretty-boy strutting decoys. Use more than one call at the same time to sound like a group of hens, not just one. You could cluck or soft-yelp with a diaphram while clucking on a push-pull box. Also you could take someone else along to call at the same time. You could have someone float calling behind you if the terrain allows, which would put you between the turkeys and the caller. If this doesn't work I might try gobbling at him or using a fighting purr on a slate. These would be last resort options however.

Good luck

Mouthcaller

[Dr Andy]

Thanks the field is wide open cornfield and not a twig to hide behind a tent blind might work? As to not crossing the fence I've seen dozens in the field during previous scouting trips, when spooked they just run back under the fence into the woods. I'll try the tent blind and some motion in the dekes

[mouthcaller]

Andy

I have no experience with the tent blinds, but I've seen the videos where guys are archery hunting from them with great success - sometimes in wide open places. Here inTennesseeI generally haveno problem finding a place to hide. I prefer to go to the turkey andhaven't hunted fields or used decoys in a long time, but that is about to change now that my 10-year old is starting to hunt with me. We may have to pull a green-field ambush to get his first turkey in the next couple of weeks.

Good luck and let me know how it goes

Mouthcaller

[Dr Andy]

Good luck with your 10yo. My 15yo is going with me for fifth season Illinois in May. Thanks for the advice