Seeing single hens only
#1
Thread Starter
Spike
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 73
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Are there any suggestions to a strategy to employ when you see hens every time you hunt, but only they are singles. I hunt in north central florida(osceolas) and the property i hunt on has no real open areas good for glassing from a distance. I've found three recent strutting zones, feathers, and scratch areas; but the gobblers have shut up since opening day, so it is has been nearly impossible to pinpoint where they are on a given day. On a side note i'm new to the forum and fairly new to turkey hunting.
#2
If those signs seem fresh i would stick around where you think they are strutting. Try doing more listening than calling. maybe try some soft purrs. Welcome to the forum and good luck to you.
#3
If you're seeing single hens, that means there are some lonely toms out there somewhere. Those single hens are going to, or coming from laying eggs. Hunt those strutting areas that you're seeing. Cover up, call sparingly and use soft calls(purrs, whines, and clucks) and be patient.
#4
Thread Starter
Spike
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 73
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Thank you for the responses. These three sites of the signs have occured within the last week as opposed to the prior week, and they are within 200 yards of each other. After hunting the general area for 4 straight days and hearing nothing other thansingle hens I thought that they were bred and the gobbler had moved on. I'm not familiar if this is something that may happen. But being as bullheaded as I am, I will hunt in this area until I get lucky or all the signs disappear.
#5
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 759
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From: Georgia
man I hunt in GA and I have had the same thing happen after opening day thay shutup the singles u are seeing are probally nesting and have already bred. Dont over hunt the area let it rest otherwise the gobblers will get call shy and will actually run in the opposite direction when they hear u call. Try roosting them or going in mid afternoon when the gobblers part ways with the hens he flew down with that morning. They wont gobble as much in the afternoon so dont over call. ( a few clucks and yelps every 10-15 mins should do fine)
#6
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 12
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Hunting quiet turkeys can be the hardest animal to hunt.If your seeing hens,the toms are around somewhere.I know the hens are nesting when i see single hen tracks in odd and strange places.
I would get out there before sunrise, on high ground and keep your ears open.I know that the beard draggers around here sometimes only gobble 1 or 2 times before the sun,and a few times after the hens have left at noon.and keep quiet.theyve been through around 3 tough years and are wise now.and prefer visual hen incounters instead of audible ones.
If you still hear nothing. i suggest still hunting them,just set up at edges of feilds with low underbrush along a creek or where the gobblers usually strut.and wait..and use calling sparingly.Only call as much as the hens are ,if your hearing hens.
or you could set a decoy up in the best open area available and call sparingly.any hens within visual may wander over to investigate and bring some toms out of the woods and to you.
I would get out there before sunrise, on high ground and keep your ears open.I know that the beard draggers around here sometimes only gobble 1 or 2 times before the sun,and a few times after the hens have left at noon.and keep quiet.theyve been through around 3 tough years and are wise now.and prefer visual hen incounters instead of audible ones.
If you still hear nothing. i suggest still hunting them,just set up at edges of feilds with low underbrush along a creek or where the gobblers usually strut.and wait..and use calling sparingly.Only call as much as the hens are ,if your hearing hens.
or you could set a decoy up in the best open area available and call sparingly.any hens within visual may wander over to investigate and bring some toms out of the woods and to you.




