VP

In you experiences, What factors do you think contributes the most to tight lipped turkeys? ex, weather, hunting pressure, barometer, henned up. Last couple of yrs, I hunted a bird every other day for 6 days with numerous encounters but never cose enough for a shot. Never saw anybody else on him while I was in there but some days he was so vocal he wouldnt even breath between gobbles, other days he wouldnt say a word and then just show up and disappear, both of which he would have hens with him at all times. One time in paticular I had the dominant hen so PO' ed at me she came in and stomped the snot outa my decoy. What kind of tatics have proved to be successful with these types of birds?

" May Yer Beards be Long and Yer Spurs be Sharp"

maytom

I say it' s the old henned up situation!! If you know where they roost, I' d try setting up near there after 9am, put out some deeks and don' t calll to much. Then wait about 1/2 hr between calls. That old gobbler will think your a hen showing up late, and come back for a look. On the second series of calls, keep you eye' s peeled for a silent bird sneaking in!!

roman

Maytom is right. I have had success a couple times with a returning tom. If you happen to be there for flydown and the toms are henned up go back there mid- morning . A few yelps may be all you need. Stay alert and be ready for a sneaking tom .

Adrian J Hare

These kind of birds are just what I like to encounter. There are a few ways to work these birds and Maytom has exsplained one way. A few others that I use for these type of birds are,1/ The Intruder Strategy, 2/ The Wet day Strategy, 3/ The Bust Strategy

1/ Is something that works well only keep Safty at all times in your mined. This is good with a Hunting partner, Setup and Call to the Tom and answer the Hen calls with a Gobble. If your with a partner have him set up behind the shooter and you call as a hen and have your partner gobble as a tom answering the call of the hen. This can turn a Dominate tom upside down. I have killed a number of birds this way.

2/ The Wet Day trick works on a damp day. Turkey tend to head to open fields on these type of days. A setup before light in a strutting area that is well opened and wait out your game, this is a good plan. Having the right rain gear is a good idea for this type of hunting. Turkeys head for fields as the woods are noisy and feilds allow a good visioned view for the birds, when his hearing is not working as he likes. Your working on the birds senses here.

3/ When all has failed and it looks as if you have to walk away [:' (] There is one last strategy that has killed some Big Old gobblers for me. This is the Bustem strategy more of a fall Tastic used in the spring. If you have an idea where this bird is roosted ,, and you should after you have hunted him everyday trying everything, you can Bust the bird in the evening away from the hens, when it is too late for the Tom to get back to his hens he will do so the next morning. This is when your going to be setup on him between him and his hens. Most times a gobbler that has had the Bustem done on him will gobble the next day like no tomorrow...BT/
Adrian Hare
Quakerboy Prostaff.

turkeyrambler

That' s some good info. Thanks for some input into the memory bank boys.

Adrian J Hare

This is a great topic , I would like to see others post some of there secret plays , just to help ou this forum a little...BT

Wickman (Buckmaster)

Id have to agree with the Henned up scenario. Its alomost imposable to get them to come in or even respond when they are henned up.