turkeygirl2

I've got a monster gobbler I've been chasing...the first week shot and missed him...he had a couple days off and is recovered, if he even knew what happened! Gobbles every morning I've been out and each evening I've been able to roost him...so far he either roosts on this small ridge or across on the other side of a field, lower in the woods. Problem is he has a hen with him....the one day they were out in a field and I got her to talk back to me and she'd start to come then turn around and eventually led him away....now it seems that all she does is go the opposite way from me with this bird... I'm afraid of trying to break them up the night before on roost...don't want him to be spooked for good....but no one else is around hunting, just me.

Any tips/suggestions?

I can't go out again until Thursday morning, so hoping to roost him Weds. evening...but late Weds. night through Thurs. AM it's suppose to be rainy, t-storms, and windy....is my best bet going to be sitting by a field that I've seen him and his hen in (both morning and evening)? I am going to throw my jake and hen decoy out if I end up in the field. My other thought is if I can roost him Weds. evening, then with wet ground Thurs. morning, I'm going to sneak in as close as I can get. This morning I was maybe 75-100 yards from his roost....he flew down and landed on the downside and was on a logging trail strutting,waiting for his hen who later on flew down....

nchawkeye

He won't stay with that hen all day...Wait and go in about 10:00am, then he should be looking for another lady...

turkeygirl2

Well hard part is we can only hunt till noon...otherwise I'd have had him long ago being that I know where he likes to roost!...

Howler

If that hen is a breeder and is laying, then like hawkeye stated, get after him later morning when he's all alone. That hens gotta go lay an egg sometime, and my bet is she'll leave him well before noon.

nchawkeye

Dang...Folks complain about NC not letting you hunt on Sunday and ya'll have to quit at noon...

Looks like you have 2 hours...You could also find another for a week or so and come back after he is through with her...Usually they will breed the same hen for about 2 weeks...

turkeygirl2

I kinda wonder though if when she leaves...he isn't right on her tail....the way he was with her out in that field...geesh....

Mottz

I'd ry using a jake/hen combo. Try to get him mad.

GreatHunterWannabe

Maybe try cutting them off on their way to their feeding grounds later in the morning.

learningturkeys

Very soon that hen will leave him for the nest for good and he will become veeery lonely. Be there when the time is right, probably some time during the next week. Keep track of him, and when you hear him fly down alone one day soon he will come straight to you. Maybe. Otherwise, I like the mid-morning plan. Good luck, hunting one particular bird, especially an educated one is uniquely difficult, maddening in fact. I usually try to find another bird rather than spend my whole season getting outsmarted. I hope you get him!