Strategy for tight lipped Gobblers
 

What's your strategy on birds that are henned up.I have located a couple of strutting zones and know basically where birds are roosting.

Last friday night my son and I watched a bird strut in a power line for about 45 minutes.There were two hens with this Tom. One went to roost with him the other stayed lower. Saw where he went to roost and then got him to gobble a couple times. The next morning we set up about 80 yards from the roosted Tom he was with a hen.We set up between the bird and the hen he wasn't with. Gave hime a tree yelp he gobbled once.When he flew down he went the other way.Basically the woods went silent by 6:30 until about 10:45,when I heard a Tom gobble on top of a dog barking.Was able to work him in to about 80 yards yelping,clucking and purring didn't get really aggresive.

Been out a couple times this week and the gobbling has decreased.We had a cold front come through,wet and cold.Tomorrow they are calling for a low of 39 and a high of 51.

So what do you guys do when they are henned up bad?I plan on putting a bird to bed tonight and setting up on him in the morning.If that doesn't work out-

A.should I stay in an area I know the birds have been frequenting alot. Make some soft calls and be patient.

B.Work the ridge tops calling every 100 yards or so.

C.Set up where I saw this Tom strutting last week,set up decoys and get aggresive.

D.Something I havent thought of?

RE: Strategy for tight lipped Gobblers
 

If you have had the chance to pattern them---go where you have seen them go. Set up on their travel route and make either soft calls or none at all. It has worked for me.

RE: Strategy for tight lipped Gobblers
 

Charlie,

Depends on how aggressive you want to be...

If he only has two hens, I would bust him and his ladies from their evening roosts. Hopefully, they scatter in different directions and roost 100s of yards apart.

The next morning, set up about 50 yards from him gobbling, he'll probably be going bezerk. I wouldn't use dekes, but if you're bringing your son you may want to, because the bird will (if everything works right) glide right into gun range.

A few notes for this technique.

1) You have to be there early, and hope you can locate with an owl hooter. Setting up super close to the tom is essential. With no ladies around, he should be quite vocal, and the moonlight has them gobbling here at least 10 minutes before twilight...

2) Be the first hen that he hears...

3) Call very softly and use only short series of yelps (3-5), clucks and I use mostly purrs. Just let him know that you are there.

4) At flydown time, do a simulated wingbeat and start scratching the leaves. Use only very soft clucks and purrs, and be very soft. Anything loud will either a) scare him off or worse yet, b) keep him gobbling on the roost, attracting those hens you worked hard to scare off.

Other than roost busting, for henned up toms I either (a) get really close between him and his girls or (b) get to where he's going.

I've noticed the first three days here in CT that the hens are not vocal in the least, which is a good sign. It indicates that they are almost done laying and will be nesting/incubating very soon. Then the fun begins, as the toms get lonely and you can pick it up.

If the hens start to get vocal, try to get nasty and have her draw the gobbler to you.

Other than that, your plans sound good. The ridgetops ~10 are always good this time of year, but don't worry about being too aggressive. They're lonely because their hens have left to lay, so picking it up and then cutting him off cold, more often than not will bring them in on a run. The hard part about mid-morning birds is finding one that will gobble...

RE: Strategy for tight lipped Gobblers
 

50 yards. Man your brave!!! That is a little to close for ol Mr. Longbeard... What do you guys walk on down there pine needles???

RE: Strategy for tight lipped Gobblers
 

I have to agree; since they won't come to the previous calls take the fight to them; set up the ambush!

RE: Strategy for tight lipped Gobblers
 

Mr. Longbeard,

It's all about the cover of darkness for the covert operations :D

In all honesty, when it is pitch black the turkeys don't know what's moving around on the ground---could be a deer, coyote, bear---they could care less as long as it doesn't stop under their roost tree.

But I will agree, 50 yards is too close if it is starting to get light. And highly pressured birds on public ground can be startled easily...but if you spook them off the roost in the dark, sometimes that makes for an easy hunt...they come back hot looking for their hens.

Under pitch blackness one Spring, I took a gobbler at 25 paces from his roost. He glided down, I raised, he clucked, I fired...end of story.

RE: Strategy for tight lipped Gobblers
 

Ambush him like hell... if that doesn't work, try it again coming back to roost... if that doesn't work, try it all again the next day...

RE: Strategy for tight lipped Gobblers
 

Try to find where they go mid morning. You said you located strut zones, that is good. If you can spot them try to get close enough to either shoot or call them in. If you cant spot them get to a place where you think there is a good chance they will go and just wait. Calling maybe every 20 minutes or so.

RE: Strategy for tight lipped Gobblers
 

Charlie,
S&R gives great advice if your able to locate the roost.
In my opinion the best thing to do on these henned up situations is grab youself a good buttseat and put yourself in a position you know they frequent daily and wait em out.Obviously preseason scouting pays big dividends here but your ability to read sign during your season can clue you in on where birds are spending alot of time.I've hunted turks for years and more often times than not when a gobbler hits the ground and stops gobbling guys make the mistake of legging it through there turkey woods boogering everything up,in which most cases spooking birds they dont even see!Turkey sign doesn't lie but tells a true story when the birds aren't in sight.In most cases wherever the hens go the gobbler follows.If the birds aren't all boogered up those hens will return to those favorite feeding/watering/nesting/roosting/dusting, areas and you should be waiting for them.I like to get in these areas,set-up well camo'd but in a good position to see,and swing my gun,and call about twice an hour using soft yelps,clucks,and purrs.Obviously this isn't the most exciting way to turkey hunt,but it has put numerous longbeards in my vest,and when your sitting there half asleep to all the sudden recognize thats spit-n-drumming your hearing those quiet woods really weren't so quiet afterall!!!;)

RE: Strategy for tight lipped Gobblers
 

..first off,hunt the total lenth of your legal hunting hours,i thought season was over and
all at once at 12 pm,woods on fire with gobbling,we have to be out by 1 pm,,,;):D
killed a 21 pounder that day...