I hunt turkeys in Iowa and they are not responding to a call at all, i mean they gobble but wont come in to the decoys. I got a bow tag this year and my season goes to May 15 but i think im about to give up. Saw 10 different gobblers today and not one of them would come in. They are henned up really badly, anyone know when they usually break free from the hens. Any help is greatly appreciated and thank you in advance.

Thanks,
deerhunter18

We have been haveing the same problem here in ohio this week, I tried waiting til about 8-8:30 to start talking to the ones that start gobbling later after the roost. very soft calling seemed to do the trick. out of a group of 4, we took 3 good toms. hope this helps ya out. I'm going to try it again tomarrow for my bird. good luck. g.b. 50

Keep after them. You might try spooking them off the roost the night before. Then he will be away from his hens. Have you tried hunting mid day I kill alot of birds after 10 AM. Don't give up. Try getting in front of them and ambush them.

Get up tomorrow morning and go again. Maybe try an area you haven't hunted yet, maybe tone the calling down, just the soft, quiet stuff. One of these days, you will get one of these fickle creatures to respond. They just sometimes suffer from severe lock-jaw.

Birds that are henned up will stay that way until sometime later on in the morning. I have killed several birds after 10am. Have you determined what direction they go? When you do this, find an ambush point, set up a couple of decoys, scracth the leaves and make just a few simple, quiet calls. Good luck, Patience will pay off my fellow hunter...

Its a good idea to wait. Especially when they are done with those hens they should be looking for you. but maybe your tryin to call to much maybe? just a little calling here and there is good just to let them know your there. and sometimes you have to make the move and go to them but i wouldnt try it because like u said they are henned up and hopefully any day they will be looking for you.

Keep hunting them!! I too hunt in Iowa and the turkeys should get less and less henned up as the season progresses. I think the later seasons can be just as good or better than right away early on.

thanks guys for all of the help... I'm going to go out this weekend and try to get me one. I went last night and was walking to my blind i left it set up from the morning hunt, and i was about 100 yards from my blind and saw about 40 turkeys out in the corn field behind my blind 10 toms were strutting. So i held tight while they walked over the hill to go to my blind, well i was sitting there waiting to go to the blind i had a tom in full strut walk 15 yards away from the blind[:@]. I got it all on tape though. It was cool.