Henned up toms..

[RedShaft]

What tricks do you have to work a henned up gobbler?
I have done the mimic the hen thing. And it has worked. But it depends on the mood of the hen. Depends if she is feeling scrappy that morning or not and Wants to come have a look.
any thoughts? Thanks in advance!

[KentuckyTJ]

The latest craze is to get a fan, hold it out in front of you and crawl right at them. Works great with a scatter gun so may work with a stick bow. You have nothing to lose. I'd recommend having someone go with you to hold it though or some sort of stake you could stick it in the ground with when trying to shoot. Have several close friends that gun hunt be successful this way.

Also there is the old indian technique of running into the flock busting them up and then calling them back together.

[RedShaft]

That's what I was thinking. Busting them up maybe then he will be lonely again soon. And I'll be there to sing him a sweet song..

[Kopper1013]

Bust'em up, try and pay attention to which way the Tom goes, then cut that way but no to much give him some room but an easy root to you then call and sit patiant he probably won't gobble but will slip in to get his girls back

The other day, i stopped and considered having a go at a tome strutting in bare field.  He was about 50 yards from a group, that  was about 250 yards from me.  There may have been a dominant tom in that group that kept him back.   When on the gravel road by my car looking binos, they paid no attention to me.  When i headed across a small opening heading for a cover and calling position, they all took off running for cover.  Apparently, those turkeys recognize man on foot as a threat.  They ignored all calling attempts.  Later, at a different location, I called one in from out of no where, he was an aggressive gobbler.  I should have used a decoy, he spotted a hen about 200 yards away cut across the corner of an alfalfa field and took off running and gobbling.  If I would have stuck with my original calling cover, a trimmed cedar, I would have had him in my lap.  Instead, I had that same cedar blocking all chances for a shot.

[Buckeye1977]

Have busted them on accident before. Found a good spot to sit and call and had the gobbler come back for a look and got the shot.

[Ryman Cat]

If you call the boss hen in the tom comes on a string and follows her. Aggreseive cakling to tick her off so she comes to you. It might be fast and furious. Once had a boss hen 5 feet from me giving me the dickens thought she might try to evn flog me? LOL

Tom struted back and forth at 15 yards and didn't I shoot over his back. She had me rattled after I rattaled her. I was on ground behind dead fall natural blind. I was sitting and the shot wasn't easy but was close.

I tried the fighting hen calls after the tom took off, I did get another hen to come in.  She was just a few feet behind me doing lots of chucking and putting, but she was alone.   Last year doing the aggressive cackles i got a group in with a po-ed hen, the beard dragger of the group stayed so tight with the others that I was afraid that I would hit the wrong bird.  A jake that was tailing the group, caught my arrow.

[Birdbow]

I've had success just staying put in my blind and waiting them out. Eventually, the hens that drew the tom away with them will be bred or lose interest and the tom will often return to the 'hen' he heard earlier. Not 'run & gun' technique but has consistently worked for me. Good luck and have fun! Todd

I agree the sit and wait method is the best providing the birds are there.   I quite often use the Bush in a Bag and a Huntmore in a cedar thicket edge for long sits.  In some areas around here there are not many birds, limited access and many gun hunters.  Among those gun hunters are always those that come running when they hear a tom gobbling.  Nothing, absolutely nothing ticks me off worse than to have a full set-up, then after long patient wait and finally getting an active tom to return and then have it all blown because some dumb and young run and gunner comes charging in on me.  It has happened a number of times.  I quit hunting turkeys because of it for years.  The roads are too close in some areas and guys are just riding around listening for gobbling turkeys, when they hear one they come charging in and it does not seem to matter to them that they are messing up someone else's work.  A couple of years ago, I had a fat guy drive up before light while I was getting ready. I told him where I was going and he told me where he was going.  I got a tom gobbling, he heard it from nearly a half mile away, jumped the private fence and came running, huffing and puffing, scaring the tom off when it was with in 60 yards of me.   In some areas, a nice weekend day it is a total waste  of time to try hunting spring turkeys.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Originally posted by Birdbow:
I've had success just staying put in my blind and waiting them out. Eventually, the hens that drew the tom away with them will be bred or lose interest and the tom will often return to the 'hen' he heard earlier. Not 'run & gun' technique but has consistently worked for me. Good luck and have fun! Todd

X3

[Friend]

Very reasonable advice.

Not an expert, yet in my experience, 20 of the 35 birds that I have successfully arrowed came in silent. That is, I hadn't heard any thunder in at least an 1 1/2 hours. Often times, much longer and even some with no gobbin in 3 hours. There was no gobbin at all last Saturday and the birds ran in unannounced between me the facing deke jake at 11;00 am....was successfully fortunate to spear one.

Patience is often times rewarded.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

I don't like the term " Henned up" not all toms are at the same time and there should be some running around without hens. Unless your hunting specific birds that's different.

Like said, sleep in, eat a big breakfast get in the woods about 10am and setup and you might well be very surprised. Or spend the whole morning out there it don't matter late morning can be awesome. I'm a morning person so I will be there anyway never know.

Like always try to keep your calling to a minimum and talk like them not the yahoos screaming out every sponsored call the can loudly on the hunting shows.

[Guru]

Originally posted by K.S.TRAPPER:
I don't like the term " Henned up" not all toms are at the same time and there should be some running around without hens. Unless your hunting specific birds that's different.

Like said, sleep in, eat a big breakfast get in the woods about 10am and setup and you might well be very surprised. Or spend the whole morning out there it don't matter late morning can be awesome. I'm a morning person so I will be there anyway never know.

Like always try to keep your calling to a minimum and talk like them not the yahoos screaming out every sponsored call the can loudly on the hunting shows.

           

[Jayrod]

Originally posted by K.S.TRAPPER:
I don't like the term " Henned up" not all toms are at the same time and there should be some running around without hens. Unless your hunting specific birds that's different.

Like said, sleep in, eat a big breakfast get in the woods about 10am and setup and you might well be very surprised. Or spend the whole morning out there it don't matter late morning can be awesome. I'm a morning person so I will be there anyway never know.

Like always try to keep your calling to a minimum and talk like them not the yahoos screaming out every sponsored call the can loudly on the hunting shows.

Very well said tracey couldn't say it any better myself!!  

[RedShaft]

When I talk henned up I am talking about a specific bird at the moment. Like he is gobbling to my calls and hers. But he likes her music better and won't commit and will not leave her side. If she don't want to come and see who the other hen is Talking smack, she will automatically lead him off in the opposite direction. That's henned up for me.
I agree. When I hear guys not hearing birds they are sayin henned up. Makes me laugh..

When I go I hunt till have to quit. In PA that is 12 noon. Just a few years ago they finally passed we an hunt evenings the 3rd week.

You are right. Like I said I'm out till they make me leave. I hear most gobbling and have most my action around 10:30-11am
Just last week I didn't hear any after daylight till just after 11 am. And he has his girlfriend with him...

I'm going to have to try waiting them out. I have had them answer n take off with another hen. And then I come back to that area after walking a few miles. N he is there at 11:30 gobbling again lonely. Probably looking for me!!
Thanks for all the advice guys!

[RedShaft]

Try this some time. It worked for me.  A hunted tom would not commit. Did the usual hang up. This is pa mountain woods to paint the picture. Come closer then drift back. I thew all the tricks at him. Even my deadly. Hard to get tactic of the leaving hen trick. The silent treatment. The soft stuff all that stuff. Well I almost had to leave. We are tlk hours of him hanging up.

So I went opposite extremely agressive. I started cutting. And nothing else. Excited hard cutting one after another after another he got so dang wound up he was triple gobbling and walked right into my lap. Some food for thought.

[Friend]

Have experienced success on occasion by exiting blind and walking directly away, where the gob could hear me, approximately 25 yards in the opposite direction, then calling and immediately sneaking quickly and silently back to the blind.

Note: Circumstances must be virtually ideal...have been busted more than once by not getting back in the blind in time.

[Warden609]

Originally posted by Friend:
Have experienced success on occasion by exiting blind and walking directly away, where the gob could hear me, approximately 25 yards in the opposite direction, then calling and immediately sneaking quickly and silently back to the blind.

Note: Circumstances must be virtually ideal...have been busted more than once by not getting back in the blind in time.

That is a solid turkey hunting tip. Especially for a bowhunter. Risk with the chance of reward.

[Montanawidower]

Granted our birds our decidedly easier to call than eastern birds, but none the less the principles are the same.   Really I learned it elk hunting.

A herd bull with a bunch of cows is not going to leave them for a random cow call off in the bushes.   He will however, come after a bugle.

A Big Tom with a flock of hens will rarely leave his girls to check out a random hen.   I think if you want to kill him,  you're better off being another gobbler.   Enter the fan trick or a shaker.  

That said, the gobblers I end up killing are the satellites.  In fact I killed one yesterday.  

I worked the flock all morning, the big Tom had hens and kept them close.   I watched him chase off two jakes and a lone, lesser gobbler.   After several hours of fruitless efforts, the flock wandered down into a creek bottom.   I gave two soft yelps and that satellite gobbler re appeared and came charging right in my lap.  

I guess I'm getting old, but old toms taste tough, and besides I figure they earned the right to pass on their genes.   Wack a jake  or a satellite bird is my motto.   Yeah their beards are shorter and their spurs are dull, but man they eat well.