Frustrated..need ideas!

[Turkeygirl]

Ok, the last 2 nights the gobblerh as gobbled his head off and roosted on this smaller ridge both nights. Set up this morning on a logging trail to his left. It got light..no gobbles....didn't hear anything fly down, but around 6, 2 hens come in from my left and hang around. I thought this is great, I'm between him and them, he'll fly into my lap! Nope, he gobbled from his roost and that was it. I couldn't see him but I'd say h was 50-75 yards to my right. A little while later, I'm looking to my left and start hearing cluck...cluck...putt....putt....putt "Oh darn it"! there was a hen to my right, I couldn't turn and look but it must have been the one hen this gobbler is stuck on! He gobbles loud then, thought it sounded like he was on the ground. all goes quiet. A call a little bit then around 7 get up. I walk up the trail a few feet, stop, and a bird takes off out of a tree from the area where he and his hen or hens had been roosting. I don't know if it was him or not. I was behind some trees so I don't think he was too spooked...he flew off towards where it sounded like his hen went.

What do I do? How do I get this guy away from his hen...or his hen to me? I'll be up there tonight and hopefully he'll gobble like the last 2 nights....these warm nights are making them vocal around here.

I need ideas because I'm getting frustrated and running out of ideas...I don't know if I should bump them apart on the roost tonight or just try to set-up again where they might fly down...HELP

[Guest raylandarcher]

Try challenging the hen by agressively cutting at her.If she is the boss hen she will come in for a fight and hopefully bring your Tom with her.Good Luck

[Nut]

Try challenging the hen by agressively cutting at her.If she is the boss hen she will come in for a fight and hopefully bring your Tom with her.Good Luck

That is what I would try first. It worked once this year for me but my hunter did not have a clear shot but was within range.

[Rhino]

First...there's not much chance you're going to get him away from his hens unless they want to be away from him. Late morning to midday may be a time they get away from him. I don't know if you state allows you to hunt in the afternoon or not. We can hunt till sunset here and I've taken some wary birds in the afternoon.

You can try challenging the hens like has been said. Sometimes that does work. You can also try the subtle approach by dishing out nothing more than clucks and purrs. I've called hens in that way too. Nothing is going to be a sure thing.

It sounds like that particular gobbler was staying on the roost until he actually saw a hen. You know he has a great vantage point with that aerial view. Could have been the weather or whatever. Can't say for sure. Sometimes they just do that. If it's the gobbler you shot at, he just might be in a cautious mood right now.

If it were me I'd hunt another area and give him a week or so to settle back into a normal routine. I don't know if you have that option or not but if you do, you might want to consider that.

I've dealt with some bad turkeys like that before too. Some I killed or my buddies killed and some just died of old age or simply disappeared during the off season. I could devote a whole chapter of a book to bad turkeys that were seasoned survivors.

[Ravin R10 man]

I would still set up where they are flying down too, you had the hens nearby you must be in the spot they like.....sounds like you may be moving too much if you bumped him off roost at 7 am.

hang in there Ruth..you can do it!!!