racksandspurs Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 I have the sole plivelage of hunting a very highly poulated piece of turkey land here in north FL. The problem I have had (especially ealy in the season) is there are so many hens, as soon as the gobblers fly down they they are surrounded by hens.(sometimes 10-20) I am a novice turkey hunter at best so I was hoping for some advice from some of you more experienced hunters. I have taken a couple gobblers here in the last couple years but not till the end of the season when most of the hens are nesting. They will gobble there heads off at my calling but will not come in. I have tried decoys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curdog Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Man, we are in the same boat. Where do you live. Im from Jacksom,Al about a hour North of Mobile. The best thing I have found is to not call at all. Learn this turkeys pattern and set up a ambush. If that doesnt work, try to hunt later in day. By then then hens have left the gobbler and he will be looking for more luvin. If that doesnt work ambush him on his way to the roost. I love these kinds of birds. They make you a better hunter. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WHISKEYSWAMP Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 The best thing I have found is to not call at all. Learn this turkeys pattern and set up a ambush. that's what I had to do last year... The tom I shot last year button hooked me for 3 weeks. He was roosted in the same area but would always go the opposite direction or be just out of range. I finally set up right and let the hen bring the gobbler to me. I only called when I seen him come up over the hill to keep him from heading off with the hen. The calling kept him interested long enough to finally come in close enough for a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 (edited) Most, if not all of us deal with henned up birds during the early part of turkey season. They are certainly a lot harder to hunt than those love sick, lonely gobblers searching for the few receptive hens left when the nesting period of the season begins. There's no sure fire way to hunt a particular henned up bird. That's just part of turkey hunting. Here's a few options to think about. Pattern those birds as best you can. When you figure out at least a general pattern, set up between where they prefer to roost and where they prefer to go when they come off the roost. If they aren't going too far from the roost be at a perimeter spot they are using. Calling can range from agressive cutting to try to anger the boss hen to soft clucks and purrs that may make them feel content about moving in your direction. Sometimes a gobble call will bring an old bird your way too if he thinks an intruder is horning in on his spot. Many gobblers have favored spots where they meet up with hens. The more successful he is meeting up with hens there, the more he will be inclined to go to it. These are their strutting zones. Sometimes they are very close to the roost and sometimes they aren't. When a gobbler gets to a strutting zone he will usually gobble a lot until a hen or hens come to him. Once the hens are there gobbling activity will drastically drop off while he struts for the hens. Once those hens are serviced he may return back to that strutting zone for more hens if he left. Gobbling activity will pick up again when he wants some more hens. If you identify a strutting zone you can set up there and wait for his arrival. I prefer to get there before daylight. Calling choices can be anything that he likes or just the soft clucks and purrs that hens do a lot while feeding along. The 2nd bird I shot at and missed this season was at a strutting zone. They had already left with the 1st group of hens and were returning mid morning for the hens left behind. Wait them out. If you're already set up and have the patience to wait out a gobbler with hens he should eventually work provided the hens don't pull him completely out of the area. That's what I had to do with my first bird this year. While he's with those hens chances are he's not going to come to you unless you pull in his hens. Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't. Once those hens are serviced though he'll be looking for more. Hunt mid to late morning and midday. Many hunters throw in the towel too early when the birds are henned up coming off the roost. At some point and time he'll have serviced those hens and allowed them to move off. This could happen from as early as 9:00 in the morning to noon or even later depending on how many hens a particular gobbler has available to service. If you're dealing with a lot of henned up birds, take a break and go back after them later in the morning. If you can get a bird to gobble later in the morning or during the midday period chances are he will work. This past Friday and Sunday a friend of mine and one of his buddies double teamed the birds from Friday through Sunday. They killed one bird Friday morning at 11:45 and another bird Sunday afternoon at 12:15. Edited March 25, 2009 by Rhino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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