# Still Henned Up?



## Scraper (Apr 1, 2002)

I am heading out this weekend finally, but I am hearing about lots of birds still wandering around with flocks of hens...

Are they way behind schedule? I would think that they ought to be sitting on a few eggs by now.

What are your observations and how are you lucky guys pulling those longbeards away from hens?


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## goosetalk (Jan 26, 2007)

The farther north you are now, the more likely the turkeys have not really broken up. There are several tactics to try for harvesting a gobbler with hens. The first tactic and my new favorite for boss gobblers is a strutting decoy. Many people are having great success on boss gobblers because he just can't stand that another gobbler is challenging him. Mix in a jake gobble call or spit and drum call and he may come in looking for a fight. Always be careful when mimicking the sounds of male turkeys, you may accidentllycall up another hunter. This can work with regular jake dekes, but the strutting dekes are just more aggressive. Another tactic is to call to the hens that are with the gobbler. There are two ways to approach this. First is imitating a lost, or young hen with kee kee runs calls. This may bring in the hens who are looking for the lost one, and following close behind should be the gobbler. The second way is to challenge the boss hen. Hens have a pecking order just like gobblers do. Aggressive yelping and cutting may fire up that boss hen, which can really fire up a gobbler and the hen may come to you to settle things. However, some smart old hens may walk in the opposite direction to avoid sharing the boss gobbler with the new girl. The final tactic is to scout, and set up in at a good ambush point. This is my least favorite, but can really pull through in the late season when the birds are call shy.
Good luck an I hope this tips will help you.


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## Scraper (Apr 1, 2002)

thanks for the tips, I'll post up on Monday


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

Goosetalk has the right ideas.

What I am doing is getting my jake decoy up graded.....what I am doing is putting real wings and a real fan on it. I have them curing right now. Then I will attach the wings and fan to the decoy like it is strutting. Then I will put a hen underneth it like it is getting bred. I have seen this type of set up in action twice this year....both times the tom can right in looking for a fight!

But make sure if you use this type of decoy you are on private land that you know you are the only one hunting...SAFETY FIRST!!!!

But also try to call the hens and good scouting will help too.

Good luck.

Chuck


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Scrapper

I only seen on gobbler that had hens with him this last week. Most were alone or a couple gobblers together waiting for hens to get off the nest. Gobblers were coming on the run to a diaphragm call and one hen decoy. They also come to a gobbler and two hen set up. 
I would have ended my season in the first two hours of my hunt if I had not goofed. I watched a gobbler come for a half mile. He came from high up into the buttes down to the creek bottom I was in. Gobbling all the way. He started strutting at 100 yards out. I was sitting on a sliver of land created by two creeks coming together. I thought he was in front and below me and when I sit forward in the blind he caught my movement through the camo screen. He had come to six yards on my left side. I sure was kicking myself.


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