Henned up, what else is new!

[fargobox]

So I talked with a willy and experienced, 35 years, hunter who had recent success with tight henned up gobblers.  His approach, and I say this since my experience is somewhat limited, only been hunting birds for the past 8 years, was once he found the birds soon after fly down was to call softly, never attempting to call to the gobblers, but rather call only to the hens and to call easy with scattered clucks and a few squeal/clucks and feeding sounds.  He did this last week and came very close to closing the deal.  When and if they respond, call back to them immediately, this was key he said...this occurred 3 times and the hens got comfortable and came right in for a "look-see" dragging the gobbler with them.  The Gobbler never made a sound, well that is until he hit the ground for his long overdue dirt nap!

We all face this same situation every season and it is the NO. 1 'complaint' from hunters with no success.  It may be obvious to many of you, but it is the reserved strategic approach, that few of us utilize that caught my interest...so much to learn with this great sport.

Hopefully a few of us northeasterners will use this tactic and tag our birds this season

[GR8CALLS]

Interesting concept.

 Our season ended this past Saturday but I gave it the good old heave ho. Got close to four gobblers sounding off at 5:45 am and stuck with them and their hens till they flew down and headed in the opposite direction....calling softly and clucking. At 7:30 not 50 yards from me a hen flies down......no idea why she was still up but she went off calling softly every few minutes. 40 minutes later I could just barely hear her at 300 yds. Another 15 minutes she has crossed to the next ridge and is coming back in my direction. She gets to about 150 yds. I start mimicking her to the T. Then, a gobbler sounds off with her. I still mimic her and she flies off the ridge to within 10 steps of me..........with the gobbler in tow! Nice way to end the season!

Bill

[Mmcdonald]

Been trying this less is more approach with some success. Definitely seems to help with hung up gobblers. Still had hens walk toms away from us after flydown though.

[fargobox]

No doubt gobblers will walk off with hens...we'll never stop that no matter how good we can call, but from my experiences these gobblers later in the season who are henned up are typically the better gobblers, that's why they have little reason to gobble.  They certainly do make it challenging and I am all ears to anything that brings the hen or the gobbler closer for a look.

Sounds like you were dang close Bill....our season is still in for 2 more weekends and I'll be after-em hard.

[GR8CALLS]

 Another side to this coin is, that not all hens breed. Be they to young or to old, These girls will always be around to cause issues and the mature (boss) gobblers are, looking for the next hen to breed. In many states where there are no Fall seasons hence more hens, this is becoming a greater and greater problem in the Spring. Lastly, I think we sometimes forget, that the hens go to the gobblers, natures' way of procreation. Calling gobblers away from the hens they can see.......very difficult!

Bill

[fargobox]

Frustrating as they are I can't argue with your points Bill....DANG!

[firedup]

I feel your pain my friend.  But as we hunt and learn more tactics and tricks...perhaps that is the ultimate solution!  To have that bag full of "game plans"! I think a lot of us have the problem of using the right trick at the wrong time.....

[ferocious calls]

It can become a chess game with older or educated Toms'. Had been dealing with a sneaky old brute since our youth day. Yesterday was Check Mate for the old boy. 

[EZ]

  It may be obvious to many of you, but it is the reserved strategic approach, that few of us utilize that caught my interest...so much to learn with this great sport.

The ones who utilize this are the ones with the great big beard boxes, lol.

I like to call aggressive when the situation calls for it, but this year in particular, it's the soft talk that's killing birds.

Hens in general are jealous. When she hears an aggressive hen, she pulls the gobbler away and you may not even know she was there. Conversely, a passive, feeding hen is another flock mate.