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Hey everyone hope everyone is having a blast hunting Turkey, regardless tagging out or not still so awesome communicating with them!
So the start of this week I put the float rod away and started my Turkey hunt. I’ve been out 4x now and I keep getting hens coming in on my calling!! I haven’t had a full day or even half a day of hunting yet. Due to work I keep them pretty short. 1st light to about 9am and 2 out of 4x I’ve called in 2 hens the 1st time and one hen yesterday morning. Is this just the way it goes and I have to be patient or is my calling bringing in only hens? I hear the gobbling but they haven’t came in yet. Could it be because Iam hunting thick forest and not open fields?
Anyone have any idea? Maybe get closer to an open field?
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I have shot turkeys in open fields , in hardwood bush cedar swamps, etc. I don't think it matters so much about the open fields. It's where ever there are willing toms and jakes. The fact that you have hens coming in is good in my option because guess what follows around hens. I say keep at what you are doing and one of the tom's in the area will slip up eventually.
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i agree with toolman, hens are a good thing. Since you are hunting thick bush it could be the Toms are coming around silent. So be careful of movement as those Tom's don't always gobble on their way in. Maybe the Tom's have spotted you move or something but your calling isn't a problem I don't think, I'd be happy to have a couple hens sticking around,
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you maybe fighting against typical bird behaviour. First light to 9 Toms gobble to bring hens to them and aren't motivated to move from their strut zones while hens are present. Once the toms don't have hens they'll travel more. If possible either setup closer to the roost or locate yourself closer to their strut zone Kind of having the same problem as can't set ip at either site and have to intercept them inbettween.
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The property I hunt the Tom’s were henned up big time and wouldn’t move at all from opener to the begging of last week. I did have hens come in but the Tom’s were far and hung up with their harem. Last Thursday the Gobbler was solo and came in fast and hard. I bet your area will change this week as that Tom’s hen will be moving on and he will be moving.
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A lot of good feedback I can think of here. I wonder if the toms where behind the hens and I just moved to early to leave because both times it was literally at around 9-930. I have been thinking about finding out where they roost also. I may also just have a lot of hens in my area and there still Henned up. When I get pics there’s a lot of hens. Last year when i shot my 1st Turkey I was deer hunting and here and there I would make a Turkey sound and even then I had like 7 Turkey come in and I don’t think I even noticed a jake or a Tom. I will just keep at it, hopefully these cooler temps coming in will get them moving even more.
Thanks everyone, good luck to whoever is still out there and congrats to whoever has been successful!