Need Advice

[AC Rider]

So my 5 day season opened today and I got into a gobbler right at day break. I heard him come off the roost and he was active for a good 2 or 3 hours. At one point he was at 40 yards strutting to my 1 jake and 2 hen decoys but he wouldn't come any closer. He strutted there for about 10 minutes before losing interest and wandering off to go strut in a nearby field. I am hunting an old road cut through the hardwoods and was set up with my decoys on the road and my blind off to the side. My question is what should I have done differently in order to get him to commit to coming in? Lose the jake and just go with a hen or two?

[dan]

I have had that problem many times till I ditched the Dekes and made them come in searching.... It seems as soon as they see the hens they expect them to go to him. In nature, I believe the hen goes to the gobbler and we are trying to get huim to come in... No dekoys sometimes works better for me...
However, I have a friend who uses one of those pretty boy ( I think thats what there called ) dekes and puts a real jake fan in it. He uses a very small fan, and more importantly puts a hen a couple feet in front of it witgh the jake facing the hens rear and the hen sitting on the ground not standing. He has killed a ton of gobblers with that set up and has them come in and attack his pretty boy...

[Uncle Lou]

I know a lot of guys have success with decoys. I want to say loose the decoys, but I think there is more to it than that.

You just found out what didnt work today. Try something different next time, or do the same and see if you get the same results. Then you have a pattern and can decide what to change for the next outing.

[Tadmdad]

I think Dan and Uncle Lou gave you some sound advice.

Sometimes dekes can be counterproductive, he probably lost interest when the hens didn't come to him. And if there no movement with the dekes, he'll move on. Switch it up, make him hunt you, especially if he's the boss tom.

One that's worked in the past for me, if you can pattern his travel route when he leaves the roost each morning. Is he using that road or where is he entering the field to strut? Setup on that travel route, in a bottleneck or pinchpoint that's within easy range, after fly down use some real excited putts, yelps and purrs to get him firing, then use a gobble shaker. If he's the boss tom, he'll come to investigate, no dekes, make him feel that he's being left out of the party, make him hunt for you.

Keep us updated, the tough ones are the most fun.

[dan]

We used to have good luck sending the hunter 40 yards closer to the gobbler and leaving the caller behind so that when he hangs up 50 to 60 yards out he is right on top of the hunter...
Its probably not you Greg... Hang up is a commen turkey hunting problem.
Like I said before though, my hunting got much more productive when I quit useing dekes.

[Tadmdad]

Yup, good tactic Dan. The 1 caller, 1 hunter works, and the walk away hen works pretty well from the caller, usually pulls the tom the last few yards.

[PLB]

Quit calling and make him come to you! I like to hear them gobble as much as anyone but let them commit as far as they want before you call again once you know he is coming in.

[AC Rider]

Thanks a bunch guys for all the good advice. I think the spot I was at is a bit out of his way. But, he used the road to come check me out. Maybe I'll put one or two hen dekes at the same spot but I'll set up on the road in between - say 50 yards from the dekes..?? Only problem is then I'm counting on him doing the same thing. What are the odds he will do roughly the same thing?

[PLB]

Thanks a bunch guys for all the good advice. I think the spot I was at is a bit out of his way. But, he used the road to come check me out. Maybe I'll put one or two hen dekes at the same spot but I'll set up on the road in between - say 50 yards from the dekes..?? Only problem is then I'm counting on him doing the same thing. What are the odds he will do roughly the same thing?

If he doesn't fly down with hens, pretty good! Good Luck!!

[Black Squirrel]

You said you where the field he went to to strut. You also said he had to go out of his way to get to you. You could try moving to an area that takes him on a more direct route to where he is going. I agree with PLB, he will probably do the same thing he did last time, if things haven't changed.

[Haus86]

For hung up gobblers I've done what Dan suggested where you have a caller drop back from your position and call. When by myself I've also gotten up and closed the distance to the gobbler, called, and then dropped back to where I originally was while calling here and there. I've had some success doing both techniques.

[Tadmdad]

For hung up gobblers I've done what Dan suggested where you have a caller drop back from your position and call. When by myself I've also gotten up and closed the distance to the gobbler, called, and then dropped back to where I originally was while calling here and there. I've had some success doing both techniques.

Haus, you are right...it's a good tactic, we call it the walk away hen.

Can be used by yourself as you described, or with 1 hunter and 1 caller doing the walk away. The key is to make the tom think the hen is leaving, and he has to catchup with her, usually pulls that hungup tom the last few yards needed for a shot. The tough part is doing this without the tom seeing your movement.

[U.P. MAN]

One thing for sure,what didnt work today may very well work tomorrow,and vise/verse