OK, so I'm in the corner of a fallow crop field last night in my pop up blind. Farmer says a gobbler was strutting in the field in front of my blind the night before (when I wasn't there). This is a historical strut zone.  I put out my two Avian X hen decoys and Avian X quarter strut jake about 12 yards in front of my blind in the field(which is just on the edge of the pine trees bordering the corner).  Soft purrs about every 10-15 minutes on my slate call. A gobbler and a hen (he was drumming and she was squawking) came through behind the blind real close-like 10 yards. I heard them over my left shoulder and as they got behind me, I figured no one was going out to challenge my decoys, so I started squawking right back at the hen to try and get her to come out and challenge her two hen rivals.  No luck and they continued to move slowly off.  

Decoys were placed with Jake facing the blind and one feeding hen and one breeder hen in front of the Jake.

Anything I should have done different? The farmer has already texted me twice today saying there's a gobbler out in front of my blind strutting.              

Will be back there again tonight and then on the weekend all day

A lone hen decoy might get him, but it could be a timing issue, too. If he's following her around, could be that he's strutting around early, and when she finds him there, they go hang out...

If he struts close enough to your blind for a shot, then don't mess with a good thing by using decoys.  Just sparse, soft calling.  If you need to get him closer, then I agree with rwbowman...use a lone hen.  Good luck!!

I don't anything I would have done differently. You just need to catch him without a hen. Toms with hens seldom do what you would like them to. He seems to like the area. Just need to spend a little more time there to catch him when he is lonely is all I think you need to do.

Dont change a thing! He will be yours shortly!

Time, patience, and a little luck is all you need.

Time, patience, and a little luck is all you need.

I'm definitely no expert, but if he is strutting in front of your blind when you AREN'T there calling, I'd try just being patient, without any calls.    

Well he's a tough older bird-about 8" beard. Was around the  blind  for an hour plus tonight. He had a hen  around  and she moved off into the pines behind me.  He strutted about eighty yards out for about fifteen minutes.  He moved in  to about twenty five yards and i thought here we go but then he moved out  to about forty yards again. Will try just hens tomorrow to see if that helps. Will be my first time out in a.m. and see if I can wait him out.

Well he's a tough older bird-about 8" beard. Was around the  blind  for an hour plus tonight. He had a hen  around  and she moved off into the pines behind me.  He strutted about eighty yards out for about fifteen minutes.  He moved in  to about twenty five yards and i thought here we go but then he moved out  to about forty yards again. Will try just hens tomorrow to see if that helps. Will be my first time out in a.m. and see if I can wait him out.

QuoteOriginally posted by Florida lime:
I'm definitely no expert, but if he is strutting in front of your blind when you AREN'T there calling, I'd try just being patient, without any calls.        

Could even go decoy less    

I don't know if it is because of pressure in my area, but I find that decoys often spook birds off... occasionally they work well though.

Now you went and got me confused.    

Quality of dekes seem to make a big difference for bow.  Lower quality dekes get them in the vicinity for the shotgun, but to really hold them around the only dekes that I have seen/heard consistently do that are the high quality Avian and DSDs.

Good luck.

Dan in KS

He obviously remembers your setup, give it a different look. Try adding another hen to your setup, or remove the Jake, call softly with a different call, or striker.

Ray, Loose the decoys... Sleep in, and try to catch him without a hen with him. It's almost impossible to call a hened up Gobbler away from her... Sit in the blind & when you're sure he's not around, give 2 or 3 series of hen yelps. Then set your call down & don't touch it!!! When he hears her... He will come looking! When he sees the empty field, he'll come to the strutt zone & start strutting & gobbling to call her back. Just, wait him out... OR, you could use a single strutting Jake decoy, and gobble at him..... Bring him in looking to whip the snot outa the punk kid that's using HIS strutt zone!!! Good Luck!!!!!

I wouldn't change a thing about your setup, I just killed my first Trad turkey this year, and I did it by using 2 hens and 1 jake decoy (all Feather Flex) The tom came straight in to the jake decoy and started pushing it around until an arrow ended his morning. Be patient...it will happen!

I think the key words here are "Strutt Zone".....

Ray's blind is overlooking a well established strutt zone. If the Tom has a hen, or hens with him... He has no need to go there, and all the decoys in the world, nor the sweetest calling ever heard, will bring him in...

He has to "need" to go to that strutt zone, before he will. He has to be alone, and have no hens in sight... This is why the farmer keeps telling Ray that he's seen him out strutting in front of his blind. The farmer keeps reporting a lone Tom, in the afternoon/evening... The Gobbler probly meets up with a hen in the morning. Then, after they're "done" she leaves him flat & heads off to nest. He's all alone, and heads off to find a new girlfriend... To his strutt zone, to sing & dance around, and hopefully get lucky again!!!

Check out my post on pg 2 of the "How many have killed Turkeys" thread...

I like having one hen on the ground like she is receptive for breeding, with the jake right over her.However, some days no matter what you do some turkeys just won't play the game.  Then a few days later they run right in.  Keep at it.

How close is "right in front of your blind"?  The farmer's "close" may not be "bow close".