How would you hunt this bird?

wisconsinteacher · April 26, 2010, 10:14:00 AM

Here is a crude picture of where I can hunt the red is where he was gobbling this morning and the black spot in the corn field is where I saw him with 4 hens at 6:20 this morning. The black spot is where he was at 7:30 on Saturday. The black line between the two is a fence. Where would you set your blind and how would you kill this turkey. He struts the entire time out there. I was thinking of having a Jake-Moblie and two hens near the blind so that when they get to the field, he comes over to kick some butt. I don't want to call to much due to the real hens. What would you do to kill this bird?

ishiwannabe · April 26, 2010, 10:20:00 AM

I would set up on the most visible edge of the woods. Set up a hen in the low breeding position, with a jake directly behind her.

Of course if he is henned up, it could turn into a waiting game...might be better off waiting until mid to late morning to go at him. That is when the hens usually "go to nest".

Chris Shelton · April 26, 2010, 10:33:00 AM

About how far is it from the woods edge to where he is strutting?

KentuckyTJ · April 26, 2010, 10:37:00 AM

Lots of if's but If he's henned up he probably won't come to you unless this is a very low hunting pressure area. Put your blind in the corn field in the dark as that is where they are flying down. If the moon is bright or he can see you from there at all, put it up the afternoon before you hunt it. Do a soft fly down cackle while beating your hat against your leg just at first light simulating the beating wings of a flying down bird.

#2 Is there a crossing in the fence or can they cross it anywhere? If they are going through a downed part of fence or open gate that would be another good spot to set up.

If you don't get him in the morning don't give up on him. Get back in there around 3 or 4 for he will be using the green field to fly up to his roost. That is if you can hunt all day in Wisconsin as we can.

wapiti792 · April 26, 2010, 11:19:00 AM

I like both plans! The jake mobile and sitting hen is a great play in the later morning too. So many birds right now are going to nest that it might work on him when the hens ditch him. If you have a jake gobbler call and you are not worried about other hunters, give him a rattle and see. You might need a sick day from school to kill him boss. Go get him!

wisconsinteacher · April 26, 2010, 12:47:00 PM

I only have two hours the first two day, but Friday-Sunday, I have all day. I am not worried about other hunters. I was just thinking if I could set up in the field with decoys I would have a good chance. I would not call much due to the real hens in the area. As far as the roost from the field, I know I could get in there before day light and be okay. Keep the ideas coming.

KentuckyTJ · April 26, 2010, 12:56:00 PM

Why wouldn't you call much do to the hens??? If you can get the hens to your blind the gobbler will follow.

April 26, 2010, 12:56:00 PM

22 magnum with a 6 power scope would work, but don't do that. Maybe this is one that cannot be called in, you may have your best chance getting him en-route without calling.

MSwickard · April 26, 2010, 12:57:00 PM

If the hens are leaving him to go to nest, best time to get after him is late in the morning when he is feeling a little lonely. It's hard competing with live hens even with a deke.

Mike

walkabout · April 26, 2010, 01:09:00 PM

if you could get close to your spot night before and hit a hen call a few times itll help set up, itll help the set up by alerting him to a hen being there and hell likely make his way there in the morning. ive done this numerous times and had gobblers coming as far as half a mile as the crow flies to check it out. im guessing since you saw him in the field this early that theyre roosting somewhere close, so youll have to be extra sneaky going in. if nothing else calling the night before will tell you where they roost if they gobble back, which they do alot of the time. good luck.

wisconsinteacher · April 26, 2010, 01:13:00 PM

The fields that I can hunt are very flat. I am a little worried about calling when they are roosting with hens. I have had bad luck with hens going the other way with the tom gobbling the entire time. I guess for a quick morning hunt, I can only do two things. One be aggressive and call a lot, or sit tight and hope my scouting pays off. I will be scouting him in the morning. I hope they do the same thing, that will help me out. I am not a good turkey hunter and we do not have a lot of birds, so I want to make the best of the situation.

BobCo 1965 · April 26, 2010, 01:14:00 PM

Here is what I would do. If you can roost them, then in the morning do some fly down cackles before they fly down. Then, forget about calling the Tom in. Call the mature hen in. When she yelps, cut her off agressively. Keep doing this everytime she calls. Get her in, and the Tom will follow.

wisconsinteacher · April 26, 2010, 01:50:00 PM

I will give you guys one thing, you have more guts then me. I have never had luck calling to a hen. I have had them fired up but they walk away all the time. I do everything they do and it results in her walking away with her tom going crazy. That is why I am wondering if sitting on the only high spot in the field with the jake and hen decoy and calling lightly will work. I am hoping the birds will see the decoys and work my way. Also, if I get aggressive and it does not work out on day one, will that hurt anything for day two for that area?

April 26, 2010, 02:26:00 PM

cackle and call agressivley, youll bring the boss hen in....you might even do a jake fight, that works good sometimes.....but you never know till you try.

wisconsinteacher · April 26, 2010, 02:35:00 PM

One more question, if I know they are coming to the field, should I call while they are in the woods or wait until they are in the field so they can see the decoys.

Arrowhead80 · April 26, 2010, 09:36:00 PM

Set out a strutting gobbler decoy in the field and see if he is the dominant bird.He might want to fight.Another tip from experience,take a shotgun i like to eat em too good to give them a fair chance.If all else fails hunt him midday when his hens are needing a break.Be patient he'll eventually walk by.

highPlains · April 26, 2010, 09:45:00 PM

Like TJ said, I'd set my blind up in the pitch black on the side of the fence where they fly down, as close as you can, with a strutting jake decoy.

stickbowmaniac · April 26, 2010, 09:55:00 PM

I would cackle and call agressivley to try to get the hens attetion.If that doesnt work challenge him with a gobbler tube.Sometimes you can wait till midday and he will seperate from his hens to go looking.Then may be your best chance.It worked for me last season.

wisconsinteacher · April 27, 2010, 08:33:00 AM

Okay I am back from scouting this morning. I got a late start and when I got there, there were four hens in the middle of the corn field. That was at 5:55. The tom was straight in from the fence that cuts the two fields, he was on the right side of the picture. He came below the fence line into the corn about 20 yards below the fence. He was all alone strutting and gobbling as he came to the field and worked his way to the hens. My plan is to sit right where he came out. I can not get any closer to the roost due to it being posted land. I think he is only 100 yards off the field edge. I am going to set my blind after work, get a good nights sleep and be in my blind early and have a bird by 6:00 tomorrow. What do you think of this plan? Two mornings in a row in the same spot. I hope I can get him in five mornings. I also plan on using decoys two hens and Jake Moblie.

wisconsinteacher · April 27, 2010, 12:56:00 PM

No one has any more tips or ideas for me?