Sounds like you got the plan squared away...too many cooks in the kitchen spoils the stew. Go Kill Him!

I am so pumped about this bird.  I am giving him all 5 mornings if need be.  Watching him this morning was a blast.  To bad it was from the truck and not the blind, but tomorrow will be his last fly down.

       

If you look at my map on the top of the page, you will see the word old. The birds were straight left of that this morning. There were two big toms and 5-7 hens. When they came out to the field there were 4 hens there already. As the flock came to the field, the toms were strutting when all of a sudden, they looked up the fence line and got nervous. The two toms with 5-6 hens went right back the way they came. The original hens stayed in the field and fed. After 10 minutes, they fed off the field. I don't think I spooked them, I was on the upper right corner of the old corn field. I had out my Jake Moblie and two hens. I would not think that would spook two big toms. I had birds in the field for an hour and they were never nervous. So do you think the decoys scared the toms? Now the next question, where to sit tomorrow morning? Where they were today or where they were yesterday?

Every bird and every day is different. You could make them call shy and good luck pulling the hen away from the tom. You could bring other hens in around you and that might make the tom come over to round those "ladies" up. You could setup on there path and ambush them.

I think you will have to wait until he finishes with the first hen and comes looking for the hen. Once you see him leave with the hen give a few clucks and yelps then wait 10-15 min. then start you calling again. Keep a look out youmight find a sub tom sneaking around after the boss leave with his first hen.

Dave

They may have spooked from a coyote or fox that you didn't see. (My buddy called a yote in this morning, then shot a nice tom an hour later)

I'd go back to the same spot. Don't forget your camera, we want pics. Good luck.

I was doing some deep thinking,  (I should not do that, I know) and the birds are going to come from one side or the other.  After work, I am getting my second blind and going down the old logging road where they came from this morning.  My goal is to kill one or roost one for the AM hunt.  I think by finding what side they are on will help make things happen for me.

Good luck Matt  

Can you hunt in the Afternoon or evening?  If that Tom is hanging with hens might have a better shot once they leave to go sit on their nests.

Mike

We can  hunt all day for the five day season.  I have to work the first two days, so I am limited to only hunting a few hours in the morning before work.  Thanks for all the help.  I like the afternoon idea, but the hens are not on the nest yet.  They may be laying an egg but not sitting all day long.

the way it works in nature is the hens go to the tom i dont like to set my decoys out where they tom can see them along way off they tend to lock up and strut trying to get the decoys to re-act then they just walk off if there is any low spots in the field i would put my decoys there forcing the tom to come look for the calling hens