# Becoming Addicted



## TMK (Mar 31, 2005)

This is my first year Turkey hunting, and It's getting serious. My boat hasn't been in the yet!

I've been out three times now and called to several birds each time. Just haven't been able to make a kill yet.

The sound of bird responding and gobbling to a call is one of the most exciting hunting experience I've ever had.

The only call I have is a box call that I'm able to make basic yelps with. It seems to be good at locating birds but I'm not able to get them into shooting range. Is another type of call best for getting birds into shooting range?

I've seen and heard gobblers moving with hens. I've been able to get them to gobble but they stay with the hens and won't come to me. Also, is it normal to see a group of gobblers moving with hens? I thought that the biggest gobbler would chase the others off and keep the hens for himself. A lonely gobbler roaming the woods searching for hens might be one that I'd be able to fool!

This morning, I had a flock of at least four gobblers and probably twice that many hens about fifty yards away on the other side of some brush. The birds were coming my way. I heard some noise behind me, slowly turned and saw a hen about 10yds behind me. She walked past me so close that she almost stepped on my boot. Walked right up to my decoy, seemed to get spooked by it and I think chased off all of the birds.

Oh well, I'm hooked on it now so I'll be trying again tomorrow.


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## fish4wall (Apr 14, 2004)

how many decoys do you have? i'm no expert..hell i havent even killed my fist bird yet. but a buddie of mine is a good turkey hunter. and he told me to get 3 hens and a jake decoy. i hope this helps...i would think if a tom or one of the jakes see a jake decoy. they'll come running to you. i might be wrong but thats my 2 cents.
good luck...
scott


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## ThunderHawk7 (May 3, 2004)

A quick suggestion. Head out and pick yourself up a friction call in glass or slate with a Hickory or or Redwood Striker. For me anyway, these make the most realistic and enticing purrs short of a mouth call.(I can't use em so I adapted). Many times a purr....cluck, softely will help close the distance. This is what works for me anyway....

Good Luck,

Hawk


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## BassCatcher12 (Jun 24, 2005)

well..i'd say the best thing to do is wait a little later in the day when the hens start to settle down. gobblers will then go lookin around for some others and thats when u can draw them close..Try a slate call with purrs and clucks, instead of always yelping. Another thing you could try is setting up decoy hen swith a decoy gobbler like B-mobile.


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## Whateversbitn (Mar 2, 2008)

Welcome to the addiction. I have been hunting them for about 10 years now, and absolutely love it. It sounds to me like you are having the same trouble I am. Henned up birds. It is really hard to pull a gobbler away from the real deal. You just never know what they are going to do from day to day. It is all about being there at the right time and what kind of mood the birds are in that particular day. Once the season gets under way and the hens are not as urgent to grab the toms off the roost at first light, the big boys will be roaming around wondering where all the action went. If you can stick it out all morning, from 10:00 - 12:00 is also a good time period to catch a lonely tom lookin for love. Good luck, and keep us posted.

Whateversbitn (or gobblin)


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## Mushijobah (May 4, 2004)

Awesome tips guys. I had this similar problem this morning.


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## Whateversbitn (Mar 2, 2008)

I talked to a guy tonight who hunted down in Meigs county. He pulled a bird in from a couple hundred yards that was just itchin to take a ride in the back of his truck! He got a little anxious and well let's just say that bird is a little wiser tonight. That's why we call it hunting. Keep your cheek on the stock!!!!
Good luck guys.


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## zap (Jun 5, 2005)

Classic....hunter addicted to gobblers and gobblers addicted to hens!

That is the same thing we all go through. Just hang in there and don't call too much. Like someone said above...a cluck and a purr will make a big difference. Real hens don't loudly yelp like that all the time. You might be blowing the birds out by using that box when they get close.

I personally like an HS Strutt little deuce double glass call. Excellent up close stuff with that call.


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