Hung up Turkey, What’s your go to?

[teenbowhunter]

This morning on a new property (that I can only hunt for one week) I had two toms sit in an open field gobbling at my decoys at 101 yards in the same spot for 45 minutes straight. I tried everything I could think of with calling. My inclination is to bring some fishing line and a stake so I can make one of the decoys move to bring them in tonight/tomorrow if it happens again.

What is your go to move for hung up birds? I’m mostly self taught so I don’t know a lot of tricks.

 

[Carpn]

Stopping calling works sometimes. Calling hard works sometimes. If you stop calling they may come . They may leave . If they leave get up and circle them and try a different set up . I don't usually get too aggressive . If you don't kill em keep it in your mind where they were and set up there next time .

 

[Sgt Fury]

If you are hunting with someone, try setting up in the spot that the Toms like to strut, while your partner sets up in the spot that you normally do. If that doesn’t work, try ditching the decoys and have your hunting partner call to them from about 60 yards behind you. They may come closer because they can’t see the hens and if they hang up again, they may be in range of you....just make sure your hunting partner knows where you are at and will not shoot in that direction. If you don’t have a partner, try calling softly without decoys....as they come closer, either call softer to make it sound like you are going away from them, or stop calling all together. This may make them come closer to check things out. Good luck!

 

[giles]

Shake the food bowl.

 

[tracker 6]

Move to left or right and cut down the distance.

 

[Spencie]

If you have leaves around start scratching them. If you can spit and drum try that. Wait and see where they head and beat them to it.

 

[cspot]

That is one issue sometimes with decoys. The way mother nature works is that the hens go to the gobbler. If he can see the hens he is simply waiting for them to come to him. Some good advice above. Do you know how they entered and exited the field today? If you did then I would try to setup close to one of those 2 areas.

 

[Jackalope]

Ditch the decoys so they can't get a visual of what they think should come to them. If they hang up again and your alone try throwing the call behind you. As they get in close they'll expect to see the hen that's calling. Shut up and scratch like someone above said. You need to make him look and keep looking.

 

[teenbowhunter]

That is one issue sometimes with decoys. The way mother nature works is that the hens go to the gobbler. If he can see the hens he is simply waiting for them to come to him. Some good advice above. Do you know how they entered and exited the field today? If you did then I would try to setup close to one of those 2 areas.

Tried that this afternoon but only had one jake come by and my buddy missed. They all flocked up on the neighboring property

 

[teenbowhunter]

Thanks everybody! I really like those ideas. Hadn’t thought of scratching. I don’t know how no decoys will work since it’s a wide open mowed field with thick brush that they don’t go into under all the trees so they can see everything. Will mess around with em and see if anything happens

 

[Carpn]

Keep on mind , sometimes it is a multi day chess game to kill a bird . I don't usually get too aggressive till i know I'm gonna kill em. Buggering birds just makes em harder to kill and throws everything you've observed out the window.

There are times to ditch decoys . If the birds aren't responding then call sparingly and make em look for you . Decoys can be helpful , but they aren't a guarantee . I use them about 25% of the time when I am hunting solo or with my buddy but I use them 100% when I'm with my son.

 

[Mike]

Usually Kroger

 

[Chass]

Where does that ditch come from that's in between you and them. I'd crawl right up that ditch and bushwack em. If you have permission that is. Looks like theres a ton of hens. Just like any guy, they're not gonna walk across the street for the unknown lady if hes already got 1 or in those birds case a dozen with him already.

 

[teenbowhunter]

Where does that ditch come from that's in between you and them. I'd crawl right up that ditch and bushwack em. If you have permission that is. Looks like theres a ton of hens. Just like any guy, they're not gonna walk across the street for the unknown lady if hes already got 1 or in those birds case a dozen with him already.

Some of them walk around in flocks of 15 toms in the afternoon. No idea what they’re doing. That field in the picture is closed to all hunting and is owned by the college but they cross the fence some in the mornings. Sadly my buddy who has permission there only had permission til Sunday and I’m gone the rest of the week.

 

[teenbowhunter]

Keep on mind , sometimes it is a multi day chess game to kill a bird . I don't usually get too aggressive till i know I'm gonna kill em. Buggering birds just makes em harder to kill and throws everything you've observed out the window.

There are times to ditch decoys . If the birds aren't responding then call sparingly and make em look for you . Decoys can be helpful , but they aren't a guarantee . I use them about 25% of the time when I am hunting solo or with my buddy but I use them 100% when I'm with my son.

Yeah that’s good to remember on the public land I’m hunting. Yesterday turned out to be the only day I could hunt this property for the single week we have permission on it so I was trying to throw everything I had at those toms. The bag of tricks wasn’t deep enough or maybe they just weren’t coming in regardless.

 

[Spencie]

Yeah that’s good to remember on the public land I’m hunting. Yesterday turned out to be the only day I could hunt this property for the single week we have permission on it so I was trying to throw everything I had at those toms. The bag of tricks wasn’t deep enough or maybe they just weren’t coming in regardless.

 

[Spencie]

Sometimes it doesn’t matter what you do, if you aren’t where he wants to go he’s not coming.

 

[cspot]

Thanks everybody! I really like those ideas. Hadn’t thought of scratching. I don’t know how no decoys will work since it’s a wide open mowed field with thick brush that they don’t go into under all the trees so they can see everything. Will mess around with em and see if anything happens

Sometimes no decoys works. Another trick is to get back into the woods or brush a little where they will come look. This can be difficult sometimes as they don't want to come out of the field.

Honestly alot of times I think it is catching the gobbler in the right mood on the right day.