Henned Up Birds: Tactics and Techniques

[bvoss]

The typical way is to go find another bird, or circle them and get where they're going. What are some tactics that you use to lure in those henned up longbeards?

 

[Anonymous]

I make my calls sound sweet and dirty. Hens normally get ticked and come check it out followed by a big tom down.

 

[REN]

really in my experience the only chance you have is to piss off the boss hen and have her coming looking for a fight. 50% of the time it works EVERYTIME!

seriously though that is the only option i have had work for me in the past and it doesnt work often. although if you can get her to answer back to you, then you have a chance. Get aggressive with her and keep cutting her off. if it works you will feel like a king because i can assure you calling in a hen is tough business.

 

[megalomaniac]

Best way is to catch them in the woods, then sneak up to within 50-75 yards. Just do feeding purrs, soft clucks, and scratch leaves. No loud calling which may cause the boss hen to lead the group away. The gobbler will think you are one of the hens in his harem and come to check you out.

But you've got to get really, really close for this technique to work.

If I don't get busted when getting into position (which ends up being around 75% of the time), I almost always end up killing the gobbler.

 

[megalomaniac]

I make my calls sound sweet and dirty. Hens normally get ticked and come check it out followed by a big tom down.

I have no problem calling in the hens... but the gobbler is almost always at the end of the pack and out of gun range when the lead hen is right on top of me. Eventually, she loses interest and drags the whole group away before the gobbler was close enough to shoot.

 

[Lawrence]

Get close and call very little

 

[spitndrum]

Mid day when hens leave, about the only way or jus simply get in front of there travel route!

 

[Setterman]

It varies, sometimes aggressive calling works, sometimes soft and sweet works, sometimes neither of those works, sometimes gobbling at dominant birds works, sometimes it doesn't.

The best way IMO, is to find areas where they head to after fly down, and either beat them there, and work them soft and sweet, or get tight with the gobbler on the limb, and make him fly down early to come find you, because you sound so dam good he can't help it.

My best success comes with pushing the limits and getting as physically close as possible to a bird on the roost. Be careful, early in the season the hens will be everywhere, so it can be risky.

 

[Anonymous]

I had hens no more than five yards away waiting for the toms to get in 9 year old range. With calling and not get caught be hens it will work out nearly everytime.

 

[muddyboots]

Mohican Sneakin.

 

[StalkingWolf]

Shoot em off the roost before he gets with all his ladies. :grin: stir stir

 

[CopperHead77]

Trying to call the hens in sometimes will work.

If the hens have already been bred or they just aren't interested in him he'll come in sometimes.

 

[kdxdude]

The typical way is to go find another bird, or circle them and get where they're going. What are some tactics that you use to lure in those henned up longbeards?

I thought the ol spit n drum tactic was a gimmick til I had 4 longbeards & 7 hens about 125 yards from me & they wouldn't even lift their head to my calls, I tried everything I knew to do & they were just staying in one spot in a wide open winter wheat field. I said what the heck, did the spit n drum & the hens immediately started my way. About 3 minutes later I had my foot on a decent 2 yr old. I have been more effective with the spit n drum in middle & west Tn., I have found the mtn. birds to be a little more commanding with their harems. I do the spit n drum with my natural voice, don't have a call for it, just heard a whole bunch of birds doing it for years. Good Luck & God Bless!!