I have only really been hunting turkeys since 2010, so 13 years or so. Yesterday I was hunting some public and I came in by boat to an area that had turkeys last year and I assumed they would still be in the area. Most of the public around here either abuts private land or neighborhoods. It is just the nature of the growth of Mid TN. I got caught listening on the boat for gobbles and had 3-4 gobbling around me, but most were in no hunting zones. The ones I was after were quiet at first, but got into the action a little later. As such I didn't get set up until about 10 minutes before fly down and being it was cracking light pretty good, I didn't want to push in too far, so I stayed by the water about 20 yds into the woods. I heard hens yelping and pretty sure I heard a bird fly down. There was a couple of jakey sounded gobble and one that I know was a tom. Well they were out in front of me and in the past they have come towards the water and then worked back to the neighborhood, but on this morning they just pitched down from what I could tell and were headed to the neighborhood. I called to see if I could get them to come check me out. Well one of the hens (it seemed) got worked up, but the issue was she wasn't moving and I convinced myself that it was hunters thinking they were calling back and forth with another hen, which was actually me. After about 30 minutes of that and knowing this bird is literally within 100 yds of me and I can see up there with binos, I couldn't find the bird(s). In addition to the first hen more had joined in and i was hearing a gobble that sounded like someone yelling and I thought, it has to be people, over calling and thinking that was gonna work. I decided to leave for safeties sake and went somewhere close by. I could see and hear the area I was in and things went quiet and I assumed the "hunters' had moved on. A little later I go back but go to where I heard the hens and weird gobbles, plus other birds gobbling early that morning. I called and a bird gobbled, but he was in the neighborhood about 200-250 yds away. I moved back some to a good ambush point, just in case he came in looking. I waited and called and a hen gets all worked up and he is gobbling and about 125 yds from me. He is basically at the back of a 1-2 acre lot at wood line (WMA line). If he comes in another 90 yds. he will be about 35 yds. in front of me.
I hear a cackle (like a fly down/up cackle) and I see a bird flying up into the trees in front of me. She lands to my 2 o'clock at 25 yds. and is behind giant cedar, so she cannot see me. I was confused as to what I should do with her so close, but after 15 minutes I thought, the heck with it, I'm gonna call. I did and when I did she did the exact same thing she did that morning. She went nuts, cutting and yelping, but never moved. She was at an elevated vantage point and was looking down to see where the other hen was. I would call he'd gobble, she'd go nuts, he'd gobble. I have to assume she knew I was behind her and behind the cedar, but she never moved on the limb to look at me. It became obvious he wasn't coming as he'd gobble from far off, and then after calling he'd gobble closer again, then we'd start over. no matter what he never got any closer than 125 yds. or so. I left him about 10:15, but I've never seen a turkey do what that hen did.
The fact that she never moved and stayed in one place made me think that was her and maybe a friend or two that morning, plus some jakes and maybe a tom or two. Due to her not moving though and perching herself, I convinced myself it had to be hunters, as hunters usually stay stationary unless they feel they can make a move. It was like she was a lookout for this tom and I have never seen anything like that before.
has anyone else seen anything like that before? I've heard of toms doing that, but not a hen basically acting as a sentinel..
I hear a cackle (like a fly down/up cackle) and I see a bird flying up into the trees in front of me. She lands to my 2 o'clock at 25 yds. and is behind giant cedar, so she cannot see me. I was confused as to what I should do with her so close, but after 15 minutes I thought, the heck with it, I'm gonna call. I did and when I did she did the exact same thing she did that morning. She went nuts, cutting and yelping, but never moved. She was at an elevated vantage point and was looking down to see where the other hen was. I would call he'd gobble, she'd go nuts, he'd gobble. I have to assume she knew I was behind her and behind the cedar, but she never moved on the limb to look at me. It became obvious he wasn't coming as he'd gobble from far off, and then after calling he'd gobble closer again, then we'd start over. no matter what he never got any closer than 125 yds. or so. I left him about 10:15, but I've never seen a turkey do what that hen did.
The fact that she never moved and stayed in one place made me think that was her and maybe a friend or two that morning, plus some jakes and maybe a tom or two. Due to her not moving though and perching herself, I convinced myself it had to be hunters, as hunters usually stay stationary unless they feel they can make a move. It was like she was a lookout for this tom and I have never seen anything like that before.
has anyone else seen anything like that before? I've heard of toms doing that, but not a hen basically acting as a sentinel..
