Need help with a tough bird!!

[Chris521]

Hello to everyone, I'm new to this site and new to turkey hunting.  This is my first year turkey hunting and I need some advice.  I've been practicing my calls for 1 year now, and have them down pat.  Here is the situation.
 
I'm hunting on private land that is right next to public land, so I know the bird I'm after is pressured by other hunters.  I get into my setup well before first light, and set up my feeding hen decoys.  I'm hunting in a corn field that is right next to a large river.  I've scounted where the bird roost and every morning he flies down to the corn field where he feeds at.  Before he flies down, I give a couple of soft yelps and purrs.  This seems to get him hot and he flies down to check out my decoys.  Just as the bird works within 70 yards of me, a boss hen flies across the river and lands right in front of the tom.  When she does this she looks as if she is going to challenge my decoys, but doesn't.  I still continue to call to the tom, who is answering me back.  The boss hen never lets the tom fully committ to my decoys, she always intercepts him and flies down in front of him at about 70 yards from my decoys.
 
The boss hen has done this to me 3 times now, now matter where I set up in the field.  I'm thinking that the boss hen is feeling challenged by my decoys, but she always leads the tom away in the opposite direction of my decoys.
 
Any advice would be helpful.

[SamuraiTater]

Ever notice how women seem to hate the new girl on the block for no good reason......particularly if she's attractive ?   Turkeys ain't no different.  If this gobbler seems to like your dekes, I'd suggest putting a jake decoy right up around the derriere of one of the hens.  You might get his testorerone level up and appeal to his sense of dominance.

Ever seen girls try to talk guys out of fighting each other ?   When boys want to fight, boys will fight.  That's what I'd try anyway.

[swpatrkyhunter]

Hello Chris521! Welcome to the forum.
 
You say you have your calls down pat. Knowing how to make the right sounds is important, but it is also important knowing what those sounds mean to the turkeys! You seem to know that part as well. As for the boss hen! LOL! I know your problem well my freind. My advice to you is this.
 
Once you have the Tom interested and on the ground coming to your dekes get quiet! Looks as if the hen is coming in to spoil your fun after she heres your calling once the tom is on the ground. Place your dekes a little closer to your setup too. That way you have less distance for him to get into gun range. All to often the videos and T.V. shows get guys calling out to the birds when the y are close. Which makes for an exciting show! But It can also ruin a good thing if done to much. You can also try calling to the hen. But that can be a risky thing to do and I would only use it as a last ditch effort. Maybe change your setup position to get closer to where the tom comes in to the corn feild.
 
Good Luck and let us know how things go!

[cahaba]

Patience comes to mind. Sooner or later it will happen. If you are hunting this bird every day give him a days rest. You might try stepping up your calling and try and challenge the hen. Hopefully she will lead him in. What have you got to lose. You didnt say how far away from your setup you had your deks. Try setting them as close to your setup as you can get away with. You may want to try him a day or two without the deks.Also maybe one day she wont show up. keep after him.

[thunderchicken]

hey Chris,

Field turkeys are tough! They will frustrate more than any other hunting situation! Try and amping up the hen call a bit. Make your hen sound like she wants to challenge his girl! That might tick her off enough to come and kick your hens !@#!

I would sit tight and watch them as they feed and watch to see if they have a movement pattern. Believe it or not it is possible to pattern turkeys!

Be patient, because that hen will sooner or later lose interest in him and ditch him to nest! Leaving him looking for love!

BE PATIENT! This tactic kills more gobblers every spring!

Good luck!

[Moonshine Gobbler]

I agree with swpatrkyhunter. If hes coming in and interested be quite and let him come.

If the hen comes in and starts calling mimic her every tone. It will get her mad and pay more attention to you than him, but then you have two sets of eyes in range when it come time to get  the job job done. It is tricky but it works. I had a hen 5' behind me ones lookin to kill the "other" turkey. I am a little glad I did not have my dek out.

Also try mixing up calling with a gobble tube, make him think another gobble is coming in.

Good luck

R

[mark hay]

based on your ability to call well , and having this tom&hen trouble a few times , this is what i recommend . first let me say i think all of the above are good advice .
don't show your dekes . tom has been there and seen them . you know his pattern to this point and he knows your dekes pattern as well .
with no dekes in the field and you calling from good cover , it just might provoke him to move in to within your range . cast most of your calls away from him or behind you . if the invading hen can be seen FLYING IN  or walking in , you be the first to start the cussin' match and always speak louder and say more to her AFTER she gives her first responce.
 without the dekes , yet still calling , neither the tom nor the hen can see your dekes BODY LANGUAGE . the fact that you are overbearing in the arguement with her , or the fact that tom feels like he might be missing out . either way the possiblity of getting tom closer is greater . even if it's  the hen that comes in for the fight ,,,,TOM WILL FOLLOW.

[Chris521]

Thanks for all of the good advice!!  I will let the birds rest for a day or two and try some of your suggestions and let everyone know how it went.

[youngturkey]

you may would like to get as close as you can to his roost