Want to Shoot an Early Season Gobbler? Hunt His Hens.

When gobblers are with hens, setting up at a morning feeding area can often pay dividends. Photo by Bill Konway.

Hen turkeys have probably saved more gobblers than bad calling, flash thunderstorms and ill-timed movement, and hunters love to gripe about them.

But that frustration can be misplaced. After all, spring is when turkeys breed, so why should any hunter be surprised that gobblers are with hens? Sure, henned-up longbeards are much tougher to hunt than a lonely, hard-gobbling 2-year-old, but you can still flip the script. In fact, much like deer hunters focusing on does during the rut, you can use hens to your advantage. Try these “hen hunting” tactics this spring.

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KNOW WHERE THEY GO

The best and most basic way to find henned-up gobblers is to determine the habits and routines of area hens: where they roost, feed, travel, and loaf. And typically, you must observe birds or scout for sign to accomplish that.

This is much easier early in spring, when hens are often still bunched up in the remnants of winter groups. In such situations, it’s common to see several hens and jennies flanked by one or two strutters. Later in spring, after hens have split up and begun preparing nests, laying eggs or even nesting, you’ll encounter many more solo hens or smaller groups.

Regardless of the situation, consider the daily routine of hens. After flying down, they often mill around a bit and then head to a feeding area. Sometimes, that’s an oak flat or creek bottom right by the roost. In other scenarios, it might be a pasture or ag field several hundred yards away. Scout to identify these spots, and plan to wait there for birds to arrive. It might seem funny setting up on a logging road or field edge far from a roost, but if turkeys are using that spot consistently, it’s better to wait for them to arrive instead of chasing them there. This approach requires patience, but it’s very effective when gobblers are with hens and not talking.

Later in the day, hens might drift apart to prepare nest sites or lay an egg, and gobblers might follow. Identify travel routes and funnels — logging roads, long ridges, creek bottoms and pasture gates, for example — birds frequent, and cold-call there a bit. If the weather is warm, hens and gobblers might loaf in cool, shady areas, such as timbered bottoms or cedar groves. As evening approaches, hens will again seek a bite to eat, so setting up along fields, food plots or oak flats can produce.

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Also, don’t ignore dust bowls — those shallow depressions where turkeys roll and flap soil and dirt on themselves to control parasites. Look for them in dry, sandy areas along field edges or roads. Hens visit these spots frequently, and waiting near dust bowls, albeit not exciting, can produce encounters.

CALLING TO HENS

Most turkey hunters have angered a boss hen with aggressive calling, prompting her to run in yelping and cutting, and unwittingly dragging her boyfriend to his demise. It’s a great tactic — when it works. However, it’s never a guarantee, especially later in the season. Often, a more thoughtful calling approach is better.

As with gobblers, you must take the temperature — that is, gauge the mood — of hens when you call. Sometimes, they simply ignore you or, during peak breeding, turn and drag a gobbler away. (Helpful tip: shut up.) Other days, they might simply yelp or cluck back at you, as if having a simple conversation borne of social curiosity. And sometimes, a hen gets irritated and angry at your intrusion, and marches in for a fight.

Figure out what a hen wants to hear by following her lead. Start by offering simple yelps and clucks, trying to mimic a hen that just wants to join the group. Old-timers called this “asking permission.” If a hen or two responds in kind, continue the conversation. This simple approach might prompt a hen or group to drift in or at least reveal the location of a gobbler. If, however, a hen fires up, that’s your cue to get aggressive and spark a battle. Mimic her excited yelping and cutting, and cut her off when possible. With luck, she’ll want to kick your tail and might drag a longbeard within range.

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HENNED-UP AND HAPPY

As spring breeding season progresses, note hen sightings and fresh sign, and try to stay abreast of their habits. When hunting gets tough, you might swear there’s not a gobbler within a mile. But if you’re where the hens are, you can be fairly certain a longbeard isn’t far.