© Copyright John Trout, Jr.

Few hunters realize how often a hen sneaks in and steals away an approaching longbeard.  Here’s what you can do to keep from becoming a victim.

I sat patiently against a dogwood tree, waiting for the soft light of morning to appear.  Not far away, two gobblers on a limb serenaded the countryside and waited to attract the attention of local hens.

It was everything a turkey hunter could ask for; two anxious gobblers less than 100 yards away, no other hunters in the area and a perfect setup.  Before I could challenge the two toms, however, a hen to my right announced her presence.  The gobblers answered her gentle yelps.  I grabbed my call hoping to focus their attention back in my direction.  The gobblers responded, and the hen and I began calling aggressively.

I’m not sure how much conversation I exchanged with the gobblers and the hen over the next 20 minutes, but turkey talk rang out from three directions.  Eventually, the gobblers flew down and moved closer to my set up.  The hen, too, left her roost and moved closer.  I sat tight and waited anxiously.

I first saw the two strutting birds about 50 yards to my left, and I felt the hunt would soon end.  Ten more yards, and one of the gobblers would topple.  Then I saw her – a hen, to my right, walking directly towards the toms.

That incident occurred in northern Missouri many years ago.  It was not the first time a hen stole a gobbler from me, and it hasn’t been the last.  In fact, turkey hunters everywhere must endure the fate of losing gobblers to hens.

What is going on

You could say that spring hens are breeding machines and well aware that the assistance of a tom is their only hope of nesting and hatching poults.  It is also a known fact that mature hens may breed again if their nest is destroyed.  When each instance presents itself, gobblers are willing accomplices and difficult to call.

There is also the jealousy factor.  Some hens don’t want to share a gobbler; therefore, they don’t mind stepping on the toes of another hen to gain a boyfriend.  The behavior and biology of hens are good news for the growth of turkey flocks, but bad news for hunters who use hen calls to attract gobblers in the spring.  A large number of yet-to-mate, yet-to-nest hens can influence the outcome of a hunt. 

What to expect

Each year, hunters can assume, even before taking to the woods, the possibility of hens intercepting gobblers.  The chance of hens interfering with a hunt is higher during the early portion of the season, which is precisely why some die-had turkey hunters focus their efforts on the late season after hens begin nesting.

“I’ve always had to deal with hens, but it seems that the explosion of turkey populations in recent years has left us dealing with higher numbers of hens than ever before,” explained Harris.  “Back in the early 70s when I started hunting, a good area might hold a couple of mature toms and a handful hens.  At that time, it was pretty neat just to see a hen turkey.  But today there are many more hens to go around for the toms that do the breeding,” noted a renowned Missouri hunter.

What to do

Enough said about that.  Hunters know that hens will interfere when opportunity allows.  So, how do we deal with this annoyance?  Let’s face it, a new twist has been added to the spring turkey hunt.  We must consider tactics that might prevent hens from interfering.

Perhaps the best tactic a hunter can utilize is don’t give up.  Some gobblers will return to you after breeding ends, or once the hen arrives at the nest.  This is one reason why I believe in aggressive hen talk when other hens interfere.  I firmly believe a gobbler remembers “who” he converses with, regardless of “who” accompanies him at the time.

Several years ago, I experienced a similar situation.  With no other birds talking that morning, I elected to follow a gobbler and hen.  The hen intercepted the gobbler shortly after I began calling.  I then discovered that this gobbler thought a bird in the hand was worth more than the bird in the bush.  At any rate, my persistence paid off.  Three hours after the ordeal began, the hen went to nest and the gobbler remembered the bird in the bush.  A hefty load of No. 6s was the last thing he remembered.

As for roosted birds, a different scenario exists.  It is common to hear hen talk in the early morning hours.  As hunters know, hens are vocal at dawn and prefer to let every turkey know exactly where they are with gentle tree yelps.  Whenever hen talk is heard near a roosted gobbler, the hunter often feels helpless.  But don’t despair – try to set up as close as possible to the gobbler without spooking him.  That rule should apply anytime of day, but is most important when you set up on a roosted tom.  I look at it this way: The less distance a bird has to travel to get to you, the less the chance a hen can intercept him before he arrives.

Patience and proximity are both important considerations when dealing with interfering hens.  Get as close as you can to a spring tom to make sure he gets to you before a hen gets to him, and if you lose out, don’t give up.  Offer some aggressive calls and when the old boy gets lonely later in the morning; he just may come calling himself.

John Trout, Jr.