Too late to bag a Tom now? Where are they now?

[Katman]

I picked up a late surplus tag so I'm deciding to go out tomorrow. We scouted a few spots and found a stray hen here and there but no toms. Is it too late to bag a tom? We found single hens running around with no group. Was the hen just feeding solo or is she part of a pair or group? Are they done or can we still call the toms out? Any help before tomorrow would be awesome.

[mrklean]

the other day on the way to work i saw a big tom strutting out next to the road thought that was kinda odd, they are still out there

[Powerstroke]

They are out there, but it depends on each property. I just returned form 4 days hunting the G season. Although we were around birds every day, they were very henned up and difficult to move. We had two toms being led by two hens from 12pm until 6pm yesterday. We were able to watch this from a high vantage point as we waited for this game of follow the leader to bring the birds back.

[Katman]

good to know. I'm wondering if those stray hens were just feeding or were they with no tom? Do you have to just be more aggressive to try to stray the tom to your call?

[Powerstroke]

Those lone hens may be out and about because they have already been bred and are out feeding or maybe the population of toms in that area is low or has been hunted well.

I would say don't bet on getting a henned up tom to come to the call. Very rarely will they pass up the real thing for the unknown of your call. Also, I usually find that contentment calls like the cluck and purr work better than super aggressive calls. You may actually draw in the group rather than just the tom.

Your best bet is to follow the birds and try to get ahead of them. Our best chances were when we didn't call or use decoys, we just tried to ambush them by knowing where they wanted to go.

[Borch]

It's still happening. Saw several toms strutting for hens this week. late morning into the evening they will be more responsive to calling in general. But every bird and situation is different.

[LABS4ME]

I almost prefer the late seasons. I've had my best luck hunting the last 2 seasons on average.

I would say on average I had active Toms come to the call. I would say immediatley at fly down and 8-10 am has been best for calling in a Tom. Many are seeking out the last of the hens that need to be bred. If they don't have one, generally you will get them to come in. I also like to get a hen to come in and get her all riled up by sass talking to her and having her help me call in a Tom... works like a charm!

Out of the dozen or so Toms I've gotten, I'd say 8 or so were from the last or second to the last season.

Good Luck!

Ken

[HunterLee]

I got mine the last season as so did my two buddys. Our turkeys did not gobble at all. One was with a hen and come walking through the woods, the other was a few clucks and yelps and got two gobblers and two jakes to sneak in, and mine was a sneak and follow/call. He was with a hen, but she didn't show much intrest so we snuck as close as we dared and clucked and purred softly he left her and came to me. He was a 10.75in beard and 1.25in spurs, but it was a couple hour ordeal.

[engfish]

Hunted most of the day today and had active birds all day long. I usually don't use a decoy late season, but I will be putting one out tomorrow along with a jake decoy. I had a nice gobbler chase off a jake but held out in the field just a little out of range. Once the rain got heavy, he moved out of the field and back into the woods. I was pleasantly surprised how much gobbling I heard today. I'm hoping I get a couple hours early tomorrow morning without rain and hit it again.

[Gordie]

I hunted last weekend and it was birds all over and one was even with in 35yds but the darn thing was smack dab behind me so I just didnt work in my favor.

They are doing there thing around Zimmerman

get out and giver a try and at the least enjoy the great outdoors even if it is raining

[mrklean]

Saw a big Tom at the bow range today

[bigbucks]

What kind of bow was he shooting...

[sticknstring]

Probably a Bowtech Tomkat.

[Sturg]

They are still out there. I saw numerous Toms out in the rain Sat. I got skunked with the bow earlier this year but I got plenty of toms on camera this past weekend. Many are now traveling without hens.

[engfish]

Wanted to give you a little update on my weekend of hunting. As good as Friday was, Saturday was the polar opposite. Little gobbling and birds were not moving like they were on Friday; I think they were tired of the rain, too. Sunday I went back to a field I had been to three times in the past two days and it took four hours of working the tom--not the one I had seen Friday--who stopped calling on three different occasions for long periods of time. He snuck in on me just as I was getting ready to leave for the second time that morning. Full strut and silent for another 25 minutes behind trees and out of gun range. I never saw or heard the jake that was with him, but they were both looking for me when I tipped the big boy over at 10:15 AM on Sunday morning. 24.2 lbs, 9.75 inch beard, and 1 and 5/16 inch spurs that were thin and sharp. It was my second big bird off this same property and the third in three years--all were late season birds, and all of them required lots of work and patience.

Don't give up! Two years ago I got my first bird off this field during the last day of the season--before I went to work at 7:30 AM.

[DonBo]

Good job engfish, late season birds are a different breed. Patience is definetly the key.

[mnhunter2]

Engfish, have you been calling much or using any decoy and how have they responded to calling at all? I had a big tom on the roost at 60 yds and gobbling and tree yelp 2 times and he flew down and headed over the hills the other direction, not the least bit interested. I don't think he knew I was there because he actually flew down in my direction, I just they are so afraid of anything that could be related to a hunter.

[Musky Buck]

Totally agree engfish, Friday heard literally dozens of gobbles all morning and afternoon long, finally 7 Toms came strutting out of the creek bottom, no we weren't hunting, should've, then Saturday heard not a peep and never saw any. Same on Sunday. Scattered lone hens here and there. Funny, but Friday even in the rain when a grouse drummed or rooster cackled, a tom within seconds would gobble, it was kinda cool, you could expect a gobble within seconds, you guys must have seen this before most likely if you hit the mood and time right I suppose.

[engfish]

When the birds talked, I talked back to them. When they went quiet, I stayed quiet until they started talking again. It was hard sometimes not to call, but that seemed to be the way it was working.

I used no decoy on Friday and had a couple of birds hang up just out of range, so I went with the decoy on Saturday. When the jake refused to cross the field, I put it away. I'm not a big fan of decoys late season. Also, once I see the bird or hear that last gobble close, I shut up. I also try to make sure that where I'm sitting on the ground gives me some break up along with the camo.

One thing a lot of others have mentioned, and it worked, was to tone it down once the birds got closer. I get so fired up sometimes, especially with that diaphragm, that my volume gets up there. So I really work hard to soften it up when I know they're definitely coming toward me.

[Borch]

It's easy to get caught up in calling too much no matter which season you hunt. It's usually what we all see on tv and hunting videos.

Nice way to close the deal engfish!

[brittman]

They are still strutting in the east metro. Out strutting at 10AM ...