# Tips for calling Toms away from Hens



## thill (Aug 23, 2006)

I've successfully called a group of toms away from a hen twice in my hunting career (that I know of). But 98% of the time I just call call call and they gobble gobble and gobble as they cling to their hens and eventually follow the girls wherever they take them. 

Do any of you have any calling tips that will help break a tom away from the lure of a live hen?

I've called hens to me before, but not when they had toms in tow. 

I'm almost at the point when a tom is gobbling back to me and I know he's with a hen or two, I want to move on to find new birds. 

Last Saturday I was on my way to calling in a group of 3 toms but before they got to us, two hens showed up to the party and took the bachelors away from us. After an hour of calling and changing locations 3 times, we finally cut them off and my cousin was able to sneak within range and filled a tag. But we got lucky and my calling had nothing to do with our success.

Any help would be appreciated!


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

Easiest way is with 2 hunters, one calling, one silent. 

Caller stays put. Silent hunter gets ahead of the group and anticipates where they're going. 

If they mill away from the caller, the sneaker wins. If they respond to the caller, the caller wins, and the sneaker may also win after the shot on escape.


Or try gobbler yelps and gobble calls. Slim chance, but you may find one dumb enough to leave ladies and start a fight.


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

IMO, if you get a henned up tom, the closer you can get before calling the better. Close the distance to 60-70 and when you call he may feel better about looking because in his mind he really didn’t leave his other hens.

On the roost with hens, call like crazy to him and get him worked up. Don’t know how many times that has worked for me since he’ll bail early and come look


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## atp500 (Feb 6, 2007)

Not to say it works every time, but I always try to mimic the hens. It worked again Monday morning. I called in 3 long beards from 3 hens. If I hear a loud hen, I try my best to mimic her call and cadence. There is not any sure fire way. It won't work every time.
Another thing I always do, and this was told to me by Rod Benson, he made Turkey and deer calls for years. He said, when you call and a Tom answers, he knows your there. No need to call anymore. Rod also said call every 15 to 20 minutes. You can call too much.


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## fanrwing (Jul 31, 2010)

If you can hear the hens mimic them or try calling real aggressive, you want to tick off the lead hen so she comes to run you off. If she heads your way the other hens and Toms will follow.


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## ezcaller (Feb 21, 2009)

No there is not a sure fire way to do it.To many varibles in each situation.All the above work sometime.Sounds like you made some good moves.I have witnessed a tom walk right by three live hens within thirty yards and never give them a peek.If there was a sure fire the hunt would get old in a hurry.Sometimes a hen will react like a tom in that if she answers you she may expect you to come to her especially if they are in a group.IMO


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## srconnell22 (Aug 27, 2007)

Stop calling to the tom and start calling over the hens. 

Done deal most times. 


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## srconnell22 (Aug 27, 2007)

atp500 said:


> Not to say it works every time, but I always try to mimic the hens. It worked again Monday morning. I called in 3 long beards from 3 hens. If I hear a loud hen, I try my best to mimic her call and cadence. There is not any sure fire way. It won't work every time.
> Another thing I always do, and this was told to me by Rod Benson, he made Turkey and deer calls for years. He said, when you call and a Tom answers, he knows your there. No need to call anymore. Rod also said call every 15 to 20 minutes. You can call too much.


I was right there with you... until the second paragraph. 

Asking someone to sit in one spot for 15 to 20 minutes while turkey hunting is asking a little too much.


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## oldrank (Dec 5, 2006)

Call the hens in. Don't worry about the Tom. He is just following them. 

The best way to do this is hunt wherever they want to go. Be a step ahead of the turkeys. This is where scouting and knowledge of the area comes in.


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## TheLionsFan (Dec 20, 2011)

Agree with EZCALLER.

But what I’ve found works best for me is heavier usage on the soft cutts. From what I’ve experienced it eases the toms into checking out the mysterious hen vocalization. It’s a tough situation, but that’s what I’ve found works best for me. 

On a side note, if nothing is working, and I can back off without being spotted, I’ll hurry and get a couple hundred yards in another direction and call from there. Sometimes doing that and using the same exact calls I was using will spark an interest and get him coming.


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## hmrx (May 4, 2012)

Dominate hens don't want the competition there possessive. They walk away gobblers in tow. When calling gets too aggressive. The gobblers gobble, then the hens speed up, some will squat and some immediately pay attention to the gobbler. The gobbler stops strutting and gobbling to keep up and before you know it there 300 yards away following there ladies. Happens every day. You can get position on hens as they move but, to call a dominate gobbler from hens is not often done. A younger gobbler hanging around may come in but, the chief is not leaving his girls. Later in the season things change. Most callers are not as good as they think they are, most callers don't sound like a real live turkey. They just get close. Turkeys figure it out. Mother nature rules. Getting position is the only way to beat most possessive adult hens. Juvenile hens move away from competition too. The flock is hard to beat. Get position before you call.


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## atp500 (Feb 6, 2007)

srconnell22 said:


> I was right there with you... until the second paragraph.
> 
> Asking someone to sit in one spot for 15 to 20 minutes while turkey hunting is asking a little too much.


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## atp500 (Feb 6, 2007)

Agree with you Scott if someone is a run and gun Turkey hunter. Some still do it old school in a blind.


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## thill (Aug 23, 2006)

I really appreciate some of the advice on here! I've tried calling the hen over before by mimicking her calls and sometimes interrupting her to try to piss her off, but it hasn't come together for me yet. I really like FF's suggestion of splitting up and one guy stationary and the other guy silent and mobile. 

Good stuff!


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

I've called the boss hen in a few times and they brought me toms. Happens to me more often than calling a tom off hens.

Not much is more reliable than working in the yard mid day and hear a tom or two fire up outa the blue feelin' frisky. Put the clothes on, grab the gun, find a spot with in a 100 yards and he'll come in a runnin'


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## Trap Star (Jan 15, 2015)

Next time your son is at the bar with some hot single women call him and see if he's interested in coming over to watch the game. Same principal.


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