doetrain

What a challenge hunting this morning in southern Indiana,thunder,lightning,wind and of course lots of rain. I put the blind up last night just before it got really bad,did'nt expect to see it where I left it in the morning due to the wind last night. It stayed put some how and we got out at 6:15 this morning.
No action until 9:15 or so 2 hens answered the calls and came to the decoys drawing 6 Jakes and one strutter. The shooter would not come the last 50 yards but gobbled for what seemed fo ever. 3 Jakes gave us a shot at 35 yards my young hunter passed it being early yet.
I heard another gobble to my right where the first 2 hens had moved about 300 yards away. They drew the best Tom out in front of us and away from us to where they were. Of course he got hened up and had no intrest in my boring hens or calls.
We endured the weather until 11:30 and called it a day happy that we had 8 males and 6 hens to keep us from being boared stiff and wandering why we were out in such weather.
We won't get to hunt tomarrow so we will get after them wednesday when our 19 day saeson begins. I must confess being a new hunter I did not know what to do when the strutter would not come in to the decoys. I tried clucks real softly and some cutting hen calls but he did not go for it. The Tom wanted the hens to come to him which I know is the natural way of things because he gobbled after nearly every call I made. This was my first morning hunt so I am happy we had some action which taught me a few lessons I would not have learned if I had stayed in bed. Good Hunting to all who are in hot persuit this week. Later

deerslayer7793

I have been hunting for three years, im only 14 so i probablly dont know what im talking about, but i got a tom saturday morning and as soon as i knew he was there i quit calling. Then he saw my decoys and hit instant jealousy mode and literally ran 100 yards to my decoys. It was only a 17 yard shot so i dropped him in his tracks. He was with a hen though and she must have figured out something was up because she watched me for a long time then went into the woods. but he forgot about her when he saw my jake decoy next to my hen decoy.

jalvja

It's not always about the kill, Sounds like you had a great time.

doetrain

Considering the conditions we had a blast with so many birds to watch. She regrets not taking the Jake because with the weather being tough and her time limited because she's leaving for Montana May the 6th. We may get out Saturday morning in the same spot but this time being on the ground and in the woods edge at before sunrise.

doetrain

I stoped calling once I saw them heading toward the decoys but the strutter stoped short,so I did some clucks and cutting hen calls but he would not budge. I think I may have called to much so they got wise to me. I'll remember not to get to eager next time and stop calling for a time and see if your tactic works,thanks.

JakeGrice

Try a soft purr while the tom is hung up. It may help