whats your best call for birds that are hung up??

[kyscrapejuice]

Best call or tactic?? Not talking about Primos or HS or Cane Creek, etc... I'm talking about what is your go to tactic on a bird that is clearly hung up 80-100 yards or so out. What have you done in the past that has at least worked a few times to help that old gobbler break and come on in??

[jsc3150]

If the leaves are dry enough. I have found nothing better than a little scratching in the leaves. It has closed the deal for quite a few birds for me.

[l.brentt]

I second that , the BEST call is NO CALL a lot of the time.:eek:

[FlydownCackler]

Little to no calling is a great tactic for hung up birds. Another really good strategy is to let completely up on the calling and let the bird walk off. Use locators to check his location and when he has moved away, move up to the hang up location and call him right in.

[buckfever]

Good advice already given, but there is never a sure thing for hung up birds. For every bird I've killed by shutting up or doing the scratching leaves, I've had 10 birds simply not move from the hung up position and eventually lose interest and walk off.

I think that probably the best rule of thumb for calling to birds that have gobbled in response to your call is to never call at a bird that is already headed in your direction. In a lot of cases, you can avoid hung up gobblers by limiting your calling on the front end. Of course, it's easy to say that, but much harder to put into practice.

If he's already gobbling and moving towards you, he knows where pretty much where the calls are coming from, and he's looking for that hen. Let him do the work. Once you call to him when he's within 100-150 yards, he knows exactly where that hen is located and is much more likely to just stand his ground, gobble and strut until she comes to him.

Here's a couple of other suggestions that have worked from time to time.

When the bird is out of sight, back out, circle around to the side or all the way around the tom, and call from the other side of him. Sometimes a hung up bird will come to the same calling "hen" even though he hung up when she was in front of him.

Also, there are times when I've heard birds gobble at mid-morning or gotten them to respond to a locator. In 2 man situations where I'm calling, I'll let the shooter try to move 25-50 yards directly at the bird in front of me BEFORE I ever start calling. If the bird responds to my calling and comes in, the shooter is sometimes in range even if he does hang up. Although in these same situations, I've also had the toms circle around and come to the call and bypass the hunter which left the bird in my lap. :D

If you've already got a hung up bird, and you're hunting together, wait til the bird is out of sight and then try to belly crawl back about 50 yards or so and then call again. Sometimes, a tom will move little closer to the departing "hot" hen giving the shooter an opportunity.

[Zack Attack]

Great advice so far. I like to make real soft purrs on a hung up bird. This has worked for me a few times.

[Pollcat]

All good advice. When I know a bird is clearly hung up and have tried the not calling trick, I'll get my wing out and slap everything around me while making the fighting purr on my mouth call. After this, a few moments of quiet with only a few leaf crunches has sealed the deal several times. I've even used this to call birds back in that have seen something they don't like and have walked away. On one occation my friend shot a bird while another was comming in and only 100 yds away. As his bird was on the ground flopping beside the decoy, I gave the fighting purr for as long as his bird was flopping. The second gobbler, gave a gobble.....blew up to full strut and marched right to us.

[WaterDog88]

If going silent doesn't work and the lay of the land permits me to I will get up and sneak away from the hung up bird, make a few soft calls and wait. Some times when he thinks his girlfriend is leaving he will decide to head her way. I think the most important thing is to keep the calling to a bear minimum...

[KyHorse]

I've found aggressive purrs to coax a bird to close the distance. Aggressive to the point the tom thinks a hen is getting fired up with another hen.

I've also simulated fighting purrs with a slate and mouth call that pulled the ball and chain off a gobblers leg.

[Big Smitty]

I agree, do nothing for a while, if that does not work then purr and scratch leaves, and don't forget to pray:D:D

[turk2di]

Silence!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CHL]

Cluck and purrs or fighting purrs with a diaphragm call.

[notimlmit]

Buckfever has given the best advice so far -- and if the bird hangs up he has more than likely come in as far as he is going to waiting on his hen he heard to come his way or he saw something that just didn't look quite right -- this is especially true after the birds have had some pressure and the two man deal is the way to go, once the bird has committed and coming have your partner go dirrectly away from you 50 yards and call and the bird should hang up right in range

[RutNBuck]

have your buddy call as well maybe the bird will think another hen has approached him...

1- you could leave come back later in the day
2-have your buddy call as he walks in the opposite direction to see if this gets him to move towards your set up
3-spook the bird and call about an hour later he will most likely return
4-try a gobbler call to tick him off

thats whats fun about turkey hunting what you do may or may not work BUT you wont know if you dont try

[beards-n-bone]

Good advice already given, but there is never a sure thing for hung up birds. For every bird I've killed by shutting up or doing the scratching leaves, I've had 10 birds simply not move from the hung up position and eventually lose interest and walk off.

I think that probably the best rule of thumb for calling to birds that have gobbled in response to your call is to never call at a bird that is already headed in your direction. In a lot of cases, you can avoid hung up gobblers by limiting your calling on the front end. Of course, it's easy to say that, but much harder to put into practice.

If he's already gobbling and moving towards you, he knows where pretty much where the calls are coming from, and he's looking for that hen. Let him do the work. Once you call to him when he's within 100-150 yards, he knows exactly where that hen is located and is much more likely to just stand his ground, gobble and strut until she comes to him.

Here's a couple of other suggestions that have worked from time to time.

When the bird is out of sight, back out, circle around to the side or all the way around the tom, and call from the other side of him. Sometimes a hung up bird will come to the same calling "hen" even though he hung up when she was in front of him.

Also, there are times when I've heard birds gobble at mid-morning or gotten them to respond to a locator. In 2 man situations where I'm calling, I'll let the shooter try to move 25-50 yards directly at the bird in front of me BEFORE I ever start calling. If the bird responds to my calling and comes in, the shooter is sometimes in range even if he does hang up. Although in these same situations, I've also had the toms circle around and come to the call and bypass the hunter which left the bird in my lap. :D

If you've already got a hung up bird, and you're hunting together, wait til the bird is out of sight and then try to belly crawl back about 50 yards or so and then call again. Sometimes, a tom will move little closer to the departing "hot" hen giving the shooter an opportunity.
RIGHT ON THE MONEY!!!!! Listen to this cat!!!! I bet his seasons are very short!!! Only thing I can add depends on your knowledge of the terrain. If the bird is hung up, then why? Hens may be the problem. Sun angle should be considered. My best advise is not to LET your setup allow the Tom to hang up. Terrain use kills more turkeys then world champion calling EVER will. I like to get in front of a bird if possible keeping him going with locater calls till I get in position. Or if I cant get in front of a bird I will "follow" him always keeping a rise between us. When he walks over the lip of a hill I will literally charge to within 40 yards of the rise he just walked over and make some soft calls. They cant resist walking a few steps back to sneak a peek. Be ready, all you might see is a big red head.

[chasinhornsnfans]

just relax. sit back and doze in and out. it's worked before

[kidd rock]

I agree with the majority, in this situation, i have always had better luck shutting up vs. calling.

[turkeyman2000]

This past season, we had birds that would stay out in this field (where we didn't have permission to hunt) and strut all day. Any amount of calling was futile. We saw some dominance behavior going on in that field with 3 longbeards chasing about 7 jakes all over that field. We figured that maybe a strutting decoy would work. We set up 2 strutters about 15-20 yards from the line fence, along with some hen decoys, and we let the decoys call for us. We never said a word. Had a tom come nose to nose with ol' Pretty Boy....and my buddy snapped his snood back. That turkey got an earful of sand....:D

That silent treatment is deadly. But experience in the woods to tell you what calls to make, or not to make is best. You have to let the situation dictate what you do. And I have spooked my fair share of birds trying different things...such as moving up 50 yards or so to a hung-up bird...then turning around and walking directly away from him calling.

Great information so far in this thread. Sounds like there is a lot experienced turkey hunters giving advice. Great job guys!! :D