In 2016 my boy and I set up our blind in the middle of a big corn/alpha field where we had seen toms and hens in the evenings the previous couple of years. We put out a hen decoy and about 6:30 p.m. two toms entered the field on the far end and made there way towards us and we managed to get both of them.
Last Saturday evening we set up in the same place and put out the same hen decoy and got in the blind about 5:00 p.m. About 6:00 p.m. a single hen entered the field and started feeding in the alpha. At about 6:30 I see three toms and two jakes out near the hen about 150 yards from us. A couple of toms are half fanned out and the other tom decided to chase the jakes off then the all three toms and both jakes go back into the woods. The hen is paying no attention to the toms or jakes and just feeding. About 10 minutes later, two toms come back out but now seem to show no interest in the live hen or our decoy or calling and just move around feeding. When they went over a knoll, I put a jake decoy out but it was right next to our blind. The two toms worked their way back over the knoll and passed about 100 yard in front of us and could clearly see the jake decoy but didn’t move in on it or the hen decoy or live hen.
I think the next time I have a blind set up and a hen decoy out and a real hen enters the field, I’ll spook her off unless I can quickly call her to us. It seems that unless she close to the blind, she’s just competition for any toms that may enter the field. What’s your thoughts on the situation?
Boone
