Turkey question

What is the West Salem Fall Frenzy?

FDR

I think that is the name of the Bass tourny they have around the first weekend in Oct. I was just wondering if they are having one this year? Unless I am imagining this and have it confused with another body of water?

The club that runs this tourney changed their name from “West Salem” to “3 Rivers”. Don’t know if they’re running one this year…I dont think they had one last yr but I could be wrong.

It’s Sept. 28th.

$100 per boat.

Thanks,

Sounds like things wil be busy around there for a while, but that is nothing new

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Thanks,

Sounds like things wil be busy around there for a while, but that is nothing new

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As long as everyone stays off pool 7 everything will be fine.

Pool 8 is getting nailed as well.

BFL
Weekend series
MSBC
Big bucks bass champ.
3 rivers

these are just the ones that i know about… Pools 7 and 8 are going to be raped. Let me know when its november!

This question is mainly directed toward Joel, but whoever knows the answer please chime in

What does it mean when a tom, or several toms leave a hen after flying down with her? Also, they leave to go gobble somewhere else, and return to her at a different time? Finally, they show no interest in my decoy

How are they responding to your calling? Will they gobble at you? Approach? Are they coming into view of the deke and then showing noticeable signs of spooking? Is the hen vocal at all, and can you call to her?

Or are they just acting indifferent to everything?

Toms this time of year are definitely in “upgrade” mode. They’ll roost with, and fly-down-with the best lead they have for the night. If she’s not showing signs of being receptive in the morning, they’ll go off to search for other hens that are. I have areas where I hunt, that the toms are so used to meeting up with hens in small, certain locations, that no matter where you call from, it seems like the tom EXPECTS the hen to be at that location. It could be a situation where a small move pays big.

I’ve had several birds this year leave the real thing as you describe, only to walk off, then come back after a period of time. Again, upgrade-mode. Seeing if they can do any better elsewhere, then going back to their last best lead.

Which is where you fit in. It’s hard when birds are less vocal and really visual, but if they’re being indifferent you can actually step up your calling. If they’re seeing the deke and acting noticeably different when they see it, it’s time to strip it or go to a different decoy. Maybe a single strutting tom or strutting jake?

As always, there’s plenty of suggestions, of which maybe none would work.

I’d love to tag along Friday morning if you’d be hunting?

Joel

Agree with Joel on this one yesterday is a prime example. large open field I can see 11 fans at one point. I did a sneak on a lone hen and tom. For over an hour I would give a purr or putt the just keep the toms heads turning back one in a great while. Not having a decoy out, not by choice, I think gave the the shot opp. that I failed to finish on. Once she really gave him the big FU one time he turned and looked my way when I threw a rapid “get your a$$ over here” call on him and he came on a string until hanging up at 50 yds. or so. Smart birds like this time of year are like big walleyes. Sometimes your only option is stick with them and look for that “window” they seldom give you to make your move.

An with the leaving then hen in the morning…think like you’re in college! You always have that one you can hang out with as a guarentee ,but the second you get the chance at another you are on your way.

The birds on this property i hunt do the same thing every year, but i don’t know if it’s typical of turkeys everywhere else…They are usually with at least one hen, and notice my deek, but gobble and don’t come in. This tom would stay close to the real hen about 90 yards uphill of me and strut back and forth. He saw my deek right from the get-go on fly down since i was about 175 yards from the roost.
When crows would caw, he would gobble up to 5 times, so he was definitely aggressive! I did switch things up to try and get him more interested by pretending to be two hens at once. I would yelp with a mouth call and a slate call and he would gobble and strut. I did a sequence for about 3 minutes, with 5-10 second breaks between starting up again. But it still didn’t bring him in.
I am going in the AM, but this time im not bringing a decoy. This is new to me, so are birds more likely to investigate a “hen” if they don’t see her but hear her calling?

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This is new to me, so are birds more likely to investigate a “hen” if they don’t see her but hear her calling?

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There’s never one hard rule that applies to turkey behaviour. You have to read them so to speak and respond accordingly. Hunting without a decoy can be very effective – it’s like playing cat and mouse. Having the ability to adjust the volume of your calling is very important in this situation. The closer he gets, the softer you call so that he thinks the hen is getting further away and hopefully continues his death march.

Can you add some motion to your decoy??? I have a hen decoy with a spring at the top of the stake. By zip tying two to three barrel swivels to it, running some power pro or other heavy fishing line to it, I can add some motion to it while they are looking at it. There may some other decoys sets that you can employ, submissive hen/mating jake/tom…

If this doesn’t work, I might get rid of it and try to go and get him.

Mark