3- Secrets to Killing a Hung Up Gobbler: 

3-Secrets To Killing A Hung Up Gobbler: Every turkey hunter knows that hunting turkeys is similar to a chess match between you and the turkey. If you hunt turkeys long enough, you will experience a turkey that seems to be hung up and refuses to come in no matter what call you use or what you do. This issue gives turkey hunters headaches every year. However, there are a few moves I can give that have proved successful for me when hunting solo and with a partner.

Secret 1 : Don’t Over-Call

The first tip is “do not over-call.” What I mean by “over-call” is if the turkey is “hung up”, do not keep calling repeatedly thinking it will make him come in. Sometimes the silent treatment can be your best friend. If you are calling and the turkey is answering you, just take it slow and do not keep calling repeatedly.

Once he answers you, he is letting you know he is interested. If he sits in one spot for a while and has not seemed to moved, it means he is wanting “you”, the hen, to come to him. When this happens, just go silent for 5-10 minutes and stay very still. If he is really interested in your call, he will come looking for that hen. When he comes looking for that hen, 9 times out of 10 he is going to come to the last spot he heard her.

Here are some of Our Favorite Turkey Calls—>>>

Secret 2: Pull Back

The second tip is “pull back.” If the turkey seems to be working away from you, you can pull back to reposition yourself to get in front of the turkey. If the turkey is answering to you but is working away from you, it probably means he has hens with him and he is trying to get you to come to them.

When this happens, pull back quietly and think about where you think he is headed. Now it is a foot race. You need to hurry to try to get in front of him or the direction he is in, but you need to be careful and give yourself plenty of space in between you and him. The last thing you want is to get too close and spook him, to where your hunt is over.

Secret 3: Tag Team & Fill That Tag

The third tip is “tag team it.” Hunting with a partner can have its advantages when dealing with a stubborn turkey. If the turkey is far enough away that one of you can relocate, then this is my preference. One person stay where both of you currently are and do not do any calling. The other person walk straight back away from the turkey about 50-100 yards and start calling. By doing this, it gives the turkey the idea that the “hen” is moving away from him.

This will cause him to do one of two things. The first, going to where the original call was, allowing (Partner 1) to get the opportunity to shoot. The second, being the turkey will circling around to where the caller (Partner 2) is now giving the calling. Now, this may not work every time, but I have had success using this strategy when hunting with a partner.

Stubborn turkeys are every turkey hunter’s biggest headache. Sometimes, to harvest a long beard, it takes a little risk and some mind games for him to come in. If you are dealing with a “Hung Up” Gobbler, Don’t Overcall, Pull Back, or Utilize Your Partner to raise your chances of Killing a Hung Up Gobbler.