[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/3-tips-for-hunting-stubborn-field-gobblers\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/3-tips-for-hunting-stubborn-field-gobblers\/","headline":"3 Tips for Hunting Stubborn Field Gobblers","name":"3 Tips for Hunting Stubborn Field Gobblers","description":"One of the properties I used to turkey hunt was nothing but 100 acres of mixed ag fields with one...","datePublished":"2016-04-06","dateModified":"2018-10-24","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/#Person","name":"Hector Agosto","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/author\/hagosto\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/d7bfedbdc5ef3ed8f8df91eb37e1ffbe?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Legendary Whitetails","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","url":"http:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/logo-legendary-whitetails.png","width":522,"height":226}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Sneaking-up-on-a-gobbler-e1459865484358.jpg","url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Sneaking-up-on-a-gobbler-e1459865484358.jpg","height":562,"width":1000},"video":{"message":"Forbidden"},"url":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/3-tips-for-hunting-stubborn-field-gobblers\/","about":["Hunting"],"wordCount":1066,"keywords":["Deer","Hunting","Tips","Turkey"],"articleBody":"One of the properties I used to turkey hunt was nothing but 100 acres of mixed ag fields with one shallow drainage ditch and tree-lined perimeter (pictured below).\u00a0 Despite the lack of habitat diversity, there was always at least one turkey in the field somewhere and, more often than not, a whole group of birds.\u00a0 It was a terrific turkey hunting property, but it lacked one thing: cover.\u00a0 No, not cover for the birds, but rather, for us.\u00a0 It was absolutely impossible to sneak anywhere.\u00a0 We were pretty much stuck in our starting location for the morning, unless we wanted to risk busting the field, relocating, and then waiting out their return.\u00a0 While it was fun to watch the toms strutting all morning long, it was also frustrating.Here’s an aerial view of the property I was referring to. \u00a0Turkeys would be in the field somewhere, but it was extremely difficult to ever make a move on them due to the lack of cover and flatland topography.Here are a few tips I\u2019ve learned over the years from some of the best turkey hunters in the business.\u00a0 Hopefully they’ll help you outsmart those witty field gobblers this season.Use the Cover of DarknessGet in early and get in close.\u00a0 Using the cover of darkness, sneak in close to the roosted birds well before you hear the first gobble.\u00a0 This works best if you roost the birds the night before so you know exactly where to set up.\u00a0 If possible, get yourself situated between the tom and the hens.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t get yourself positioned between the hens and the gobbler, you\u2019ll want to be in their fly down zone.\u00a0 If the tom gets to the hens before you have the chance to work him in, it can be a tough morning of hunting.A full-strut gobbler decoy along with single hen decoy\u00a0in breeding pose\u00a0work well in this situation.\u00a0 The tom will think there is an intruder trying to steal his hens and come running to the spread.\u00a0 As far as calling goes, you\u2019ll want to remain silent up until he\u2019s about ready to pitch down off the limb. \u00a0Then give a few soft yelps to let him know there\u2019s some hens over there.\u00a0 A lot of times the decoys will do the work in this situation and you won\u2019t have to do much calling.A full strut decoy paired with a breeding hen is my go-to setup for much of the early season, as toms are still sorting out dominance. \u00a0Mid-day Sneak AttackSpot, think, and then move.\u00a0 It\u2019s not uncommon to spot a strutter out in a field during the middle of the day. In fact, this how many of my run-and-gun turkey hunts begin.\u00a0 Things can get slow once the morning gobble turns off and the only way to know if there are any birds in the area is if you see them.\u00a0 Hunting in farm country often lends itself to spotting birds from afar and allows you to come up with a game plan to get in close.\u00a0 The only problem with this scenario is that the toms usually aren\u2019t alone.Use the topography and cover to get in as close as possible.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be tough to call a gobbler off a hen without any visual representation.\u00a0 The best case scenario would be to get a full strut decoy setup on the crest of a hill where he can see it and you can set it up without getting busted.\u00a0 This takes patience and willingness to belly crawl your way back to cover.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t get a decoy set out, try to position yourself close to where the group may be heading and wait for a passerby.\u00a0 It gets really tough if you\u2019re hunting flat open country like the farm I originally talked about.\u00a0 Here it\u2019s best to keep your distance and hope that you can draw him in with the site of another (fake) gobbler.\u00a0 If not, you might be able to use the next exciting tactic.Turkey FanningTurkey fanning or reaping is an intense hunting tactic that requires you to literally tango with the turkeys.\u00a0 If you\u2019re not familiar, there\u2019s some crazy youtube videos out there and I also talk about it more in this article.\u00a0 Basically, you hide behind an open tail fan while approaching a gobbler.\u00a0 Once he sees the intruding tom (you), he\u2019ll do one of two things depending on his age and dominance \u2013 charge or run off, the first option seems to be\u00a0more common.\u00a0 Wait until he gets close, then drop the fan, shoulder your gun, and fire the shot.\u00a0 It\u2019s intense and effective, but should be used with extreme caution and on private lands only.Hunting turkeys over large fields is a pretty common situation for many hunters across the country, but it can also prove to be difficult.\u00a0 It\u2019s just like bow hunting for deer over a large ag field \u2013 you often see them, but you rarely get a shot.\u00a0 The same holds true for turkeys \u2013 you often see them strutting, but it\u2019s tough to draw them within range, especially if they are with hens.\u00a0 Decoys and landscape are the most important tools to help you get close.\u00a0 Use them correctly and you may just leave the field with a longbeard slung over your shoulder."},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Legendary Whitetail's Blog"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.legendarywhitetails.com\/blog\/3-tips-for-hunting-stubborn-field-gobblers\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"3 Tips for Hunting Stubborn Field Gobblers"}}]}]