Don’t Call to the Gobblers…..Call to his Hens

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Don’t Call to the Gobblers… Call to His Hens

How to Mimic a Dominant Hen and Pull the Whole Flock Into Range

Every turkey hunter has been there: a fired-up gobbler hammering on the roost, answering every call you make — but when fly-down comes, he locks onto his real hens and marches off in the opposite direction.

This is one of the oldest frustrations in spring turkey hunting. Many hunters instinctively keep calling to the gobbler, hoping he’ll break away and come in. But seasoned woodsmen know a different truth:

If you want the gobbler… call to the hen that owns him.

Dominant hens are the gatekeepers of the flock. They are social, territorial, competitive, and highly vocal — and when challenged correctly, they will march straight in to confront an intruding hen. When she comes, she brings the gobbler with her.

This blog teaches you how to mimic a dominant hen and use her own attitude against her.

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Why Calling to the Hens Works Better Than Calling to the Gobbler

Gobblers don’t usually dictate early-season movement — hens do. A gobbler may answer you, but he’ll rarely abandon a real hen to come investigate a distant one. Hens, on the other hand, are highly competitive during the spring.

Dominant hens respond strongly to:

• Territory intrusion

• Social challenges

• Loud, aggressive calling

• The sound of another hen trying to take “her” gobbler

Once you challenge the boss hen, she often comes in on a rope — cutting, yelping, clucking with purpose. That’s your chance to bring her within range or pull the whole flock to your setup.

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The Key: Identify the Boss Hen

Before you call aggressively, listen for:

• The loudest, sharpest yelps in the group

• A hen that interrupts other hens

• Frequent cutting

• A hen who the gobbler sticks closest to

• The hen the flock seems to follow after fly-down

This is the bird you target — not the gobbler.

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How to Mimic a Dominant Hen (Step-by-Step)

To challenge the boss hen, you need the right cadence, volume, and attitude in your calling.

1. Match Her Cadence

When she calls:

• Cut her off

• Overlap her calls

• Respond immediately

Turkeys are social animals. Interrupting her is like saying,

“I’m right here — and I’m taking over.”

2. Turn Up the Emotion

Dominant hens sound sharp, irritated, and insistent.

Use:

• Aggressive yelping (loud, fast, 6–10 notes)

• Hard cutting

• Sharp single clucks

Don’t be timid — sound confident. Sound bossy.

3. Close the Distance — Carefully

A dominant hen expects to see the intruder.

If you’re too far away, she may lose interest.

Softly reposition when:

• She’s fired up

• She’s responding consistently

• The gobbler is distracted

Close in, then call again to reignite the confrontation.

4. Mirror Her Aggressiveness

If she yelps loud — you yelp loud.

If she cuts fast — you cut faster.

If she clucks sharply — you match it with energy.

You are trying to create social friction, not conversation.

5. Use Playback Pauses

After a heated exchange, go silent for 10–30 seconds.

Let her think you’re moving, feeding, or circling.

Silence often triggers her to come investigate.

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What Happens When You Do This Right

When the dominant hen commits, you’ll know it:

• She’ll cut loudly

• She’ll come in with attitude

• She’ll drag the gobbler behind her

• The flock may even split as subdominant birds follow

Often, the gobbler comes in strutting behind her at 20–40 yards.

Sometimes he even outpaces her once he hears you.

Either way, the strategy works because you’re not competing for the gobbler — you’re competing for social dominance in the flock.

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When to Use This Strategy

This works best when:

• Gobblers stay henned-up after fly-down

• Hens are loud and active

• Early to mid-season

• Gobblers answer but won’t commit

• You’re dealing with a flock with a clear pecking order

Late-season hens may be quieter, but the strategy still works in pockets where competition remains.

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Tips for Realistic Dominant Hen Calling

• Don’t call with “perfect” rhythm — real hens vary

• Use emotion more than volume

• Overlap her calls aggressively

• Scratch in the leaves during pauses

• Visualize the hen’s attitude and mirror it

• Avoid repeating the same call sequence too often

Sound unpredictable — just like a real flock fight.

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Final Thoughts: Win Over the Hen, Win Over the Gobbler

Next time you hear a henned-up gobbler that won’t budge, remember:

You’re not competing with the gobbler — you’re competing with the hen who controls him.

Challenge her.

Match her attitude.

Cut her off.

Pull her in.

When she storms into your setup, feathers ruffled and attitude high, her longbeard will be right behind her — and that’s when you take your shot.