PROBLEM: HENNED-UP TOMS
During the opening days of season, it's not uncommon to find longbeards traveling with large groups of hens, which can be very aggravating to say the least. In my opinion, there is nothing tougher in the spring than attempting to call in a lovesick gobbler that has his beak stuck up a hen's tail feathers. Trying to break away a longbeard from hens with your calling just doesn't make too much sense. Why would a gobbler leave what he already has to go check out one hen?

In most cases, a tom is not going to abandon the hens, but he will gobble at all of your calling while walking away. For good reason, that is the way things are supposed to work in the turkey woods. A longbeard gobbles to attract and gather up hens that are willing to mate. As hunters, we try to reverse this process by calling and pulling an anxious longbeard to our setup. However, when gobblers are already with hens, conventional calling and ordinary setups are just not going to get things done. If you want to drop the hammer on a henned-up gobbler, you better be willing to push the envelope and think outside the box.

Solution 1: Fire Up The Hen
Jealousy and anger are two powerful emotions that are not exclusive to human beings. A lead hen that has a longbeard glued to her backside can easily be provoked with the right setup and calling. The key is to close the distance and set up dangerously close to the group before trying to work the birds. Another good pointer that will add to your overall success is to make sure you set up ahead of where the turkeys are traveling. It can be difficult to pull turkeys in the opposite direction of how the birds are already moving through the woods.

After properly setting up, I like to turn up the volume and get aggressive with my calling. This goes against traditional wisdom that says soft and subtle is the trick to tagging tough birds. In most cases, softer calling is exactly what is needed to coax a wary longbeard into gun range, but this isn't one of those times. I want to get loud and try to fire-up the lead hen by initiating a heated conversation. Interrupting the hen with a series of agitated cutts and assertive yelps can generate a jealous rage that will bring her and the gobbler right past you.

Solution 2: Try The Spring Break-Up
With fall turkey hunting, breaking up the flock by scattering the birds off the roost or busting them on the ground is a highly effective technique. This strategy is often overlooked during the spring, but it can be lethal when longbeards are covered up with hens. After locating potential roosting areas, sneak in close right at dark and scatter the birds off the roost by making a lot of noise. Next, find a good setup near the roosting area and try tree calling just before daylight. A series of soft tree yelps and gentle clucks should get the busted birds talking. At first light, hit the tom with an emotional fly-down cackle and utilize calling sequences that consist of aggressive yelping and cutting. The gobbler and hens will try to regroup quickly and this type of calling can help bring an anxious longbeard up close and personal.

PROBLEM: UNRESPONSIVE GOBBLERS
As a turkey hunter, it has always amazed me how one morning the longbeards will gobble their heads off and the very next day everything goes deathly quiet. Even when the weather conditions and all other factors are identical, the birds still won't cooperate for whatever reason. During these non-vocal periods, it can be tough to trigger a gobble from a stubborn longbeard. Every one of us has experienced days when we couldn't even buy a gobble and hunting seemed impossible. These extreme conditions can be tough, but it's still possible to bust a longbeard in silent mode with the right strategies.