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It’s opening morning of spring turkey season and despite the sweet yelps you’ve offered, the tom you’re working refuses to come in to your setup. The problem? For the last several weeks this gobbler, like most of his pals, has flown down from his roost and gobbled until hens came to him. It’s the way it’s supposed to work. When we try to call in gobblers to our location we are somewhat trying to reverse natures rules, which often leads to hung-up and unresponsive turkeys.

You’ve been working a gobbler for 30 minutes and he finally shows 75 yards from your set-up at the edge of an open field. The tom is hesitant to come any closer. Its early season with little cover so moving to pick up your box or slate call to offer a few clucks and purrs isn’t an option. Lucky for you, you’re able to cluck a couple of times on your mouth call you put in a few minutes earlier and end up wrapping your tag on the gobbler.

With the snow melting in the north and the Dogwoods starting to bloom in the south, turkey season is just around the corner. And one of the toughest times to turkey hunt is when gobblers have hens. What can a person try when the Toms are henned up? Is there a way to be more successful this time of year?

Editor’s Note: Phillip Vanderpool from Harrison, Arkansas, a member of Hunter’s Specialties’ Pro Staff, is an accomplished bowhunter, having taken three Boone and Crockett bucks, as