All good things come to him who waits. English Proverb
A turkey gobbles and then goes quiet. A tom may stop gobbling to avoid attracting a predator or a competitor or may have gotten spooked. However, a suddenly tight-lipped longbeard presents one of two likely scenarios: The tom either stopped gobbling because he found a hen, or he stopped gobbling because he’s headed your way. When a gobbler goes silent, many hunters give up and move or begin to call loudly and aggressively. If the second scenario is in play, moving or calling aggressively can be a mistake. The best way to learn which of the two scenarios is in play is to have patience.
A gobbler has built-in radar that allows them to travel a long distance — 400 yards or more and around obstacles — and find the precise spot from which he heard a hen call. Turkeys have no place special to be. They are patient. While they follow a general routine, during breeding season, a tom’s behavior is not controlled by the need to feed, drink or rest. After he gobbles, nature tells a tom that hen they heard should be heading to them, so they often will strut and drum awaiting the arrival of the calling hen. When she doesn’t show up, a tom may get curious or anxious and may stroll another 50-100 yards towards where the hen called and then strut and drum, again, awaiting the arrival of the hen. So on and so forth until they arrive at your location. However, “so on and so forth” may translate into an hour or more.
The gobbler may be with a group of hens but find himself alone after the hens have slipped off to their nests. After a gobbler is alone, research has shown that they often visit the spot where they heard a hen call hours later. Most often, they do not gobble when they travel to that spot.
The ability to sit long periods, still and quiet, will allow you to take some of those birds, which are often dominant 3-5 year old’s.
Earlier this season, I called to a bird that was gobbling about 200 yards from my setup about an hour after fly down time. He gobbled consistently to my calls but wouldn’t move closer. I figured he had hens with him. As turkey hunters do occasionally, I dozed off about 30 minutes after I quit calling and the tom quit gobbling. About 30 minutes into my nature nap, I awoke and reached for my box call. A bird jumped and flew from about 10 yards behind me! Figuring the hunt was over, I pulled down my face mask and stood to see where the bird flew. As a “hail mary” I cutt on a mouth call. A second tom gobbled from a low area 15 yards to my front!! There I stood, face mask down, shotgun on the ground.I quickly sat down, but the bird saw me move and ran away. This hammered home the point of this article – these birds came to my setup an hour after I last heard one gobble. Undoubtedly, their hens had left them, and they came to the spot they heard me calling.
Patience hunting takes three things: 1. the willpower and discipline to stay put and not call or move, 2. a comfortable seat, and 3. a good setup. Willpower and discipline — you either have it or you don’t, but it can help to remind yourself that staying put and being quiet can fill your tag. You cannot be still and quiet if you’re uncomfortable. Get a good seat cushion. Inner tube “donut” seats are really good for long sits, as are the low, portable turkey chairs or loungers. Finally, a good setup is critical. Orient your position in the direction from which you heard the last gobble. Specifically, treat the gobble direction as 12:00, and orient the natural aim of your shotgun at approximately 2:00. This allows you greater range of gun swing for a shot. But remember, some birds will circle where they heard a hen or approach from one side. Be alert to any movement, rustling of leaves or red, white or blue colors. You may be patiently waiting and be alerted to the gobbler’s arrival by the sound of drumming 20 yards to your right or left. A good setup allows you to see a large area, provides some concealment and allows you to swing your gun to take the shot. If you’re going to patience hunt, consider setting up a blind or cutting and sticking some leafy limbs in front of your setup. This allows you to reposition yourself for the shot if the bird approaches from the side and allows you to move a bit without being detected.