How do you hunt them? If you know birds are definitely in the area and they are not gobbling after sunrise, do you stay in the area or do you leave and go to the Quick Stop for breakfast?
Sometimes I'll find a likely spot to kick back and wait em out may even doze off a little. Other times I'll leave and go looking for more agreeable turkeys might check em later on. But...if im hungry its breakfast time.
My favorite tactic though is to find a comfortable spot and wait on 'em, I hate leaving birds to find birds.
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I'm sitting. Breakfast is in the bag. So's lunch.
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I kill very few silent birds. In fact I can only recall 1 bird that I killed on a hunt that I heard zero gobbles that day.
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Where I hunt in western N.C. hearing a bird gobble after fly down is rare. Don't know the reason but it's been like this for several years now. Hunt them silent or stay home.
If I have multiple birds located or I know the area has lots of birds I'm out.
If I am limited on area and know a bit about a birds habits and weather has him quiet I will camp out on him.
Killed many silent birds!
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Quote from: Dtrkyman on February 26, 2021, 12:51:05 PM
If I have multiple birds located or I know the area has lots of birds I'm out.
If I am limited on area and know a bit about a birds habits and weather has him quiet I will camp out on him.
Killed many silent birds!
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X2 Killed many this way. Just last year 2 I shot hadn't gobbled in over 3 hours. One showed up while I was half asleep, he got in very close and woke me up drumming. The next one I heard him spit from behind me, and walked past at 9 feet , always fun.
The only way I'm staying put is if this is the only place I can hunt.
Absolutely no fun to me to deer hunt em
If they gobbled at daybreak, but got quiet after flydown as the OP suggested, I'm staying in the area. I'll go quiet right with them, quietly relocate and get into a better calling position for the mid morning. They aren't going far.
Whole different game mid and late morning.
i aint hunting birds that aren't gobbling if I don't have to. I will go try to find some that are, if that doesn't work I can always go back to that area
Quote from: Howie g on February 26, 2021, 01:07:06 PM
The only way I'm staying put is if this is the only place I can hunt.
Absolutely no fun to me to deer hunt em
Yup, same here. If other folks enjoy waiting on silent gobblers to show up, more power too 'em. They ain't gonna have any competition from me doing that. If I've got the room to do it, I will look all day for a gobbler that wants to have a conversation rather than wait on one that doesn't.
Having said that, I realize there are some places where maybe that attitude will have me running around the woods looking for a talkative gobbler that just isn't out there. But, I will exhaust all possibilities before I choose to hunt the quiet ones.
Now, I will be the first to admit that I have been lucky enough to live and hunt where talkative gobblers can usually be found with some effort. I have also found that to be the case in most of the places I have traveled to hunt them, although there have been some rare, frustrating exceptions.
I have said this many times before. For me. the thrill of spring gobbler hunting has always been about the gobble. If they don't want to do that, quite honestly, they can just stay in the woods. I'll leave those birds for the folks that are content with killing them that way...and I will readily admire their patience and persistence in doing so. :icon_thumright:
Quote from: Dtrkyman on February 26, 2021, 12:51:05 PM
If I have multiple birds located or I know the area has lots of birds I'm out.
If I am limited on area and know a bit about a birds habits and weather has him quiet I will camp out on him.
Killed many silent birds!
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X2
Bobcat, sit and call and sit some more. If no luck, repeat.
On the properties I hunt, there have always been birds, gobbling or not. I know general areas that they frequent. I`ll set up and periodically soft call all morning. A big part of turkey hunting for me is the experience that the woods provides and the things you see ( in addition to turkeys ). It ain`t for everybody for sure!
Depends on circumstances. Private or public land. If private and is a small tract with no other birds gobbling then I will absolutely stay with him. If it's public public woods I ain't a staying. Far as I know someone killed him yesterday evening on the public. I have killed turkeys with just only seeing tracks and no gobbling. However I would much rather kill one doing the whole turkey thing and not deer hunt them.
I really don't think private land exists in south Mississippi due to poachers. They are everywhere.
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If I know there's birds there I will build me a blind and call every so often. I'm not big on blinds but is easy to get busted when they come in silent. Killed many silent birds this way but it's alot like deer hunting.
I had a small spot in PA that I hunted years ago. It was probably 100 acres. There was an area of White Pines in there that the turkeys always frequented. I used to get in there opening day, set up and soft call regardless if I heard a bird or not. I harvested my share of silent birds there, they did give me a quick gobble just before the shot. It was a weird spot, but long sits and very soft calling worked well there. Be safe....
If I know I'm within 250-300 yards of a gobbler, I'm hanging tight for an hour or two. Only gonna call once or twice and then shut up. To me if they come in silent, you still called him in. To me that's not really like deer hunting as you called previously and then he came in silently.
Quote from: Jimspur on February 26, 2021, 07:26:53 PM
If I know I'm within 250-300 yards of a gobbler, I'm hanging tight for an hour or two. Only gonna call once or twice and then shut up. To me if they come in silent, you still called him in. To me that's not really like deer hunting as you called previously and then he came in silently.
Plenty of times been out deer hunting, blew my doe bleat or grunt call and have deer show up. Turkey hunting like that for me is not my cup of tea. I'm all about the chase/ playing the game. No interaction takes a lot of the excitement out of it for me.
I can always come back in a few hours or so to the area where, I heard Gobbling before Sunrise.
Real early though, I am moving to find one that does Gobble.
Quote from: Howie g on February 26, 2021, 01:07:06 PM
The only way I'm staying put is if this is the only place I can hunt.
Absolutely no fun to me to deer hunt em
100% I'm chasing turkeys that gobble. Deer season ends today. I'm done sitting and waiting.
Prostaff member for Old Crow Custom Calls
There's only two times I can kill a turkey. When he's gobbling, or when
he's not gobbling.
If I had to wait to get one to talk to me where I hunt I'd have to stop turkey hunting. They gobble first thing in the morning and shut off as soon as their feet hit the ground. If my son isn't with me I can wait for hours. I almost never hear hens do anything. I call every 15-20 minutes and wait. Sometimes I've had hens run right to me and not say a word, sometimes with a gobbler in tow. Every now and then you'll get a gobbler to answer and that's golden. Gotta catch them in a dying mood.
I'm from florida ...silent birds are my specialty
Be patient and wait. 9:00 can be magical.
Gooserbat ,
Would you think 9:00 would be magical with gobblers that have no hens and returned to early gobbling area after a few hours of not finding anything , or do you think a breeding group might work its way back to where they gobbled early ? just asking , Thanks .
Quote from: Howie g on February 26, 2021, 01:07:06 PM
The only way I'm staying put is if this is the only place I can hunt.
Absolutely no fun to me to deer hunt em
X2
Can't kill em from the couch. Get to mid-morning travel corridors and feeding areas or go look for one that is gobbling if you have the option.
Quote from: zombiewoof on March 03, 2021, 04:17:17 PM
Can't kill em from the couch. Get to mid-morning travel corridors and feeding areas or go look for one that is gobbling if you have the option.
Yeah but living in Florida. If the birds aint gobbling I can guarantee the fish are biting. I give it till noon. Head home and grab the family and surf fishing gear. Beach is 30 minutes south of me.
Prostaff member for Old Crow Custom Calls
Middle of the State - Florida - gobbling on the roost then shutting up after fly down seems to be the new normal the last few seasons. We've been waiting them out. In most cases they show up strutting behind a hen or group of hens. Patience usually pays off.
If I've done my homework and know they are there, I'll know where he is going to be, I'll wait him out. Scout, Scout, Scout Scout
MK M GOBL
I'm so thankful for the guys that don't have the patience to kill a silent bird. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
There is something uniquely satisfying about about having a gobbler come in silent to your calls after the other guys hopped in their trucks and headed for breakfast because "they were all henned up".
The majority of my biggest spurs have come off mostly silent birds. It's not even close.
I watched a big Tom strut and spin for over three hours at 150 yards. He was in a field with a chunk of timber separating us. I kept telling my Dad I could see him and to just be patient. Every call I sent his way would make him puff up and spin.
Finally he decided to break strut and I told Dad to keep his eyes on the deer trail coming through the brush. He covered 150 yards in 10 minutes, broke out of the cover, and ripped off a booming gobble at 15 yards before Dad took his head off. Dad said, "If it wasn't for you, I'd have left 2 hours ago."
Quote from: Number17 on March 04, 2021, 08:54:23 AM
I'm so thankful for the guys that don't have the patience to kill a silent bird. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
There is something uniquely satisfying about about having a gobbler come in silent to your calls after the other guys hopped in their trucks and headed for breakfast because "they were all henned up".
The majority of my biggest spurs have come off mostly silent birds. It's not even close.
I watched a big Tom strut and spin for over three hours at 150 yards. He was in a field with a chunk of timber separating us. I kept telling my Dad I could see him and to just be patient. Every call I sent his way would make him puff up and spin.
Finally he decided to break strut and I told Dad to keep his eyes on the deer trail coming through the brush. He covered 150 yards in 10 minutes, broke out of the cover, and ripped off a booming gobble at 15 yards before Dad took his head off. Dad said, "If it wasn't for you, I'd have left 2 hours ago."
If they hear you, they`ll always know where you are. They may not always come to you later, but many times they will when they get lonely.
Quote from: Turkeytider on March 04, 2021, 08:59:35 AM
Quote from: Number17 on March 04, 2021, 08:54:23 AM
I'm so thankful for the guys that don't have the patience to kill a silent bird. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
There is something uniquely satisfying about about having a gobbler come in silent to your calls after the other guys hopped in their trucks and headed for breakfast because "they were all henned up".
The majority of my biggest spurs have come off mostly silent birds. It's not even close.
I watched a big Tom strut and spin for over three hours at 150 yards. He was in a field with a chunk of timber separating us. I kept telling my Dad I could see him and to just be patient. Every call I sent his way would make him puff up and spin.
Finally he decided to break strut and I told Dad to keep his eyes on the deer trail coming through the brush. He covered 150 yards in 10 minutes, broke out of the cover, and ripped off a booming gobble at 15 yards before Dad took his head off. Dad said, "If it wasn't for you, I'd have left 2 hours ago."
If they hear you, they`ll always know where you are. They may not always come to you later, but many times they will when they get lonely.
And I can't tell you how many times I've had them come in silent until they hit the Red Zone......then they rip out their first gobble when they're in range. I think it's pretty awesome myself.
Hard charging loudmouths are a lot of fun too, but anybody can kill them.
Quote from: Number17 on March 04, 2021, 09:04:16 AM
Quote from: Turkeytider on March 04, 2021, 08:59:35 AM
Quote from: Number17 on March 04, 2021, 08:54:23 AM
I'm so thankful for the guys that don't have the patience to kill a silent bird. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
There is something uniquely satisfying about about having a gobbler come in silent to your calls after the other guys hopped in their trucks and headed for breakfast because "they were all henned up".
The majority of my biggest spurs have come off mostly silent birds. It's not even close.
I watched a big Tom strut and spin for over three hours at 150 yards. He was in a field with a chunk of timber separating us. I kept telling my Dad I could see him and to just be patient. Every call I sent his way would make him puff up and spin.
Finally he decided to break strut and I told Dad to keep his eyes on the deer trail coming through the brush. He covered 150 yards in 10 minutes, broke out of the cover, and ripped off a booming gobble at 15 yards before Dad took his head off. Dad said, "If it wasn't for you, I'd have left 2 hours ago."
If they hear you, they`ll always know where you are. They may not always come to you later, but many times they will when they get lonely.
And I can't tell you how many times I've had them come in silent until they hit the Red Zone......then they rip out their first gobble when they're in range. I think it's pretty awesome myself.
Hard charging loudmouths are a lot of fun too, but anybody can kill them.
That's what I always say - anybody can kill one if they come in gobbling straight up the gun barrel. It's much more difficult to kill a silent bird.
Quote from: Jimspur on March 04, 2021, 09:22:45 AM
Quote from: Number17 on March 04, 2021, 09:04:16 AM
Quote from: Turkeytider on March 04, 2021, 08:59:35 AM
Quote from: Number17 on March 04, 2021, 08:54:23 AM
I'm so thankful for the guys that don't have the patience to kill a silent bird. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
There is something uniquely satisfying about about having a gobbler come in silent to your calls after the other guys hopped in their trucks and headed for breakfast because "they were all henned up".
The majority of my biggest spurs have come off mostly silent birds. It's not even close.
I watched a big Tom strut and spin for over three hours at 150 yards. He was in a field with a chunk of timber separating us. I kept telling my Dad I could see him and to just be patient. Every call I sent his way would make him puff up and spin.
Finally he decided to break strut and I told Dad to keep his eyes on the deer trail coming through the brush. He covered 150 yards in 10 minutes, broke out of the cover, and ripped off a booming gobble at 15 yards before Dad took his head off. Dad said, "If it wasn't for you, I'd have left 2 hours ago."
If they hear you, they`ll always know where you are. They may not always come to you later, but many times they will when they get lonely.
And I can't tell you how many times I've had them come in silent until they hit the Red Zone......then they rip out their first gobble when they're in range. I think it's pretty awesome myself.
Hard charging loudmouths are a lot of fun too, but anybody can kill them.
That's what I always say - anybody can kill one if they come in gobbling straight up the gun barrel. It's much more difficult to kill a silent bird.
It often takes A LOT of patience, which eliminates a lot of hunters. It`s the type of hunting in which the more you enjoy the woods just for the wood`s sake, the greater your chances of success.
Depends. You want to kill a bird or just play with one that's vocal. I see both sides but if I am in the killing mindset , I will wait him out for as long as it takes. Its fun calling in a gobbling turkey but to be honest I love the spit and drum more. I have a nice collection of nice spurs from silent gobblers. Most birds I hunt , once they commit gobble very very little on the way in.
It often takes A LOT of patience, which eliminates a lot of hunters. It`s the type of hunting in which the more you enjoy the woods just for the wood`s sake, the greater your chances of success.
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Well said. It definitely doesn't fit in with the "gotta have it now",
instant gratification culture we live in.
Where I hunt i don't have the luxury to decide if I'm only going to hunt gobbling birds. I'm going to do what it take to kill one. Run & Gun, sit them out or " deer hunt" them. Whatever it takes.
No gobbling might get your spirit and enthusiasm down, but I never leave the woods just because they don't gobble.
Daggum non-gobblin' turkeys.
Theres a WMA that I love to hunt for turkey. But its heavily pressured, and you can only hunt it on certain days of the week. Turkeys on this WMA stop gobbling early on in the season, and the ones that do like to gobble get killed quickly. It was a fairly sunny, but very windy day towards the last days of the season. Didnt hear or see a turkey all morning. So I slipped off to eat lunch, with the intention of coming back and checking certain open areas in the afternoon. Ive found that on very windy days, it is easier to walk the woods as the vegetation moving and noise from the wind conceals your movement. Also, Ive found that the abundance of moving vegetation keeps turkeys out of the woods a little more than usual, as it makes predators more difficult to detect.
I found a lone gobbler on the first field I checked late in the afternoon. I tried to kill him there, but he remained largely uninterested in what I had to offer. I watched him slip off into the woods towards dusk, and given my knowledge of the terrain, I had an idea of where he was headed to roost. The good news in this situation, was that no one else saw this bird today, as I was the only one in this area to the best of my knowledge, and also, the sun had set on the last legal hunting day of that week. No one else could hunt him until the following week, and it just so happened thatbI had that day off of work.
I got to the WMA the next legal day at 3am and waited in the parking lot. A few other guys must have found him during the week, because 3 other trucks showed up not too long after me, each one had the intention of hunting that field, but all gave me respect and went to their respective Plan B's. This made me a little less confident that he would be patterned like he was last week, as these guys may have pressured him, but i stuck with my game plan.
I set up a hen decoy right where he was hanging out last week and got some good cover under a limb on the field edge. I had intentions of hunting him like a southern whitetail buck in peak rut... Just sit there all day until he shows. I brought water, lunch, and a book and phone charger.
To my surprise, that joker caught me off guard and came walking straight to my hen decoy at 6:54 AM. Dead at 15 yards. He didnt strut, he didn't gobble. Didnt make a sound when he pitched off the roost. Just a good a hunt as Ive ever had though.
Quote from: Greg Massey on February 26, 2021, 12:00:40 PM
How do you hunt them? If you know birds are definitely in the area and they are not gobbling after sunrise, do you stay in the area or do you leave and go to the Quick Stop for breakfast?
it just depends on my options. Being from the same area as you ....there usually isn't many other options. If I know the bird is there, theres an amount of time im going to spend there. Ive set up on birds like this , and waited them out...and low and behold one late morning gobble is all it took for me to adjust my position and kill. If nothing has happened by 11 oclock or so. Ill usually leave...but I give him a chance to gobble at least once or come in completely blind. I have gotten up and left before and busted a bird that had been there the whole time. Not per say a fun way to hunt, but always rewarding.
I roosted some last year that gobbled like crazy on the roost and never made a peep later. I thought I was out of luck but I saw them about 3-400 yards away at about 8:00 AM. Big group of turkeys. I'd call and I'd hear nothing. They'd go in the field and go in the woods over and over. Each time they'd get a little closer there would be fewer hens. By the time they got within shooting range it was just 2 very young hens and the Tom. My son shot the Tom.
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Quote from: Gooserbat on February 28, 2021, 05:29:10 PM
Be patient and wait. 9:00 can be magical.
Most of the birds I kill are from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 pm. I love it when I kill one off the roost but mid morning is my best times.