I didn't stay in the same place, but maintained sound contact with the same bird for 7 hours last year. I was hunting the small farm and he was roosted on another property. He acknowledged and responded to my calls, but expected me to come to him. Property lines prevented me from getting as close as I (or he) wanted, so I moved towards a spot I'd heard him call from before. Of course, he went to where I was originally set up and stayed there for about 45 minutes. I eased back up towards the ridge, but he went around me (off the property) and went down towards the creek bottom. He stayed on the flat ledge by the creek (one of his strut zones) for over 80 minutes. I couldn't get any closer, so I backed out, crossed the creek, and went to another flat he liked to frequest (& sometimes roost). He stayed in the same spot for about 40 more minutes and wouldn't budge. So, I moved back and forth across the flat and finally dared to get as close to him as possible. I yelped on a slate and he answered 20 seconds later from my side of the creek, less than 75 yards from me. I had to hit the ground beside a big oak right along the lip of the flat. He walked up on the flat behind me less than 20 feet away. I couldn't move or swing on him because the woods were so open and he was right on top of me. He strutted & drummed behind me for another 5 minutes, then he left southwest off the flat out towards the neighbor's field. About that time, BOOM, a shot from the field and no more gobbles. I checked my watch and it was 7 hours from first gobble to shot. No doubt the neighbor heard the bird reacting to me, then got as close to the gobbler as he could, and sealed the deal when the turkey crossed onto his land. It was fun, intense, and the ending sucked bad.
Jim
