How long?

[CoachHunter]

Fairly new to the website so this may have been discussed before. How long do you guys sit once set up before moving if you don't hear any gobbling? I have a few small tracts of land I have permission to hunt so it's really a toss up if the birds are there on any particular morning. I know patience is a must but if you aren't hearing anything after 10-15 minutes do you move?

[WV TURKEY THUG]

at first light i cover alot of distance till i hear a bird gobble if i dont hear any i just go to places were i know turkeys like to go to. but thats me. i use a hoot owl call all day long to locate. ive heard owls at all times of the day its the only locator call i use besides turkey calls.

[Thundermtn]

Depends on the spot and time of day. If it's a spot that I know turkeys will show up sometime regardless of if I'm there an calling I'll wait 45 min. If I'm running and gunning a new piece and don't know it really well I'll only wait 30 unless they are hammering everywhere else, usually meaning I got busted and didn't know it.

If it's latter in the morning and I think most of their hens have dropped off and nothing is talking  I'll wait an hour.

[Marc]

I am hunting Rio's, which are typically pretty vocal birds.  If I sit an hour with no gobbles, and no signs of a turkey coming in, I will move...

What I find interesting, is that often, I will walk 50 yards away from where I was sitting and calling, and get a response.  I think that a moving hen strikes that reaction...

And, I hunt a canyon with steep sides and I can call and walk without being seen (although I have learned to walk around the bends with a bit more trepidation).  Often times I will walk down a mile or so without striking a gobble, and then start hearing birds on the same walk back up...

Although it can be risky, sometimes I think walking and calling can help to instigate a response a bit better...  Sometimes it can burn you though, and you will do more harm than good.

[TauntoHawk]

property size is really going to be the deciding factor, if you're on 20acres theres no where to run and gun to you can hear the whole place from anywhere so just sit tight in a likely spot. If its 2000 acres then move move move until something gobbles back. If you have multiple small properties you can run an gun by just calling a little driving to the next calling a little and moving on. You can spend a lot of time in the truck but ive killed a bunch of birds at the 3rd or 4th property for the day within minutes of getting there when I hadn't heard a peep anywhere else.

[CoachHunter]

Yeah taunto that's what I'm dealing with. I have 4 different spots 15-30 acres I have permission to hunt. You take what you can get. There really is no runnin and gunnin. Just thought I'd see if anybody in the same situation. Luckily I have seen birds on each of the properties in the last few days. Wednesday can't come fast enough.

[ScottS]

I have some properties like that. The birds I hunt usually roost on neighboring properties and more times than not they go away after flydown but by mid morning you can always count on one gobbling looking for a hen and then it's game over. I'd say if you are confident the area has birds just sit tight and wait em out.