How many birds have you killed that came in silent?

[Turkeytider]

All this adds up to two things:  1. STAY STILL and 2. STAY A WHILE . These are truisms regardless of the time of day. The old vets will say that patience will kill more turkeys that everything else combined.

[g8rvet]

My brother's pa in law told him he killed a pile of turkeys by calling to them right off the roost.  Those that did not come in but had gobbled to him in answer, he would sit for hours and said that often enough they would show back up late morning looking for the hen they heard earlier.  He said a good percent of them came in quiet.  He also beeped his truck horn and roost time to figure where they were.  He hunted in the 60s-80s. 

I had one that gobbled his head off, but would come no closer than about 75 yards.   Walked away gobbling.  It was a small piece of property and no other birds had sounded off, so I just sat and waited.  Sure enough, he came in quiet about 90 minutes later, strutting to the shot.  Definitely same bird as he had a weird kink to his beard. 

I have not killed a ton of birds, but I would say the quiet ones (meaning the ones that never gobbled to my call and then went quiet) are not more than a few. 

[High plains drifter]

I have killed a few birds that did not gobble or otherwise carry on a conversation with me.  Every single one of them was the result of me knowing where gobblers were likely to show up whether I called to them or not.  Yes, I did call some, but I have no clue as to whether those birds came to my calling or if I was just where they wanted to go.  The only thing I really know when that happens is that my calling did not scare them off. 

We have a standing joke about birds like that.  If a bird shows up without acknowledging our calling, we always tell the shooter right before he pulls the trigger,..."Yelp at him before you shoot so you can say you called him in".  In the meantime, if anybody hunts where the birds do not answer their calls and believe, when a gobbler shows up, that it was because of their calling, good for them.  I just happen to believe that to say you actually called a turkey in, the conversation has to be two-sided.  If it isn't, you are just speculating.

I mean, if he comes in strutting and drumming, I'd say your calling likely had something to do with it.  But every bird that I've killed that has come in strutting and drumming has also gobbled at least once in response to my calling.  I'm guessing it comes with different approaches on how one hunts their spring birds.  I'm not one to sit for long periods unless conditions are terrible or I'm taking a break from hiking.

Come to think of it, there are a couple of occasions I think back to when I had gotten a hen talking to me and coming in that had a gobbler in tow.  One of those occasions I know for sure that the Tom never did gobble.  Spitting and drumming though and with a live group of hens feeding out in front of me, no reason to call.Thats a good point.Scouting,  knowing where they want to be, is very important. Also, getting good with a slate call, is very important. Then, knowing how to use terain,to stay out of sight.I don't think I've ever gotten one that came in silent.That being said, sometimes they don't make noice, because they are suspicious, it's very important to stay still, and out of sight.They can see 3-4 of a mile!! Great eye sight!@

[GobbleNut]

I mean, if he comes in strutting and drumming, I'd say your calling likely had something to do with it.  But every bird that I've killed that has come in strutting and drumming has also gobbled at least once in response to my calling.  I'm guessing it comes with different approaches on how one hunts their spring birds.

Bingo!  This is exactly what I have found to be the case in the places I have hunted.  People tend to pigeon-hole themselves into thinking that the turkeys they hunt are always going to behave a certain way and develop the tendency to only hunt one way.  That works both ways, however.  If you always hunt passively, you will never know if there is a gobbler out there that is looking for that aggressive hen.  ...And on the other hand, if you hunt aggressively all the time, you will eventually find yourself in a situation where the only solution is to hunt more passively.

...But here's the rub:  If you are convinced that the only way you are going to kill a gobbler where you hunt is to hunt passively,...and you never try aggressive tactics,...you will never know if and how a gobbler will respond to aggressive tactics.  On the other hand, a guy that hunts aggressively can always change his tactics to passive hunting when the need arises. 

By aggressive, I don't mean yammering away on a call incessantly and constantly.  But occasional cutt/yelp sequences in your calling, rather than a total, soft yelp/cluck/purr approach will many times pull a gobble out of a bird that would otherwise be quiet.  Personally, it is a lot more fun for me when a gobbler lets me know he is around and might be on his way.

...Just a suggestion for those facing the "they always come in silently" dilemma... 

[bigbird]

Most recently was last season before him I can only remember 3 total. Coincidentally they all were afternoon kills.

[trkehunr93]

Quite a few, if they sneak in that's their fault. 


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[eddie234]

I'm still fairly new to this, I've got five birds so far and none of them have come in gobbling like they do in TV. They've come in sneaking and looking.


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[TrackeySauresRex]

Definitely not as many as I spooked. I did get one last season, he never made a peep. He came in from behind me less then 10 yards, walked right by me. I was lucky to be still that long. Magic Ghillie suit power is better the the Heck's suit 

[Kytomgetter]

A few. 3 or more.