Let’s play a scenario

[Ctrize]

My first move is away with a different or ramrod up calling. If it's a no go then I will try to get where I think they are going.

[shaman]

Let's see how handles this situation. You get set up on a gobbler let's say he's on the ground, it's just after fly down or mid morning and he will respond to your calls but he doesn't jump all over them gobbling back. He's not really lighting the woods up gobbling but is doing more than the "courteous gobble". Doesn't sound like he's closing much distance either. Do you work up to aggressive calling, play the "hen going away game" calling while crawling away a few yards or do you crank it up then shut down the calling to try to get him coming or fired up?

A gobbler who is not walking on your calls expects you to come to him.  If this is the case, and he is far enough away, I have been known to get up and move as much as 100 yards closer. 

If the gobbler was closer,  I would probably opt for a string of aggressive calls and then go quiet.  If that did not get him in, and he's still gobbling, there is a trick that I've used successfully over the years.  Basically, I call, but not to the gobbler.  I act like I'm not hearing him-- I'm responding to something else.  Think of being in a supermarket, and someone close to you is talking on the cell phone.  They may be looking right at you, but something cues you that they are talking to someone else.  That's the idea I try to put in the gobs head. 

This latter tactic, I've seen played out in real life.  I was hunting out of one of my  deer blinds.  It was an afternoon hunt.  I thought I'd start at the blind and use that as a cover so I could eat my lunch. I'd move on to another place afterward.  I'm eating my lunch and a hen came up to the blind and did a run of very aggressive calls just outside the door.  I think she was telling me this was her territory or something.  That set off a gobbler off in front of the blind. She paid no attention to him, and it infuriated him. The hen moved off, and the gob showed up a short while later and I shot him.

[Uncle Tom]

If I hear one gobble early morning, I hit him with a cluck at very end of his gobble. If I can hear him, he can hear me....no matter how far. Now, each time he gobbles, cut him off with that cluck. Must time it just right so he cannot tell exactly where you at but hears you just as his gobble ends. Now, after few times of this if I can tell he is getting closer by his gobbles, I shut up and will only scratch leaves. If he is getting real close, will purr one time....have killed many using this tactic. More than have used talking to him with yelps and cuts. This will work really late in morning when his hens have left him to go to nest...he getting lonely.

[WTNUT]

Let's see how handles this situation. You get set up on a gobbler let's say he's on the ground, it's just after fly down or mid morning and he will respond to your calls but he doesn't jump all over them gobbling back. He's not really lighting the woods up gobbling but is doing more than the "courteous gobble". Doesn't sound like he's closing much distance either. Do you work up to aggressive calling, play the "hen going away game" calling while crawling away a few yards or do you crank it up then shut down the calling to try to get him coming or fired up?

Leave him for another day and find another.   

[Marc]

If I have eyes on him and know, or for some reason strongly suspect he is a alone, I might try and walk and call parallel to him, and then shut up for a bit.

Otherwise, I would assume he has hens, and try (in desperation) to do a combination of hen yelps with gobbles.  Or...  If I thought I could get around them (and head them off), I might try to do so, with some subtle clucks and purrs after settling in front of them.

If I could get one of the hens angry and calling back, I would work on getting her upset enough to come investigate, and hope he follows.

I have never had much success on those tentatively interested birds that are likely already with hens...  But...  I have had some success.

[EZ]

Before I do anything else, first pull out the wingbone (or trumpet) and very soft call to the hens.

[Spitten and drummen]

If he responds to me then I know he knows where I am. I will go completely silent and wait him out. I jnow its a good chance that at some point he will slip in looking. Patience is the key. Like everything else sometimes it works sometimes it dont.

[Pluffmud]

Im gonna try to answer this before I read what the experts would do lol...

It sounds to me like this dude has hens with him. If this is mid season, im gonna slip away and try to find another bird that wants to get killed, and if Im unsuccesful, Im gonna go back to him late morning or noonish in hopes he lost his hens and is more willing to get killed. If its late season, Im gonna call sparingly... Ill probably up the excitement in my calling until he immediately answers one of my calls, and then im go silent and wait an hour or two. From my experience, turkeys know EXACTLY where you are at, so im just gonna sit him out and hope he comes looking. Early season, I aint got time for a non-chargin' turkey. Too many other birds out there that are on fire to be screwing around with a luke warm turkey lol.