Let’s face it, As turkey hunters, there’s little more than we like to hear in the woods than that old longbeard sounding off. The thunderous rattle through the dawn of a cool morning in April is what keeps us getting up a three am, day after day. But what happens when he won’t gobble? I hear it time and time again every spring. The turkeys are done. They quit gobbling a week, two weeks ago…… I have been leaned against the very same tree for four mornings in a row where the first two was great gobbling, day three complete silence, day four great gobbling. Why? What on earth could have varied so much that this turkey just decided to say nothing for one morning? Did he leave the area? Highly unlikely. Later in the day, a hunting buddy tells you how great the gobbling was at the spread he was on so you can’t say it was the weather. What is it that makes turkey’s just quit gobbling? The answer to that. Who the hell knows? And anyone that tries to explain it in much of a fashion that they have the answer. Well just be sure and take it with a grain of salt. This read is not so much to answer that question. But to maybe just shed some light on some of the relative things surrounding this and furthermore a few tactics that may aid you in those quiet times. Every Spring I generally find myself taking on a new hunter. Someone who may or may not have done some hunting of some sort in the past but will readily admit they know nothing about turkey hunting. When the subject of when to call and what to say comes up, the answer lies right in front of you. If the woods are on fire that morning and you’re hearing both gobblers and hens aggressively calling then, by all means, join the party. What I suggest here is to mimic the closest hen to you. Get her fired up and let the surrounding just follow suit. The point really being here of all this however is to go with what the surroundings suggest. If the birds are not talking much that morning. Then it may not be the time to wail on that long box sequence you’ve been working on all winter. There is nothing more frustrating than those mornings where a turkey just won’t gobble. And honestly in my opinion, if they won't gobble it makes them hard to kill. But it can be done. One of my second passions in life is classic country music. And Earl Thomas Conley was on point with his 1980s hit, Silent Treatment. The title needs no explanation, we all know what the silent treatment is. And when it comes to gobblers sometimes this is exactly the call that is needed. Nothing. Or next to it anyhow. In all my years of reading books, articles, blogs, talking with other hunters, and numerous videos I have heard reference to the suggestion that turkeys are always making some kind of noise. Couple all this with countless hours spent afield and now having raised turkeys for study purposes. I would conclude that most of the time there is some sort of noise being made. These noises can be very faint and subtle and almost inaudible to an untrained ear. Learning to recognize certain sounds in the woods such as the spit and drum. Or even just the spit or drum alone can really improve your spring wordsmanship. Learning to do certain calls like a whine, or contempt nasally purrs can keep the gobbler aroused and curious without alarming him that something seems out of the norm. I believe that most people underestimate just how well turkeys can hear. I have been sitting inside my garage, a solid 75-80 yards from where some of my yard birds are roosted. With the doors closed, I have scratched out a very soft purr on a slate-topped ChainBreaker and had these birds respond. Turning the volume down will not make these birds not know you’re there. It may just make them more likely to saunter over your way and see what’s going on.
Using a wing, as seen in a previous article, is a great way to create a very passive calling approach. Doing a fly down sequence with little or no cackling, occasional wing stretching and flapping, raking against the bark of a tree, and scratching the ground through leaves and such. All of these sounds are common to the turkey's ears and could send them a message that someone’s over there and not looking for attention. Turkeys are curious by nature and sometimes the slightest noise can pique that curiosity. I remember one Spring a few years back just before the season started I was cruising some of my permission and trying to locate gobblers. On this last spot that I thought I would check I pulled up to the gate and walked in about 75 yards. As I eased upon a flat where I planned to listen, the rustling of leaves as I was walking in made a gobbler sounds off, or at least that is what I assumed. So after a few seconds, I drug my boot through the leaves intentionally trying to sound like a bird feeding. The gobbler obliged with another announcement of his intentions to head my way and only this time was closer. Sure as day, within a few seconds, I saw him hurriedly heading toward me. Not one yelp, purr, or even a cluck. Just the mere idea that a bird was feeding over there and had no interest in him. Turkey hunting is like no other sport. It's more about the game than the harvest. It's almost like we enjoy defeat as much as the victory of a harvest. It’s what keeps us going after them. Trying to crack the code of what makes these gobblers tick. The best advice I can offer there is, Good Luck! Yet sometimes slowing down and being a lot less aggressive will give you the advantage of making that bird more likely to head your way.
Good Luck, and Make Him Gobble!
Edward McKellar
Comments