Hunting Silent Turkeys
Most turkey hunters arise at o-dark hundred hours with excitement and dreams of a glorious successful day in the woods. There is anticipation of the thunderous gobbling roar that sends chills down a hunters neck. As the sun rises, all the creatures of nature flourish through out. But what happens when there is no sound from gobblers. The silent turkeys jinx has struck.
There is not a lot of scientific evidence as to why the turkeys become silent. It could be weather conditions or the moon phases, or it could be that the gobbler woke up on the wrong side of the roost. We may never completely understand the reasoning. So what are hunters suppose to do on these unlucky mornings?
Well to start with, we shouldn’t get too discouraged. It has been my experience over the years that one thing is always true, if you leave because you haven’t heard anything then you will be 100% unsuccessful every time. So hunker down and be real hunters. Assuming you have scouted the area properly and know that turkeys are there, even when they are silent, there is still a chance for success.
Sometimes gobblers are quiet first thing in the morning but sound off as the day goes on. Then there are days when they never make a sound all day long. I have hunted silent turkeys more times than I can remember. I have had turkeys walk right into a set up without making any noise on numerous occasions. Of course for this to happen you have to continue calling even if there seems to be no activity in the woods.
The stick and move is one technique suggested for non active gobblers. What this means simply is finding a reasonable location in the woods to start calling, allow time for a gobbler to come in, and move on if no response occurs.
You can start by yelping and clucking rather aggressively on and off for ten to twenty minutes. Use calls with maximum sound carrying ability such as the box call. Wait ten to twenty minutes longer to allow the gobbler to get to you. If no response, move to another location and repeat the process.
Continue this process to cover as much ground as possible. Try changing to different calls through out as sometimes this simple action may result in a gobble or by the gobbler moving in on you. Just remember to stay alert, continue to anticipate the gobbler’s response, and not let your guard down.
Follow these turkey hunting tips and see if they make a difference the next time you run into silent turkeys.
