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Spring evenings are supposed to make turkey hunting easy. A tom flies to the roost, rattles the woods with a few last gobbles, and gives you everything but an onX pin on where to start in the morning. But it doesn\u2019t always work that way. Sometimes the sun sets, and the woods go quiet, leaving you with nothing but a fresh collection of mosquito bites and the uneasy feeling of \u201cwhat do I do now?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n When that happens, a 4:00 a.m. wake-up call is less appealing. But don\u2019t give up just yet. My friend and hunting guide Walker Davidson of Alabama has a plan for any turkey hunter to go in cold and come out with a gobbler over their shoulder. I called him because he\u2019s chased turkeys all over the country and hardly ever hunts roosted birds. Instead of spending his evenings in the woods, Davidson rests up, and come morning, he usually tags out. Here\u2019s how he does it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n When you don\u2019t have a bird pinned to a tree at daylight, you need to fall back on what you\u2019ve learned about where turkeys want to be. Before the season starts, gather a list of likely places. \u201cI like to scout areas where it makes sense for a hen to be, and I like to mark spots with fresh sign during the season,\u201d Davidson told MeatEater.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n He spends the preseason building a mental map of where turkeys live based on sign like tracks in the road, droppings, and scratching under hardwoods, and he tries to connect them with terrain features like creeks, bottoms, and ridges.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Instead of focusing on a single bird, Davidson focuses on a bird\u2019s entire home range. \u201cEasterns usually have a small bubble that they live, breed, and feed in,\u201d he said. \u201cYou need to get into that bubble.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Davidson has a list of places to go before daylight, but he usually has it more narrowed down a few days into the season. \u201cI always hunt based on where I\u2019ve heard the most recent gobbling activity,\u201d he said. \u201cIf I was on a bird the day before, I\u2019m going back there. But I always have a few backup spots ready if things don\u2019t work out.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n From there, the plan is simple: Walk into the woods, listen for gobbles, and use the terrain to your advantage. To be successful, though, he suggests staying as quiet as possible and not calling to a bird until you\u2019re within his bubble. \u201cI barely ever owl hoot in the woods,\u201d Davidson said. \u201cA turkey is going to know that\u2019s a person.\u201d Even worse is making a bunch of noise while trying to locate a bird.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIf you owl hooted, broke three limbs to get in, he\u2019s going to respond to your yelps because he can\u2019t help it,\u201d he said. \u201cBut he\u2019s not going to come to you because he knows something is off.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Instead of forcing a turkey to gobble, wait until you hear a turkey sound off, then slip in quietly and move to a good spot within earshot of the bird. \u201cDon\u2019t call to him right when you hear him. Get yourself in the right position, then call to him. If they\u2019re alone, they\u2019re predisposed to work their way uphill to gobble. Get uphill of the bird if you can.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n At this point, if you\u2019ve done your part and the gobbler you\u2019re after is alone, there\u2019s a good chance you’re going to kill him before the rest of the world wakes up and eats breakfast. But things can go sideways quickly. Your bird could be surrounded by hens, or he might just not be feeling it today. It\u2019s important to read the situation and adapt.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cHe might gobble from the roost, then fly down, shut up, and hang out with hens till 10 o\u2019clock,\u201d Davidson said. \u201cJust sit down, eat a sandwich, and hang out. Eventually he\u2019ll sound off again, and you\u2019ll be back in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Depending on where that next gobble comes from, you might need to move and find a likely spot where a lone hen might peck around within earshot of that tom. This is where scouting and knowing the terrain is a big help.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n At this point the hunt also becomes a matter of reading his mood. \u201cIf he\u2019s gobbling at every crow, woodpecker, and log truck going down the highway, I\u2019m going to call more aggressively,\u201d he said. \u201cIf he\u2019s more subdued, I\u2019ll match that tone with softer yelps and clucks.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Of course, sometimes you don\u2019t hear a gobble all morning. When that happens, Davidson shifts into a slow, deliberate search. He\u2019ll either use an assembly yelp to locate a bird or pick a spot and call softly for set intervals of time. If you know turkeys live in the area, you don\u2019t need constant gobbling to stay confident.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cPick an area with fresh sign, and soft call every 15 to 20 minutes. You\u2019re not trying to win the fly-down cackle world championship, just paint a realistic picture.\u201d Davidson stressed that the idea isn\u2019t to fire up a gobbler from half a mile away. It\u2019s to create the illusion of a hen quietly going about her morning. Stay still, and stay patient, even if nothing answers your calling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cMy grandfather used to sit down, yelp three notes, and put his call out of arm’s reach for 30 minutes,\u201d he said. \u201cThat way, if he got tempted to call again, he knew he\u2019d have to make a big movement to get his call, so he\u2019d look and scan the woods before reaching for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Patience is important, but so is having a backup plan. Davidson rarely sits longer than an hour if a bird isn\u2019t responding. Instead of wandering aimlessly, he heads to the next likely spot on his map. He might hit a crow call as a last-ditch effort, but without a response, he\u2019ll repeat trying to locate a bird at a new spot with an assembly yelp or see if he can spot a bird in a field from the road.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Davidson is more reluctant to leave if he\u2019s already heard a gobbler in the area, even when that turkey goes quiet. \u201cWhen I decide to leave a spot has a lot to do with how the bird reacted to my calls before he stopped responding,\u201d he said. If the bird seemed interested\u2014gobbling hard then shutting up to work slowly through thick cover\u2014Davidson might give him more time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cEasterns don\u2019t gobble when they walk. So if you\u2019ve been gobbling back and forth with a tom and he goes quiet, there\u2019s a chance he\u2019s coming. When you\u2019ve heard a bird and you hit the point where you can\u2019t wait anymore, always give it 15 more minutes. You will almost always kill that bird 15 minutes after you decide to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\nKnow the Ground<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Plot the Perfect Walk-In<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Assess the Situation<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
When the Woods Go Quiet<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Know When to Get Out of There<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n