Shutmouth Gobblers

Q. What do you do when the birds refuse to gobble? Been having that trouble in SE Georgia. Any advice or tips? I know the birds are there. I see them every day during the day. --Clint Sheppard

A. Thanks for the question Clint. Go bass fishing! Kidding aside, If possible, try to find where those turkeys roost. Get in there early, and listen for fly-down sounds, wings ticking branches, etc. They may be getting together visually.This shutmouth gobbler situation isn't uncommon. You can score in a couple ways. Assuming the turkeys have a pattern, set up near where you see them every day. Get there well before they do. Cold call now and again (clucks and yelps) to possibly pull in silent birds. Be on the alert. Sometimes your calling will actually make them gobble. Use locator calls like crow cawing, owl hooting, or even coyote howling to fix the location of moving birds.Hang in there, and one morning they may just bust out with gobbling, especially as hens begin to nest. Keep us posted and good luck!

--Steve Hickoff, Realtree.com(Steve Hickoff photo)