Patience Article

You have heard the expression, "patience is a virtue."

In addition to being that, it is a critically important characteristic of the Master Turkey Hunter. Discussed often but seldom understood by the less-experienced, patience is a SECRET tactic of most accomplished turkey hunters.

More hunters fail to bag turkeys due to lack of patience than to any other factor. Most turkey experts talk about it only briefly.

Patience-patience-patience is the SECRET to success. I learned the importance of patience while bow hunting.

Chasing Gobbles

My early years of turkey hunting found me moving around a lot with a shotgun. I chased gobbles. By this, I mean running to get in position on a bird that is gobbling. Doing this gives you a low probability of success.

Many times you get there and can not find a suitable set up location. Usually the bird shuts up about the time you get there. Then less than 30 minutes later another bird gobbles somewhere else and the chase starts over again.

This can lead to a frustrating morning of hunting as you constantly leave a bird that has stopped gobbling to get to one that is "hot". Carried to the extreme, this can result in lots of flushed turkeys that were silently coming to a call, spooking birds that you didn't know were there on your way to a new gobbler and covering a lot of territory without really giving birds a chance to work.

Not to mention the fact that turkeys that happen to hear or see you will usually shut up for an hour or more until they settle down. Constant movement through your hunting territory is almost guaranteed to shut down most toms from gobbling.

Lessons of Bow Hunting

Thanks to my keen interest in bow hunting turkeys, I had to learn to be patient to have any success at all....and there were other benefits.

I began using a Portable Camouflage Blind for bow hunting turkeys. I had had little luck without a blind. I placed it in a good strutting area when hunting spring gobblers and stayed in it all morning.

It took me hundreds of hours of experience inside my blind and many encounters with turkeys to prove to myself that remaining patient is better than moving around. I learned that I did not spook turkeys out of the area, they gobbled more, and I learned the habits of the local birds quickly after a couple of mornings or days in the blind.

I used that information to relocate my blind, if necessary, and began to consistently bag spring gobblers with bow and arrow at ranges less than 10 yards. In the fall, my success improved too, when I stayed in the blind for several hours, and often all day, after scattering a flock of turkeys.

How To Remain Patient

What is the best way to remain patient?

Comfort is the SECRET to help you stay in one place for any length of time.

Probably the most important piece of equipment needed for comfort is a High Quality Air-Filled Seat Cushion. Most foam cushions on the market will make your butt sore in a matter of minutes. Even the cushions that come in turkey hunting vests don't do an adequate job.

Many gun hunters are now using a quick-to-set-up Personal Blind , providing comfort, more camouflage so they can move, and it is quickly moved.

Hunters are beginning to understand that Portable Blinds are required equipment for anyone who wants to be a Master Turkey Hunter with bow.

Putting It All Together

The proper location for a long stay is important. In the spring, pre-season scouting to determine the best feeding and strutting areas is mandatory.

Sitting in the wrong spot for weeks will not work.

Staying at the correct location for a few hours is the SECRET that will generally provide an opportunity for a shot.

Find out where the birds gobble and strut most during the morning hours and set up in one of these locations.

Turkeys won't come to each spot each day, so have several good spots picked out. While in your location, remain patient.

If you hear a bird gobbling on another ridge, simply stay in your location and make note of it on your topo map. Don't stop calling just because he is on the next ridge.

You can call birds across creeks, rivers, ravines and downhill if you stay PATIENT. Most of the time this is not done due to lack of patience by the hunter.

I've proven to myself many times that the "impossible" can be done by remaining patient.