Image: sit_stay_turkey

Don’t just throw out random calls during long sits. Think about the scenario you’re trying to present. Photo by Bill Konway.

Every turkey hunter loves to chase gobbling longbeards. But sometimes, turkeys don’t want to be chased. Maybe poor weather has them tight-lipped. Perhaps you’re hunting a small property where there’s no room to roam. Or perhaps it’s the late season, and the remaining gobblers are wary of hunting pressure. Whatever the case, sitting patiently — sometimes for a long time — can become the only way to fill your tag. It’s not very exciting, but it can be very effective. Here’s how to make the most of it.

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GET IN, GET SITUATED

Scouting should tell you where to be. But if not, choose a spot where turkeys congregate during that time of day and situation, whether that’s a field edge during a rain, a shady creek bottom on a hot afternoon, or a logging road or oak flat at midmorning.

Be careful with ingress and egress. It’s easy to blow a turkey hunt before it starts by just tromping through the woods, much like you can blow a deer hunt with careless walking to and from a stand. Use terrain and cover to slip close. Glass open areas before moving. Carefully peek over ridges or terrain to ensure you won’t bump unseen birds. Then get in and let the woods settle down. Identify a good setup, and use clippers to clear brush or saplings from the area so you can see well and move your gun.

Comfort is critical for long sits, so set up a blind with a chair, or bring an extra butt cushion if you’re sitting on the ground. Turkey chairs, which suspend your back side off the ground, can work nicely, but they sometimes leave you off balance for a tricky shot if a bird surprises you.

After an hour or so of sitting, you’ll probably have to stretch, get a drink or munch on a snack. That’s easy in a blind but riskier if you’re against a tree. Just take a quick but thorough check of your surroundings before moving.

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THE PLAN

Place several calls at your disposal — three pots, a box, a mouth, a tube, and a trumpet, for example After letting the woods settle down, begin with one call, floating soft yelps, clucks, and clucking and purring. Then listen and wait a bit — say five to 10 minutes. Repeat the process with the next call, and then continue that with all the yelpers. Then, go through them again, or in reverse order.

All the while, think about the calling scenario you’re trying to present. At first, it’s maybe a hen walking through the woods, soft yelping and clucking and purring. Then, it might be two hens chattering back and forth (mixing a pot with a mouth call). Or it could be a hen that fires up midmorning and excitedly seeks a gobbler.

Focus intently after every series. A gobbler might have started moving to you the first time you called, so be ready for a silent strutter to slip in. Keep your eyes peeled, and listen intently for scratching in the leaves and drumming. One hasty move can blow up everything.

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GO FROM THERE

If you strike a bird, it’s decision time. Don’t firehose him — that is, inundate him with calling — but check him here and there to gauge his mood and actions. Is he gobbling regularly and moving to you? Easy decision. Stay put. Or is the longbeard simply courtesy gobbling as he mingles with hens in an adjacent woodlot, or perhaps hollering at you while strutting on an oak knob 150 yards distant?

Figure out what he’s doing and make your play. You can always get up and try to cut the distance, but you don’t want to do that if he’ll likely work toward you. It also depends on the situation and property lines. Hopefully, he’ll give you enough clues to decide whether to reposition or stay at your calling station and finish the job.