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Distant Ridge Gobbler (Video Included)

Wade's World Hunting: Scenario: It’s mid-morning, and the woods have been silent. You’re walking through your hunting country, using loud yelping and cutting to try to get a response. Suddenly you hear a wild turkey gobble on the next ridge, several hundred yards distant. What do you do next? How do you approach this gobbler, and how do you set up and call him?

• When you hear the gobble, point toward it immediately, and make your best guess about the gobbler’s exact location.
• Don’t approach straight toward the gobbler’s position. Instead, pick a landmark to mark his approximate location, then move parallel to the ridge the gobbler is on for 200-400 yards, depending on thickness of foliage and how good the visibility is through the woods. Go far enough so there’s no chance of the gobbler spotting you as you approach.
• When you’ve gone far enough, cross the hollow and ascend up the ridge the gobbler is on. Climb to his approximate level. (You still haven’t made a call yet.)
• Now is the time for patience! Sit down against a tree facing the gobbler’s location and wait for him to gobble again. Hopefully he will gobble soon, but be prepared to wait up to an hour. You must get a precise fix on his location before moving again. After an hour, if he hasn’t gobbled on his own, try a locater call – crow, woodpecker, hawk, etc.) to try to coax him into gobbling.
• When he gobbles, slip down the ridge toward him and get as close as you can without risking spooking him. Or, cross behind the crest of the ridge, approach from the gobbler’s back side (no chance of seeing you through the ridge), then slip back to the crest, set up and call quietly. If he answers, don’t call any more, and get ready to shoot.