Any tips on killing a gobble-less aka silent bird with a single hen??? I have located a mature gobbler on national forest that I have seen 2 evenings in a row strutting with a lone hen in a power line range. I have been in the area morning and evening and never heard a peep. I hate silent birds!! and have never killed nor heard a gobble ever in this area.

I would try to observe that spot one morning before the season opens and if he struts there in the morning just set up there before dawn and call. It could also be of help to listen there at fly-up time. Since this is public land and he doesn't gobble much, you have an advantage over other hunters by having visually located him.

Im not much on giving any tips but i would say find another turkey that gobbles!!

Doug

Even old birds get greedy sometimes.( be another hot hen) Jealousy is a dangerous thing.(call in or fire up his hen, or gobble at him carefully of course) If I want to meet someone I generally put myself in places they frequent. and finally absence makes the heart grow fonder.( break them up) Also is it possible they ( or he) is not roosting in this area but making a late appearance. Birds can and do travel great distances from preferred roosts in a day and in fact he may be gobbling somewhere else (over a ridge perhaps)

Killed a 3 plus year old bird like that last year on Private land. I think I hunted him 6 different times. Gobbled 4 times on the roost all season. Never saw him without hens. Call shy, decoy shy, heck shy of everything. Like they took a Grouse mind and stuck it on a Gobblers head. Finally killed him by getting in front of the three hens he was following. Not my favorite way to hunt a turkey for sure, but he ultimately came home with me.

Why should he gobble if he has hens with him. As stated keep an eye on him and even if he does not gobble which is a good thing on public land. Do not give up because of not gobbling but come season and you know he is there just set up and give some soft calling at him. In stead of gobbling at him many time gobbler helps and clucks work much better. To many silent birds have died, yours may be the next.

Earl