The gobbler had sounded off from the limb exactly where I expected him, and I had sat there in the gray light pleased with myself, right up to the moment his wings cracked the air and he sailed down the far side of the ridge. His next gobble came from a hundred yards beyond where I wanted him, and the one after that from farther still. I stayed on my knees against the oak, listening to my plan walk away through the trees, and understood that the real hunt was only now beginning.
Sooner or later every turkey hunter faces this morning. The tom flies down and walks the wrong way, and then you must decide whether to follow, to wait, or to get ahead of him, with every choice carrying a price. It is unlike sitting all day on a stand in whitetail country, and it differs from the kind of calling that moves every half hour in coyote hunting, because here you move according to the bird and not to a clock.
The First Fifteen Minutes
The decision starts with listening, not moving. If he gobbles regularly and travels in a steady direction, following him is often your best option, and if he falls silent or slips into thick cover where you cannot track him, staying near the roost may pay off later. Give him at least ten to fifteen minutes after the fly-down to show you his direction and his rhythm before you commit to anything.
Use that time to read the ground. A tom walking toward a field edge, a creek bottom or a known strut zone is predictable, and the strut zones and feeding areas you found while scouting tell you where he is probably going. One that wanders into heavy timber with hens is likely gone for the morning, and knowing the terrain and property lines before you step off will save you from a long walk to nowhere.
Shadowing a Gobbling Tom
Following a gobbler is not chasing him but shadowing him. Move only when he gobbles or when the terrain blocks his view, stay 150 to 200 yards behind, and use ridges, creek bottoms and timber to keep yourself hidden. The patience required is of the same kind described in dealing with henned-up toms, because rushing is the surest way to turn a good morning into a bad one.
Watch for secondary signs that tell you he is slowing down. When his gobbles come closer together, or he sounds off several times from one spot, he is probably entering a strut zone, and that is the moment to stop following and start setting up. The rhythm of those gobbles also fits what spring gobbler behavior and breeding biology teaches about where a tom wants to be when the morning matures.
Getting Ahead of Him
Setting up ahead of a moving turkey is better than chasing from behind, if you know the ground and can predict where he is heading. Circle wide, with enough distance that he cannot see or hear you move, and look for natural funnels such as field edges, logging roads or saddles between ridges. Set up 60 to 80 yards from where you expect him to appear, with shooting lanes and cover, and understand that if you are wrong about his path you have lost him, so take the gamble only when you are confident. The principles of using terrain features for turkey setups help you judge that confidence.
A Checklist for Aggressive Repositioning
- The tom is gobbling consistently, every two to five minutes.
- There is a clear terrain feature he is moving toward.
- You have enough distance to circle without being detected, 300 yards or more.
- Wind and sun position will not give you away.
- You have a backup plan if he changes direction.
- Your new setup has clear shooting lanes.
- You can sit motionless for twenty minutes or longer.
Stay or Go
Moving at the wrong time costs more hunts than staying when you should have moved. If a tom goes silent within 200 yards of your position, stay put, because he may be coming in quietly or working hens nearby. If he is gobbling steadily and moving away, waiting rarely works, with one exception, which is when you are sitting in a known strut zone or travel corridor that produces all morning as toms work their ground.
| Stay put when | Relocate when |
|---|---|
| The tom goes silent nearby | The tom is gobbling and moving away steadily |
| You are in a known strut zone | He is heading to a known destination |
| Several toms are in the area | Only one tom is present and he is leaving |
| Less than an hour has passed since fly-down | It is mid-morning and the tom has clearly relocated |
The Mid-Morning Stage
Between half past eight and half past ten, toms often settle into secondary strut zones that are not the same as the places they use at first light. Look for field edges, logging roads and ridge tops with open understory, where a tom can see approaching hens from a long way off. Old logging roads and pipeline cuts are especially valuable, because they offer easy walking and good sightlines.
If you know your property, identify two or three of these spots before the season, as the advice on pre-season and in-season scouting suggests, and you will have places to go when the morning setup fails. Mark them from the tracks, droppings and feathers you find there, and keep in mind that the same birds will probably be in the same places again after the heat of midday, as described in afternoon turkey hunting.
After You Have Moved
Once you have relocated, give yourself fifteen to twenty minutes of silence before you call. Let the woods settle and let the tom forget whatever noise you made moving. If he is still gobbling you know where he is, and if he has gone quiet, soft tree yelps or clucks can locate him without pressure, in the manner of calling turkeys off the roost.
Your first calls should be subtle and questioning, soft yelps or purrs that sound like a hen looking around. If he answers, match his intensity but do not fall into overcalling, because you have already moved once and if this setup fails you are running out of options for the day.
When Following Becomes a Mistake
Following a tom into thick cover where you cannot see or hear well is a mistake, since you will either bump him or set up too close. If he goes silent in heavy timber, back out and try again later or the next day. Never follow onto land you have no permission to hunt, even if he is gobbling his head off, and never follow across open fields in daylight, where you will be spotted. And do not follow when other hunters are near, because you may be walking toward another setup, which is why the safety notes in hunter orange requirements by state and the courtesy described in public land turkey hunting ethics apply here.
Reasons to Abandon the Follow
- The tom goes silent for more than twenty minutes.
- He enters property you cannot hunt.
- The terrain forces you into the open.
- The wind shifts and carries your scent toward him.
- You hear other hunters calling.
- He joins hens and stops responding.
The Errors That Cost the Morning
Moving too aggressively is the number one mistake. Hunters hear a gobble and take off, making noise and pushing the tom farther away, when every relocation should be deliberate and quiet, even if it means losing track of him for a while. Setting up too close after a follow is another killer, because you have been moving through the woods and he may be on alert, so keep at least 150 yards, since you can call him closer but you cannot undo bumping him.
- Calling while moving to keep tabs on him, which lets him pinpoint you.
- Not checking your new setup for shooting lanes before you call.
- Relocating more than twice in one morning.
- Following in a straight line instead of circling.
- Forgetting to check the wind at the new setup.
- Setting up without good cover behind you, which the notes on natural concealment explain.
- Moving when you should stay patient.
The Short Version
- Move only when the tom is clearly leaving your area and gobbling consistently.
- Stay 150 to 200 yards behind when you follow, using terrain for cover.
- Setting up ahead of his path beats chasing from behind when it is possible.
- Give a new setup fifteen to twenty minutes of silence before calling.
- Two relocations are the maximum for one morning.
- Know when to abandon the follow and try again later.
- Mid-morning strut zones differ from fly-down areas, so learn both.
Questions Hunters Ask
How long should I wait before following a tom that flew down away from me?
Wait ten to fifteen minutes to establish his direction and gobbling pattern. If he is moving consistently and gobbling every few minutes, start your follow, and if he goes quiet, give it thirty minutes in case he is coming back.
How far behind should I stay when following a gobbling tom?
Stay 150 to 200 yards behind him, using terrain to stay hidden. Close that distance only when he stops moving and gobbles repeatedly from one spot, because that is the sign to set up, and the discipline of staying still against turkey eyes matters once you do.
What if I relocate and he goes silent?
Wait twenty to thirty minutes before calling, since he may be walking toward you quietly. If he does not show or gobble, soft yelps or clucks can locate him, and if there is still nothing, hunt the spot like a blind setup, because he might arrive without a sound, as the lessons in going silent suggest.
Can I relocate multiple times in one morning?
Two relocations is the maximum. After that you are probably doing more harm than good, so pick the best remaining option and commit to it for at least an hour.
Should I follow a tom that is henned up?
Usually not. A henned-up tom is following hens and not leading them, so you are better off setting up where they are likely to go or waiting until the hens leave him in mid-morning, and following only keeps you behind the action.
How do I know if I am in a good mid-morning strut zone?
Look for open understory with good visibility, flat or gently rolling terrain, and evidence of turkey use such as tracks, droppings and feathers. Logging roads, field edges and ridge tops with scattered trees are the classic mid-morning spots.
Is it better to stay near the roost when the tom leaves the wrong way?
Sometimes. If he goes silent and into thick cover, staying near the roost area can pay off later, which ties back to setting up on roosted turkeys and to asking whether your current position has value beyond that one gobbler.
The Judgment Call
Knowing when to follow and when to stay is one of the toughest judgment calls in turkey hunting, and there is no perfect formula because every tom, property and morning is different. Read the situation honestly, ask whether he is leaving or only repositioning, and err on the side of patience, since a tom that leaves your setup at dawn may circle back by nine, while one bumped by careless following is finished for the day. On the morning I began with, I did not chase the sound that was walking away, and when the ridge fell quiet I sat where I was, and at half past nine a long beard stepped out of the cedars as though he had been invited.
