I have 2 older brothers who, when I was growing up, were masters in forms of torture that the interrogators at Gitmo can’t even begin to imagine. We three boys were constantly in trouble for doing something we weren’t supposed to do, saying something we weren’t supposed to say, or beating someone we weren’t supposed to be beating. My parents often would challenge us to the Quiet Game when they were tired of hearing us talking, arguing, debating, singing, or breathing loudly. The Quiet Game is quite simple to play. The rules are as follows: Whoever is the last to speak or utter a sound wins. The booty could have been anything from a quarter to a pass on the winner’s evening chores.
Today, my wife would tell you that she is certain that I won every match of the Quiet Game; and ,quite frankly, I did find the game rather easy to play as I am talented at being quiet. At the time my parents were challenging us kids to the Quiet Game I had no idea how well the game would serve me later in life because the Quiet Game is one of my favorite turkey hunting tactics to employ during turkey season.
Here’s how a round of the Quiet Game typically plays out in the spring turkey woods. During your hunt, you are able to strike a gobble using your favorite locator call. From the volume and direction of the gobble, you know exactly where that longbeard is, and you take off on a fast walk in that direction. You are able to close the distance between you and the bird to 75 yards, and that is as close as you are going to be able to get to him because of the openness of the woods and lay of the land. You sit down and call, and the turkey’s gobble cuts you off. You think, “How rude of him to interrupt me while I’m talking to him! I need to let him know that I don’t appreciate that.” So, you call again, and he cuts you off with another gobble. You now know you’ve done all you need to do, so you put your call down, get your gun ready, and wait. And wait. And wait. And nothing.
You pick up your call and yelp again, and the gobbler cuts you off again from the same exact location. You’ve waited 10 minutes since your last call, and he’s not moved an inch closer to the sexy sounds of your raspy girl turkey voice. He’s cut you off every time you’ve called, so he must be hot for some loving. But why won’t he come any closer? You give him one more sweet little purr and a cluck, and he hammers off one more gobble for you. You think, “Well, if I was a gobbler, I’d come running in to that seductive little siren’s call,” and you put your call down and wait. And wait. And wait. Only this time, you know that you have to fight the urge to pick that call up again so that you can win the Quiet Game because the prize is some delicious wild turkey breast meat – not a devalued quarter like when I was a child.
When you play the Quiet Game with a turkey, you are going to wait at least 30 minutes before you even think about picking up your turkey call again. The goal is to let that gobbler think that the hen who was seducing him has become disinterested in him and left the area – perhaps for another man. If you got him interested enough and he is lonely enough, there is a very good chance he’ll come closer to investigate whether or not that hen has slipped off into the Bermuda Turkey Triangle. When he does come to investigate, the last sound he should ever hear should be the clap of thunder from your shotgun.
You’ve heard the old adage “Good things come to those who wait,” haven’t you? Well, if you’ll try sitting and waiting there quietly for that gobbler for about 30 – 45 minutes, you may just pique his curiosity just enough to get him into gun range. The Quiet Game worked for several years for my parents. The Quiet Game has also worked for me numerous times in the turkey woods, and I’m certain it will work many more times as well. Give it a try the next time you’ve tried all of the tricks in your turkey hunting notebook and see if it will put some meat in your freezer. Heck, even if it doesn’t work on your turkeys, try it on your children or grandchildren. Who knows? Maybe you can use it to get that nap you so desperately need after 14 straight days of turkey hunting.
In the comments section below, let me know if you use the Quiet Game while you turkey hunt and approximately how many turkeys you’ve been able to trick with this tip. I look forward to reading your comments.
Photo courtesy of: Katie Tegtmeyer