DEALING WITH
STUBBORN BIRDS
Well-laid plans don't always come to fruition. That's when Plan B comes in handy.

"Sometimes you get a bird that will sit on the roost for a couple of hours after sunrise and gobble, but isn't in a hurry to come down," Salter noted. "Other times, you get a bird that's been pressured by other hunters.

"In both of these cases, I go into their area -- especially if my pre-season scouting has shown me their daily travel route -- and set up at mid-morning.

"I'll set up a quick portable blind on their travel route," he said, "call real softly, and not a lot. Then I just scratch the ground with my hand. I want to be a quiet hen. If I get any response from that bird, I'll stay and be real soft in my calling.

"The reason for the blind is that a lot of these birds come in without a lot of talking. They just show up. The blind gives you an advantage in not being seen before you can see him."

Staying put and talking softly pays off for some stubborn birds. Other may require that you go to them.

"Another situation," Salter offered, "is when a bird is gobbling real well, but won't come to you. Often this is not the dominant bird, but a lesser bird that's had his tail feathers kicked by the Big Boy. He wants to go, but he's timid and doesn't want another whipping. This is a bird I'll move on.

"The way I'm going to move is not to him," Salter added, "but to circle around well behind him and actually get close to the trail he's already walked. Before I start, I'll blow a crow call just to locate him.

"If he responds, I circle him, while periodically blowing that crow call to keep him located.

"Once I get on his back trail, I can start talking turkey, and that bird will usually come to me. If he's too timid to move forward, he's plenty comfortable to move back over ground he's already covered because he knows that dominant bird isn't there."

It's always nice to have a Plan B --or even Plans C through E. But if you have the opportunity to do enough pre-season scouting to find several birds, then you can move on from a stubborn bird to some more willing participant.

Keeping these tips in mind will help you achieve that goal.