Over the years, we have often heard that the three most important factors in real estate are location, location, and location. Recently, a television ad for an insurance company explains that the most important “three Ps” regarding insurance are price, price, and price! When it comes to hunting wild turkeys, it can be said that there are three important “P’s” that contribute most to a successful outcome. While calling ability is an important factor in luring in an old gobbler, and woodsmanship can be critical at times in outmaneuvering turkeys, the longer you spend time hunting these wily birds, the more you will realize the importance of paying attention to “The Three Ps!”
Patience: Many long-time turkey hunters have said that patience kills more turkeys than anything else. When applied to turkey hunting, patience refers to the ability to remain calm while facing a long delay, remain in an uncomfortable position during a long wait, or remain as motionless as possible when anticipating the approach of an incoming gobbler.
A great example of patience, or lack thereof, occurred early in my turkey hunting “career” in the woods of Northcentral Pennsylvania. Before sunrise, I had slipped into a spot that I knew lay between a roosting area and a food source, hoping to call in a bird as they traveled by my setup location. Two different gobblers sounded off at the break of daylight, and I felt good about what the day might bring. They responded several times to my soft tree calling, but once they flew down from their roost, they silently slipped away, no doubt to join nearby hens. I remained in that spot for quite a while, but the temperature was dropping, and my patience was wearing thin. The birds knew my location since they had responded to my calling earlier, but I decided to take a hike to warm up from the morning chill. It was just over an hour when I slowly eased my way back to my pre-dawn location, and as I crested a ridge overlooking the spot where I had been sitting, I spotted a mature gobbler standing like a statue. He was 30 yards from where I had sat and was looking for the source of my earlier calling! If I had just been more patient, I might not have ended the hunt empty-handed.
Perseverance: The dictionary’s definition of perseverance is “the steady persistence in a course of action, activity maintained in spite of difficulty or exhibiting a doggedness or steadfastness.”
It was in the spring of 2004, in rural Arkansas, that my perseverance was put to the test. The evening before and throughout the night, a line of severe thunderstorms rolled through the area with high winds and frequent lightning strikes. The morning of the hunt, I arose from moderate to heavy rain and strong and gusty winds. As I donned my turkey vest and rain gear, my friend Bill said, “You are the most persistent hunter I know!” I took that as a compliment and headed out the door. As it was, I was on a tight time schedule and couldn’t let the weather interfere with my hunt. Today, in my later years of turkey hunting, I admit to being more of a “fair weather” hunter! The point is that if you want to succeed, you can’t let the weather conditions, hunting pressure, or anything else hold you back.
The Power of Positive Thinking: First published in 1952, the book The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale was written as a self-help book. To date, it is an international best-seller that has sold over 5 million copies! No matter what the occasion or circumstances may be, it is always your choice to have positive thoughts or negative thoughts about what you are facing.
All too often, I have talked to hunters who returned to camp or their homes early for a variety of reasons. “The birds weren’t gobbling today,” or “I ran into other hunters,” or “I didn’t see anything all morning, and I think there must be coyotes in the area.” We can all come up with a myriad of negative thoughts that convince us that we might as well head home and try another day. Instead, fill your head with positive thoughts. There could be a gobbler that did not reply to your calls but might be sneaking in silently. The longer you stay out on the hunt, the greater your chance for success. By staying positive, you will stay more alert.
Be patient, stay persistent, and maintain positive thoughts – it will go a long way to ensuring success in the turkey woods!
