If you were to ask most turkey hunters “What two things are responsible for the killing of most wild turkeys?” the typical response would no doubt be “Humans and coyotes.” If you asked most frequently successful turkey hunters “What are the two factors most often responsible for the killing of wild turkeys?” the well thought out response would most often be “Patience and persistence.”

If you reflect back over some of your life experiences, these two factors have, without a doubt, been significant in achieving success in many situations. They are not of importance merely in hunting, but are key ingredients in many other activities as well.

A great example of the part they played in a successful conclusion happened several years ago in Florida. The previous year I had been guiding spring turkey hunters for an outfitter who was managing a 1,000-acre orange grove for turkey hunting. Unfortunately, his lease lapsed the following spring and my services were not needed. Since we had become friends, I wanted to help him the following year wherever he may have needed a hand. After we cleared an area and hung a feeder at a new location (yes, feeding turkeys during the hunting season is legal in Florida!), the outfitter, Jeff, asked me to scout the area for the next few days in hopes of my hearing or seeing turkeys in the area.

For the next four mornings, I planned to arrive at the area well before daylight to listen for gobblers sounding off on the roost before they flew down and I would remain in the area for an hour or so in hopes of actually seeing birds in the fields I would be watching. It would be on the fifth morning that the season would open, so it was important to scout the area for current activity.

Arriving well before sunrise on the first morning, I waited patiently as the skyline began to brighten to the east and the first few cardinals and other songbirds began to greet the morning. I listened intently, but was never rewarded by the sound of either hens or gobblers. An hour after sunrise and after scanning the entire field edges with binoculars and not spotting any turkeys, I left the field. Returning the second morning, I was once again disappointed by not hearing or seeing any turkeys. Before I left, however, I hiked in to where we had placed the feeder and did spot several turkey tracks, some just a day or two old, along the way. The third morning again yielded not a sound or sight of a turkey! This was getting old fast.

I returned on the fourth morning, the day before the season was to open, but I did not have much hope of seeing or hearing any turkeys. Shortly after sunrise, a distant cardinal chirped out his morning call, and the surroundings fell silent once again. Then, at 6:18, an old Tom double gobbled to the west! He was several hundred yards away, but there was no doubt what I had just heard. Ten minutes passed until he flew down and began gobbling to his hens. Another ten minutes passed when a second gobbler sounded off, this time much closer. Three minutes clicked by until, suddenly, the second gobbler, along with a jake and four hens stepped out of the woods and began feeding across the pasture!

I had contemplated that very morning to not even bother going out to watch and listen, but fortunately patience and persistence had paid off! To me, it was a great example of just how important these two factors can be, and what a huge difference the outcome will be by just being patient and persistent!

By the way, Jeff took a client there the following morning and the hunter — who had travelled all the way from Missouri — was able to take a Florida Oceola gobbler with an 11-inch beard. It was the very bird I had watched the previous morning!