Finally, if you're just short on time, concerned that relocating will just spook the birds, and willing to forego the big tom, that doesn't mean there aren't other rivals hanging around the periphery, afraid to challenge the boss but eager to attend to the needs of a solitary hen. This situation is common in almost all social orders during the mating season, so you still may get a chance at a bird. Just be prepared for him to come in quietly.

SNEAKY GOBBLERS
Q: Why do some gobblers sneak up on you without gobbling?

A: You've been calling for more than an hour with no action. Your keester is sore, your legs are cramping and nature's calling. You stand up and there on the edge of the brush is a nice tom, looking at you like you're a complete moron. He putt-putts and walks, runs or flails his way into the next quadrangle.

More than likely, you're dealing with a gobbler that has learned his place in the turkey society the hard way; turkeys are known to battle vigorously for dominance.

"My guess is that a quiet gobbler is one that has been recently pummeled by a bigger gobbler," Blankinship said. "He's just a little nervous about the situation and wants to check things out without getting thrashed."

If he's not going to give himself away by answering a hen call, that puts hunters in a tough place: You can never be sure you aren't being watched.

If you've simply got to move, you might try using a locator call before you stand up, something like a crow or owl call, rather than a coyote or other predator. That sound might just be enough to trigger a knee-jerk gobble and save your hunt.

PICKY GOBBLERS
Q: Why would a turkey gobble like crazy at one call, but completely ignore another?

A: According to the reference book, Wild Turkey Management and Biology, it's an accepted fact that turkeys can recognize one individual hen's call from another.

"Every hen sounds different," Crawford said. "A gobbler may know what he wants and is just waiting for that call."

Blankinship said hunters themselves might have conditioned the birds not to respond to certain calls.

"If a turkey has been called to and then shot at or spooked, they get tuned in to that particular call," he said. "At that point, you can call all you want, but they're on to you."

This is why the golden rule of turkey hunting is: "Always hunt with more than one call."

If you're getting no action from your mouth call, try a slate or a plunger. Just bear in mind that these are the three most popular kinds of calls, and if you're hunting public land, the turkeys have probably heard it all before. To really increase your odds, try a turkey wing call or a box call.

"The long box is the best way to get them to gobble if they are not gobbling," Crawford said, adding that hunters don't use it a lot because, like an instrument, it takes practice to learn how to use it well. But the volume and variance in sound you can make with a box call are well worth the effort, and it may give you a leg up on other hunters.