Solution 1: Lock Down Your Setup
There are two good ways to handle unresponsive gobblers during the spring season. The first is to locate a high-traffic area, such as a food source or field, and lock down your setup. Turkeys can be patterned just like a whitetail deer and often exhibit daily routines that can be exploited by hunters. Finding an area that birds routinely visit and sticking with it can be all it takes to connect with a non-vocal gobbler. I like to throw out a few hen decoys along with a strutting tom with these setups and stay put as long as possible. Occasionally, hitting the birds with some soft yelps, purrs, and clucks will add realism to the setup and potentially could grab the attention of a nearby longbeard. The key to success is having the discipline to stay locked down with one setup throughout the day (or during legal shooting hours).

Solution 2: Run And Gun
The second strategy is completely opposite from the first and requires a hunter to burn some boot leather. Covering a lot of ground and trying to find a hot bird can help keep things interesting if you don't like sitting still for long periods of time. Sneaking through the woods, glassing open areas, and frequently calling is commonly referred to as running and gunning. The trick is to keep moving and utilize aggressive cutting and yelping to make a longbeard come unraveled. However, it's extremely important to be able to set up quickly and effectively after you call. In many cases, the tom will gobble dangerously close and will be on top of you before you know it.

PROBLEM: DEALING WITH HANG-UPS
Without question, having a longbeard hang up just out of gun range can be a real headache in the woods. Sitting back and watching a gobbler pace back and forth in full strut is enough to drive anyone crazy. It's mind-boggling how a creature that can fly, jump, walk and run can become glued to one spot and refuse to move. Sometimes all it takes is a creek, thicket, blowdown, fence, or any other type of obstacle to cause a fired-up gobbler to throw on the brakes. What is really frustrating is the fact that the tom will answer every call with a booming gobble, but refuses to move any closer. There are several sneaky strategies you can use to talk that gobbler into riding in the back of your truck.

Solution 1: Try Switch-Hitting
Consequently, one of the easiest ways to break a hang-up is to simply switch calls and hit the bird with a new sound. Changing over from a whiny high-pitched mouth call to a raspy slate could be just enough to get that gobbler moving. In the past, I have also used a combination of calls to mimic several hens to convince a wary longbeard to come a little closer. An often-overlooked strategy is to go silent and test the patience of the gobbler. Even the toughest and smartest bird can't handle a hen that has seemingly lost interest in him. With this strategy, the longbeard will often gobble frantically before moving and sometimes begin spitting and drumming as he approaches.