We open next week. This week's scouting has yielded zero gobbles (five locations). When our friends suffer a case of lockjaw, some suggest "run and locate" until you induce one to talk (I've had limited success with this). Others counsel a patient stand near known strut zones, calling occasionally. Still others empty their vests. I'd be interested in the experienced views of the august participants in the forum.

You are having the same problem I am having here in Ohio. Somedays Turkeys gobble and others they don't. When I face problems like this, I like to go the edges of fields where I have seen turkeys in the past. This has been a successful tool for me, I have killed three nice birds by using this tactic. Be patient, good things come to those who wait. I have also found, that the quiet birds are usually significantly bigger... longer beards and spurs and weigh a bit more than your ordinary tom.

What do you do when there are no fields Just 1000's of acres of woods and logging roads

I hunt in only timber. Monday the birds were silent. The owls hootin', crows crowin', geese...lots of noise, no gobbles. I set up in an area that I scouted the week before that had lot's of fresh scratches, a dusting area, feathers, just lot's of sign. Sure enough about 7:30 a stuttin' gobbler walked in on me (no calling) with what I thought were two hens. I needed to turn to my right and I did when they got behind a brush pile. Unfortunately I didn't see the other two hens 15 feet behind them...who saw me turn and off they all putted....I had a quick shot but I deemed it unethical.

If you don't know, try to find out where they are roosting. Generally a non-gobbling bird means they are henned up. But, most toms will gobble when still on the roost to locate their hens. Then when they hit the ground they will go silient If you can locate where they are roosting and get in that area before light, then try a dominent hen call to get him to come to you. Sometimes even this will not work. If it is an old tom, he will get the hens to come to him and stay in his comfort zone. In this case though, he will be calling to them to let them know where he is. If this happens, you will need to find out his zone and find a way to get inside it before light without letting him know you are there. I carry a grunt call with me to disguise any noise I might make when walking to where I want to be. Let us know how you do.

We opened here in Maryland on Monday and although I did hear some gobbling while scouting earlier before the season started, I haven't heard a gobble yet on the roost during the season. I only hunt woods also, and during my scouting I tried to fine open areas in the woods that could be strut zones and also looked for scratchings in these areas to identify feeding areas. Yesterday, I set up in an open feeding area in the woods and called after I figured the birds should be on the ground. At 7:00 AM a hen with a jake in tow walked right to my hen decoy. At 25 yards the jake did a backflip and that was that. The only noise I heard from these 2 was the leaves crunching as they came toward me. As a matter of fact, I thought they were another hunter coming because they made so much noise.

Today, I set up along an open ridge top and called about every 20 minutes or so. At about 7:15 AM, I had one gobble down over the ridge from me. Unfortunately, I found out later that there was some thick brush between me and the bird and he wouldn't come through it. I tried everything and even circled the brush to set up at another location, but ended up spooking this one after working him for about 2 hours and hearing about 100 gobbles! Point is, I haven't heard a gobble on the roost yet, but I'm having a heck of a good time just sitting in known travel areas and calling every once in a while. Just let them know where you are, and they will come looking for you.

I hunted last weekend and what i did was set up between where the tom was roosting and his hens. Got lucky didn't realize i was thirty yards from the tree he was in. But the hens were behind me in a tree row about fourty yards away so the tom flew down and almost right by the decoy. A few soft clucks and 10 mins. later BOOM dead bird. If you can get in between him and the hens i find you have a better chance at taking this bird.

Do you have any other scouting finds that would indicate that birds are in your area?

I ask, because even down here in CT there are known pockets of nothing. I also know, from some "reports" I've been getting on activity, that the birds here were quiet for about the last 3 weeks---the peak breeding I imagine, especially with the field displays I've seen the past two mornings. The birds did start gobbling again late last week and into this week. If so, in MA you're probably a week or 2 behind, which would indicate your birds are still breeding, so there will be very little vocalizations. As others have indicated, find the roosts, find the water, find the food, and find the dustbowls.

But be sure you have some actual signs (sightings/feathers/droppings/etc.) in your area, or else you may wind up wasting a large portion of time scouting dead zones. I've found these areas myself, and have always deemed it wiser to "scout" new lands and ask for permission.

To answer your calling question: I've found this all depends on the terrain and the amount of land you have permission to hunt. If you only have a 30 acre lot, then cuttin-n-runnin isn't really all that productive. If you've got a 300-500 acre spread, then by all means get up and move. If its a relatively open farmland, stick to a field edge or move through the hedgerows to different fields.

But early in the season, I personally rely totally on patterns, and knowing where the birds are roosted and in what direction they travel from those roosts. First morning I'll try to call them to me, and after that I play into their hands and work travel routes/food areas/dustbowls.

Good luck.