BY FREDDIE MCKNIGHT HUNTING SILENT G OBBLER S If there's anything more thrilling in the spring woods than bringing a mouthy gobbler to the call, I have yet to experience it. Yet it seems that experience is becoming rarer all the time. More and more turkey hunters are running into silent gobblers. You know the kind: they sound off a few times on the roost, but once they fly down for the day they're rarely, if ever, heard from again. Hunting these quiet gobblers can be downright frustrating. But there's hope. You can successfully take these toms if you're willing to adjust your attitude, and maybe your approach to spring turkey hunting. The first step is to figure out why the bird went silent. Has the gobbler seen a significant amount of hunting pressure? Have other people - hikers, birdwatchers and such - been in the area? Does the gobbler have hens with him? Is there an abundance of predators in the area? Knowing the answer to those questions can go a long way to helping fill your tag, so never stop scouting and taking in information about turkeys in the spring. WHEN MOUTHY GOES MUTE APRIL 2022 11