Sometimes it will freeze every muscle in your body. Other times it will make you shake uncontrollably. Hunters fear it. Outsiders can’t understand it. And if you are new to turkey hunting you will eventually succumb to its symptoms. I’m talking about Gobbler Fever.
There is a running joke in the Groff household about Gobbler Fever. I tease my nephews about it, and they dish it right back. A common conversation might go:
“Did you get your turkey?”
“Nope”
“Must have caught Gobbler Fever!”
I will simplify Gobbler Fever to all the non-turkey hunters out there. Often we call turkeys within 15 to 25 yards. Seeing a Big Ol Gobbler that close and hearing his thundering gobble will get your heart racing. The experience can make a hunter shake and miss the shot… or freeze up and not pull the trigger. Either way it typically results in the turkey getting away. I remember missing my first turkey when I was a young boy due to Gobbler Fever.
My nephew Carter had a close call with Gobbler Fever earlier this spring. Carter successfully harvested his first turkey last year, and was excited to get out and punch his tag this season. With the help of his Grandpa (Rod), they set out on a cool April morning. The early morning hunt proved unsuccessful so they moved to a blind that was better suited for the mid-morning.
It wasn’t long and Rod had a tom answering his hen calls. The mature bird followed a hen into the decoys. Sensing something wasn’t right the gobbler eventually left without Carter pulling the trigger. What happened? Could it be that he had caught the dreaded Gobbler Fever?
Moments later a group of jakes came into the decoys. Carter eager to redeem himself wanted to take a shot. However, his Grandpa talked him into waiting. An hour later another mature tom came into decoys. This time there was no hesitation. Carter connected with his target. The turkey weighed 23 and 1/8 pounds and had a 10 and 1/8 long beard. When I asked Carter if he caught Gobbler Fever he simply replied, “That’s a dead turkey. How big was yours?” Proving he DID NOT have Gobbler Fever!
Click Here for the Video
Do you find yourself getting Gobbler Fever? Try these three tips to calm your nerves.
Practice and Visualize – Practice shooting from real life hunting situations. Whether it is sitting next to a tree or out of your blind. Visualize a tom coming in while you squeeze the trigger at the target.
Get Experience – Nothing can replicate the feeling of having a tom in close. So get out there and hunt. If you mess up, shake it off. Learn from it. And go find another one. Eventually you will be as cool as a cucumber when that long beard comes in.
Relax, Control Your Breathing, and Have Fun – Take a deep breath. Smile. And remember hunting is supposed to be fun. It’s worth being in the wild, even if you don’t fill your tag.
How Does This Apply to Business
If you are in sales you have probably had to make a cold call (making a call to someone you have never met or spoken to). Cold calls can be tough for both new sales professionals and experienced veterans. Call reluctance is when an individual puts off making a phone call due to the fear of rejection.
Call reluctance and Gobbler Fever share a lot of the same qualities. Sometimes on a cold call the sales person might freeze up or talk uncontrollably. Or worse, they talk themselves out of making the call. The good news is you can implement the same three tips to improve your chances of overcoming call reluctance.
Practice – Write down the goal of the call. Script what you are going to say. Anticipate objections. Preparing and practicing will build confidence and get you ready for your calls.
Get Experience – Just make the calls. The first one might be a little rough. The second will be better. The third will be better yet. Eventually you will get on a roll. Don’t dwell on the result of every call. Learn from each one then improve your next one.
Relax and Have Fun – Remember a “no” during a sales call isn’t personal. They just didn’t see value in what you were offering. So change your pitch, relax, and have fun with it. If you aren’t having fun it might be time to change careers!
Until next time remember…You’re Going to Have to Earn It.