You've warped my initial intent. What I was getting at, is knowledge of the land you are on and the way the turkeys work on it, doesn't do you a much good, if that is your trick to killing birds. Patterning birds will kill them all day long, but it's not a skill. It's an investment of time.
This is ALDeer, where "warping my initial intent" is a way of life.
Re: patterning, I see your point. However, I disagree with it. If patterning was so brain-dead simple & only took time, then we ought to see every single hunter on ALDeer tag out w/3 massive, wall-hanger buck each year, and limit out on 5 turkeys every single season. The "wild cards" in this are - we're pursuing a wild animal & every property is different. They're unpredictable, and what appears to be a pattern one day is something completely different the next, on SOME animals (not all).
I do agree, yes, it's an investment in time; game cameras have shortened this time for some hunters who can't afford to spend the time in the woods. But, you will never convince me that scouting, observation, and patterning are not skills that good hunters hone over time and acquire. Also, my definition of "patterning" goes well beyond discovering a travel route; it involves the tendencies of how the animal behaves, and so on. Your definition appears to be more narrow.
The bottom line I think we're all trying to get to here is -- what are the characteristics of a "seasoned turkey hunter" that regularly scores on birds, season over season? The OP mentioned some of this but also mentioned "tactics". The true answer is -- ALL OF THE ABOVE. It helps when (& I often PRAY FOR!) a bird/deer are "dumb & suicidal" and makes it easy on the hunter, and just wants to die.
But, to your point (that I think you're trying to make), when you're faced with a hard-headed deer/turkey that you have to work & use MORE skills than just ambushing them, there is a separation in skill between those hunters & other unsuccessful hunters that don't have those advanced skills. Many of us -- myself included -- leave those animals behind & try to find an "easier", work-able bird to hunt & kill. I for one don't have the time to invest on "hard" birds, being predominantly a weekend warrior. I admit it fully - I'm looking for the "easy kill", deer & turkey. If that means leaning on an observed "travel" pattern, so be it. If it means using a blind, I'm cool w/that too, even if I prefer normally to not use one. If it means using my box vs. my mouth call, which I prefer, b/c the "pattern" of the bird is to respond to my box over my mouth call, then hey, I'm cool with it. If it means no calling at all, alright. I'm flexible, and roll with it, based on the circumstances for that animal, at that point in time. Being adaptable, flexible & patient will transfer to every piece of dirt on earth.
