Yes Bustnbirds I like to say kill the animal then harvest the meat.
A dying breed
- Thread starter Setterman
- Start date
Lawrence
Well-Known Member
REN said:
x2
I agree
I think most of us have access problems and hunt smaller tracs of land. And when hunting WMA's your constantly running into other hunters. Growing up in Mo I could walk all day without ever seeing anyone else
Final steps TC
Well-Known Member
It has always been my take to sit at a high listening point each morning in the mountains and wait for one of the little black birds to sound off a couple times and let me develop a good plan of attack !! Turkey hunting is a lot like chess or battleship you have to think a lot and understand exactly what the little bird should do when the little black birds feet hit the leaves for the first time each morning !! Granted 95% of the time whatever you think should happen won't !!i for one am probably the most impatient person you know I hate blinds you can't hear well out of them they restrict your hunting ability and it's not how I choose to hunt turkey's !! I have kids and have sat in blinds to call birds up for them to shoot !! But I promise you I can't wait until they tag there bird so I can't get the heck out if them ! Blinds have there places and times to be used seniors,handicapped people, and children !! But most everyone else can do the same thing sitting in the edge of a field( I actually prefer to be about 5-8 yards off the field) sitting and waiting for a turkey... I was brought up turkey hunting the same way setterman and ren were!!
Tennessee Lead
Well-Known Member
I am a run and gun hunter. I enjoy that more I have several friends who sit over decoys in field edges, and kill birds. There is nothing wrong with this, But I get more out if it trying to get in tight and have a conversation. A lot of mountainous terrain here deep hollers, makes it tuff but the reward is well deserved.
deerchaser007
Well-Known Member
I don't hunt the same way anytime I go. I let the turkey dictate how I hunt from day to day. Sometimes that is sitting and listening without calling, sometimes calling. Sometimes run and gun, sometimes crawling on my belly.Sometimes baby steps tree to tree, others I'm running from one ridge to other. Its not how I wanna play the game, its reaction to what the birds are doing that day.
As a example, I went in on a afternoon hunt. Boss bird with hens on ridge. Every tom that went to that ridge he ran off all afternoon. It was to open to move on him, and he had to many hen eyes. I used that knowledge to my advantage at daylight next morning. Full strut decoy right down the lane off the ridge they would travel. He couldn't stand it!
Other example, major scouting! Find the dusting areas. When the toms are henned up and not gobbling, they will follow the hens to their mid day dustings.
SO, guess you could say I'm alittle old school with new school ways. I scout, I listen, I observe, then I do what I have to do to close the deal.call it what you want to!
Do I consider your style a dying breed, NO, I consider it the purist group. Most knowledge of turkey hunting can be learned from the purist. That is fact. I've had to learn a lot on my own thru the years, but without the purist, I wouldn't have known were to begin.Thats my opionion!
As a example, I went in on a afternoon hunt. Boss bird with hens on ridge. Every tom that went to that ridge he ran off all afternoon. It was to open to move on him, and he had to many hen eyes. I used that knowledge to my advantage at daylight next morning. Full strut decoy right down the lane off the ridge they would travel. He couldn't stand it!
Other example, major scouting! Find the dusting areas. When the toms are henned up and not gobbling, they will follow the hens to their mid day dustings.
SO, guess you could say I'm alittle old school with new school ways. I scout, I listen, I observe, then I do what I have to do to close the deal.call it what you want to!
Do I consider your style a dying breed, NO, I consider it the purist group. Most knowledge of turkey hunting can be learned from the purist. That is fact. I've had to learn a lot on my own thru the years, but without the purist, I wouldn't have known were to begin.Thats my opionion!
Ok. The old timers. Setterman and a few others. You do not call to them unless they gobble first?
Final steps TC
Well-Known Member
i don't make a peep until they do at first light....if they dont gobble on the limb then i will wait until I feel they are on the ground before i started prospecting.
Final steps TC said:
x2... i wont call to him until he hits the ground.
Roost 1 said:
I learned this lesson the hard way. Cost me some birds too.
deerhunter10
Well-Known Member
Spurhunter said:
x2
TLRanger
Well-Known Member
If I had to sit in a blind and turkey hunt, I would probably quit and take up something more exciting like bowling.
Setterman
Well-Known Member
chrmayo said:
I actually use a tiny little friction call the size of a skoal can to eek out one series of extremely soft notes to him on the limb. If he's loaded up with hens I might call twice, maybe.
I sometimes cruise and call if nothing is yapping, but I've had tons of success going to an area where birds have been and just sitting without calling. It's amazing how many birds free gobble, amazing. I was missing these by roaming crazy and I've found a bird gobbling on his own wants to die. When I find one free gobbling I get as close as possible using his gobbles to dictate my set up. Sometimes it might take 30 mins of waiting for that next gobble, but when he does I tweak my position. I want to be in the perfect spot when I announce my presence with my first call. It is stunning how many birds I've killed since I started doing this, and I don't seem to get drug all over the place chasing a bird who loves to talk but has no interest in coming in to a call.
10-4 the closer the better..The closer you can get before making the first sound the more likely he is to come....
I really like it when he starts gobbling at your footsteps....
I really like it when he starts gobbling at your footsteps....
String Music
Well-Known Member
Spurhunter said:
I rarely call to birds on the roost. I've had gobblers stay in the tree for 3-4 hours in the morning waiting for the "hen" to show herself.
If you set up in the right spot, you shouldn't have to call.
I dont call on the roost alot eother but i killed 2 last year by absolutely hammering them in the tree last year. They had been getting with hens for several days in a row so i wanted the be the first hen to the party. The first one pitched out and landed at 30 yards. The other hopped down and walked straight to me gobbling every step so there are no set rules.
^^^This. I have killed a lot of 2 year olds by being the first lady on the ground. I have also sat there for 2 hours after flydown waiting for a gobbler to fly down after calling to him on the limb. I think you are handicapping yourself if you have the playbook written before the hunt.muddyboots said:
jlmustain
Well-Known Member
Even though I hunt the same way as the original poster does, I do get tired of the idea of lamenting one version of legal hunting over another. I'd hate to think of a doctor forum somewhere on which a longtime physician is pining for the days of leeches and blood-letting. Things change. Methods progress. I'm for any way that gets people in the woods preserving this sport for my kids.
jlmustain said:
Very good view point.
I love to travel out of state to hunt public land, more room to roam and it is more of a hunt to me. Nothing like traveling West to hunt mountain Merriams, pure freedom to hunt how I want. Plus the "gimmicks" are basically useless out there on public land. A good digital camera, gun, backpack and a couple basic calls are all you need.
Setterman
Well-Known Member
jlmustain said:
You missed my point entirely. There is no lamenting anything, period.
