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Your Biggest Rookie Mistake(s)?

Patience for sure, I used to have a horrible tendency to try to "close the gap" when I shouldn't have.

I'm also bad a judging distance when I get excited , I've let several 35 yard birds pass cause I thought they were too far at the moment. I'm really bad at this when bowhunting deer, better to let one pass than to shoot too far though
 
Mistakes are what makes it so tough and fun.

If it were easy, there would be no challenge; resulting in little pride when it does all come together.

I'm getting soooooo ready to play the game again that I can't stand it. And this weather isn't helping :( !
 
Staying put to long and getting up to move to soon. Confusing sentence I know but you can do both.

Biggest thing I still struggle with sometimes is indecisiveness on set up. You kinda need to learn your approach options ahead of time depending on where they might be or make a call quickly and go with it.

Lastly not knowing the land fully. You really need to know every nook and cranny the best you can so you can formulate plans quickly. Lost many a birds to ditches and fences I didn't know where there.


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1) Being told, and believing, I couldn't swing from right to left or visa versa and get a shot off before the turkey magically disappeared. (I mean like 2 foot swing of the gun, not turning my entire body)
2) Looking for an entire bird instead of just it's head or the top of it's head (especially in rolling terrain)
 
My rookie mistake was not being open minded when comes to calling. All turkeys are not the same, some you can't call to much to but some you need to call a lot to, some you will need to move on some you will need to stay put. The most important part is don't be afraid to try things that someone has told you want work. The more you hunt the more you will learn and sometimes just set and listen to the turkey's when they don't know you are there and if you don't still make mistakes you are probably not getting on many birds.
 
I'll also say that running around calling everywhere can or will be a mistake, but maybe not every time. Just like most people I like to walk logging roads or pasture edges listening and looking for gobblers and calling loudly or crow/owl calling to shock gobble. Yes it does work, and yes I've killed many gobblers doing this.
But the more experienced I got, especially on pressures birds, I think it's best to let them gobble first. I believe you shut a lot of birds up by trying to "shock" gobble or locate one. They may not necessarily spook, but they may just shut down because they've been fooled with so much.

I seldomly owl at daybreak any more, and never crow during the day. If I don't hear one at daylight, I either go to work, set around in a good listening spot while I'm comfortable, or drive or walk to another area.

I've been blessed to be able to kill a few turkeys, and blessed with some decent spots, but not so lucky to have suicidal virgin two year olds around every tree. I've come to find out, if I got the time and birds, I'll set around as long as I can waiting on one to begin to gobble on his own. Then and only then will I make a plan and go after him.


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It's a really big mistake for the most part to begin to roam and trying to force something to happen. Yes it may happen and it may all work out, but I can compare it to the pass heavy offenses in college football. They may win some games and score a bunch and be fun to watch, but those teams that play defense and can run the ball bring home the trophies. And by the way, I'm not an Alabama fan.


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Another big tip is to stay with a bird after you get on him. Just because he shuts up don't mean he disappeared. He's more than likely got hens or strutting waiting for you to go to him. Again, if I hear one at daylight and sit down to him and he flies down and gets with hens, Lord, wife, work, life, time willing, I'll set in there with him as long as I can.

Don't get discouraged and go home or quit just because you don't hear him or lose contact with him.

Don't get fired or divorced either...


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woodsman04":21oqlkik said:
I'll also say that running around calling everywhere can or will be a mistake, but maybe not every time. Just like most people I like to walk logging roads or pasture edges listening and looking for gobblers and calling loudly or crow/owl calling to shock gobble. Yes it does work, and yes I've killed many gobblers doing this.
But the more experienced I got, especially on pressures birds, I think it's best to let them gobble first. I believe you shut a lot of birds up by trying to "shock" gobble or locate one. They may not necessarily spook, but they may just shut down because they've been fooled with so much.

I seldomly owl at daybreak any more, and never crow during the day. If I don't hear one at daylight, I either go to work, set around in a good listening spot while I'm comfortable, or drive or walk to another area.

I've been blessed to be able to kill a few turkeys, and blessed with some decent spots, but not so lucky to have suicidal virgin two year olds around every tree. I've come to find out, if I got the time and birds, I'll set around as long as I can waiting on one to begin to gobble on his own. Then and only then will I make a plan and go after him.


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Click to expand...

Really good advice. When I started this I went from killing a few birds to killing as many as I legally could. Any more I don't prospect call as so many times it led busting silent birds, getting pinned down, or silence. I can't remember when I started this tactic but when I did I killed limits every where I hunted.

Most days I find myself in areas where I know birds are, not calling, not locating literally sitting and listening. Inevitably a bird will fire off, and when he does I move closer and wait again. Even if it means I sit for hours he will eventually sound off and I repeat until I'm in prime position before ever making my first peep.

The days of walking and prospecting are long gone for me, and sure it works but it is far deadlier imo to just listen. By constantly moving how many birds go unheard? How many get bumped?

I don't have a single locator call in my vest, they're worthless imo
 
Setterman":28b64ovh said:
woodsman04":28b64ovh said:
I'll also say that running around calling everywhere can or will be a mistake, but maybe not every time. Just like most people I like to walk logging roads or pasture edges listening and looking for gobblers and calling loudly or crow/owl calling to shock gobble. Yes it does work, and yes I've killed many gobblers doing this.
But the more experienced I got, especially on pressures birds, I think it's best to let them gobble first. I believe you shut a lot of birds up by trying to "shock" gobble or locate one. They may not necessarily spook, but they may just shut down because they've been fooled with so much.

I seldomly owl at daybreak any more, and never crow during the day. If I don't hear one at daylight, I either go to work, set around in a good listening spot while I'm comfortable, or drive or walk to another area.

I've been blessed to be able to kill a few turkeys, and blessed with some decent spots, but not so lucky to have suicidal virgin two year olds around every tree. I've come to find out, if I got the time and birds, I'll set around as long as I can waiting on one to begin to gobble on his own. Then and only then will I make a plan and go after him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Really good advice. When I started this I went from killing a few birds to killing as many as I legally could. Any more I don't prospect call as so many times it led busting silent birds, getting pinned down, or silence. I can't remember when I started this tactic but when I did I killed limits every where I hunted.

Most days I find myself in areas where I know birds are, not calling, not locating literally sitting and listening. Inevitably a bird will fire off, and when he does I move closer and wait again. Even if it means I sit for hours he will eventually sound off and I repeat until I'm in prime position before ever making my first peep.

The days of walking and prospecting are long gone for me, and sure it works but it is far deadlier imo to just listen. By constantly moving how many birds go unheard? How many get bumped?

I don't have a single locator call in my vest, they're worthless imo
Click to expand...

I started doing this after several times I'd go around a curve in a logging road or bump one in a food plot in the rain just strutting.

People need to slow down and let them gobble. If you have to make him gobble he may not be responsive anyways.


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Another biggie, always, ALWAYS, pretend there is a turkey in the food plot, in the pasture, in the power line lane, in the logging road, over the knoll.




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Years ago the first bird ,actually 3 birds came in to my calls got so excited and not knowing any better I called that one last time when I could see them. Learned a lesson that day if you can see them ,they will see you too.Learned another lesson that same day when you go after gobbling birds and they sound far off they most likely are ,I ended up over a mile from where I parked.
 
Not staying put long enough after getting a bird to respond to me. I cant count the number of times I got up to move, thinking he wasn't coming, and jumped the bird. My advice to a rookie is that if he responds to you and shuts up, hes either coming or going away. Stay put until you know for sure which way he chose!
 
I seem to always forget something or am paranoid that I left something at the house. Now a days everything is layed out the night before and all necessities are in the pack. Leaving the cushion behind or in the truck makes it impossible for me at 48 to sit for extended periods, leaving the bug dope behind when seed ticks are present is just horrible!
 
Moving too much or at the wrong time. Not being patient enough and moving from a spot too soon. The one that stands out the most to me, was in 2015. I was sick almost all season and one morning I basically forced myself to go. I called and didn't hear gobbling so I decided to go to the other end of my property. I called a hen in there, but she was alone. I decided to call it early as I didn't feel well. I walk back to the end were I was and standing in gun range of where I was set up is a tom. If I had stayed put, I'd have killed him. I was only down the other way 25-30 minutes.

Also being impatient and shooting too soon for fear of the bird busting me, which caused me to hit tree once, and to misjudge distances a couple of time.
 
1-Calling to much to a roosted bird
2- not being patient enough on a bird that has gone quiet and making a move to discover he was simply hung up at 80 yards and I blow him out


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