Your method on locating and getting to birds?

[Blount County Hunter]

REN I might take your advice...I was thinking of using an owl only before sunrise and I will definitely be using a tube call a lot since I make them (just made a couple last night). Not easy to do a good gobble on a tube call at least for me, but I can do an OK sounding jake gobble on it.

One time, I had a bird coming in, gobbling hard, made the worst sounding gobble I ever heard, as if he had a cold or something, could have sworn it had to be a jake, it ended being a 12" longbeard with 1 1/4 spurs, but back to the tips, if I hear a turkey gobble on roost and I'm in the woods with it, I usually don't try to approach more than 150 to 200 yards if the leaves are crunchy, my theory is, why ruin your chances of getting a bird first thing the morning by bumping him off the roost? , instead of using patience and technique to coax him your way, right at daylight, when I expect turkeys to be flying off the roost, I beat my hat vigorously against my leg to imitate a hen flying out off the roost, I even slap my hand on the ground to imitate a hens feet hitting, the I make a few soft yelps and slowly scratch in the leaves beside me just like a turkey would, then I decide what to do next, I usually call every 30 min by watching my watch, even he doesn't show up directly when he flies off the roost, I usually don't follow him, i try to think to myself, he must have took a mental note on where I was at so he will show up when he's ready, which might be when his real hens leave him, so I usually wait it out, 7 of my 9 gobblers have been shot between 12pm and 5 pm, with a lot of them being killed right around noon, you can kill them with other tactics but I believe my chances of killing a gobbler without spooking them dramatically increase the longer I sit in one spot and just wait them out till they are ready, and I will readily call to a hen in the area whenever I hear one, if she has any kind of dominance and isn't nesting she will ususually have a tom with her, I basically try to imitate her calling twice as loud and raspier as she is, and if he gets fired up, I try to start a yelping match with her, and hopefully make her mad enough to come in to investigate with the gobbler in tow

 

[Setterman]

REN I might take your advice...I was thinking of using an owl only before sunrise and I will definitely be using a tube call a lot since I make them (just made a couple last night). Not easy to do a good gobble on a tube call at least for me, but I can do an OK sounding jake gobble on it.

One time, I had a bird coming in, gobbling hard, made the worst sounding gobble I ever heard, as if he had a cold or something, could have sworn it had to be a jake, it ended being a 12" longbeard with 1 1/4 spurs, but back to the tips, if I hear a turkey gobble on roost and I'm in the woods with it, I usually don't try to approach more than 150 to 200 yards if the leaves are crunchy, my theory is, why ruin your chances of getting a bird first thing the morning by bumping him off the roost? , instead of using patience and technique to coax him your way, right at daylight, when I expect turkeys to be flying off the roost, I beat my hat vigorously against my leg to imitate a hen flying out off the roost, I even slap my hand on the ground to imitate a hens feet hitting, the I make a few soft yelps and slowly scratch in the leaves beside me just like a turkey would, then I decide what to do next, I usually call every 30 min by watching my watch, even he doesn't show up directly when he flies off the roost, I usually don't follow him, i try to think to myself, he must have took a mental note on where I was at so he will show up when he's ready, which might be when his real hens leave him, so I usually wait it out, 7 of my 9 gobblers have been shot between 12pm and 5 pm, with a lot of them being killed right around noon, you can kill them with other tactics but I believe my chances of killing a gobbler without spooking them dramatically increase the longer I sit in one spot and just wait them out till they are ready, and I will readily call to a hen in the area whenever I hear one, if she has any kind of dominance and isn't nesting she will ususually have a tom with her, I basically try to imitate her calling twice as loud and raspier as she is, and if he gets fired up, I try to start a yelping match with her, and hopefully make her mad enough to come in to investigate with the gobbler in tow

Please do not take this the wrong way, but you have a ton to learn in regards to turkey hunting if your goal is to consistently kill a bunch of birds each season. Your approach will work for a bird or so each year, but to consistently kill turkeys there are better approaches which are much more effective. They just take learning how/when to move and becoming in touch with what you can and can't get away with, along with how to move on birds, how to set up, how to "predict" what a gobbler wants you to do for him to die.

 

[knightrider]

REN I might take your advice...I was thinking of using an owl only before sunrise and I will definitely be using a tube call a lot since I make them (just made a couple last night). Not easy to do a good gobble on a tube call at least for me, but I can do an OK sounding jake gobble on it.

One time, I had a bird coming in, gobbling hard, made the worst sounding gobble I ever heard, as if he had a cold or something, could have sworn it had to be a jake, it ended being a 12" longbeard with 1 1/4 spurs, but back to the tips, if I hear a turkey gobble on roost and I'm in the woods with it, I usually don't try to approach more than 150 to 200 yards if the leaves are crunchy, my theory is, why ruin your chances of getting a bird first thing the morning by bumping him off the roost? , instead of using patience and technique to coax him your way, right at daylight, when I expect turkeys to be flying off the roost, I beat my hat vigorously against my leg to imitate a hen flying out off the roost, I even slap my hand on the ground to imitate a hens feet hitting, the I make a few soft yelps and slowly scratch in the leaves beside me just like a turkey would, then I decide what to do next, I usually call every 30 min by watching my watch, even he doesn't show up directly when he flies off the roost, I usually don't follow him, i try to think to myself, he must have took a mental note on where I was at so he will show up when he's ready, which might be when his real hens leave him, so I usually wait it out, 7 of my 9 gobblers have been shot between 12pm and 5 pm, with a lot of them being killed right around noon, you can kill them with other tactics but I believe my chances of killing a gobbler without spooking them dramatically increase the longer I sit in one spot and just wait them out till they are ready, and I will readily call to a hen in the area whenever I hear one, if she has any kind of dominance and isn't nesting she will ususually have a tom with her, I basically try to imitate her calling twice as loud and raspier as she is, and if he gets fired up, I try to start a yelping match with her, and hopefully make her mad enough to come in to investigate with the gobbler in tow

Please do not take this the wrong way, but you have a ton to learn in regards to turkey hunting if your goal is to consistently kill a bunch of birds each season. Your approach will work for a bird or so each year, but to consistently kill turkeys there are better approaches which are much more effective. They just take learning how/when to move and becoming in touch with what you can and can't get away with, along with how to move on birds, how to set up, how to "predict" what a gobbler wants you to do for him to die.

x2 setterman, if i cant get within a hundred or less im not hunting them right,bc hunter im not downing the way hunt at all so dont take me wrong, you have to hunt the way you feel the most confident in, i just like to push the limits and since i have started getting up earlier, sneaking in closer,and calling less when i need to my kill ratio has sky rocketed, good luck to everyone this season

 

[catman529]

REN I might take your advice...I was thinking of using an owl only before sunrise and I will definitely be using a tube call a lot since I make them (just made a couple last night). Not easy to do a good gobble on a tube call at least for me, but I can do an OK sounding jake gobble on it.

One time, I had a bird coming in, gobbling hard, made the worst sounding gobble I ever heard, as if he had a cold or something, could have sworn it had to be a jake, it ended being a 12" longbeard with 1 1/4 spurs, but back to the tips, if I hear a turkey gobble on roost and I'm in the woods with it, I usually don't try to approach more than 150 to 200 yards if the leaves are crunchy, my theory is, why ruin your chances of getting a bird first thing the morning by bumping him off the roost? , instead of using patience and technique to coax him your way, right at daylight, when I expect turkeys to be flying off the roost, I beat my hat vigorously against my leg to imitate a hen flying out off the roost, I even slap my hand on the ground to imitate a hens feet hitting, the I make a few soft yelps and slowly scratch in the leaves beside me just like a turkey would, then I decide what to do next, I usually call every 30 min by watching my watch, even he doesn't show up directly when he flies off the roost, I usually don't follow him, i try to think to myself, he must have took a mental note on where I was at so he will show up when he's ready, which might be when his real hens leave him, so I usually wait it out, 7 of my 9 gobblers have been shot between 12pm and 5 pm, with a lot of them being killed right around noon, you can kill them with other tactics but I believe my chances of killing a gobbler without spooking them dramatically increase the longer I sit in one spot and just wait them out till they are ready, and I will readily call to a hen in the area whenever I hear one, if she has any kind of dominance and isn't nesting she will ususually have a tom with her, I basically try to imitate her calling twice as loud and raspier as she is, and if he gets fired up, I try to start a yelping match with her, and hopefully make her mad enough to come in to investigate with the gobbler in tow

Please do not take this the wrong way, but you have a ton to learn in regards to turkey hunting if your goal is to consistently kill a bunch of birds each season. Your approach will work for a bird or so each year, but to consistently kill turkeys there are better approaches which are much more effective. They just take learning how/when to move and becoming in touch with what you can and can't get away with, along with how to move on birds, how to set up, how to "predict" what a gobbler wants you to do for him to die.

I think he just likes to sit in the woods and enjoy the hunting experience...and he gets a bird every now and then, I'm not sure if he's actually trying to consistently kill a bunch of birds (correct me if I am wrong Blount). He even has hunted out of the same makeshift blind for years in the exact same spot on a small property in the woods if I remember correctly. I think sometimes it would be worth it just to sit on the little land you got and enjoy the woods and calling turkeys and shooting one every now and then.

As for me, I'd be happy to kill my first gobbler this spring. Even happier to get all 4 but I'll see how it goes and will surely learn a lot when I'm out in the field.

 

[Setterman]

REN I might take your advice...I was thinking of using an owl only before sunrise and I will definitely be using a tube call a lot since I make them (just made a couple last night). Not easy to do a good gobble on a tube call at least for me, but I can do an OK sounding jake gobble on it.

One time, I had a bird coming in, gobbling hard, made the worst sounding gobble I ever heard, as if he had a cold or something, could have sworn it had to be a jake, it ended being a 12" longbeard with 1 1/4 spurs, but back to the tips, if I hear a turkey gobble on roost and I'm in the woods with it, I usually don't try to approach more than 150 to 200 yards if the leaves are crunchy, my theory is, why ruin your chances of getting a bird first thing the morning by bumping him off the roost? , instead of using patience and technique to coax him your way, right at daylight, when I expect turkeys to be flying off the roost, I beat my hat vigorously against my leg to imitate a hen flying out off the roost, I even slap my hand on the ground to imitate a hens feet hitting, the I make a few soft yelps and slowly scratch in the leaves beside me just like a turkey would, then I decide what to do next, I usually call every 30 min by watching my watch, even he doesn't show up directly when he flies off the roost, I usually don't follow him, i try to think to myself, he must have took a mental note on where I was at so he will show up when he's ready, which might be when his real hens leave him, so I usually wait it out, 7 of my 9 gobblers have been shot between 12pm and 5 pm, with a lot of them being killed right around noon, you can kill them with other tactics but I believe my chances of killing a gobbler without spooking them dramatically increase the longer I sit in one spot and just wait them out till they are ready, and I will readily call to a hen in the area whenever I hear one, if she has any kind of dominance and isn't nesting she will ususually have a tom with her, I basically try to imitate her calling twice as loud and raspier as she is, and if he gets fired up, I try to start a yelping match with her, and hopefully make her mad enough to come in to investigate with the gobbler in tow

Please do not take this the wrong way, but you have a ton to learn in regards to turkey hunting if your goal is to consistently kill a bunch of birds each season. Your approach will work for a bird or so each year, but to consistently kill turkeys there are better approaches which are much more effective. They just take learning how/when to move and becoming in touch with what you can and can't get away with, along with how to move on birds, how to set up, how to "predict" what a gobbler wants you to do for him to die.

I think he just likes to sit in the woods and enjoy the hunting experience...and he gets a bird every now and then, I'm not sure if he's actually trying to consistently kill a bunch of birds (correct me if I am wrong Blount). He even has hunted out of the same makeshift blind for years in the exact same spot on a small property in the woods if I remember correctly. I think sometimes it would be worth it just to sit on the little land you got and enjoy the woods and calling turkeys and shooting one every now and then.

As for me, I'd be happy to kill my first gobbler this spring. Even happier to get all 4 but I'll see how it goes and will surely learn a lot when I'm out in the field.

Agreed with this and knight's comments as well. Everyone has a different approach and what makes them happy. I am greedy and want to kill every single bird I possibly can

 

[Blount County Hunter]

REN I might take your advice...I was thinking of using an owl only before sunrise and I will definitely be using a tube call a lot since I make them (just made a couple last night). Not easy to do a good gobble on a tube call at least for me, but I can do an OK sounding jake gobble on it.

One time, I had a bird coming in, gobbling hard, made the worst sounding gobble I ever heard, as if he had a cold or something, could have sworn it had to be a jake, it ended being a 12" longbeard with 1 1/4 spurs, but back to the tips, if I hear a turkey gobble on roost and I'm in the woods with it, I usually don't try to approach more than 150 to 200 yards if the leaves are crunchy, my theory is, why ruin your chances of getting a bird first thing the morning by bumping him off the roost? , instead of using patience and technique to coax him your way, right at daylight, when I expect turkeys to be flying off the roost, I beat my hat vigorously against my leg to imitate a hen flying out off the roost, I even slap my hand on the ground to imitate a hens feet hitting, the I make a few soft yelps and slowly scratch in the leaves beside me just like a turkey would, then I decide what to do next, I usually call every 30 min by watching my watch, even he doesn't show up directly when he flies off the roost, I usually don't follow him, i try to think to myself, he must have took a mental note on where I was at so he will show up when he's ready, which might be when his real hens leave him, so I usually wait it out, 7 of my 9 gobblers have been shot between 12pm and 5 pm, with a lot of them being killed right around noon, you can kill them with other tactics but I believe my chances of killing a gobbler without spooking them dramatically increase the longer I sit in one spot and just wait them out till they are ready, and I will readily call to a hen in the area whenever I hear one, if she has any kind of dominance and isn't nesting she will ususually have a tom with her, I basically try to imitate her calling twice as loud and raspier as she is, and if he gets fired up, I try to start a yelping match with her, and hopefully make her mad enough to come in to investigate with the gobbler in tow

Please do not take this the wrong way, but you have a ton to learn in regards to turkey hunting if your goal is to consistently kill a bunch of birds each season. Your approach will work for a bird or so each year, but to consistently kill turkeys there are better approaches which are much more effective. They just take learning how/when to move and becoming in touch with what you can and can't get away with, along with how to move on birds, how to set up, how to "predict" what a gobbler wants you to do for him to die.

Who is to say your methods or tactics will kill turkey more consistently? And where did you get the idea I want to kill a bunch per season? Honestly, I have passed up every jake I have seen which is probably in the 100s, just saying, most turkeys I have killed in a season is 2, why? , not because I couldn't have killed more, but because I killed what I wanted for eating, I'm sorry my style of hunting isn't up to your run and gun standards, hmm I guess 9 longbeards is all luck?

 

[Blount County Hunter]

REN I might take your advice...I was thinking of using an owl only before sunrise and I will definitely be using a tube call a lot since I make them (just made a couple last night). Not easy to do a good gobble on a tube call at least for me, but I can do an OK sounding jake gobble on it.

One time, I had a bird coming in, gobbling hard, made the worst sounding gobble I ever heard, as if he had a cold or something, could have sworn it had to be a jake, it ended being a 12" longbeard with 1 1/4 spurs, but back to the tips, if I hear a turkey gobble on roost and I'm in the woods with it, I usually don't try to approach more than 150 to 200 yards if the leaves are crunchy, my theory is, why ruin your chances of getting a bird first thing the morning by bumping him off the roost? , instead of using patience and technique to coax him your way, right at daylight, when I expect turkeys to be flying off the roost, I beat my hat vigorously against my leg to imitate a hen flying out off the roost, I even slap my hand on the ground to imitate a hens feet hitting, the I make a few soft yelps and slowly scratch in the leaves beside me just like a turkey would, then I decide what to do next, I usually call every 30 min by watching my watch, even he doesn't show up directly when he flies off the roost, I usually don't follow him, i try to think to myself, he must have took a mental note on where I was at so he will show up when he's ready, which might be when his real hens leave him, so I usually wait it out, 7 of my 9 gobblers have been shot between 12pm and 5 pm, with a lot of them being killed right around noon, you can kill them with other tactics but I believe my chances of killing a gobbler without spooking them dramatically increase the longer I sit in one spot and just wait them out till they are ready, and I will readily call to a hen in the area whenever I hear one, if she has any kind of dominance and isn't nesting she will ususually have a tom with her, I basically try to imitate her calling twice as loud and raspier as she is, and if he gets fired up, I try to start a yelping match with her, and hopefully make her mad enough to come in to investigate with the gobbler in tow

Please do not take this the wrong way, but you have a ton to learn in regards to turkey hunting if your goal is to consistently kill a bunch of birds each season. Your approach will work for a bird or so each year, but to consistently kill turkeys there are better approaches which are much more effective. They just take learning how/when to move and becoming in touch with what you can and can't get away with, along with how to move on birds, how to set up, how to "predict" what a gobbler wants you to do for him to die.

I think he just likes to sit in the woods and enjoy the hunting experience...and he gets a bird every now and then, I'm not sure if he's actually trying to consistently kill a bunch of birds (correct me if I am wrong Blount). He even has hunted out of the same makeshift blind for years in the exact same spot on a small property in the woods if I remember correctly. I think sometimes it would be worth it just to sit on the little land you got and enjoy the woods and calling turkeys and shooting one every now and then.

As for me, I'd be happy to kill my first gobbler this spring. Even happier to get all 4 but I'll see how it goes and will surely learn a lot when I'm out in the field.

Exactly catman, I sit directly in the middle of a turkey hunting paradise, I don't ever have to move, don't get me wrong, I get the urge to get up and run and gun to a distant gobble, but I don't, I wait him out patiently, and if he never shows, there will be another one that does, turkeys feed and cross through my area all throughout the day, so why move? To end the joy of the hunt faster so you can leave woods to go sit on the couch?

 

[catman529]

Blount I admire your patience and persistence to stay in that same spot all the time...I tend to move around a lot, I can't sit still for more than a couple hours

 

[Setterman]

REN I might take your advice...I was thinking of using an owl only before sunrise and I will definitely be using a tube call a lot since I make them (just made a couple last night). Not easy to do a good gobble on a tube call at least for me, but I can do an OK sounding jake gobble on it.

One time, I had a bird coming in, gobbling hard, made the worst sounding gobble I ever heard, as if he had a cold or something, could have sworn it had to be a jake, it ended being a 12" longbeard with 1 1/4 spurs, but back to the tips, if I hear a turkey gobble on roost and I'm in the woods with it, I usually don't try to approach more than 150 to 200 yards if the leaves are crunchy, my theory is, why ruin your chances of getting a bird first thing the morning by bumping him off the roost? , instead of using patience and technique to coax him your way, right at daylight, when I expect turkeys to be flying off the roost, I beat my hat vigorously against my leg to imitate a hen flying out off the roost, I even slap my hand on the ground to imitate a hens feet hitting, the I make a few soft yelps and slowly scratch in the leaves beside me just like a turkey would, then I decide what to do next, I usually call every 30 min by watching my watch, even he doesn't show up directly when he flies off the roost, I usually don't follow him, i try to think to myself, he must have took a mental note on where I was at so he will show up when he's ready, which might be when his real hens leave him, so I usually wait it out, 7 of my 9 gobblers have been shot between 12pm and 5 pm, with a lot of them being killed right around noon, you can kill them with other tactics but I believe my chances of killing a gobbler without spooking them dramatically increase the longer I sit in one spot and just wait them out till they are ready, and I will readily call to a hen in the area whenever I hear one, if she has any kind of dominance and isn't nesting she will ususually have a tom with her, I basically try to imitate her calling twice as loud and raspier as she is, and if he gets fired up, I try to start a yelping match with her, and hopefully make her mad enough to come in to investigate with the gobbler in tow

Please do not take this the wrong way, but you have a ton to learn in regards to turkey hunting if your goal is to consistently kill a bunch of birds each season. Your approach will work for a bird or so each year, but to consistently kill turkeys there are better approaches which are much more effective. They just take learning how/when to move and becoming in touch with what you can and can't get away with, along with how to move on birds, how to set up, how to "predict" what a gobbler wants you to do for him to die.

Who is to say your methods or tactics will kill turkey more consistently? And where did you get the idea I want to kill a bunch per season? Honestly, I have passed up every jake I have seen which is probably in the 100s, just saying, most turkeys I have killed in a season is 2, why? , not because I couldn't have killed more, but because I killed what I wanted for eating, I'm sorry my style of hunting isn't up to your run and gun standards, hmm I guess 9 longbeards is all luck?

You took my response the wrong way, but since you asked me some questions I will be polite and answer for you.

1. I don't know how to answer the first question without sounding horribly arrogant, but here goes . You say the most turkeys you have killed in a season is 2, last year I personally killed 16 longbeards and called in another dozen or so for others. I think my personal kill tally is around 160 longbeards now over my life, and I plan on heaping another pile to that shortly. I would not consider my style "run and gun", that is a stupid term which really means nothing. I am aggressive with my set ups, and toned down with my calling style. But I do firmly believe birds get conditioned to locations and avoid areas where they hear the same racket over and over and over again. Hence my disdain for permanent style blinds and sitting every trip in the same spot, that is deer hunting to me.

2. You may not want to kill a bunch each season, but you would be the first turkey hunter I have ever spoken with that didn't.

3. Jakes don't count for anything in my world. Glad you are passing them up, it will only benefit you and others in the future.

4. 9 longbeards could very well be luck and it isn't very many, but it could also be skill. Just depends. I personally feel it takes a lot more skill to be mobile, use the terrain and woods to your advantage in getting the perfect set up to call a bird into range. But that is just me, and my opinion, which doesn't count for much.

It is your hunt, and do what makes you happy by all means. If 2 birds a season is what you consider great, then it is not my place to question your hunts. Whatever makes you happy, and satisfies you is all that is important.

 

[catman529]

Hey Setterman, TurkeyBurd has killed twice as many birds as you :grin:

But in all seriousness I'm sure you have plenty of good advice to offer despite your not agreeing with everyone's way of hunting.

Here's a random question.... How far would you shoot a 12 gauge 3 inch shell (#5 or #6) with an XX full choke without being worried about not enough pellets hitting the bird?

 

[Setterman]

Hey Setterman, TurkeyBurd has killed twice as many birds as you :grin:

But in all seriousness I'm sure you have plenty of good advice to offer despite your not agreeing with everyone's way of hunting.

Here's a random question.... How far would you shoot a 12 gauge 3 inch shell (#5 or #6) with an XX full choke without being worried about not enough pellets hitting the bird?

45 yards or so.

 

[Blount County Hunter]

REN I might take your advice...I was thinking of using an owl only before sunrise and I will definitely be using a tube call a lot since I make them (just made a couple last night). Not easy to do a good gobble on a tube call at least for me, but I can do an OK sounding jake gobble on it.

One time, I had a bird coming in, gobbling hard, made the worst sounding gobble I ever heard, as if he had a cold or something, could have sworn it had to be a jake, it ended being a 12" longbeard with 1 1/4 spurs, but back to the tips, if I hear a turkey gobble on roost and I'm in the woods with it, I usually don't try to approach more than 150 to 200 yards if the leaves are crunchy, my theory is, why ruin your chances of getting a bird first thing the morning by bumping him off the roost? , instead of using patience and technique to coax him your way, right at daylight, when I expect turkeys to be flying off the roost, I beat my hat vigorously against my leg to imitate a hen flying out off the roost, I even slap my hand on the ground to imitate a hens feet hitting, the I make a few soft yelps and slowly scratch in the leaves beside me just like a turkey would, then I decide what to do next, I usually call every 30 min by watching my watch, even he doesn't show up directly when he flies off the roost, I usually don't follow him, i try to think to myself, he must have took a mental note on where I was at so he will show up when he's ready, which might be when his real hens leave him, so I usually wait it out, 7 of my 9 gobblers have been shot between 12pm and 5 pm, with a lot of them being killed right around noon, you can kill them with other tactics but I believe my chances of killing a gobbler without spooking them dramatically increase the longer I sit in one spot and just wait them out till they are ready, and I will readily call to a hen in the area whenever I hear one, if she has any kind of dominance and isn't nesting she will ususually have a tom with her, I basically try to imitate her calling twice as loud and raspier as she is, and if he gets fired up, I try to start a yelping match with her, and hopefully make her mad enough to come in to investigate with the gobbler in tow

Please do not take this the wrong way, but you have a ton to learn in regards to turkey hunting if your goal is to consistently kill a bunch of birds each season. Your approach will work for a bird or so each year, but to consistently kill turkeys there are better approaches which are much more effective. They just take learning how/when to move and becoming in touch with what you can and can't get away with, along with how to move on birds, how to set up, how to "predict" what a gobbler wants you to do for him to die.

Who is to say your methods or tactics will kill turkey more consistently? And where did you get the idea I want to kill a bunch per season? Honestly, I have passed up every jake I have seen which is probably in the 100s, just saying, most turkeys I have killed in a season is 2, why? , not because I couldn't have killed more, but because I killed what I wanted for eating, I'm sorry my style of hunting isn't up to your run and gun standards, hmm I guess 9 longbeards is all luck?

You took my response the wrong way, but since you asked me some questions I will be polite and answer for you.

1. I don't know how to answer the first question without sounding horribly arrogant, but here goes . You say the most turkeys you have killed in a season is 2, last year I personally killed 16 longbeards and called in another dozen or so for others. I think my personal kill tally is around 160 longbeards now over my life, and I plan on heaping another pile to that shortly. I would not consider my style "run and gun", that is a stupid term which really means nothing. I am aggressive with my set ups, and toned down with my calling style. But I do firmly believe birds get conditioned to locations and avoid areas where they hear the same racket over and over and over again. Hence my disdain for permanent style blinds and sitting every trip in the same spot, that is deer hunting to me.

2. You may not want to kill a bunch each season, but you would be the first turkey hunter I have ever spoken with that didn't.

3. Jakes don't count for anything in my world. Glad you are passing them up, it will only benefit you and others in the future.

4. 9 longbeards could very well be luck and it isn't very many, but it could also be skill. Just depends. I personally feel it takes a lot more skill to be mobile, use the terrain and woods to your advantage in getting the perfect set up to call a bird into range. But that is just me, and my opinion, which doesn't count for much.

It is your hunt, and do what makes you happy by all means. If 2 birds a season is what you consider great, then it is not my place to question your hunts. Whatever makes you happy, and satisfies you is all that is important.

Well I guess I'm the first person you met that doesn't like to kill a bunch, 2 for me per season is plently, and I doubt my 9 were luck, the only thing I do agree on is that yes the turkeys get accustomed to hearing me in that same spot, but there are so many turkeys in that exact area on a regular, they seem not to mind me switching up the calls a bit, 9 toms for my first 7 years of turkey hunting is not bad in my opinion, when let's say, If I would have been a tad bit wiser when I was younger, I could have killed several more, due to me being in the military, I have missed out on the past 2 seasons, which almost killed me if you even know how much I love to turkey hunt, well I probably should have mentioned I am only hunting 20 acres, 95% wooded, not much moving and running and gunning options

 

[Setterman]

REN I might take your advice...I was thinking of using an owl only before sunrise and I will definitely be using a tube call a lot since I make them (just made a couple last night). Not easy to do a good gobble on a tube call at least for me, but I can do an OK sounding jake gobble on it.

One time, I had a bird coming in, gobbling hard, made the worst sounding gobble I ever heard, as if he had a cold or something, could have sworn it had to be a jake, it ended being a 12" longbeard with 1 1/4 spurs, but back to the tips, if I hear a turkey gobble on roost and I'm in the woods with it, I usually don't try to approach more than 150 to 200 yards if the leaves are crunchy, my theory is, why ruin your chances of getting a bird first thing the morning by bumping him off the roost? , instead of using patience and technique to coax him your way, right at daylight, when I expect turkeys to be flying off the roost, I beat my hat vigorously against my leg to imitate a hen flying out off the roost, I even slap my hand on the ground to imitate a hens feet hitting, the I make a few soft yelps and slowly scratch in the leaves beside me just like a turkey would, then I decide what to do next, I usually call every 30 min by watching my watch, even he doesn't show up directly when he flies off the roost, I usually don't follow him, i try to think to myself, he must have took a mental note on where I was at so he will show up when he's ready, which might be when his real hens leave him, so I usually wait it out, 7 of my 9 gobblers have been shot between 12pm and 5 pm, with a lot of them being killed right around noon, you can kill them with other tactics but I believe my chances of killing a gobbler without spooking them dramatically increase the longer I sit in one spot and just wait them out till they are ready, and I will readily call to a hen in the area whenever I hear one, if she has any kind of dominance and isn't nesting she will ususually have a tom with her, I basically try to imitate her calling twice as loud and raspier as she is, and if he gets fired up, I try to start a yelping match with her, and hopefully make her mad enough to come in to investigate with the gobbler in tow

Please do not take this the wrong way, but you have a ton to learn in regards to turkey hunting if your goal is to consistently kill a bunch of birds each season. Your approach will work for a bird or so each year, but to consistently kill turkeys there are better approaches which are much more effective. They just take learning how/when to move and becoming in touch with what you can and can't get away with, along with how to move on birds, how to set up, how to "predict" what a gobbler wants you to do for him to die.

Who is to say your methods or tactics will kill turkey more consistently? And where did you get the idea I want to kill a bunch per season? Honestly, I have passed up every jake I have seen which is probably in the 100s, just saying, most turkeys I have killed in a season is 2, why? , not because I couldn't have killed more, but because I killed what I wanted for eating, I'm sorry my style of hunting isn't up to your run and gun standards, hmm I guess 9 longbeards is all luck?

You took my response the wrong way, but since you asked me some questions I will be polite and answer for you.

1. I don't know how to answer the first question without sounding horribly arrogant, but here goes . You say the most turkeys you have killed in a season is 2, last year I personally killed 16 longbeards and called in another dozen or so for others. I think my personal kill tally is around 160 longbeards now over my life, and I plan on heaping another pile to that shortly. I would not consider my style "run and gun", that is a stupid term which really means nothing. I am aggressive with my set ups, and toned down with my calling style. But I do firmly believe birds get conditioned to locations and avoid areas where they hear the same racket over and over and over again. Hence my disdain for permanent style blinds and sitting every trip in the same spot, that is deer hunting to me.

2. You may not want to kill a bunch each season, but you would be the first turkey hunter I have ever spoken with that didn't.

3. Jakes don't count for anything in my world. Glad you are passing them up, it will only benefit you and others in the future.

4. 9 longbeards could very well be luck and it isn't very many, but it could also be skill. Just depends. I personally feel it takes a lot more skill to be mobile, use the terrain and woods to your advantage in getting the perfect set up to call a bird into range. But that is just me, and my opinion, which doesn't count for much.

It is your hunt, and do what makes you happy by all means. If 2 birds a season is what you consider great, then it is not my place to question your hunts. Whatever makes you happy, and satisfies you is all that is important.

Well I guess I'm the first person you met that doesn't like to kill a bunch, 2 for me per season is plently, and I doubt my 9 were luck, the only thing I do agree on is that yes the turkeys get accustomed to hearing me in that same spot, but there are so many turkeys in that exact area on a regular, they seem not to mind me switching up the calls a bit, 9 toms for my first 7 years of turkey hunting is not bad in my opinion, when let's say, If I would have been a tad bit wiser when I was younger, I could have killed several more, due to me being in the military, I have missed out on the past 2 seasons, which almost killed me if you even know how much I love to turkey hunt, well I probably should have mentioned I am only hunting 20 acres, 95% wooded, not much moving and running and gunning options

Well dam, I understand with hunting 20 acres, if you cruised around you would be done in 5 minutes :grin:

Seriously killing 9 birds off of a piece of ground that small is no little feat, and is an accomplishment. I would go bat **** crazy hunting that sized land.

BTW thanks for your service.

 

[Bucks & Beards]

I was just curious on y'all locate and get to birds without spooking them off of the roost. 80% of the season last year I was hunting 3 gobblers that would roost on the edge of a winter wheat field. We would first wait till sun up to see if any birds sounded off on their own. If not, we would hit the owl call a few times. After hearing a gobble we would try to get near where the bird was rooster but this involved crossing a wide open field with little cover. We would set up just out of sight of the roost, set up decoys, and make a fly down call or two. We could just never get birds to check our decoys out at dawn. If you have a bird roosted...how do you get set up on him and what tactics do you use once your set up?

Quite honestly, I have had a very difficult time over the years in getting birds off the roost. The hunting videos make it look easy, but I find it difficult. Occasionally I get it to work, but I have my greatest success in either: 1)Finding birds mid-morning to late morning and getting them to work; Or 2)Hunting them very similar to deer - finding the fields/woods they tend to use, set up blind and decoy, call bout every 20-30 minutes and wait for one to respond and come in.

 

[Harvester]

I was just curious on y'all locate and get to birds without spooking them off of the roost. 80% of the season last year I was hunting 3 gobblers that would roost on the edge of a winter wheat field. We would first wait till sun up to see if any birds sounded off on their own. If not, we would hit the owl call a few times. After hearing a gobble we would try to get near where the bird was rooster but this involved crossing a wide open field with little cover. We would set up just out of sight of the roost, set up decoys, and make a fly down call or two. We could just never get birds to check our decoys out at dawn. If you have a bird roosted...how do you get set up on him and what tactics do you use once your set up?

If this happened to me, I would go ahead and cross the field before daylight and go in after him, after I had him located. I would try and setup above him or between him and the field. If that didn't work, I would setup behind him. Just a little different approach. He is probably use to hearing you/or whoever, call from the fields edge.

 

[spitndrum]

Locating - wating and listening

 

[Blount County Hunter]

Locating - wating and listening

Wise words, it really sums it up, catman I think he means a lot of your "scouting" should consist of getting to a high point and just sitting and listening