Your #1 turkey hunting weakness

[GobbleNut]

#1 weakness has to be lack of confidence. I know guys who truly believe they can kill every bird they hear. I wish I had that confidence.

Having confidence in what you are doing is good, but it will only take you so far.  Ultimately, it is the turkey that is being called that holds the cards in this game, and whether he has aces or deuces is most often dependent upon how much he has been hunted.   The bottom line is that anybody that has the confidence to truly believe he can call in every bird he encounters is probably hunting somewhere with light enough hunting pressure where he might be able to do that,...to a degree.  The fact is, though, that anybody that has hunted highly pressured birds is not going to tell you that,...and if he does, he is both fooling you,...and himself.   

[Farmboy27]

Probably getting to aggressive when I'm hunting alone. Probably being to conservative when I'm calling for some else.

[coonhunter]

I would say not having patience.  And only using one call!  I have a glass call that I have killed lots of birds with that I always use and don't like to switch.  I have moves on turkeys only to hear them gobble 20 minutes later right where I was at the first time! 

[jakesdad]

A tendency to overthink everything. I try to convince myself that I need to be in 8 different places at once and need to try this and dont need to do this,or maybe I should do this. I have to remind myself this bird only has a walnut sized brain and no ability to reason so why am I acting like i'm trying to hunt something with a phd?

I have gotten better the older i've got and have killed more birds,but the "what ifs" still linger in my mind alot. 

[THattaway]

Didn't read any of the comments but I think I have this one fixed for you with this post. Saw Hank Parker speak at a Wild Game Banquet at Church a couple years ago. Said he always gets asked by folks on how to be a better hunter and fisherman. Said he always tells them the same answer and as he gave a pistol pointing style hand said:

"Get rid of that job!"

[wmn2]

First thought was "time." But it's really not time so much as access. Just don't have access to decent ground close enough to home to hunt when I only have a few hours available. Have plenty of other weaknesses; we all do. I do however have confidence that if there are turkeys and time, I'll kill them.

I'll agree with this as well. Closest to home is public land around 30 minutes away so only having a couple hours is not worth using one of those couple just to drive. I need to find some private land close to home.

[Greg Massey]

Wanting to hunt 24/7 knowing that i can't.. i just love turkey hunting, when you think you have them figured out, they will make a liar out of you.  Just can't get enough of it..

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

#1 weakness has to be lack of confidence. I know guys who truly believe they can kill every bird they hear. I wish I had that confidence.

Having confidence in what you are doing is good, but it will only take you so far.  Ultimately, it is the turkey that is being called that holds the cards in this game, and whether he has aces or deuces is most often dependent upon how much he has been hunted.   The bottom line is that anybody that has the confidence to truly believe he can call in every bird he encounters is probably hunting somewhere with light enough hunting pressure where he might be able to do that,...to a degree.  The fact is, though, that anybody that has hunted highly pressured birds is not going to tell you that,...and if he does, he is both fooling you,...and himself.   

Public, private.  It doesn't matter.  The guy who is an expert with his calls, knows turkeys, understands set-ups and has the confidence to believe that the bird he's after is about to fly down from his final roost is not delusional.  It's about knowing you're a killer and having a killer mindset.

My brother, for example, has killed on public land in Florida (on a non-quota WMA), California, and Oregon so far this spring.  Additionally he's punched tags in Tennessee on private and here in Virginia, as well.

Last year was public land birds in Montana, Idaho and Washington.  The bird he killed in Washington was banded as a mature gobbler 7 years ago.  That's at the minimum a 9 year old turkey.

Not only does he know he's going to find turkeys, but he knows he's going to kill them.

I fee the same way he does.  I will find turkeys and I will kill them; quickly.  The only way you get to that point is to test your skills by traveling and demonstrating consistent success in tough environments. 

Turkeys will certainly throw you for a loop every once in a while but a killer will demonstrate resilience by adapting and overcoming.  The only way to become a killer is to chase the s.h.i.t. out of turkeys far and wide and constantly critique your strengths and weaknesses in order to improve your harvest numbers.

[SteelerFan]

#1 weakness:  Thinking that if they don't gobble they're not there.

X2

I'm with paboxcall... I'm working on getting over it, but it's still hard. A lot has to do with KNOWING there are birds around to begin with. Right there with this weakness is the ever present, often unstoppable, urge to force the issue (or speed things up, anyway). I guess that would fall in line with patience.

I'll admit... I have a problem. I'm, uh... well, it's like - ummm... OK - I LOVE to hear the gobble! There, I said it!! Satisfied? 

(That's also why I prefer not to "deer hunt" them, or bushwhack them when their feet touch the ground from the roost)

[GobbleNut]

#1 weakness has to be lack of confidence. I know guys who truly believe they can kill every bird they hear. I wish I had that confidence.

Having confidence in what you are doing is good, but it will only take you so far.  Ultimately, it is the turkey that is being called that holds the cards in this game, and whether he has aces or deuces is most often dependent upon how much he has been hunted.   The bottom line is that anybody that has the confidence to truly believe he can call in every bird he encounters is probably hunting somewhere with light enough hunting pressure where he might be able to do that,...to a degree.  The fact is, though, that anybody that has hunted highly pressured birds is not going to tell you that,...and if he does, he is both fooling you,...and himself.   

Public, private.  It doesn't matter.  The guy who is an expert with his calls, knows turkeys, understands set-ups and has the confidence to believe that the bird he's after is about to fly down from his final roost is not delusional.  It's about knowing you're a killer and having a killer mindset.

My brother, for example, has killed on public land in Florida (on a non-quota WMA), California, and Oregon so far this spring.  Additionally he's punched tags in Tennessee on private and here in Virginia, as well.

Last year was public land birds in Montana, Idaho and Washington.  The bird he killed in Washington was banded as a mature gobbler 7 years ago.  That's at the minimum a 9 year old turkey.

Not only does he know he's going to find turkeys, but he knows he's going to kill them.

I fee the same way he does.  I will find turkeys and I will kill them; quickly.  The only way you get to that point is to test your skills by traveling and demonstrating consistent success in tough environments. 

Turkeys will certainly throw you for a loop every once in a while but a killer will demonstrate resilience by adapting and overcoming.  The only way to become a killer is to chase the s.h.i.t. out of turkeys far and wide and constantly critique your strengths and weaknesses in order to improve your harvest numbers.

I guess I should have clarified my statement a bit more.  I was referring mainly to us mere mortals in my comment about confidence only taking someone so far.  I, naturally, should have excluded those of you that have a big red "S" on your chests.  I have always wondered how you guys keep it hidden when all those gobblers come running to your calls.  Then again, I have never been very good at understanding the supernatural abilities that some folks claim to have. 

[Cleveland48]

Constantly second guessing myself. I've been busted a lot because I doubt my setup and get caught moving. When if I would of stayed with my gut feeling on the first set up I prolly would have killed a bird.


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[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

#1 weakness has to be lack of confidence. I know guys who truly believe they can kill every bird they hear. I wish I had that confidence.

Having confidence in what you are doing is good, but it will only take you so far.  Ultimately, it is the turkey that is being called that holds the cards in this game, and whether he has aces or deuces is most often dependent upon how much he has been hunted.   The bottom line is that anybody that has the confidence to truly believe he can call in every bird he encounters is probably hunting somewhere with light enough hunting pressure where he might be able to do that,...to a degree.  The fact is, though, that anybody that has hunted highly pressured birds is not going to tell you that,...and if he does, he is both fooling you,...and himself.   

Public, private.  It doesn't matter.  The guy who is an expert with his calls, knows turkeys, understands set-ups and has the confidence to believe that the bird he's after is about to fly down from his final roost is not delusional.  It's about knowing you're a killer and having a killer mindset.

My brother, for example, has killed on public land in Florida (on a non-quota WMA), California, and Oregon so far this spring.  Additionally he's punched tags in Tennessee on private and here in Virginia, as well.

Last year was public land birds in Montana, Idaho and Washington.  The bird he killed in Washington was banded as a mature gobbler 7 years ago.  That's at the minimum a 9 year old turkey.

Not only does he know he's going to find turkeys, but he knows he's going to kill them.

I fee the same way he does.  I will find turkeys and I will kill them; quickly.  The only way you get to that point is to test your skills by traveling and demonstrating consistent success in tough environments. 

Turkeys will certainly throw you for a loop every once in a while but a killer will demonstrate resilience by adapting and overcoming.  The only way to become a killer is to chase the s.h.i.t. out of turkeys far and wide and constantly critique your strengths and weaknesses in order to improve your harvest numbers.

I guess I should have clarified my statement a bit more.  I was referring mainly to us mere mortals in my comment about confidence only taking someone so far.  I, naturally, should have excluded those of you that have a big red "S" on your chests.  I have always wondered how you guys keep it hidden when all those gobblers come running to your calls.  Then again, I have never been very good at understanding the supernatural abilities that some folks claim to have. 

[/

Pick some public wherever you like and you let us know, gobblenut.

[Ihuntoldschool]

I agree with Vaturkstomper 100% to a tee.   Turkeys are turkeys regardless of where they live and if you think for a second you may not be able to call the gobbler to you because of pressure or whatever other excuse you need to make yourself feel better then you are probably right. 

[Ihuntoldschool]

And another thing the turkey does not hold the cards in this game, the hunter does.  The only way the turkey holds the cards is if you make the mistake of letting him.  You dictate to the turkey.  If the turkey is in control you have lost the battle already.   And you don't need a "S" on your chest to consistently get it done on these birds but you better not have a big "L" on your chest because if you lack confidence and allow the turkey to have the cards and dictate to you then you will lose.  The hunter controls the turkey not the other way around.   You have to be in the "zone" that confident killing zone where the gobbler has no choice.  If you give him a choice he may not come.

[g8rvet]

Fortunately, I have no weaknesses in my turkey hunting.  If I hear him clear his throat, he is taking a truck ride with me. Rivers, roads, fences, swamps, creeks, mountains - none are impediments to my calling skills and woodsmanship. 







Oh sorry, thought we were measuring pee pees. 





Mostly mine is second guessing myself.  During the setup, deciding what bird to hunt, should I stay where he heard me for 30 more minutes, or is he gone for the day, etc.  Turkey hunting is fun to me. One of my several hobbies and sometimes, late in the season, I put too much pressure on myself to kill a bird. As I get older, with all my outdoor pursuits, I get better at enjoying the process. I quit deer hunting because I felt like a buzzard sitting in a tree waiting for something to die.  With turkeys, I enjoy the hunt. The purpose of the hunt is to take a turkey, but I enjoy my days a lot more as I learn that.  Don't expect to see me on YouSpace selling my Whackem and Stackem products either.  I just like the hunt.