I'm gonna try something new for this season. I have been chatting with quite a few seasoned turkey hunters, and I have a question. How many of you run and gun to set up on a gobbler, and how many of you will sit and wait it out?
My new plan for the spring is to get boots on the ground and scout, scout scout. I'll bring nothing but binocs and my GPS.
I'm getting tired of sitting it out in hopes a gobbler will come to my calls. If he won't, I've decided to go find one that wants to die.
I hope my new style of hunting is gonna work. What do you guys think?
First, I always try to set up on a gobbler that I know is there first thing in the morning. If that doesn't work out, I love to cover ground with the old run n gun. If you get set up, on a bird, be patient. But, don't hesitate to mvoe if you need to. Moving even a few yards can sometimes turn things in your favor. Good luck! :boon:
In the spring i like to move around till i can get a bird to fire off ,,, In the fall iam more of a wait them out type hunter if the birds are in the area
Goodluck
Quote from: renegade19 on December 03, 2011, 11:40:06 PM
First, I always try to set up on a gobbler that I know is there first thing in the morning. If that doesn't work out, I love to cover ground with the old run n gun. If you get set up, on a bird, be patient. But, don't hesitate to mvoe if you need to. Moving even a few yards can sometimes turn things in your favor. Good luck! :boon:
Thats the way I do it too. I also move around if they fly down and don't come in to the decoys. If i know the property I'll move around in front of them and try to cut them off too. Good Luck!
I have become more of a sit and wait hunter for a couple of reasons. One is that I'm getting older and don't like to stomp around in the timber as much as I used to. The other is I have a spot on my farm where I have been able to get two or three longbeards every year by being patient and letting them come within range of my calls. Sitting and waiting works if there are birds in the area. If they never show up in the area, you have to go look for them.
It will work. No right or wrong here. The most important thing is to know there are birds and stay positive. I like to set up on a gobbling bird early, run and gun till lunch, sit and wait for a few hours, then run and gun till dark.
Quote from: renegade19 on December 03, 2011, 11:40:06 PM
First, I always try to set up on a gobbler that I know is there first thing in the morning. If that doesn't work out, I love to cover ground with the old run n gun. If you get set up, on a bird, be patient. But, don't hesitate to mvoe if you need to. Moving even a few yards can sometimes turn things in your favor. Good luck! :boon:
:icon_thumright:
I do the same. Although I probably need to sit more than I do. I hunt with a guy from time to time who will sit and sit and sit till the cows come home. It drives me crazy but he kills a lot of turkeys.
There are times to sit and times to git. I'm all for moving around but I'm not a run and gun type, it's more of a turkey pace for me, slow and deliberate.
Be careful running and gunning, just make sure you don't run off and leave one because you didn't give him time to let his presense be known.
Acording to my brother, I'm lazy when it comes to run-n-gun tatics, I sit alot due mainly to decreptic hips and knees, I enjoy just sitting somewhere knowing that any minute a bird will stick it's head around a corner, but there is alot to be said to getting up and trying to make something happen, I think after patients, patients, patients and then a little more patients it's time to move if only a few feet.
It doesn't matter IMO. Scouting is necessary as you know, but it is no guarantee even with gps plotting sightins ( I bought gps after this season). This past spring, I made the error of sitting at the base of a tree directly beneath a roosted gobbler. I let the spot sit for a week and the next time out, I picked a spot a few hundred yards out and sat directly beneath a roosted bird again.
i will admit i need to sit more often. i can think of two or three times when i should have stayed put.
one time i sat for thee hours at corner of two fields where i knew turkey traveled through i got tired of sitting and got up went out to the decoys .as i bent over to pick them up i looked to my left abd there stood three hens and a gobbler within range. but not for long they were gone in a second.n 5 more minutes and they would have been out in the open even though i still love to be on the move looking out for a turkey to kill but sittng and waiting have there advantages
Quote from: 2ounce6s on December 06, 2011, 10:45:58 AM
I really began filling tags when I learned to slow down and hunt. Slip from set up to set up, listen for crows, etc. and actually hear that turkey scratching over the ridge that I would have bumped back in the days I only wanted to hunt kamakazi toms. I like hunters with "happy feet". They make turkeys get long beards and spurs where I hunt on public land. Early season before greenup is when most guys make the mistake of not hunting carefully. The hunt is over for them long before they start to call.
Good info buddy! ;)
Quote from: deacon on December 06, 2011, 11:04:17 AM
Quote from: 2ounce6s on December 06, 2011, 10:45:58 AM
I really began filling tags when I learned to slow down and hunt. Slip from set up to set up, listen for crows, etc. and actually hear that turkey scratching over the ridge that I would have bumped back in the days I only wanted to hunt kamakazi toms. I like hunters with "happy feet". They make turkeys get long beards and spurs where I hunt on public land. Early season before greenup is when most guys make the mistake of not hunting carefully. The hunt is over for them long before they start to call.
Good info buddy! ;)
That is a username that I like to see. Glad to see you over here!
if you could only know the right answer everyday! somedays they just are not gobbling and you need to sit and wait in a likely place or go take a nap, other days they are hammering but you maybe where they ain't and you would never no it just sitting in the silent woods, so what do you do? i usually have a fast pace in the morning and as lunch approaches i slow way down and find a comfortable tree.
Good points being made.
For every hunting area, there are usually smart ways to hunt,...and there are dumb ways to hunt. ...And the right hunting approach can be totally different in any two areas. The trick is to figure out what hunting method is the most effective for the place and time you are there hunting.
I think it would probably be safe to say that everybody agrees that setting up on roosted gobblers in the morning is the best approach to start the day. After that, however, the decision making process becomes a bit more complicated. After a day or two hunting in any area, the wise and experienced hunter will have made a good, educated guess as to what tactics,...whether it be sit and wait, or move and call, or call a lot, or call a little,...is most likely to be the best to use.
The one critical factor for me in deciding whether to move around or sit in one place, is having confidence that there are birds nearby, and the likelyhood that they will eventually wander by the place I have chosen to set up. If I do not have full confidence in my set up, I am much more likely to move and call until I find a spot that gives me that confidence, ...or better yet, until I strike a responsive gobbler.
I am no expert but 2 years ago I blew out my shoulder and couldn't hardly lift my arm. I still wanted to hunt so I figured out if I sat with my gun on my knee and bird came the right way I could get a shot without having to lift the gun much. Well I found that once I got set up I didn't really feel much like trying to change spots so I sat alot longer than normal. I sat a the roost site in the morning and if nothing came I sat there until noon. I saw more birds that week than ever. Only problem was I was aiming off a little and couldn't get a shot at any of them. If I could have lifted my gun I could have filled my tag several times. Since then if I am in a good spot I try to sit a little longer even if the birds go silent. To stress this point last year I could hunt the morning before work but had to leave by 830 am. Twice I bumped nice toms that where silently coming in. Both had been very vocal on the roost and after flydown then went quite.I also shot my osceola last year because I waited him out. I sat in a good spot and had one tom answer twice at daybreak then go quite. At 850am I heard a bird scratching in the leaves and one location putt. Which I answered. The tom then slowly made his way out into the field and up to me. If I had left after flydown when all went quite I would not have shot him. But it has to be a good spot where I know birds are likely to show up. I also have to admit that same year I bought the gobbler lounger and it makes sitting longer almost bearable.
Quote from: timbrhuntr on December 07, 2011, 11:18:14 AM
I am no expert but 2 years ago I blew out my shoulder and couldn't hardly lift my arm. I still wanted to hunt so I figured out if I sat with my gun on my knee and bird came the right way I could get a shot without having to lift the gun much. Well I found that once I got set up I didn't really feel much like trying to change spots so I sat alot longer than normal. I sat a the roost site in the morning and if nothing came I sat there until noon. I saw more birds that week than ever. Only problem was I was aiming off a little and couldn't get a shot at any of them. If I could have lifted my gun I could have filled my tag several times. Since then if I am in a good spot I try to sit a little longer even if the birds go silent. To stress this point last year I could hunt the morning before work but had to leave by 830 am. Twice I bumped nice toms that where silently coming in. Both had been very vocal on the roost and after flydown then went quite.I also shot my osceola last year because I waited him out. I sat in a good spot and had one tom answer twice at daybreak then go quite. At 850am I heard a bird scratching in the leaves and one location putt. Which I answered. The tom then slowly made his way out into the field and up to me. If I had left after flydown when all went quite I would not have shot him. But it has to be a good spot where I know birds are likely to show up. I also have to admit that same year I bought the gobbler lounger and it makes sitting longer almost bearable.
that is exactly why i bought one so i could sit still longer
i bought a gobbler lounger for christmas cant wait to use it
I do BOTH. But I really like to Run and Gun. :fud:
The birds I hunt patience kills more birds than run and gun. For one they are heavily hunted and dont gobble much. 10 years ago you could run and gun and usually strike a bird. Things have changed here.
Quote from: chatterbox on December 03, 2011, 07:01:38 PM
I'm gonna try something new for this season. I have been chatting with quite a few seasoned turkey hunters, and I have a question. How many of you run and gun to set up on a gobbler, and how many of you will sit and wait it out?
My new plan for the spring is to get boots on the ground and scout, scout scout. I'll bring nothing but binocs and my GPS.
I'm getting tired of sitting it out in hopes a gobbler will come to my calls. If he won't, I've decided to go find one that wants to die.
I hope my new style of hunting is gonna work. What do you guys think?
Boots on the ground and scout, scout, scout is right. You put the time in and you will be sucessful. Run and gun or sit is a question answered by the gobs. If you currently are not successful, change up.
I try. I mean I really try to sit there as long as I can but it sure is hard. After flydown and once again I've been snookered on the direction that I think they will flydown, I try not to get too aggressive with my calling. If I just continue to sit there the little devil on my shoulder keeps telling me to get my fat butt up and go try to get in front of them. Usually dont work cause they usually never head to the same place two days in a row for me. That's when I stop listening to the little voices and just sit my butt back down and try to wait it out and see what happens.
I have been having a hard time lately finding vocal birds after they fly down so I try not to do any more calling to them once they do gobble after my calling. I've found the last couple years that if I try and call to them again, they usually will shut up and go another direction. About once every 20minutes or more is it for me.
i have deciced im going to hunt public land more this season on the days through the week i have off work. which will more than likely be very windy or rainy and hunt all day in one or two spots. there were several times i know i could have kill nice birds if i'd just set tight.
im goin to save the private land spots for the weekend so i can stay out of the crowd and be a little more agressive.
Like most everyone else has said, I try to set up on a Gobbler early. If I have to move I will but usually not too far as I hunt wooded ridges most of the time. Moving in terrain like that can make more noise than it's worth sometimes. I got busted a couple of times by big easterns last year by trying to move. As I get older I don't move as much as I used to but if nothing is happening I start moving and calling.
I do both, but I find myself sitting and waiting them out more and more these days. There is a time and a palce for running and gunning, but me personally, I have boogered a bunch of birds that I should have killed had I been alittle more patient and waited them out. I have also missed out on killing some birds I could have killed had a moved on them, however that is a small fraction compared to the number I have boogered by not being patient.
making things happen and being aggressive is my favorite thing about turkey hunting.. with that said I could learn to be a little more patient most of the time
Quote from: drenalinld on December 04, 2011, 06:15:50 PM
It will work. No right or wrong here. The most important thing is to know there are birds and stay positive. I like to set up on a gobbling bird early, run and gun till lunch, sit and wait for a few hours, then run and gun till dark.
I do the same.
I hunt where I know birds are. Plain and simple.
When I dont hear them, I know they are still there. If they gobble I go and if they dont I sit where there is alot of sign.
No since in running around and bumping birds if its not necessarily. Its a whole lot better to let your presence be known when that gun goes off.
I learned to trust my turkey info and go with that. If there making the sign, they will be there on there schedule.
I'm a sit and wait guy for sure. On my lease, there's only 4 or 5 of us that hunt 1200 acres, so we spread out a good bit. Fortunately for me, my dad and 2 of the other guys set up on different parts of our 250+ acres of fields, far away from me, ultimately leavin me a full 1/4th+ of the property to hunt by myself. That being said, I've killed 4 turkeys in the last 3 years, along with 1 miss, in the exact same spot. We've got a plot that the birds roost close to, usually anywhere from 100-300 yards away, and they'll generally come through at some point during the middle of the day. By sitting there and not bumping the birds by moving around, it greatly improves my odds of killing a turkey. My plan coming into opening weekend is hit the plot opening morning as usual, hopefully connect on a bird there early, and move throughout the rest of "my" part of the property trying to strike and kill a bird as quickly as possible. I don't get to hunt a ton, so I'm looking to fill my 3 tags as quickly as possible, and if I end up having more time to spend in the woods, I'll just work on getting my two buddies their first birds
Quote from: renegade19 on December 03, 2011, 11:40:06 PM
First, I always try to set up on a gobbler that I know is there first thing in the morning. If that doesn't work out, I love to cover ground with the old run n gun. If you get set up, on a bird, be patient. But, don't hesitate to mvoe if you need to. Moving even a few yards can sometimes turn things in your favor. Good luck! :boon:
+2
Run and gun. Sit it out if afternoon hunting.
Our season in NY is only the month of May and you can only hunt until noon. Usually my first few hunts will be out of the Double Bull where I will sit until noon. After the first few weeks everything is green and the birds have been spooked a few times so I find run n gun works better.
Some places I hunt, I know there are birds using an area frequently and in a situation like that I'm more likely to setup and wait it out because I know the area well enough to know that eventually, one will probably work my way. Some days they are jus quiet but if I know they are in there because of scouting then it's easier to be patient.
Other times, you have to cutt and run and be aggressive. Generally speaking, I tend to be a little more aggressive and have no problem moving if that's what I feel needs to be done.
I think some people hear "patients" and think that means that if they hear a turkey gobble, they need to sit down on the spot, break out the calls and dig In for the long haul come hell or high water. Depending on the situation, that may be the right call but IMO, some folks get In the habit of playing it a little too safe when they really could have used the opportunity to improve their position on the bird and increase their chances of killing it if they closed some of the distance and got into a better set up....obviously it would depend on a lot of different factors.
sit
There is a time and place for both. Unfortuantely, we all learn from past mistakes and make adjustments from there.
My personality tends be quiet/reserved and you would think I'd hunt with the same style- content to wait em out.
"NOT GONNA HAPPEN!!" lol Something happens when I put on my camo and grab my huntin' gear. I'm gonna make something
happen. I turn into a hootin, yelpin, cutt'n, purr'n, cluck'n nut. I'm a man on a mission. Ain't nothin' like it. You'd think I'd know
better after 45 yrs. of chasin' these guys!!! :character0029: :fud: :turkey2:
If I roost a gobbler I'll set up and see what happens for a while, but I'm not going to sit too long if he don't start my way. I'll get up and walk & gun till I hear a gobble or get tired of walking. When I get tired I'll either go back where I roosted the gobbler...if he walked off with hens when I was trying to work him or go to an area I know birds frequent that time of morning and set up and call/rest for about 45mins and then walk and gun till I get tired and set up somewhere again call/rest. Killed a lot of gobblers doing that over the yrs. They will come back a lot of times after the hens leave them.
I will give the birds ample time to commit and then I go terrain permitting straight at him ! I get as close as I can using a crow call to keep tabs on him the purr and scratch the leaves . Boom !
Quote from: DMP on December 04, 2011, 06:34:39 PM
Quote from: renegade19 on December 03, 2011, 11:40:06 PM
First, I always try to set up on a gobbler that I know is there first thing in the morning. If that doesn't work out, I love to cover ground with the old run n gun. If you get set up, on a bird, be patient. But, don't hesitate to mvoe if you need to. Moving even a few yards can sometimes turn things in your favor. Good luck! :boon:
:icon_thumright:
I do the same. Although I probably need to sit more than I do. I hunt with a guy from time to time who will sit and sit and sit till the cows come home. It drives me crazy but he kills a lot of turkeys.
One friend I learned a lot from last year is a statue when it comes to sitting. He's bagged a lot of birds in his years and always kills his limit by halfway in the season.
I can't stand it. I'm just too antsy and end up moving if the action is dull. It has cost me. I got busted on my third hunt because I didn't think my setup was any good. I sat for a while with no responses to my calling and figured I was hitting on nothing. When I stood up, my heart sank. There were two nice toms about 30 yards away and they saw me well before I could even think of getting the drop on them.
I dont have the patience to sit and wait.....theres another turkey out there that will be willing to participate.