I saw this On Turkey Thugs today , and I thought That I myself Call to Much, or Maybe even try and get that extra few more steps to there roost?
Those extra steps get me every time! ...in my early days in was probably calling way to much.
I have to restrain myself from calling too loud. I often practice louder than i should call in the woods. Another big mistake is comitting to a bird too early. You hear that first bird, way above you and half a mile east and want to take off and get on him on his first gobble. Three qtrs of the way there you bump two silent roosted birds, realize you'll never scale that ridge without climbing gear, and another bird starts tearing it up where you first started. I know this because this is invariably how my dreams or rather nightmares often play out in the preseason ... :D
Quote from: jakebird on April 04, 2012, 06:03:46 AM
I have to restrain myself from calling too loud. I often practice louder than i should call in the woods. Another big mistake is comitting to a bird too early. You hear that first bird, way above you and half a mile east and want to take off and get on him on his first gobble. Three qtrs of the way there you bump two silent roosted birds, realize you'll never scale that ridge without climbing gear, and another bird starts tearing it up where you first started. I know this because this is invariably how my dreams or rather nightmares often play out in the preseason ... :D
Omg...do we hunt together?!
My biggest mistake is being very indecisive on which bird to go after. Even if I know the land well this fog comes about my brain and affects my ability to read the birds. I'll literally walk circles, pacing trying to get my shtuff together!
I sometimes take chances on getting close when everything has greened up. Alot of it depends on how thick the woods are and how loud my walking is. When the leaves are crisper than a taterchip I don't try and get to close. I wait till he flies down and he gives me some clues on what he is doing that particular morning. I get my head clear and try to come up with my first game plan. I dont call to him on the roost or even call when he first hits the ground. I try and be calm and try and read the bird before I ever make a sound.
Exception is if I know for sure he has no ladies with him. Then I will be aggressive in my approach with hopes that the real hens dont beat me to the punch.
Sometimes loud aggressive calling works great in the right situation but rarely in the tree.
Calling too loud before the birds hit the ground. Imo.
Getting in too big of a hurry.
For sure its Calling too much to him on the roost, getting caught up in making him gobble.
been really working on my soft game more than anything this year
IMO the most common mistake is calling to loud and too much. A tree yelp is all that is required just to let the gobbler know you are there.
I would vote for the calling too much and too loud. I'm guilty of both. Been using more clucks and purrs lately and very light yelping.
That RUSH in to get set up on a gobbling bird and sit at any big tree without any thought of the type terrain, gets lots of hunters in trouble right from the git go.....
Then they call way to much, to loud and never say the right things....... :z-flirtysmile3:
The lack of patience has saved allot of gobblers, too....
Getting too close to the turkey in the tree.
Calling too much to the turkey while he's still in the tree.
Not taking time to pick out a good place to sit down.
I never really had a problem with trying to get to close, but I used to call way to much. Now I usualy limit myself to four sequences while he's in the tree.
Calling too much to hot gobblers on the roost.
Guys don't realize that they are diminishing their chances of success the more they make him gobble up there in that tree.
Calling before fly down.
calling to much on the roost seems to be the biggest mistake and then calling to much... IF i call when they are on the roost it is 3 very light subtle yelps .... they will hear it and that is enough to let them know where you are then I wait till fly down....
Since the No 1 seems to be established, the No 2 in my opinion is chasing one particular bird too aggressively right off the rip. I believe you need to move on them once they are on the ground. Of course, you can always close some distance, but invariably that one shuts up, another one fires up where you just were, etc.
calling to loud...
Knowing when to move,an when to stay put.
#1 Poor set up- trying to get a set distance from a bird instead of focusing on getting to a spot to set up that the birds are likely to go once they fly down. Get somewhere the birds will have an easy time going to. It blows my mind when guys think they've done good by getting within 60 yards of a bird but have a creek or a brush thicket between them and the bird. They get in such a hurry when they hear one that they dont consider the terrain and take the time to think about the obstacles between them and the bird so if they are lucky enough to get him coming their direction, he'll get hung up at some kind of barrier. They would have been better off taking their time to get in the path of least resistance or, better yet, where the turkey usually heads once he fly's down (which you can get a good idea about if you know how they use the land).
#2. Calling too much while they are still in the tree. - Probably the most common mistake but if your set up is poor, it doesnt matter what you do calling wise, it's going to be hard to kill him.
The Biggest Mistake a Hunter makes at first light staying in bed!!!!!!! :-[
Would think calling to much while on the roost is probably the most common, trying to setup to close after daylight could also be one.
Um.... All the above. Sometimes I just get too excited.
Good Thread!!
Dropping a duece and getting bit on the arse by a rattler.
All the above. I would say calling too much while their on the roost is probably the #1 mistake.
Looks like its pretty much been covered about calling too much.
Another one that comes to my mind is showing up too late after it is already breaking light and walking across open fields or setting up decoys within view of the roosted birds. I would rather stay at the truck and wait for the birds to fly down than be late. Then again, I can't remember the last time I was late getting set up--Getting where I want to be well before daybreak is top priority for me.
Quote from: tomanyturkeycalls on April 06, 2012, 09:25:26 AM
calling to much on the roost seems to be the biggest mistake and then calling to much... IF i call when they are on the roost it is 3 very light subtle yelps .... they will hear it and that is enough to let them know where you are then I wait till fly down....
Definitely my thoughts as well. I go with a 4 note light yelp though ;D Of just about all the birds I've killed within 30 minutes of flydown, I've called twice. One light series when he's on the limb, and one more series when he's on the ground. Call down, gun up, and let him look.
Moving
TRKYHTR
Thinking their in charge.
Not waking up?
Quote from: CASH on July 28, 2012, 05:15:19 AM
Dropping a duece and getting bit on the arse by a rattler.
that has to suck!
I would say calling to much while there on the roost but we love to hearem gobble
Lots of good info here, but I'm going with not understanding the situation.
yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble
If I have a bird that I've never been after I try to just pay attention to him. If he is gobbling his head off and I give him a light tree yelp then shuts up, I do too. Chances he has heard you and he's looking for you to come to him. There is also the chance that he has been hunted a good bit and he plans on flying down and hauling tail. If there is a long pause then he starts hammering again in your direction, he's saying "come on over baby or coming in after ya". Hopefully that's the case. If he flies down and the next time you hear him he is going away from you, more than likely he is henned up and they are pulling him away. Time for plan B. If you feel you have called loud enough for him to hear you then he probably has and it's probably best to just stop calling. He could just sit in that tree for another hour or better waiting on that sweet talking he to come to him. That's aggravating and the only thing that's gonna get him down is the silent treatment or having a second caller walk away in the opposite direction calling softly. Then again, none of this crap might not work and you'll be sending me a nasty-gram next time your online.
for me a poor set up has cost me a few turkeys over the years. Know the lay of the land like the back of your hand. I also learned along time ago to call sparingly, turkeys do more than call a lot. Wing beats and scratching in the leaves are a deadly combo.
Quote from: redleg06 on April 09, 2012, 08:53:49 AM
#1 Poor set up- trying to get a set distance from a bird instead of focusing on getting to a spot to set up that the birds are likely to go once they fly down. Get somewhere the birds will have an easy time going to. It blows my mind when guys think they've done good by getting within 60 yards of a bird but have a creek or a brush thicket between them and the bird. They get in such a hurry when they hear one that they dont consider the terrain and take the time to think about the obstacles between them and the bird so if they are lucky enough to get him coming their direction, he'll get hung up at some kind of barrier. They would have been better off taking their time to get in the path of least resistance or, better yet, where the turkey usually heads once he fly's down (which you can get a good idea about if you know how they use the land).
#2. Calling too much while they are still in the tree. - Probably the most common mistake but if your set up is poor, it doesnt matter what you do calling wise, it's going to be hard to kill him.
I like what redleg wrote. Part of scouting or knowing the landscape is where to set up. Its good to have several set up plans in your head to match where the birds are roosted. Tough birds will often use thick stuff as a cover. So have at least one path of least resistance. If Mr. Tough Bird won't come in clear, perhaps birds on his periphery will check you out.
I've found that soft purring will get him riled. At times it will get hens riled enough to seek you out, dragging him along. Watch out for silent hens who will be happy to bust you. As been said, keep still!
Quote from: CntrlPA on August 07, 2012, 08:57:12 PM
yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble
This ^^^^^
:turkey2:trying to rush things let him know ur there then shut up and let it happen
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on April 05, 2012, 03:30:20 PM
Calling too much to hot gobblers on the roost.
Guys don't realize that they are diminishing their chances of success the more they make him gobble up there in that tree.
I agree, but it's sooo much fun!
I think we all have had a gobbler sit on the roost locked up from being called to. He will just sit up there and gobble looking for the hen to walk to his tree. Or if he has hens with him far to many times they will pitch out of the tree directly away from you and take off going farther and farther away. So what works for me is to never make a sound. Rarely do gobblers pitch down in my lap anymore. So the odds are better for me to stay quiet.
When he hits the ground I don't immediatly start calling to him either. I like to let things unfold naturally.
Give him some time and space.Let him/them tell me where they want to go. Then I will set up accordingly. This type of strategy works better especially if it's a gobbler that I have never hunted and am not farmilar with his patterns. Work him on turkey time.
I can say that my number 1 mistake has been calling when I hadn't established myself in a good position, and calling too aggresively.
I am a rookie and adrenaline got the best of me one morning. I even got the shakes......man that was awesome.
I learned from that one and now I wait on getting in a good spot before trying to work with them.
Another big mistake is to walk through open fields, instead of following tree lines, etc., to get to where you want to be.
calling to much and wanting to head off to the first bird that gobbles
I hunt in the hills. One mistake I made a lot early on was not checking the "rises" before clearing. I can't tell you how many times I have walked out over a rise and stood flat footed eye to eye with a gobbler. Not a great feeling.
Mine used to be patience. I would always find myself thinking he's not coming and need to set up somewhere else. I still catch myself sometimes trying to do that.
:turkey: Not picking the proper setup spot. Your best chance of killing a gobbler depends on where you are sitting.
I would say bumping birds off the roost by trying to get to close after day starts breaking. But a spooked bird off the limb don't mean the game is over. I have successfuly called tom's back to their roost area after being bumped, and I have watched and listened to the direction they flew and worked a bird that is spooked. I have also spooked them completely out of the county as well!! :fud: :newmascot:
not knowing the terrain between where you plop down and the tree the bird is in. or calling too much to a bird in the tree.
personally, I hunt a lot of different places, probly atleast 15 different properties every year. a lot of them I'm not familiar enough with, and this one costs me several times a year.
I rarely call to a bird in the tree. What I will do is wait til its close to flydown and do a cackle and beat my hat. Normally thats the only thing I do when a bird is in a tree.
Well I think the #1 overall is calling way too much.
For me however, I have made a bunch of mistakes and have started correcting them. I get where I think he wants to go after flydown. I don't care if I am 50 yards from his tree or 300 yards. I want to be where he wants to go. I call softly to him on the roost. If he answers me I hush. At flydown I will give him a cackle and hat pop. Generally that fires him up and he flies down shortly. Once on the ground I use clucks and purrs with scratching to draw him on in. Once I can tell he has fully committed I put the calls down and get down on my gun.
Always that extra few steps for me. I have lost about 40% of my hearing in my right ear so birds always sound farther away.
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Quote from: birdyhunter on February 12, 2013, 09:13:30 PM
Always that extra few steps for me. I have lost about 40% of my hearing in my right ear so birds always sound farther away.
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I have a 67 yr old cousin that is nearly deaf without hearing aids. He was telling me how he wished he could hear better so he could turkey hunt. Come to find out, he could hear them when they where about 80 yds or so, and I told him if he could hear them, to set up imediately and keep his eyes peeled as he done some calling. He tagged out within 4 days after trying this, and hadn't killed a bird by himself before because he would always bump them without even know why.
Quote from: appalachianstruttstopper on February 12, 2013, 09:30:54 PM
Quote from: birdyhunter on February 12, 2013, 09:13:30 PM
Always that extra few steps for me. I have lost about 40% of my hearing in my right ear so birds always sound farther away.
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I have a 67 yr old cousin that is nearly deaf without hearing aids. He was telling me how he wished he could hear better so he could turkey hunt. Come to find out, he could hear them when they where about 80 yds or so, and I told him if he could hear them, to set up imediately and keep his eyes peeled as he done some calling. He tagged out within 4 days after trying this, and hadn't killed a bird by himself before because he would always bump them without even know why.
that's good advice! I'm not 67 or anything, just an unlucky 25 year old lol.
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It doesn't matter what call you make, how softly or loudly you make it, nor how often or little you make it. Just like Jim Spencer once wrote, "Sit down wrong, and you're beat."
Quote from: FireFly908 on April 09, 2012, 09:59:18 AM
The Biggest Mistake a Hunter makes at first light staying in bed!!!!!!! :-[
Agreed! At least if you're out of bed you can learn from a mistake, can't learn a thing snoring in bed.
Quote from: paboxcall on February 16, 2013, 12:10:32 PM
It doesn't matter what call you make, how softly or loudly you make it, nor how often or little you make it. Just like Jim Spencer once wrote, "Sit down wrong, and you're beat."
^^^^^^^^THIS ABOUT SAYS IT ALL^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
One mistake I've made that hasn't been mentioned is forgetting to spray down with bug spray when Mosquitos are bad...nothing worse than having a big gobbler working in to your setup and havin Mosquitos buzzing your face or biting the heck out of you and you're locked downand can't move..it will drive ya nuts resisting the urge to itch or swat Mosquitos ....spray down good
Getting to excited with bird on roost and calling to him. Like he's going to fly 100 yards and drop in front of me I catch myself in that "da" move all the time. I agree with posted above just a soft tree yelp to let bird know your there works magic.
Focusing on where he is at the moment (in a tree) instead of where he most likely wants to go upon fly down...
:wagon:
Quote from: VooDooMagic on March 01, 2013, 09:02:08 PM
Focusing on where he is at the moment (in a tree) instead of where he most likely wants to go upon fly down...
Good advice there...I agree
not having TP in your vest
Quote from: twild on March 01, 2013, 09:49:35 PM
not having TP in your vest
bingo. one time and you'll never forget it again
Calling way too much and just making that ol tom gobble till he about fell out of the tree......Its nothing but a few soft tree yelps, kick on the thermacell and wait. When we were young we thought we knew it all.....haha
Quote from: VooDooMagic on March 01, 2013, 09:02:08 PM
Focusing on where he is at the moment (in a tree) instead of where he most likely wants to go upon fly down...
Very good point.
Quote from: CntrlPA on August 07, 2012, 08:57:12 PM
yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble yelp yelp yelp.....gobble, yelp yelp yelp....gobble, yelp yelp yelp.... gobble, yelp yelp yelp.....gobble
:TooFunny: :TooFunny: :TooFunny: :TooFunny: :newmascot:
:icon_thumright: right on the money!!!!
:toothy12:Guys, you won't believe this one but I had a longbeard.....and I mean 10" plus jump in my blind set-up one morning after this hot hen calls I was making.. flew straight up, I fired didn't touch a thing. Had laid my gun down in my lap to get out a scratch call and was using a scratch pad on it...would not make a sound... got it to working ... real light whines & purrs... looked up and here comes two longbeards running straight to me...one jumps thru an opening directly on my right leg...grab my gun ... fire over my shoulder ..bird untouched. Swing my gun back around and there stands his buddy 5 to 10 yds. front of me. As I got on him he takes off running...dogging my lead ... never touched him. Felt like a fool. Emptied my gun in less than 5 seconds. Moral of story... never take your eyes off of incoming birds to make a call...and never your gun in your lap while working a call. Trust me, it can happen real fast.
get to close to the roost area and over call those gobblers...
I'd probably get chewed out by a lot of old timers but my approach on getting too close to the roost is "I'd much rather bump one trying to get in the game as opposed to never being in the game at all". Where I hunt in the South MS swamps, the woods are extremely thick (thanks Katrina!) with water always wreaking havoc. You can be 100 yds from a bird when you're really a mile away! I like knowing I'm in the game plain and simple. Now, it's not every morning that I get the chance to get in tight on one on roost but I get as close as I can when I get the chance. Like others have said, the one thing to do while they're in the tree is to give em just enough and nothing more. I have educated a PILE of birds by over calling to them while they're still on the limb. A stubborn, pressured public land bird I killed on about the 4th or 5th hunt last year taught me a lot that I'll take with me from then on.
Another big mistake people make at first light is trying to blow the reeds out of owl and crow calls. Guys will know they're within 100-200 yds of birds and will try to locate them like they're 1/2 mile away. I let them do their thing on their own when they will. I only use locators at daylight once gobbling time has come and the woods are still silent. I have watched birds spook when locators get overblown at close ranges.
I sat up on a gobbler one morning bout the second year I hunted turkey's and kept him up in the tree for an hour and a half after daylight! He'd gobble so I'd yelp, he finally got down and went the other way but I was tore up the entire time. Silly boy :TooFunny:
the number one mistake I have made at daylight was waking up in my own bed..gotta make sure your alarm clock is properly set.
Setting up where you think he wants to go instead of being where he is headed.
Scout him, and be between him and where he is going.
Quote from: Hooks' n' Beards' on January 24, 2014, 11:23:32 AM
get to close to the roost area and over call those gobblers...
X2
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It's always been one step too many for me.
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i will try to take all theis good info to the woods with me.. i think i call to much... last year was set up real cose to 1 roosted and he flew down and went the other way... i am still learning and maybe someday i will get to pull the trigger!!!!!!!!!
Calling too much, calling too loud, not taking time to set up where u can kill him, I know this because I am guilty of all. Now I call softly shut up and let him decide what to do next.
1. Don't sleep.2.Don't lean your weapon against tree.(Drill sargent about choked me to death teaching me that one.)3.Know his favorite place to go. You won't even need to call. They got habits. Get in before daylight. When you go in early, keep looking up, you might just walk right under him. Hope for a full moon. No lights. Let him make the mistakes. cluck
Statistically speaking the mistake I've made the most has been getting out of bed!!! :morning:
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on April 05, 2012, 03:30:20 PM
Calling too much to hot gobblers on the roost.
Guys don't realize that they are diminishing their chances of success the more they make him gobble up there in that tree.
I agree with this ^^^^^^
Someone once asked me do you want to listen to him gobble or kill him? Dont remember who asked me I wish I did it was good info.
Calling too much if calling at all.
I had a Tom land in my lab a few years back. I never hit my call once. Two hens were in the area. Both called once from the tree and both were quiet on fly down. They flew down separate and 5-10 minutes before the gobbler. They walked around the area and then grouped together and moved maybe 50 yards on the other side of the gobbler's roost tree. They yelped on the ground maybe once and softly at that. The Tom faced them on the roost when he gobbled, but chose to turn 180 degrees and fly away from the hens (right to me). Maybe he wanted to make them come to him. I had to stand to keep him from flying into me. Dead at 10 paces.
I have shot a few birds coming off the roost, but none ever flew straight down to my calling they all flew out and walked back in.
Quote from: Hootowl on April 03, 2012, 10:29:46 PM
I saw this On Turkey Thugs today , and I thought That I myself Call to Much, or Maybe even try and get that extra few more steps to there roost?
What you see on that show has little bearing on real life turkey hunting....the biggest mistake people make is being in too big a hurry.
I am still learning so thanks for all the tips. I am practicing all of my calls at the house now.
Early in my turkey-hunting education, I thought that calling early and getting ole Tom's attention would make him come to me..then a veteran taught me something that changed my game and made me more successful..,now,hardly ever, will I call to a Tom until I know he is on the ground.. my main goal is to slip in,set up and shut up until after fly-down..then I will go to work on him
I sometimes forget my toilet paper in the truck and orphan one of gloves or lose a pair of drawers
Wow... I've learned more in the last 15 minutes reading all of these responses than I did all of last year. Great thread!!!
Quote from: Uncle Tom on March 03, 2013, 11:01:16 PM
:toothy12:Guys, you won't believe this one but I had a longbeard.....and I mean 10" plus jump in my blind set-up one morning after this hot hen calls I was making.. flew straight up, I fired didn't touch a thing. Had laid my gun down in my lap to get out a scratch call and was using a scratch pad on it...would not make a sound... got it to working ... real light whines & purrs... looked up and here comes two longbeards running straight to me...one jumps thru an opening directly on my right leg...grab my gun ... fire over my shoulder ..bird untouched. Swing my gun back around and there stands his buddy 5 to 10 yds. front of me. As I got on him he takes off running...dogging my lead ... never touched him. Felt like a fool. Emptied my gun in less than 5 seconds. Moral of story... never take your eyes off of incoming birds to make a call...and never your gun in your lap while working a call. Trust me, it can happen real fast.
:TooFunny: :TooFunny: :TooFunny: :TooFunny:
Quote from: Nolehoe on February 24, 2014, 06:02:21 PM
Statistically speaking the mistake I've made the most has been getting out of bed!!! :morning:
:TooFunny: Have been guilty of that myself. Far and away calling to much early or at all. Lack of patience gets a lot of hunters "no bird". If you can't sit still get in a pop up blind. :icon_thumright:
Standing there to long trying to decide which one to go after.
Probably agreeing to hunt with my over aggressive best friend who thinks he is the best turkey hunter in the woods year after year. Thinking he will listen to me just once, considering I have more "bone" on the wall..... :TrainWreck1:
Calling to much on the roost.
Telling my friend to stay home or leave his calls in the truck..he's retired AT&T and still thinks he can talk them into anything. Maybe this year his wife won't let him go
calling to much
I can't hear that great so mine is getting to close on accident because I misjudge the distance. Why I like to hunt with my buddy he's blind and I'm deaf what a team lol
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Not going to the potty after that cup of coffee.
Quote from: Spring_Woods on April 04, 2012, 07:18:34 AM
Quote from: jakebird on April 04, 2012, 06:03:46 AM
I have to restrain myself from calling too loud. I often practice louder than i should call in the woods. Another big mistake is comitting to a bird too early. You hear that first bird, way above you and half a mile east and want to take off and get on him on his first gobble. Three qtrs of the way there you bump two silent roosted birds, realize you'll never scale that ridge without climbing gear, and another bird starts tearing it up where you first started. I know this because this is invariably how my dreams or rather nightmares often play out in the preseason ... :D
Omg...do we hunt together?!
jakebird could have been my mentor. Done this more times than I care to admit. I was always afraid of not being in position at first light and before flydown. I don't worry so much about it now if I don't know where they are roosted I will just wait. I will give it at least 10 or even 30 minutes from the first gobble before I start off on a bird.
SSSlllooowww DDoowwnn be patient don't hurry any thing on your hunt
its a lot easier to do the older I get .
poor set up
no matter how close you get to the bird,no matter if you call to loud,to much or what ever,if you set up wrong,you have lost before the battle begans
Not realizing when the birds are off roost...and setup. If you have the chance to be where they want to go anyway...the calling is easy. Topography and education of yourself about the birds is paramount.
For me It was getting busted trying to set decoys just as it's breaking light. Or getting to where I hunt little later than I planned.
This was a GREAT thread...so much in common and to learn from
Quote from: Huntnwork on March 03, 2014, 08:08:18 PM
I sometimes forget my toilet paper in the truck and orphan one of gloves or lose a pair of drawers
Been there done that.... not fun..but it has proved lucky for me and my hunting buddy over the years, we call it " The Lucky SH%#.... Every time one of us has to answer the call, we score a bird that morning...go figure.
Trying to make it happen too fast and not letting things play out .......patience is key, find myself sometimes pushing the issue if on public land for fear of getting cut off. Works sometimes and backfires other times.
ill be honest i call to much and too loud... those gobbles just get my fired up!
I just got back from a trip, and saw some of THE DUMBEST turkey hunters I've ever seen; they parked their freakin' truck *IN* the turkey woods, practically underneath a gobbling tom, loaded their guns up - HE'S GOBBLING! - took a piss, talking out loud, etc. etc. etc. and then one of them had the bright idea - LET'S OWL HOOT TO SEE IF ANYTHING'S HERE!! Ya, ya, great idea -- uuhhhh- WHO WHO WHO WHOOOOO!!!
Guess what happened? Everything in the deg'gum woods shut up! The biggest mistake most hunters make? Taking up turkey hunting w/a deer hunting attitude.