So far I have learned to stay longer on a set up. I set up last weekend on a good spot and after 15-20 took off because nothing happened. 20 minutes later, there was a tom gobbling on the ridge I was sitting. Friday, I was just about ready to move and heard a hen. With in 5 minutes I had 2 hens at 20 yards. Yesterday, I was about ready to tell my dad lets pack up and go. 15 minutes later he had his bird. I need to trust a good looking spot and sit longer.
What have you learned so far this year?
I learned that most free turkey hunting advice I get is worth what I paid for it.
Quote from: guesswho on April 22, 2012, 07:34:53 PM
I learned that most free turkey hunting advice I get is worth what I paid for it.
:TooFunny: :TooFunny: :TooFunny: :TooFunny:
I learned that a Hooks mouth call makes me a much better caller.
I learnd after 20years chasing gobblers all over the Country I'm still learning...I learn something new every year..I learned everybody has a better friend...so when you show a friend your secret spot, next year his better friend and him will be there...and then the next yr his better friend adn his better friend will be there adn before long your scret good turkey hunting spot is over run with idiots and not worth hunting...Never tell anyone where your honey hole is and you'll always have it....I learned to keep my mouth shut.
Amen to that ridgerunner. I love to turkey hunt with someone but I always end up calling, or they have a different hunting style than i do and we argue about how close to get or where to setup, or how long to wait. And they will be back in your spot the minute you have to go back to work. So I choose to hunt alone and have more success.
Not to hijack this thread, but i for one, love the camraderie of turkey season. No doubt i score more often alone, but i love to share the hunt more. Both of my regular turkey hunting buddies, i introduced to the sport, and either called in their first bird or was instrumental in putting them in the right place. Today they have turned into capable turkey hunters in their own right. I still share my hot spots with friends, neighbors, and sometimes strangers looking for help. To me, to focus on my own success alone, is to really miss the big picture with what this is all about. I could sit alone and kill turkeys and grow my beard collection and spur necklace, or i can share the woods, the turkeys, and the whole grand experience and maybe leave something lasting after im gone.
Adapt, overcome, and kill.
Same story, new chapter.
Ive learned more patience in the 2 days of our opening week than I have ever learned. It has yet to pay off, but Im not done learning yet, so Im also learning persistence.
Dont leave your water in the car
Just because you dont hear them it does not mean they are not close...sneaky birds
Stay mobile, pack light
Turkeys sometimes get in the trees during the day
Staying still and being in the shade can be the best camo
Locator calls dont always get them to gobble...even when they are fairly close
Learn your hunting area well and use the terrain to your advantage
Patience, persistence and a positive attitude help keep you on the birds
Take the first good kill shot you have when hunting with a bow. :newmascot:
This year I learned that if hunting in a blind on a very windy day put extra stakes down in the side the wind is blasting.
Know your terrain intimately. 10 yards can be the difference between having them work perfectly and not having them work at all.
Be dynamic and agile in your approach. If it's not working- don't be afraid to change it.
I learned that I have a WHOLE LOT left to learn!
Quote from: jakebird on April 24, 2012, 08:59:36 PM
Not to hijack this thread, but i for one, love the camraderie of turkey season. No doubt i score more often alone, but i love to share the hunt more. Both of my regular turkey hunting buddies, i introduced to the sport, and either called in their first bird or was instrumental in putting them in the right place. Today they have turned into capable turkey hunters in their own right. I still share my hot spots with friends, neighbors, and sometimes strangers looking for help. To me, to focus on my own success alone, is to really miss the big picture with what this is all about. I could sit alone and kill turkeys and grow my beard collection and spur necklace, or i can share the woods, the turkeys, and the whole grand experience and maybe leave something lasting after im gone.
exactly how I feel.. Almost never turkey hunt alone.
Fortunately I have good friends to share the sport with
I learned to move very slowly inside my blind when there are birds in close.. Got a new blind this season and I got busted twice, each time with two nice toms in close, by making too quick of movements inside the blind..
Season just started here. I'm sure the lessons will be learned soon though. I always learn the hard way. :)
1. A hunt is more enjoyable if it is spent with a best friend or a familly member.
2. 2 people calling is sometimes better then 1 person calling.
3. The more you scout the better chance you have at filling tags.
4. Do not be affraid to knock on doors and ask for permission.
5. Sit longer, not only is it a smart thing too do at times its also a nice time too relax while you are out there and it just slows the pace of the hunt down which to me makes the hunt a little more enjoyable.
6. Just because you miss a bird does not mean he is never going to come in again.
This is only my second year hunting turkeys so I basically learn something new every time I go out.
1. The more i scouted, the luckier i got.
2. About the time you're 100% sure the turks have established a pattern, be ready to adapt and change because the very next day the turks always seem to forget that pattern.
3. Shooting birds at 20-35 yards makes me look like a shooting star.
4. Making two calls at once with two different calls, a cluck and a purr, drives those toms nuts, especially early in the morning with two hen dekes out. Thank you Old Gobbler forum for that advice.
5. You can never go wrong arriving a little early, but arriving late will eventually cost you a bird....and it's usually the biggest one you see all year!
6. Calling your way in and out of the woods(private land) will earn you one "unexpected opp"each season.
7. Learning something new each hunt makes each hunt better.
I learned that some parts of Alabama has some pretty steep hills....and it's much more enjoyable to climb around on them when you're carrying a turkey back out with you, as opposed to the alternative.