Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

A topic on another thread got me to wondering...

Generally when I go out, even with some bird activity, I am not generally successful.  I almost always have some sort of close-call, but I would say I kill a bird about every third trip out if I have access to an area that birds are using...

Granted, I am hunting in areas with pretty thin bird populations to what some of you are hunting (one ranch is about 500 acres, and I would guess there are 3-5 huntable birds, and the other ranch is about 700 acres with about 5-7 huntable birds).

I have had access to better ranches in the past, and of course that lends towards more opportunities...  But, overall, how often do you all get the bird you are chasing?

1 every 3 days is pretty good and much better than the average guy. You also have to consider not only the number of huntable birds but also the number of days you hunt. Lot easier to kill 3 in 9 days than 10 in 30 and so on.

Last year was the closest I have came to killing one each time I hunted.  I was able to take 3 birds in 5 outings, which was a lot fewer days hunted than normal.  I attribute it to the shear number of turkeys in eastern WA and northern ID where I was last year.

I killed 4 last season, Hunted 7 days, was a hell of a year... Took a youth 2 days and nothing! Went and called for a friend and killed a bird first day.

I am lucky to have access to some great property and usually get a chance in a couple days, but also killed on public land I had never seen before on the third day.

Again was a hell of a year!!!

In 2013 my kill ratio was nearly 50%.  In 2014 the area I hunt had increased hunting pressure and it just seemed like the birds were extremely skittish, wary.  2014 was probably more like 20%.

I hunt in the upper Midwest where you are drawn for, or pick, a 5 day season and are allowed 1 bird.  I generally hunt 2-4 days in a season.  I do get a bird most years, maybe 2/3 of the time or better.  However, that includes the fact that I generally hunt 2 states.  Only once have I brought a bird home from both states.  If I get one in the first state I don't usually hunt as long in the other, or might skip the 2nd state altogether.  Aside from last year, where I had the worst run of weather and other bad luck, I always see something.  I usually have close calls, pass on jake's, etc.  Do I get to count youth mentoring or helping another new hunter get his bird?  That is nearly as satisfying for me and would definitely help my counts.

In 2010 I killed 2 birds with 2 trips, feel like I kind of shorted myself. I felt blessed to kill them but it was a short season none the less. God's making me pay for it now though.

Last year I killed 2 and the wife killed 3 so it was a great year and had several more almost kills...we hunted probly15 days so for us it was a better than normal year...hoping to have another good year

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Interesting year for me last year. Took my nephew for indiana youth season. 1 morning one bird.  Public land. Opening day Michigan for me killed my bird in 1 hour. Public land. Took my son to michigan the next Saturday  he killed his the first afternoon. Public land. Went to nebraska for 5 days on private land got my butt handed to me  came home and had one day left in Indiana to hunt. Killed a bird in 45 min on public. Weird but awesome year. Will say that helping my nephew and son kill their first birds ever was the most rewarding of the whole year. Now I will probably get skunked this year. Lol'

Probably more like one killed for every 6 or 7 days afield for me.

I'm doing good if I kill a bird every 3rd hunt. I don't really know any numbers, but I'd guess an average of killing one every 4th hunt. I usually have killed one by the 3rd hunt of the season. 2013 I hunted Saturday, Sunday, Friday and Saturday in the first week of season, and tagged out (4 birds, 1 on each hunt). I don't want that to happen again, I though I was going to enjoy fishing but the woods kept calling me and I wanted to keep hunting. I did call for 3 different people and had the first guy kill a jake.


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I don't know about an actual average but an opening day bird is pretty common.  Now I am at two trips with nothing already this year and I aint liking it. Gonna try and change that Fri though.

 :turkey2: Best year ever last year. 3 in 5 days, 2 in Maine and one in NH. Called 4 in for friends, got 2/4. My buddies daughter got the biggest one in our group. 21+ and her 1st bird. What a day. Good luck this year. I am ready to go, just have to wait 5 weeks. UGH

Some years are better than others  :funnyturkey:

Hell No! Any body that does should write how to books.

This year I'm 4.5 days afield and 1 bird.

My best year ever ratio wise was 6 for 8. Took 4 days to kill my two, and went 4 for 4 calling for other people. Of course there were quite a few hours spent scouting in order to set up those hunts. On my home territory I think my average is probably around one bird for every three days hunting.

Quote from: porcupine on March 24, 2015, 09:51:48 PM
Some years are better than others  :funnyturkey:

I have bad years and good years, but I enjoy every morning in the turkey woods.
I do not have to take a bird to have a great hunt. I love to play "the game" sometimes they win, sometimes I win

How many times when you do not get a bird, that you think yourself, or someone else could have done something different to be successful?

Last season for me, half the times I was not successful, I think if I had not made a minor mistake, or played things just a bit differently, I could have come in with a bird hangin' over my shoulder...  About half the time, other than trespassing or doing something outside my own ethics, the birds were just plain smarter than I was...

Quote from: surehuntsalot on March 24, 2015, 10:48:44 PM

Quote from: porcupine on March 24, 2015, 09:51:48 PM
Some years are better than others  :funnyturkey:

I have bad years and good years, but I enjoy every morning in the turkey woods.
I do not have to take a bird to have a great hunt. I love to play "the game" sometimes they win, sometimes I win
[/quote

Yes sir I feel the same. If I get birds to gobble at a call I am happy. Calling one to the gun is just a bonus.


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On the small properties that I hunt, I often do not get a bird, somewhat due to a lack of birds around. However, I have a few properties where if a bird is there, there is a good chance he will die.

I've never really thought of turkey hunting in that context...





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Quote from: surehuntsalot on March 24, 2015, 10:48:44 PM

Quote from: porcupine on March 24, 2015, 09:51:48 PM
Some years are better than others  :funnyturkey:

I have bad years and good years, but I enjoy every morning in the turkey woods.
I do not have to take a bird to have a great hunt. I love to play "the game" sometimes they win, sometimes I win

x2

The bird densities and pressure are huge in this.

Example in PA where I have public to hunt and live in the SE where we have the highest people densities, least amount of turkeys, and least amount of public in the state. It's tough, I've never taken more than 1 bird and it always takes me several outings to get that done. The average hunt after the first few days goes without a single gobble.

In NY I have access to about 10 private properties, not huge properties but most hold birds every day. I've killed my last 6 birds in 6 days 5 of them before 7am. Usually before i even hunt for myself I've already called a few for my wife, youth hunters or friends. In NY I watch a bird get shot more days than I don't. Pa I don't even watch a bird more days then not.. Lol

I kill one more often than not.  I attribute that solely to scouting, not skill on my part.  I probably spend 20 hours scouting for every hour hunting. 

2 birds in 12 hunts last year.  Failing/not seeing any birds makes killing more enjoyable. Or at least thats what I tell people.

Wait, we're supposed to be killing 'em?  I thought this thing I was carrying was a funny-looking camo walking stick!

I said I usually kill a bird about 50% of the time... now, that's a lie.  I was a little grandiose when I answered that question.  The season limit in NE Florida is two per season and I usually get my two.  However, there has been a couple of seasons where I only got one.  I still work full time, hunt the weekends and take a day off here and there.  I'd say I kill a bird every fourth or fifth time out.

Last year was the best year I have had in Ohio in years...

First day- tagged bird #1
day 2- watched my buddy tag a bird on the same ridge where I shot mine the day before
third time out- doubled up with a friend, tagged out, father shot one the same day
fourth time out- took my aunt and worked a bird for 6 hours, got to 75 yards...no shot but fun

Some birds I've hunted for 10 minutes and others for 10 days.  While I fully expect to shoot a bird every time I go out, reality usually lands far from my expectations.   ;)

Some years have better odds than others, but I typically hunt 5 days for every gobbler harvested.

15 days and 13 gobblers dead no jakes not a bad season last year.

Density of game has made a many an expert.

I don't hear 13 gobblers in a season.  I was in a lease that broke up but one morning I had 8 different birds gobbling in the morning.  Funny enough I did not kill one that day but did kill one the next.  Only heard 2 that day.  Tons of birds around. 


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I think it also depends on what you consider a day of hunting.  I often hunt before work.  Sunrise here is about 5:20 and starting time is around 4:50.  If I'm hunting before work that means, depending on where I'm hunting, I can get in about an hour and a half to maybe two hours before I have to head to work.  There have been times I've stayed and shot a gobbler and been a little late and times I've had to give it up when I'm convinced that if I could have stayed longer I had a good chance to score.  It beats not getting out at all.  If you count each of those times as a day's hunt then I'm closer to 20% than 50%.

i hunted almost everday last season i got one jake lol i still like turkey hunting better than any other kind of hunting. i usually hunt from daylight till noon were only aloud to hunt till 1