What Is Your Preference??

[bbcoach]

I've been watching plenty of videos lately and it's got me thinking.  I know what I'm about to say is purely circumstantial but, In Your Opinion, what method of Turkey hunting leads to more dead birds and on the Flip Side more bumped (Educated) birds, Patiently Waiting, Running and Gunning or a Combination?  Each of us have OUR own particular style and areas of the country we hunt but what leads to SUCCESS for you?   

[bbcoach]

I'll start.  For me, I have my Slam in 4 different States and different parts of the lower 48.  I've hunted flat wooded areas, flat open areas, rolling hills and mountains but my Greatest successes have come from locating birds and getting in close at first light, being patient and calling them to my location.  For me, PATIENCE has been a GREAT virtue. 

[Tom007]

On a slow, quiet morning, I'll run & Gun to cover ground. The last few hours before noon (quitting time),  I'll go to my historically good spots, set up and call quietly. Patience for me has killed most of my birds for sure...

[Greg Massey]

locating birds before the season, calling them and having patience.

I just enjoy using my calls and fooling him into thinking i'm his hen ....

[Zobo]

I'm with Greg, it's all about the calling for me, regardless of success.
I can walk up on birds in my area and blow them away if I wanted to. But that's not rewarding for me at this stage in my life.

[joey46]

Scouting heavily pre season and then sitting until at least noon has been working out since I became an "old geezer" with less than perfect knees.  In the good old days I was always run and gun.  Run and gun was by far the the most fun.

[WV Flopper]

When I was a much younger hunter in WV it was very possible to roll up on a good vantage point and hear 5-6 turkeys sounding off. Those places would have been considered average by me at that time.

Moving to an interested turkey and working him was the plan. When that didn't work, move to the next and so on. Often, at the end of the days hunt I would find myself searching for a player. Run and gun.

Today it's much more a walk and gun tactic. Mainly because today too hear five turkeys off of one vantage point would be amazing. Secondly, knowing the likelihood of multiple players in my area to be low I have changed my tactics considerably.

I am much more cautious and calculating in any moves I make. I have slowed those moves down as well. I in know way want to spook my one player for the day. I want to make the most of every set up.

When I find myself in a location that is a dud I cover ground, as much as possible. Which may even mean jumping in the truck and completely relocating to a different area.

This past spring I was very happy to find a few locations that my previous methods would have been acceptable.I did not revert back and was happy. Probably saved me some walking too.

The last few spring I have traveled some which has giving me a higher yearly harvest number. Prior to that I would say the average number stayed the same using the slower method.

The main difference is the amount of blown opportunities by me. I do still make mistakes! But, that number has dropped significantly!

[Turkeyman]

Back when I started turkey hunting there were fewer birds but also fewer hunters. They were more vocal and, if you searched a bit, overall easier to call in. Due to the fewer birds, I would cover several miles looking for a response. Nowadays they call it "running and gunning"...no such thing back then. I called it "walking and calling". Less pizzazz but more realistic. With the passage of time I've become more patient and, if I know there should be, or is, a bird in the area, will sit and call for a period of time then meander around a bit and repeat. I think whatever success I have is about the same with both methods, except nowadays I'm less tired at the end of the morning!

[squidd]

I'm happy just hearing one sound off

Then, if everything aligns such as calling, setup location and dealing with unknowns such as other people, unseen hens, terrain, foliage, etc..., it is icing on the cake to get him in range for an opportunity to pull the trigger!!

[Tail Feathers]

I've bumped more birds running and gunning over the years, I think.  The older I get, the more I use patience after getting one to talk to me.  I had a true turkey expert tell me don't be afraid to be more aggressive in moving.  He assured me birds get spooked by things daily, unless you did a screaming charge at him, he's probably still workable a short time later.

[zelmo1]

Patience wins out for me. I still hobble and gun, but with patience. Z

[Gooserbat]

Walk and gun.  Knowing when to be about and doing it slow and careful.  Knowing when to sit and when to call and when to shut up. 

[Bowguy]

No question as to what leads to the most dead birds the quickest. Roosting and getting close hedges your bets but to answer the question the best I'd think circumstances are everything. If you have a single 70 acre piece can't run n gun too much without blowing birds off prop. If the woods are real open and it's real flat, run n gun might not be great but than again how long to sit in a dead spot rotting? That makes no sense either you gotta go by what is best that situation imo

[GobbleNut]

As a general rule, I assess the place I am going to be hunting and try to do what the place and circumstances dictate. I prefer and would say that most of my success has come from moving until I find a responsive bird...and conversely, don't relish the sit and wait game unless, again, the place and circumstances dictate that it is the only realistic approach. Now, I admittedly sometimes misinterpret what the place and circumstances dictate, but on occasion I do get it right.

As for bumping them, I'm sure I occasionally bump birds with my approach to hunting them...and I certainly don't like to do that if at all possible. However, if I do, I don't worry too much about it UNLESS they have somehow associated my turkey calling with me, the human hunter. In my experience, THAT association makes them much more difficult to call in.  They ain't Einsteins, but they sure seem to be able to put that "two plus two" together from what I have seen.

Also, as far as bumping and educating birds goes, my particular problem in hunting public stuff almost exclusively is that there are almost invariably other, less experienced hunters out there that have most likely thoroughly educated them long before I get there...and probably don't have a clue that they did it.   

[ScottTaulbee]

I do not have the patience nor desire to sit for hours and wait for a turkey. I'm sure it has costed me birds and that's fine. I've killed my share and helped others do the same in the past. And besides myself and my two young sons, no one gives a hoot if I kill one anyway. So with that being said, what trips my trigger is going to a spot I've never stepped foot on, finding a high ridge or mountain and wait for gray light, when one gobbles that's my player, I'll move to him, hopefully at the same time he moves to me. I enjoy the interaction and I enjoy having to be quick on my feet and make my decisions on the move and quickly based on instinct and past experiences. Sometimes it's right, some times it's wrong. But either way, for myself, I would rather hunt a whole season this way and end up eating a tag than sitting in a blind or similar and filling a tag. I like to hunt them on my terms, the way I enjoy, whether that means success or not.


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