Good luck, bad luck, or no luck at all

[spncrwillis]

Sorry fellas but I gotta vent...

Over the 6 short years I've been turkey hunting I've managed to come home empty handed everyday except one. I've had had close calls and near misses a plenty but have only been able to give one bird a ride home to momma.

I'd have to take off both my boots to count the number of times I've had a bird just out of sight and in range only to have some darn fool walk right up in the middle of it all. That's public land hunting though and I can't blame a guy for chasing a gobble. Just last week I had this happen twice and then another time I had a gobbler chased off by two Jakes never to be seen again.

As the saying goes if it weren't for bad luck I wouldn't have any luck at all. I'm trying to appreciate the bad luck and see it for the lessons learned in the process but I can't help but feel like I'm doing something wrong. It's hard for me to believe that this much lack of success can all be chalked up to bad luck.

Sorry for the rant but I'm in a real rut here.

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[Greg Massey]

From your post I really don't think your doing anything wrong. I think it has mostly to do with the ground your hunting which includes a lot of other hunters. Some of these people who keep bumping or messing up your hunt could be new at the game also. Hunting public ground with lots of other people can for sure be very aggravating at times.

Just keep trying and hopefully your luck will change in the near future with a gobbler taking a ride home with you..

Good Luck and never give up until the season is over ... IMO

Welcome to the forum

[ScottTaulbee]

I hunted 6 years before I got my first one and then it clicked and more often than not now I can get one. It'll happen buddy!.


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[Lcmacd 58]

Its a hard road hunting public. Sometimes it feels fruitless but it's not. This has been a different year...for me anyway. The increase in hunter pressure changes the birds reaction. The get quiet,  they don't respond to the call ... ive watched them turn and go the other way when called at. It's a frustrating game to deal with lots of hunters and fear turkeys. Keep at it your not doing anything wrong. I'm in the same boat this year. I'm on my second tag for this season and haven't fired a shot or even had a turkey think about getting close. I have taken 3 kids and they all killed their turkey so what am I doing wrong ... nothing. I just haven't called at a turkey that wanted to take a ride that day. I have 1 day left on my second tag and I have a third and I will be out there till 1pm each day until it happens.  That's more than I have ever written but I feel your pain.

[ScottTaulbee]

Sorry fellas but I gotta vent...

Over the 6 short years I've been turkey hunting I've managed to come home empty handed everyday except one. I've had had close calls and near misses a plenty but have only been able to give one bird a ride home to momma.

I'd have to take off both my boots to count the number of times I've had a bird just out of sight and in range only to have some darn fool walk right up in the middle of it all. That's public land hunting though and I can't blame a guy for chasing a gobble. Just last week I had this happen twice and then another time I had a gobbler chased off by two Jakes never to be seen again.

As the saying goes if it weren't for bad luck I wouldn't have any luck at all. I'm trying to appreciate the bad luck and see it for the lessons learned in the process but I can't help but feel like I'm doing something wrong. It's hard for me to believe that this much lack of success can all be chalked up to bad luck.

Sorry for the rant but I'm in a real rut here.

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I like to look at it in averages. Every mile you walk or minute you're in the woods, you're that much closer to it happening. I hunt public as well and it can be a tough row to hoe


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[richard black]

Keep at it, patience kills turkeys. As others have said you're not doing anything wrong, just have to be in the right spot at the right time. It will happen. And you're gaining valuable experience tho you might not think so now.

[Old Timer]

I love your determination! I don't  think your doing anything wrong.Keep at it brother your times coming.

[Cowboy]

Its a hard road hunting public. Sometimes it feels fruitless but it's not. This has been a different year...for me anyway. The increase in hunter pressure changes the birds reaction. The get quiet,  they don't respond to the call ... ive watched them turn and go the other way when called at. It's a frustrating game to deal with lots of hunters and fear turkeys. Keep at it your not doing anything wrong. I'm in the same boat this year. I'm on my second tag for this season and haven't fired a shot or even had a turkey think about getting close. I have taken 3 kids and they all killed their turkey so what am I doing wrong ... nothing. I just haven't called at a turkey that wanted to take a ride that day. I have 1 day left on my second tag and I have a third and I will be out there till 1pm each day until it happens.  That's more than I have ever written but I feel your pain.

Same here. Called in one youth season for his first gobbler.  Called in a pair for the wife. She tagged one...I can't buy a gobbler for myself this year..seems like a lot less gobbling after flydown this year to me ?

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[Dougas]

just have to be in the right spot at the right time.

Lucky hunters put themselves in the right place at the right time occasionally. Skilled hunters put themselves in the right place at the right time often. Lucky, skilled hunters put themselves in the right place at the right time NEARLY every time they go out out. As your skill in turkey hunting increases, so does the odds of being in the right place at the right time. That can be controlled. Luck on the other hand, doesn't like to be controlled. You probably have the skills, you just need the luck. Public land hunting, where I am anyway, requires luck in that your hunt goes unmolested by other hunters.

In the past I would Hike 3 to 7 miles in the dark to get away from people and even then, someone with the gumption to do the same, would still ruin my hunt or it may be me who unknowingly ruined theirs.

The point is to keep at it and luck will come to you and your skill will do the rest.

[GobbleNut]

I think that for any of us that hunt public land, there comes a time when we have to evaluate whether hunting a certain place that has too much hunting pressure is worth the aggravation. The old saying, "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity" (Einstein) may apply here. Then again, you may not have other options in terms of places to hunt or times to hunt, etc. and have no choice but to hope things change.

Years/decades ago, I hunted LOTS of places here that I no longer hunt just because of exactly what you are experiencing. My solution to that problem was to start looking at other "marginal" places to hunt and/or difficult places to get to that I thought the hordes might possibly overlook. In addition, I adjusted my hunting schedule to focus on hunting later in the season when those hordes have mostly disappeared. Of course, that option obviously does not apply to everyone everywhere, but my advice would be to at least look into those possibilities. 

My suggestion would be to adjust your hunting schedule (if possible) to choose to hunt later in the season, or during the week, or at different times of the day rather than those times when enough other folks are in the woods that they are disrupting your hunts on a regular basis.

Finally, it doesn't matter if you are doing everything right in terms of your hunting strategies and calling, you aren't likely to kill a gobbler when someone else arrives when that bird is just about to get to you. Those turkeys have this aggravating tendency to get the heck out of dodge when that happens...and do it just about every single time.   

[ruination]

I'd rather have a spot with 1 turkey and just me, than 5 turkeys and 3 other guys.  Of course I also live in a state with f' all turkey etiquette.

[ScottTaulbee]

I'd rather have a spot with 1 turkey and just me, than 5 turkeys and 3 other guys.  Of course I also live in a state with f' all turkey etiquette.

Same here. The etiquette went out the window around 4 years ago. They don't care if there is one truck or 10 trucks at the gate. They're coming in there


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[ScottTaulbee]

I think that for any of us that hunt public land, there comes a time when we have to evaluate whether hunting a certain place that has too much hunting pressure is worth the aggravation. The old saying, "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity" (Einstein) may apply here. Then again, you may not have other options in terms of places to hunt or times to hunt, etc. and have no choice but to hope things change.

Years/decades ago, I hunted LOTS of places here that I no longer hunt just because of exactly what you are experiencing. My solution to that problem was to start looking at other "marginal" places to hunt and/or difficult places to get to that I thought the hordes might possibly overlook. In addition, I adjusted my hunting schedule to focus on hunting later in the season when those hordes have mostly disappeared. Of course, that option obviously does not apply to everyone everywhere, but my advice would be to at least look into those possibilities. 

My suggestion would be to adjust your hunting schedule (if possible) to choose to hunt later in the season, or during the week, or at different times of the day rather than those times when enough other folks are in the woods that they are disrupting your hunts on a regular basis.

Finally, it doesn't matter if you are doing everything right in terms of your hunting strategies and calling, you aren't likely to kill a gobbler when someone else arrives when that bird is just about to get to you. Those turkeys have this aggravating tendency to get the heck out of dodge when that happens...and do it just about every single time.   

I'm with you there. I stopped hunting a few public places that I've hunted since before I had a drivers license due to the amount of pressure and idiots with no etiquette. They don't care if you're working a bird or not. And have zero qualms about getting between you and a gobbler you're working to bushwack him. I had it happen to me twice last year on two separate WMA's.


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[RutnNStrutn]

Don't feel bad. Turkey hunting is hard enough, then add in your inexperience to hunting pressured public land and that makes it even harder.
I learned to turkey hunt on pressured public land in Florida competing against hordes of locals, plus scores of non-residents trying to get their Osceolas for their Grand Slams. It was rough!!
The first 2 seasons, I saw plenty of birds....... running away from me.  Finally in the third season I got a jake.
So don't be hard on yourself. Bring a relative beginner on public land is a tough assignment. Give it time, get more experience and try to find private property to hunt. It will still be tough, but that's why they call it hunting and not killing.

[Happy]

All I can say is stick at it and don't lower yourself to the other inconsiderate hunters levels. It took me a while to get decent at the public game, but if you pay attention, it will pay off. Maybe I am lucky but the majority of the turkey hunters I have run into have been great fellows to deal with. There have been a few real winners thrown in as well.