Personal rules for turkey hunting?

[Marc]

Talking to friends that turkey hunt, we have different personal rules and/or ethics in the field...

I do not mind using decoys to kill birds.  I hunt without them more than with them primarily due to my feeling that the hurt as often as they help...  And all too often I am simply too lazy to deal with them.

The interaction of the birds is quite different when decoys are involved, and I have enjoyed the experiences both with, and without decoys.  With kids or newbies involved I am more likely to use decoys simply due to the fact that birds seem less aware of extraneous commotion when decoys are involved.



Blinds...  No doubt that blinds are a benefit to hunting, and unlike waterfowl, turkeys do not seem to mind a large camouflage tent in the middle of a field.  I do not care to use them.

I do try to hide myself with natural cover, and if possible try to find a rock or log to sit behind, both the rest the gun on, and to hide the movement of friction calls.  But I kinda' like the idea that I have to sit still and quiet...

I have had hens and/or jakes come within feet of me while a tom hangs back and had to sit motionless with wild game right in front of me...  Spooked a few at the wrong time, but have managed to make some kills as well... 

To me, the intensity level is ramped up knowing that the wrong move will literally blow my cover.  When my daughter starts hunting, I might consider a blind...  Sitting in a blind with my child has some degree of appeal.


I really enjoy being mobile...  I love running & gunning and drumming up a lonely bird and then hunting him...  I have probably disturbed and scared more birds doing this than I have killed.

But walking through the woods and hearing that distant gobble...  Then deciding how close to move, what route to take, and what to do next...  And not knowing whether I am going to waste an hour or two on a jake or tom...  I love the anticipation and the process...

Granted, I love the woods in the morning, and I am generally setting up on a known or likely roost...  But most of my birds are killed traipsing through the woods while attempting to be stealthy, and trying to start a conversation with a turkey.




As a wing-shooter using a shotgun to kill turkeys, I shoot with a bead on the gun (and no more)...  I do not like to sit with the gun mounted where I think the bird will be coming from.  I find it uncomfortable, and I tend to want to rush things.

Most of the time when a bird comes in, my gun is in my lap, and I have to figure out a way to shoulder and shoot the gun...  Snap-shooting is often involved.  I doubt I could accomplish this with a scope or sights.  (I have found that you often have more time than you think to shoulder and shoot the gun, but you still have to be quick and efficient without hesitation once the process begins).

And, if I am having trouble finding a hold point on the bird with the bead, the bird is likely to far for me to be shooting at...  Hold point for my turkey gun is just above the neckline, and if I have trouble seeing it clearly on the bead, I know I need to have that bird a bit closer.

As much as shooting a turkey on the ground is not all that difficult, I am always relieved when that bird flops.  Shot a couple in tall grass that disappeared after the shot, and there was that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that I missed, only to walk over and see a floppin' bird.

I have no issue with the ethics of dot sights or scopes, but have simply found that the bead only is probably a strategic advantage for me, and I enjoy the increased anticipation of a possible "miss."



Enjoying the moment...  I love the feeling of satisfaction of killing a bird on my terms...  And the more difficult the bird, the more I relish in the moment.  I have a bit of a routine of walking up to the bird (making sure it is dead and not suffering), and just appreciating the bird and the woods.  I then place the bird so that feathers and fan will look nice (out of the mud or wet grass) and look for an area to pose the bird and/or myself...

I try to get sun behind the camera and create some sort of appealing backdrop.  I also have to find somewhere to place the camera and use the timer.  Like a little girl playing with dolls, I try to pose the bird and myself in a photogenically appealing manner.

Many on this forum are better at the photography aspect than I am, and I have really appreciated (and learned) from some of these posts of successful hunts.



What are the aspects or personal rules of enjoyment some of you have?

[fallhnt]

I bow hunt ,so I use a blind,decoys,call lots and enjoy the way I hunt. If I gun hunt, I use a blind ,decoys and still enjoy the hunt because of the change of pace.

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[strutstopper]

Things I will NOT do: use decoys, reap/fan, shoot one off the limb, and use a rifle(not legal in my state anyways).

I do use scopes on my turkey guns. Using a blind was something I said I wouldn't do, but I bought an Alps deception blind to use when I take my 3 year old boy this year.

[guesswho]

No blinds or decoys, even bow hunting.     As long as a bird is closing the gap I hold off on shooting him. If that means shooting him at 40 yards or standing on my feet, I'm good either way.   I won't shoot a gift turkey, by that I mean one I feel I didn't earn, example walk up on one.   I won't shoot one on the fly unless it's a follow up shot.   No jakes, or doubles.  Won't even double with another hunter.  One hunt one bird.  Calling is a must.   If I'm hunting with somebody I won't shoot one until they do, even if I'm the guest.   I have watched turkeys walk off because of this.   Basically a bird has to trip my trigger before I pull the trigger.

Hunting with kids, they're in charge of al the executive decisions and can override me at any time.

[g8rvet]

Marc,

from our past conversations, you and I pretty much hunt alike.  I did take a decoy with me on a particularly irksome woods bird we have fooled with off and on all season-he is still alive as far as I know.  One particular day, if I had used one, no doubt my nephew would have killed him.  I walked away from him calling and it went perfectly.  The mature Tom followed me right to my nephew.  he hung up at 47 yards on the dot and then just eased closer to him, but always with thick brush in the way. Never got any closer with a shot.  Safety off, bead on his head, but never a clear shot.  My nephew hold off on the shot and neither of us feel bad, it was just not his day to die.  A decoy would have finished the bird.  But that is fine.  It is supposed to be a sport.

I would never reap, would not shoot one on a limb, would not shoot one with a rifle (it IS legal where I live on private land).  Would probably only use a blind with a young un or a bow. I have passed on the only chance I had an easy shot on a bearded hen, but not sure I would not take the shot, just once to say I have done it.  But that day, I chose not to. 

I do hunt a field with decoys, many times.  Have taken several birds in those fields, with and without decoys. 

There is a public land area that holds good birds - we hear them all the time across from where we hunt.  It is only open two weekends a year.  My brother hunted with a guy that wanted him to drop him off there when it was closed to kill a bird and then pick him up after he hunted.  He told him "that makes me a party to illegal hunting - no chance".  He does not hunt with him anymore.  I know guys that don't worry about trespassing and kill more than their two birds in Florida.  Not me.  I follow the law.  For me, not because I am scared.

[deerpoo22]

As long as its legal I use everything at my disposal. Everything

[Greg Massey]

Hunt the way you want and enjoy the game... decoys , blinds etc ... i do think it's funny that some people will say i don't use decoys or blinds ... that's all up to you .. some people who don't use decoys and blinds have a shotgun loaded with TSS and some who hunt with decoys and blinds have guns loaded with just regular turkey loads ... so just be safe and enjoy the game of turkey hunting ....

[tomstopper]

My rule for myself is to just have fun and try and learn something new each time I go out (hen talk, body language, roost areas, how they like to use terrain, etc)

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[GobbleNut]

Good read, Marc.  Your attitudes are very similar to mine in many respects.
The things I personally will not do, and believe no turkey hunter should:
1) roost shoot birds
2) shoot birds from vehicles
3) violate state game laws
4) not take all of the meat from your birds
5) knowingly interfere with another hunter working a bird
6) take "golden BB" shots at birds

Things I personally will not do, but leave up to others to decide if they want to or not and without judgement:
1) use artificial blinds to shoot birds
2) use rifles, where legal, for turkey hunting
3) shoot multiple birds on a set-up
4) shoot multiple birds with one shot (I will let gobblers walk before taking a shot where I think I might kill more than one)
5) sit over decoys and/or sit and randomly wait for turkeys to come by

Things that I do that some others seem to have problems with:
1) use a turkey tail for various purposes including for simulated fly-down sounds, wing dragging and wing adjusting sounds, and as a confidence decoy for birds that are hung up or otherwise reluctant to approach. 
2) use locator calls religiously at dawn and dusk to locate birds to hunt

Finally, I agree that every turkey hunter should show proper respect for every gobbler they kill and take the time to marvel over the beauty of these magnificent creatures.  To me, treating a downed gobbler callously is a sin.  To all:  Treat every gobbler you kill respectfully.  They deserve nothing less.  For me, taking adequate time to admire them, savor the moment, and take pictures is a must.

I'm sure I have missed some stuff,...perhaps more later....

[eggshell]

The things I personally will not do, and believe no turkey hunter should:
1) roost shoot birds Ditto, no will do
2) shoot birds from vehiclesDitto
3) violate state game lawsditto
4) not take all of the meat from your birdsditto
5) knowingly interfere with another hunter working a bird If I hear someone working a bird I move away immediately. This idiot only has to be shot once to learn, beside the golden rule aplies
6) take "golden BB" shots at birdsIf I had any golden BBs i wouldn't shoot them at a "take a chance and see turkey"
I'd cash them in for a new turkey gun
Things I personally will not do, but leave up to others to decide if they want to or not and without judgement:,
1) use artificial blinds to shoot birdsHeck I'm way to lazy and figitty for those things someones got to pack them
2) use rifles, where legal, for turkey huntingnever
3) shoot multiple birds on a set-upI done this once the second day of a three day hunt in Oklahoma, done it and over it. I save my other tags for another day of hunting from now on
4) shoot multiple birds with one shot (I will let gobblers walk before taking a shot where I think I might kill more than one)ditto, this a pet peeve of mine, twice I have watched people do this just because they can't have enough discipline about their shooting. Then turn and ask what do I do now? In both instances I did not do what they wanted....I'll leave that open to interpretation. One was on our farm and that dude no longer hunts there, and I took he bird and ate it, sucker! Oh it's not legal in Ohio to kill two in one day
5) sit over decoys and/or sit and randomly wait for turkeys to come byHeck ask anyone who ever hun ted with me if there ain't no turkey coming this ole boy won't sit very long, way to impatient for that. I'm moving or workin to keel sumthin

[g8rvet]

When you guys talk about not sitting for birds to walk by-what are we talking about?

Scenario 1:  Had a bird gobble away from the road my SIL was on-to the north of him was the best he could tell us.  We went to an area that he likes to travel and although we did not hear him, we sat about an hour a called every once in a while to see if he had headed towards us. he did not

Scenario 2:  had a bird about an hour after flydown gobbling his head off to me, but would not come take a peak for the hen.  So he left after gobbling for a while.  I snuck in to where he had been gobbling and only had to wait about an hour of soft calling for him to show back up looking for the earlier hen. he died

Scenario 3:  Sitting in a spot that birds have been known to travel on a small piece of property and blind calling ocassionally to see if one shows up.  Have done it a few times with no other intel and killed a bird, have done it a few  other times and heard nothing-but knowing there is a bird regularly using the area.  (We call this deer hunting a bird).  But not sitting and shooting as he walks by with no interaction (which we call bushwhacking)

No right or wrong, just curious what y'all do.

[Tail Feathers]

I won't roost shoot and I won't use mortars until the last day of the season.
Beyond that, I'm open to a lot of things.

[G squared 23]

I own a very small piece of property and have no choice but to deer hunt for turkeys.  I have like 2 spots to choose from. I don't have roost trees directly on the property, so if I was "running and gunning", my hunt would be over in 30 minutes every time when I spook the stupid things off the property.  Now if i sit in a known travel and/or strutting area, my success goes way up, but I have to wait them out. 

Using a rifle is cheating and so is TSS.  Adjustable sights or at least making sure the POA exactly matches your POI is a must.

[GobbleNut]

When you guys talk about not sitting for birds to walk by-what are we talking about?

Scenario 1:  Had a bird gobble away from the road my SIL was on-to the north of him was the best he could tell us.  We went to an area that he likes to travel and although we did not hear him, we sat about an hour a called every once in a while to see if he had headed towards us. he did not

Scenario 2:  had a bird about an hour after flydown gobbling his head off to me, but would not come take a peak for the hen.  So he left after gobbling for a while.  I snuck in to where he had been gobbling and only had to wait about an hour of soft calling for him to show back up looking for the earlier hen. he died

Scenario 3:  Sitting in a spot that birds have been known to travel on a small piece of property and blind calling ocassionally to see if one shows up.  Have done it a few times with no other intel and killed a bird, have done it a few  other times and heard nothing-but knowing there is a bird regularly using the area.  (We call this deer hunting a bird).  But not sitting and shooting as he walks by with no interaction (which we call bushwhacking)

No right or wrong, just curious what y'all do.

The key word in your examples is "interaction", which to me means having some vocal confirmation from a gobbler that he is acknowledging your (or my) calling.

Again, I recognize that people have to hunt under different conditions and circumstances.  My turkey hunting over the decades has allowed me to make the choice between sitting and waiting on a gobbler and moving and "prospecting" for a more active gobbler.  Since I have that luxury on my home turf, and also choose to hunt other places that offer the same options when at all possible, when faced with the choice of sitting or prospecting, I choose to prospect.

That is not a condemnation of another person's choice to play the sit and wait game.  Some folks have no choice but to do that because of the size of the property they have available to hunt, and I suspect there are places where the absolute best tactic is to hunt that way.  Regardless, when hunting totally silent gobblers,...and especially under the pretense that to kill them you cannot call much,...in my mind there would always be the question of whether I actually called a bird in, or just happened to have one wander by within range. 

When I hunt, I just want to, in my own mind, be able to positively confirm that I had a two-way conversation with any gobbler I kill if at all possible. 

[Happy]

I really don't care what others do so long as it's legal but for my self imposed rules are as follows.
* No blinds.
* No decoys.
* No use of fans in any manner or reaping.
* No long range shooting.
* No roost shooting.
* No rifles.
* No jakes.
* No killing of any birds I did not "beat".
If I am helping someone try and get a bird I will relax a little and allow a hen decoy but that's it and I really don't think it helps as much as it hurts and I have been lucky to not have anyone really argue with me on it. I don't care about the Jake deal with others as well. If it gets their heart rate up and they seem it a trophy then that's their call. If I were hunting with someone and they suggested any of the things listed above I would wish them well and find my own area to hunt and catch up with them later in the day after I was done hunting. I just don't want anything to do with it personally.

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