Ok I am going to start off with this gets under my skin a bit.
In videos you will see the hunter all ready to shoot with hands in shooting position and the turkey is coming in. They do a cut-away and the hunter repositions his/her hand so as to silently move the safety so it doesn't make a "click". Even read in books that describe the safety click spooking a wary gobbler. One of Bobby Dale's books has such a scenario. He even states the turkey spooked instantly and no shot was possible.
I have over 30 years experience hunting turkeys, certainly not the most but a fair amount, and have never had a turkey react to the the click or a safety. Even with hens extremely close to me. Sometimes I have taken the safety off a little ahead of time when I believed the shot was imminent, but also many times just before the shot.
That hand movement, moving it down to silently get the safety off, seems would spook a turkey way more than any click. Don't know because I have never done it.
Any of you ever have the click of a safety spook a bird. And if so did it ruin the shot.
I always click my safety off before hand. If I feels he's definitely coming in. This is obviously more dangerous and you have to make sure you go back to safe if you don't shoot. I think I subconsciously always check my safety throughout the hunt. Whenever I'm getting up to move and so forth. I haven't clicked off right in front of a bird that I can remember. I would think the movement could get you in trouble but hopefully the birds already in big trouble at that point.
I would never take that chance. Anything unnatural could spook a bird in close like that.
Depends on turkeys too.
You can get away with ALOT more on Rios and Merriams than you will Easterns or Osceola birds.
I usually already have my safety off especially if he's in eye sight... Never had this problem myself..
I lightened the safety spring on my 870's so they are still safe but got rid of that snap when pushed off. my 301, like all polk stocks can have the hammer cocked back very quiet.
I try to get the safety off ahead of time. I just make sure to keep finger out of trigger guard until ready to fire.
Interesting. I guess everyone is different. I have never taken the safety off on any animal until the time of the shot. i have taken it off and put it back on many encounters, but I have never taken it off while waiting. If my safety comes off, it's because I am about to shoot.
I cannot recall ever spooking any game disengaging the safety.
I have an older SBE2 with an pretty audible safety click.
Yes I once lost a bird when he heard the "click".
Quite amazing how fast and quick that bird went from watching his hens to bugging out in the air. No shot was possible.
I now put a drop of lube on the button before I head out. It's a temporary fix and needs to be done everytime I hunt.
Buy a gun with a thumb safety and you won't have a problem. Even if he hears a click, it's too late for him. Head down on the stock, thumb safety off, BOOM. Personally, I don't understand why most shotgun manufacturers have a safety on the trigger guard anyway. :z-twocents:
Once a bird is close enough to hear the click and we are in sight, we must remember they are thought to have 5 times our sight recognition speed. Once alerted by the click they can pick us out rite quick often times. Not that they necessarily know we are a human, but something just not rite to THEM.
Turkeys are not real smart and are mostly pretty paranoid creatures, which prolongs their survival.
The most simple answer to the click is to practice and learn how to not let it click. That tiny movement may catch his eye and stretch up his head for a great shot.
In 53 seasons and over 250 kill scenarios I have had one bird spook from the safety click and take flight. It was on public calling for a friend on the last day of season. The bird had probably been shot at before. I can't even remember a bird reacting to the click. If I am clicking the safety off he has about .5 seconds to react. However, if I see the bird approaching and know the shot is highly probable I will take the safety off before I am ready to shoot.
Quote from: bbcoach on May 01, 2024, 01:31:24 PMBuy a gun with a thumb safety and you won't have a problem. Even if he hears a click, it's too late for him. Head down on the stock, thumb safety off, BOOM. Personally, I don't understand why most shotgun manufacturers have a safety on the trigger guard anyway. :z-twocents:
Good points! However, I will add a word of caution about the thumb safety that I hadn't thought about until it burned me.
I have a Mossberg 535 Tactical Turkey. Killed every bird I fired at with it. Love it, still have it. But, it has a thumb safety AND a pistol grip. I got caught moving my hand back to the pistol grip after turning the safety off a few years ago by a gobbler and I bought a Franchi after the season(I like the pistol grip too much to go back). I have no idea why Mossberg didn't move it specifically for those dedicated turkey guns but it is something to be aware of before buying and more importantly while you're hunting. Something to be mindful of even though I realize this is a little bit of a different discussion.
Quote from: eggshell on May 02, 2024, 05:55:38 AMIf I see the bird approaching and know the shot is highly probable I will take the safety off before I am ready to shoot.
I always check my safety throughout the hunt i.e. after loading, while walking, if I took it off thinking I have a shot but it doesn't come to fruition or after I shoot and most certainly before getting up. You just never know what might happen in all the excitement!
Interesting question. Can't say I have ever been aware of a gobbler spooking from the safety click. There have been very few instances where a gobbler showed up unexpectedly where I have had to quickly hit the safety button at the last second, however. I have generally had a pretty good idea prior to a gobbler arriving that he was about to show himself, and I tend to hit that safety button while he is still far enough away that the click...or movement associated with it...is not going to be a concern.
As for the videos regularly showing "B-roll" segments of a close-up of the hunter clicking off the safety right before the trigger pull, I always more or less chuckle at those video cuts to show that...and ask "why?". I know darn well that pretty much every one of those fellows clicked that safety off long before that "cut" to show it! Of course, I know the "why" is because of the long-time idea of selling safety consciousness to hunters that seems to be a standard practice in just about all hunting videos.
Now, that is okay...and perhaps needed for some folks, but for those of us that have been hunting for more years than we might care to admit, it has just become repetitively unnecessary. On the other hand, I suppose it is better to have it repeated over and over again in videos than for it not to be shown...and emphasized...at all. :icon_thumright:
I was with my 9 year old in Texas this March. I was behind him and facing off to the side and he was in control of the gun. A dozen hens were about 25 yards from us and the gobbler about 35 yards. Once the gobbler was clear of the hens, I told him to take the shot. He did and got the turkey. I thought it was the perfect hunt and nothing went wrong until I rewatched the video.
I happened to be filming with my phone. Rewatching the video, you can clearly hear him click the safety off (very loud on video) the closest 2 hens popped their heads up and 1 putted. They turned around and started walking away from us as well as the gobbler. Luckily he was able to get the shot off but we learned a valuable lesson that day. From the time he clicked the safety off to his shot was probably 2-3 seconds, much longer and I'm not sure it would have worked out.
I sit down, undo my front sling clip and lay the slack sling behind me, then take the safety off. When I'm ready to leave I set the safety, clip the sling, and I'm off. Maybe this is the wrong way of doing it, but I keep the gun in a safe direction and finger off the trigger until I want to fire at something. If you're hunting over decoys in a field it wouldn't be any issue to leave the safety on until you see a bird, but in the timber where he could be 5 yards from you I like to avoid movement as much as possible.
Watched a Jake clearly spook and was shifting gears when my dad popped off the safety on an 1187. He made a heck of a shot just before the bird disappeared below the crest of the ridge.
Interesting replies.
Taking the safety off well before a shot and sitting there with the gun off safe would be uncomfortable for me. jimmyg97, sorry but I would be uncomfortable hunting with you doing that. I have set up on a gobbler and sat for as long as an hour or more, don't want to have my gun off safe that long.
That said I do take the safety off for a short period of time if I think a shot is imminent. Same with big game like deer with a rifle or xbow. On upland or waterfowl the safety comes up as the gun is mounted, even when approaching a pointed upland bird or seeing the ducks are going to decoy in good.
I have never experienced a bird spook from a safety click or trigger being pulled back (I use to hunt with a single shot trigger gun). Of the 3 sub-species I have hunted, what I killed the most are Easterns and 90% public. Those that say the "click" spooked the bird I have to wonder if the gun wasn't moved a bit or adjusted as the safety was pushed off. Once the gun is mounted there is so little movement involved in taking the safety off (or even pulling a trigger back) I just don't see that spooking a bird, Especially when crouched in the classic shooting position. Maybe raising a turkey's head, but not an all out spook. The true spook I would think comes from the muzzle waving about or shooter adjusting slightly. Move a gun an inch at the breach and the muzzle moves considerably more at the end. Plus many times the shooter will adjust their aim just before the shot and as the safety comes off.
That click spooking a turkey can happen I guess. IME it is so rare I don't worry about it.
Quote from: GobbleNut on May 02, 2024, 09:40:49 AMAs for the videos regularly showing "B-roll" segments of a close-up of the hunter clicking off the safety right before the trigger pull, I always more or less chuckle at those video cuts to show that...and ask "why?". I know darn well that pretty much every one of those fellows clicked that safety off long before that "cut" to show it! Of course, I know the "why" is because of the long-time idea of selling safety consciousness to hunters that seems to be a standard practice in just about all hunting videos.
Jim, that could be one reason the vid guys do it. Just so silly really. I have thought it was because hunting is really NOT a spectator sport, its mostly boring unless one is there involved in it. So I thought the b-roll safety shot was to wake up the viewer to sort of say..."Hey wake up, we're gonna kill this thing." :)
Quote from: Ihuntoldschool on May 01, 2024, 12:01:54 PMYou can get away with ALOT more on Rios and Merriams than you will Easterns or Osceola birds.
This statement is worth mentioning again for those who have never hunted Merriam's gobblers (or Gould's). In general, they are much more tolerant of movement and are much slower to react to it. I have seen exceptions to this statement, but those instances have been very rare.
Regarding Rio's, my experience is that they are kind-of intermediate in their reaction time between Easterns and Merriam's. I have had them flush immediately when close and alarmed...and I have also seen them hesitate a bit longer.
Easterns, in particular, are a different breed in their lack of tolerance for any kind of movement or unexpected noise when they are close, though. Screw up on an Eastern when he is close...and he will be gone in an instant in most cases. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rules when engaging any of the subspecies "up close and personal". :D
Quote from: Treerooster on May 02, 2024, 12:05:22 PMQuote from: GobbleNut on May 02, 2024, 09:40:49 AMAs for the videos regularly showing "B-roll" segments of a close-up of the hunter clicking off the safety right before the trigger pull, I always more or less chuckle at those video cuts to show that...and ask "why?". I know darn well that pretty much every one of those fellows clicked that safety off long before that "cut" to show it! Of course, I know the "why" is because of the long-time idea of selling safety consciousness to hunters that seems to be a standard practice in just about all hunting videos.
Jim, that could be one reason the vid guys do it. Just so silly really. I have thought it was because hunting is really NOT a spectator sport, its mostly boring unless one is there involved in it. So I thought the b-roll safety shot was to wake up the viewer to sort of say..."Hey wake up, we're gonna kill this thing." :)
:TooFunny: Good point! ...Maybe that's the REAL purpose... ;D
Quote from: Treerooster on May 02, 2024, 12:00:21 PMInteresting replies.
Taking the safety off well before a shot and sitting there with the gun off safe would be uncomfortable for me. jimmyg97, sorry but I would be uncomfortable hunting with you doing that. I have set up on a gobbler and sat for as long as an hour or more, don't want to have my gun off safe that long.
That said I do take the safety off for a short period of time if I think a shot is imminent. Same with big game like deer with a rifle or xbow. On upland or waterfowl the safety comes up as the gun is mounted, even when approaching a pointed upland bird or seeing the ducks are going to decoy in good.
I have never experienced a bird spook from a safety click or trigger being pulled back (I use to hunt with a single shot trigger gun). Of the 3 sub-species I have hunted, what I killed the most are Easterns and 90% public. Those that say the "click" spooked the bird I have to wonder if the gun wasn't moved a bit or adjusted as the safety was pushed off. Once the gun is mounted there is so little movement involved in taking the safety off (or even pulling a trigger back) I just don't see that spooking a bird, Especially when crouched in the classic shooting position. Maybe raising a turkey's head, but not an all out spook. The true spook I would think comes from the muzzle waving about or shooter adjusting slightly. Move a gun an inch at the breach and the muzzle moves considerably more at the end. Plus many times the shooter will adjust their aim just before the shot and as the safety comes off.
That click spooking a turkey can happen I guess. IME it is so rare I don't worry about it.
Understandable, I believe modern guns are inherently safe and will not go off unless the trigger is pulled. As long as you follow the ten commandments of firearm safety, I think it's ok and safe to take the safety off when I sit down. Now if someone was walking through the woods with their gun slung over their shoulder with the safety off I would be wary as well. Wouldn't take much for a stick or twig to get in the trigger guard.
So, some of you guys disengage the safety before even seeing the turkey?
Ex: you hear some walking in the leaves 10 minutes after calling and take the safety off?
I always like to put pressure on the opposite side of the safety as I am sliding/pushing it to fire, keeps the audible click down. I have never spooked a turkey with my safety, and I typically move it to fire once the bird is very close to firing range.
Quote from: Sixes on May 02, 2024, 05:07:32 PMSo, some of you guys disengage the safety before even seeing the turkey?
Ex: you hear some walking in the leaves 10 minutes after calling and take the safety off?
I didn't get the impression anyone was talking about getting ready to shoot something from the sound of walking in the leaves, or even getting ready to. There are plenty of scenarios where a hunter knows a gobbler is coming, or thinks he is very likely coming, and can't get a shot yet.
I've seen gobblers get alleted from from a loud safety click ,enough for me to adopt the practice of sliding the safety over with my thumb one side and pointer on the other slowly easing it in to off , the chances of spooking a gobbler fall mainly from head movement at the wrong ...wrong time...been there sooo many times
Alot of times they come in so fast I don't even remember instinctively letting the safety off
I don't like the sound of the click.. I either use my index finger on one side and my thumb on the other side to slide off the safety. I can also keep my index(trigger finger) straight and slide off the safety by pushing it with the palm side of the first joint. Slides it slow and no click. Works on my 870 and my SA 28.
Once I sit on a responding gobbler, and he has committed, safety off well before he can hear it. Never had an issue here.
I had one that was coming hard and fast only to turn tail and run when I clicked the safety and he was still 70-80 yards. That's been 20+ years ago and I learned a lesson about that.
Quote from: Gooserbat on May 03, 2024, 10:21:51 AMI had one that was coming hard and fast only to turn tail and run when I clicked the safety and he was still 70-80 yards. That's been 20+ years ago and I learned a lesson about that.
X2 I agree, regardless I'm not going to let the click of a safety spook a gobbler after I've hunted him and he gave me the opportunity for the shot..
I have hunted public grounds with some degree of pressure, and have hunted private grounds with less pressure... I have yet to see a bird react to the "click" of the safety. However, I do not have a loud safety... And, I usually pinch off the safety to stay even more quiet (as I am just naturally in quiet mode while hunting turkeys).
I feel that talking and whispering is far more deleterious than the gun safety going off... Sure, plenty of birds still come in with quiet whispering, but I feel there are other birds that would have shown, that do not.
I know that it is a lot easier to get a bird in range hunting by myself... Less movement to see, and it is difficult to sit in silence all day with a partner.
I would think that the "click" of the safety would make them periscope their head for an instant?
I am the most unsafe hunter out there.
When I set up: leaves/sticks/ rocks out from under my setting area. Set. Sling off. Red dot on.
When "I" am confident the turkey is closing distance to me: Safety is off!
Could be 150, 100 or what ever yards. I have never had a turkey hear my safety go to fire.
I do check it, holy cow I would like to know how many times I do check it. It's continuous.
I do much prefer the thumb safety but the above post about the steady grip stock does raise my eyebrow a tad.
I mainly hunt with a single shot 20 without a safety these days, so no issues there. When I do hunt with a gun that has a safety, I click it off ahead of time if I feel he is coming in. If he doesn't, I just put the safety back on.
I really like the tang safety. He can be 5 yards and a well oiled tang sliding safer isn't going to spook. Even if it does, he dies.
If I'm using one of the many others with sliding safety in the trigger assembly, then I try to use 2 fingers to push it and hold back pressure on it. I don't overthink it though. If he gets in range I just put the sites on his head, click the safety and pull the trigger. Been at it 30 years and killed over 100 and never spooked one with a safety.
I use mossberg's for turkey hunting and that tang safety is the way to go in my opinion. But with that being said, "A safety is a mechanical device that can sometimes fail". I don't put much stock in the safety and I handle the gun with the assumption that the safety doesn't work anyway. With that being said, my gun is always in a safe line of fire regardless of whether I'm carrying it or waiting on a gobbler. Another thing that I do is not pick the gun up until I shoot. The sitting in front of a tree with your gun on your knees never made sense to me. Since i started turkey hunting as a kid, I've always sat BEHIND a bush, tree, log, whatever, on my knees, with the gun lying diagonal in front of me, stock by my right leg, barrel in front of my left leg, when the gobbler gets in range, I raise the gun up, put the bead on the head, slip the safety off and boom. I've never had one spook from me raising the gun or taking the safety off.
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Most of the time when you see that shot built into the video it's being used as a cutaway to either speed up the hunt or allow the editor to cut out some janky footage. Camera guys that film hunts for tv are constantly having to level their tripods, focus lenses, change batteries, and make sure they are hidden when filming hunts.
The other reason you'll see it is if the gun manufacturer or optic manufacturer is a sponsor of the show. If you see a big logo on shots like this they are probably showing their sponsors some love. IMO those kinds of shots take away from the hunt and there are better ways to promote a sponsor.
I can't tell you why anyone would want to wait to click their safety off once the turkey's in range though. Seems like you are asking to get busted by doing that.
I cannot imagine waiting until the last second to take the safety off.
As soon as a turkey gives me an indication he's closing distance or I suspect he may be sneaking in silent I take my safety off and rest my trigger finger on the side of the receiver.
It's a situational decision for me that may result in the safety being off for 1 minute, 5 minutes or 45 minutes. As long as the gun is pointed in a safe direction, you're in a static position and your finger is isolated away from the trigger, there isn't a safety issue.
To each their own, though.
My gun doesn't have a safety, so........
No issues.
My safety is loud as . It has definitely stopped/spooked a turkey. I pop it when I can tell they are coming or I can hear the rattle.
Quote from: Kyle_Ott on May 11, 2024, 07:23:30 PMI cannot imagine waiting until the last second to take the safety off.
As soon as a turkey gives me an indication he's closing distance or I suspect he may be sneaking in silent I take my safety off and rest my trigger finger on the side of the receiver.
It's a situational decision for me that may result in the safety being off for 1 minute, 5 minutes or 45 minutes. As long as the gun is pointed in a safe direction, you're in a static position and your finger is isolated away from the trigger, there isn't a safety issue.
To each their own, though.
Bingo. If the bird is headed my direction, it's game on, and the safety is off.
If the gobbles start moving farther away, safety back on.
I have no problem pushing the saftey off on my 870 without making a sound. I'm wondering why y'all making the loud clicking sound with your safety's lol.
If they're in tight a safety click or red dot glare will both absolutely scare a gobbler, seen it happen a few times. Don't think any of those birds got away though.
Quote from: lalongbeard75 on May 24, 2024, 10:30:36 AMI have no problem pushing the saftey off on my 870 without making a sound. I'm wondering why y'all making the loud clicking sound with your safety's lol.
Agree. Guess it depends on your gun but my old 870's trigger safety is inaudible. I learned from wing shooting as a kid that you never take a safety off until the moment right before you shoot, so that's how I've always done it. It's like second nature, I don't even think about it.
Quote from: Kyle_Ott on May 11, 2024, 07:23:30 PMI cannot imagine waiting until the last second to take the safety off.
As soon as a turkey gives me an indication he's closing distance or I suspect he may be sneaking in silent I take my safety off and rest my trigger finger on the side of the receiver.
It's a situational decision for me that may result in the safety being off for 1 minute, 5 minutes or 45 minutes. As long as the gun is pointed in a safe direction, you're in a static position and your finger is isolated away from the trigger, there isn't a safety issue.
To each their own, though.
This is pretty much how I approach taking my safety off. I've never liked the idea of having a perfect shot, squeezing the trigger and have nothing happen because it was still on. But I don't take the safety off until I see him or he's on his way and the finger stays outside the guard.
Quote from: jimmyg97 on May 02, 2024, 04:39:35 PMI believe modern guns are inherently safe and will not go off unless the trigger is pulled.
I have twice seen guns go off without the trigger being pulled or touched. Once a gun fell in a duck blind, and the other time, someone dropped their gun while on a truck. The truck incident was scary, the blind incident terrifying. Now, it is possible that the trigger caught something that caused those guns to go off... Especially in the blind... The truck, I watched it happen (I was not part of the group), and I did not see anything that was near the trigger when it went off.
I have also twice seen guns discharge while being taken off a quad, and I am now always nervous when the barrel of a gun on a quad comes past me... (Obviously the trigger was engaged with careless removal).
If the firing pin gets banged and hits the primer, the gun will go off...
When I am wing-shooting the safety comes off as I am shouldering the gun. When I am turkey hunting, it comes off when I feel a shot is imminent, and the gun is shouldered and in position. If my gun is not shouldered and ready, the safety NEVER comes off. I have low-gun shouldered to shoot several turkeys, and that safety comes off as I am shouldering, and NOT before.
There is an aspect of anticipation with taking the safety off... I think we are to a certain degree trying to convince ourselves that the bird is coming in, and that taking the safety off somehow makes it feel more likely to happen... We take the safety off cause part of our brains say "well now that the safety is off, he HAS to come in!"
Generally, if I am on the bird with the gun shouldered, and he is under 80 yards, I will pinch that safety and quietly take it off when he moves behind an obstruction... As I stated above, I am in stealth mode when turkey hunting... I have shot 870's, Benelli's, Berretta's, and if you pinch that safety while taking it off, I cannot believe a bird will hear it... You do not need to "pop" that safety off... I think some people like hearing the "click" though...
If i can hear drumming, the safety comes off....if it dont work out I put it back on. Its that simple. Not enough opportunity anymore to lose any chance i get....The real safety is my finger and my brain. No i dont walk around with the safety off...but im not clicking it off with a turkey down the barrel....unless he somehow slipped in on me and i didnt know he was there which has happened.
Quote from: Kyle_Ott on May 11, 2024, 07:23:30 PMI cannot imagine waiting until the last second to take the safety off.
As soon as a turkey gives me an indication he's closing distance or I suspect he may be sneaking in silent I take my safety off and rest my trigger finger on the side of the receiver.
It's a situational decision for me that may result in the safety being off for 1 minute, 5 minutes or 45 minutes. As long as the gun is pointed in a safe direction, you're in a static position and your finger is isolated away from the trigger, there isn't a safety issue.
To each their own, though.
Bingo, pretty much this^^^^
I'm sitting, the gun is static and pointed toward nobody and my finger is out of the trigger guard. What could possibly happen? I see no positive reason to wait until the last second.
marc relayed a couple of scenarios where guns went off but they were both dropped.
Walking, or in a blind with others always requires the safety to be on. What's more, there's never any risk of lost game. It takes .5 seconds to click the safety off while performing the 1 second it takes to shoulder. There is zero benefit to having the safety off. Turkeys sometimes sneak in quietly but nobody holds the stock to their shoulder anticipating a landing goose. The position and behavior of the hunters in each scenario are totally different.
You know what's truly silly? In my home state of MA, I'm legally required to fasten a green hunt safely sticker on my shotgun so that it's visible sighting down the barrel. How utterly stupid.
(https://nchuntandfish.com/forums/data/attachments/65/65341-c317dd46693f57028a0ca2cda0ce19e4.jpg)
I've got a few guns with different safeties. Two Mossbergs (835, 930) a Rem 870 and a single shot (hammer) Stevens 301. I "ease" the safeties off on all of them...never a "click". Generally I'll ease it off when a shot is relatively imminent although I have done so a few times when a bird was right there. Never had a problem.
Maybe it's just me, but it seems that some think a turkey has almost supernatural powers. In my experience, you can get away with a lot on a turkey provided it's done correctly. The safety doesn't come off till right before the shot on my gun. Being scared to death to move has probably saved as many turkeys as it's killed.
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I learned as a young boy how to silently disengage the safety on all types of guns, and in over 40 years I have never made a safety "click" while hunting. With the 870 or Weatherby....thumb on one side and index finger cushioning the other. With a mossberg...slide it with the meat of your thumb and cushion with the tip of your thumb.
If I think that gobbler is about to enter the red zone, I silently take my safety off or cock the hammer and wait for him to present a shot. I've never purposely waited until the last second to take the safety off.
Quote from: Happy on March 05, 2025, 07:53:37 AMMaybe it's just me, but it seems that some think a turkey has almost supernatural powers. In my experience, you can get away with a lot on a turkey provided it's done correctly. The safety doesn't come off till right before the shot on my gun. Being scared to death to move has probably saved as many turkeys as it's killed.
Agree...although there has been a time or two (or three) when I thought I could get away with something and the gobbler proved me wrong! ;D
As for the topic at hand, it seems to me if one knows his weapon, he will be aware of any "idiosyncrasies" associated with it, including any tendency for loud safety clicks, or loading noises, etc. and adjust his timing on doing "stuff" that might spook a gobbler accordingly. Simply stated, in this game of turkey hunting, one either learns to do things at a certain time in each encounter with a gobbler...or one will end up carrying a dead gobbler out of the woods much less often than he would otherwise.
Then again, some of us have demonstrated the tendency to be slow learners apparently... ;D :angel9:
Quote from: HookedonHooks on May 25, 2024, 07:07:51 AMIf they're in tight a safety click or red dot glare will both absolutely scare a gobbler, seen it happen a few times. Don't think any of those birds got away though.
I'm glad this post was revisited,I missed it the first time.
Definitely yes on the red dot glare it happened to me on more than one occasion. With the gun on my knee, in a safe direction. I've learned to keep my hand on my dot while the bird is coming in. My other hand, thumb is on the safety. However, as we like to say safety is no accident. I wait to I see him and in range to shoot.
2 MB, one 835 & one 500 20ga, top safety's. They are both easy safety's to work.
I do have a o/u 20ga Stevens w/fiber sights. I won't even load it until I'm at the base of a tree. If I'm alone walking, I'll keep it loaded in the ready position. That has a thumb safety as well and easy to work.
A new 410 Henry was sighted in yesterday. I did have noise canceling ear muffs on. When cocking, That hammer is loud! I may consider taking that one off a little sooner.
Hunt Safe all
Ha! I had a buddy of mine tell me that I'd never kill a gobbler with those yellow stripes showing on my LaCrosse rubber boots....I told him..."if that gobbler sees those yellow stripes....he's already dead"...I have 40 years worth of photos to prove it! LOL...
Being an old trap shooter I like to yell "PULLLLL" before I shoot a gobbler, that's a fine time to click the safety off. My yell hides the click. :funnyturkey: Sorry I guess I have spent too much time in the G.O.A.T.S. thread being harassed by JeffC.....
Quote from: eggshell on March 05, 2025, 04:17:48 PMBeing an old trap shooter I like to yell "PULLLLL" before I shoot a gobbler, that's a fine time to click the safety off. My yell hides the click. :funnyturkey: Sorry I guess I have spent too much time in the G.O.A.T.S. thread being harassed by JeffC.....
:TooFunny:
Quote from: Happy on March 05, 2025, 07:53:37 AMBeing scared to death to move has probably saved as many turkeys as it's killed.
We are indoctrinated as turkey hunters to hold still at all costs... Even at the cost of not getting the bird. :help:
In more recent years, I am no longer afraid to make that move... If he is in good range, and likley leaving, I WILL move the gun to him... Even if it is a low gun.
Two seasons ago, I made a series of calls, with no response, and sat down to eat lunch... Gun on the ground next to me, sandwich in hand (and mouth), here comes a quiet tom from behind the brush line at 20 yards... I froze for a minute, he got nervous, and I switched my sandwhich to my gun. ;D
But I have taken out a couple of poeple, who have let birds in good range simply walk away, cause they did not want to move on it.
I never really had problem taking off,where it started was putting a redot on and moving my head over sight and trying to keep bird in the scope
Quote from: Marc on March 05, 2025, 06:40:40 PMQuote from: Happy on March 05, 2025, 07:53:37 AMBeing scared to death to move has probably saved as many turkeys as it's killed.
We are indoctrinated as turkey hunters to hold still at all costs... Even at the cost of not getting the bird. :help:
In more recent years, I am no longer afraid to make that move... If he is in good range, and likley leaving, I WILL move the gun to him... Even if it is a low gun.
This works. If in above situation as you move your gun SLOWLY...no quick stuff...yelp on your mouth call. It confuses him and generally all he'll do is that head bobbing but not go bananas. Has led to the demise of a few.
Quote from: Turkeyman on March 06, 2025, 07:36:51 AMQuote from: Marc on March 05, 2025, 06:40:40 PMQuote from: Happy on March 05, 2025, 07:53:37 AMBeing scared to death to move has probably saved as many turkeys as it's killed.
We are indoctrinated as turkey hunters to hold still at all costs... Even at the cost of not getting the bird. :help:
In more recent years, I am no longer afraid to make that move... If he is in good range, and likley leaving, I WILL move the gun to him... Even if it is a low gun.
This works. If in above situation as you move your gun SLOWLY...no quick stuff...yelp on your mouth call. It confuses him and generally all he'll do is that head bobbing but not go bananas. Has led to the demise of a few.
I have found that much of how a gobbler reacts to movement depends a lot on the individual gobbler. I have had plenty of occasions over the years when I was completely out of position when a gobbler showed up unexpectedly and had no choice but to make a move...either slow or fast...to have a chance at him. In some of those instances, the gobbler flushed immediately. In others, they more or less just stood there while I moved the gun into position and summarily dispatched them.
I will say this, though. From my personal experience with the subspecies, the one that is least likely to stand and look and let you shoot at him is the Eastern, followed by Osceola's...at least where I have hunted them. At the other extreme are Merriam's and Goulds, which will often let you get away with significant movement...but not always...again, depends on the individual bird. Rio's have been a crapshoot...sometimes spooking immediately, and sometimes just standing there.
In the end, though, it seems each individual gobbler can be unpredictable as to how he is going to react to movement...so it is best to err on the cautious side with all of them. Regardless, you will very quickly be aware if the one in front of you is a "stander and looker" or a "flusher and flyer" if you make a move that they take note of... ;D :D
I have found that the distance between you and them is a big factor. They have a survival reaction zone that will trigger an immediate departure. For easterns that around 20 to 25 yards. However, like Gobblennut said it varies by bird. If I am moving a gun to a bird that is getting antsy I don't hesitate or try a slow creeping move. I will smoothly move my gun in a fluid and steady way to a shooting position. Jerky and sudden is bad, a predator makes sudden attacks. A slow creeping move will just draw his attention and he'll take off before you can get a bead on him. If a make a good smooth quick move and he starts to leave I may still get a good parting shot. I have killed my share that were just getting out of dodge, but didn't react quick enough. I think some of my old grouse hunting experiences have paid off in acquiring a target fast and getting a good aim. I agree, the Merriams are most likely to stand and look at you. The Rios I have hunted seem to be a bit more spooky but not a lot. Know an old eastern with years of hunter experience will spook if you blink too much or fart too loud at 50 yards. I blew a chance at an old legend a couple years ago because I though I could get away with simply tucking down on my stock for a final bead alignment as he ws on his way in at 50-60 yards, nope he caught the slight movement and ran. Still I have had others stand and look, most 2-3 year olds.
Quote from: GobbleNut on March 06, 2025, 09:41:01 AMI will say this, though. From my personal experience with the subspecies, the one that is least likely to stand and look and let you shoot at him is the Eastern, followed by Osceola's...at least where I have hunted them. At the other extreme are Merriam's and Goulds, which will often let you get away with significant movement...but not always...again, depends on the individual bird. Rio's have been a crapshoot...sometimes spooking immediately, and sometimes just standing there.
In the end, though, it seems each individual gobbler can be unpredictable as to how he is going to react to movement...so it is best to err on the cautious side with all of them. Regardless, you will very quickly be aware if the one in front of you is a "stander and looker" or a "flusher and flyer" if you make a move that they take note of... ;D :D
Having limited experience with different subspecies that is interesting information. Guess I made (the incorrect) assumption that behavior is similar in this aspect... That'll teach me to make assumptions...
When I am going to shoot, I tend to make the move quickly (unless the bird is turned away, or I think that he cannot see me well)... I know it will happen, but as of yet, I have not had a bird bugger out before I can make a clean shot on him. When I make the decision, it is probably 0.5 seconds for me to move/shoot. I tend to make this shot more like wing-shooting (i.e. pointing) than sighting down the barrel and aiming as I normally would for a turkey...
Terrain and hunting pressure also likely influence this behavior...
My tendency to never be ready when a bird comes in, or to ALWAYS be facing the wrong direction, is one of the big reasons I do not switch to optics. :goofball: I do not feel I could move/shoot as quickly and/or effectively with optics on the gun.
My safety doesn't come off until I'm ready to shoot. If a bird hears that little bit of sound , then my hat is off to that bird has he walk away..
Is it a turkey hunter thing to be overly cautious with manual safeties? I do a lot of shooting in other contexts, and safeties aren't often used outside of storage or travel. Just don't have your booger picker on the bang button until you are ready to shoot.
Quote from: Penguin907 on March 10, 2025, 11:50:48 AMIs it a turkey hunter thing to be overly cautious with manual safeties? I do a lot of shooting in other contexts, and safeties aren't often used outside of storage or travel. Just don't have your booger picker on the bang button until you are ready to shoot.
I shoot dove, quail, ducks, geese, some skeet and sporting clays and my safety is on until a millisecond before the shot. It is not even a conscious decision - it is liking tracking a flying bird, it is just muscle memory at this point. I do the same turkey hunting. I can think of very few cases, if any, where my safety came off that I did not fire the gun.
Now, with pistols? Especially protection and striker fires - no safeties.
Quote from: g8rvet on March 10, 2025, 12:56:31 PMQuote from: Penguin907 on March 10, 2025, 11:50:48 AMIs it a turkey hunter thing to be overly cautious with manual safeties? I do a lot of shooting in other contexts, and safeties aren't often used outside of storage or travel. Just don't have your booger picker on the bang button until you are ready to shoot.
I do not think it is a turkey hunting thing... I have never hunted anything with the safety off... Triggers can catch on brush, vests, anything sticking out in a duck blind, etc... I have seen accidental discharges removing guns from a quad, falling, etc... Turkey hunting is probably the most dangerous... I have crawled on the ground, through brush, grass, etc. to make a strategic move to an unseen bird. When my gun goes off, it is because I want it to.
For most of my wing-shooting, or any hunting I do, I would not feel comfortable hunting with someone not using a safety. I have no issue walking through the woods with a loaded gun (as some turkey hunters do not), but the safety is on.
Muzzle control/direction is the most important thing about gun safety, but using the safety on a gun while hunting has no disadvantage, but not using one has the potential for a catastrophic consequences.
Quote from: g8rvet on March 10, 2025, 12:56:31 PMI shoot dove, quail, ducks, geese, some skeet and sporting clays and my safety is on until a millisecond before the shot. It is not even a conscious decision - it is liking tracking a flying bird, it is just muscle memory at this point. I do the same turkey hunting. I can think of very few cases, if any, where my safety came off that I did not fire the gun.
I agree... Same for me... Safety comes off with the gun mount unconsciously... It takes no extra time or effort, and is ingrained muscle memory for me.
I have been known to take that safety off on an approaching turkey with my gun shouldered/ready, before he is in range... Might wait for him to get behind a rock or tree, and hit the safety to avoid unnecessary movement/sound... But honestly, it is more of an "anticipation" reaction. I can (very) quietly pinch that safety off with very little motion... I suppose it is something in my brain that says "now that I have turned the safety off, I am going to shoot for sure!"
Quote from: Old Gobbler on May 02, 2024, 08:52:55 PMI've seen gobblers get alleted from from a loud safety click ,enough for me to adopt the practice of sliding the safety over with my thumb one side and pointer on the other slowly easing it in to off , the chances of spooking a gobbler fall mainly from head movement at the wrong ...wrong time...been there sooo many times
Alot of times they come in so fast I don't even remember instinctively letting the safety off
I have always done it this way, just instinct I guess. Never lost a bird to " the click" Z