We've talked a bit about days hunted this spring and that got me to thinking about how far I walked in my daily hunts this year. I've definitely slowed down some as the years have added up, but I figured that I probably walked an average of about three miles a day this spring, and the most I walked was roughly five miles on one hunt. In the large expanses of public land I mostly hunt...expanses in which the turkey flocks are often scattered apart by significant distances...it is just a given that a guy has to cover some ground sometimes to get into gobblers.
That three-mile average this spring is down considerably from most springs, even recent ones. It wasn't all that long ago that I would easily put in 5+ miles a day. Then again, some of the decrease this spring was due to my good fortune of running into cooperative gobblers without having to walk those extra miles to find them.
...Just curious as to how far others here end up walking during your hunts?...
According to my phone fitness app, I averaged about 4 miles a day on public land and under 2 miles per day on private.
Similar to you I usually hunt large expanses of public land and my daily distances are directly related to success or time devoted to setups on individual birds. However, if gobbling activity is low on average I will be walking five or six miles per day.
My best guess would be 4-5 miles per day. I have one spot that is a 2.8 mile walk in, so that puts the average off a bit. But I also have a spot that is a half mile round trip that I hunt with my wife, so it all averages out. Z
My scouting missions is where I get some serious steps in. Probably anywhere 5/7 miles, but not on the same tract. A couple here, drive, a few there etc, etc. Hunting days never more than 3, only because I run out of real estate.
Quote from: TrackeySauresRex on July 16, 2024, 07:52:40 AMMy scouting missions is where I get some serious steps in. Probably anywhere 5/7 miles, but not on the same tract. A couple here, drive, a few there etc, etc. Hunting days never more than 3, only because I run out of real estate.
+1
I know the territory well enuf and the parking area are plentiful
Whenever I check it by GPS, it is generally around 5-7 miles a day for most places I frequent. I do have some runs I make on public though that will push me beyond ten miles a day. The body knows it more and more each year due to age as the land being hunted is very steep terrain.
One of the biggest reasons I push hard to hunt turkeys is as much for the exercise as well as getting to see some beautiful views every day.
If I am hunting public land it is usually between 3 to 5 miles. Because of the nature of the private piece I have access to hunt, not very far, I would say less than half a mile
My Garmin watch recorded over 50 miles in about 12-15 days of scouting and hunting. One day was 24,000 steps if I remember correctly
It varies a lot depending on when and where I'm hunting. A lot of my trips I'm averaging 5-6 miles a day. Getting off night shift and hunting a couple hours before going to bed sometimes I'm only walking around 1-1.5 miles
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I only kept track of the days I hunted opening week out west when a friend was out with me, we did 79 miles and change in 5 full days and a morning, that didn't count the extra 4 plus I did going back for my jacket and keys one day :-[
Had a couple 20 mile days and a shorty on the half day.
In the Midwest I would estimate the average at 5 plus, of course a lot of days when I kill one quickly I won't cover a mile, one bird this year I walked a total of 300 yds!
My Mom always asks me to track my whole year, one of these days I will.
I'll be conservative here, 3-5 miles per day. I do have one spot (on the favorite list) that is a 3.5 mile walk in and out. I really enjoy when I hit this spot for sure.....
I average around 2 miles up to 7. I hunt almost all private that I can drive to withing a quarter mile of any given point, so I typically don't walk a lot. I used to park at the gate and walk it all and average 5-7 miles a day, but I am an old fart now and I tire much easier. I feel like I earned the right to be a bit lazy.
First day; 400 yards
Second day; 2 miles
Third day; 400 yards
First day about 50 yards
Second day about 60 yards
Done finished tagged out ...
Up Before daylight several mornings with listening, scouting and not pressuring the turkeys until the season opened.
My range was around 3-9 miles with an average of 6 miles a hunt
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It definitely varies from year to year, but 8 miles seems to be an average.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I hunt Agricultural land and i don't even need to walk more than a few hundred yards back and forth...
Turkey hunting is not the hunt where I walk the most.
It's hard for me to say. A lot of mine are straight up or straight down. On areas I know well, I usually don't travel far at all.
Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk
My mileage is all over the place and depends on a multitude of factors.
-How long I have to hunt that day: Before work hunts I'm not going to be walking near as far as an all-day hunt.
-Private vs public land: My public land spots around home typically require a bit more walking than my private land spots. I have a couple public spots that are 2+ miles one way. Average spot being ~0.75 miles. None of my private spots are more than a mile one way.
-Season timing: Early season I try to pick off the birds closer to roads/access before others get them or they get really pressured.
-Infrastructure: If the infrastructure allows me to "listen" to a lot of ground, I may do as much riding and listening/calling as walking.
-Species/Geographic Location: Some species/locations i'm more efficient covering ground by truck rather than pounding miles and miles on foot.
All the above considered... An "average" before work hunt would probably be 1.5-2 miles. An average day hunt ~5 miles. With some major outliers at both ends. An average day of hunting while traveling would be higher than my local days.
If you can hunt and walk 1 to 2 miles before work... You have a lot of time before work!
In the national forest 3-5 miles is common. On private land not so much. Bird #2 this past spring was killed about 200 yards from the truck.
I keep track of every hunt each spring. This year it was 158 miles walked while hunting not including scouting. Average about 3 miles a day but some days I walked a total of one mile some days 6-7, depending on where I am hunting.