This will be my 2nd turkey season and I still have a super high learning curve on turky hunting do's and don'ts. I often tend to learn things the hard way. I what is the biggest mistake "greenhorn" turkey hunters often make. Examples may be calling to often, calling too loud, setting up a tom rather than jake decoy, possibly wrong type of turkey call, etc.
Great question, not only for beginners, but for all of us. I screw up every year and learn something new every year.
Each hunt is situation specific, sometimes the gobbler is fired up and you need to call more than usual to keep his interest and bring him in, other times that style of calling will drive a bird out of the county. You need to be able to read the bird's mood rather quickly once you strike him.
Another mistake is about moving on a bird. You need to know when to stay put and when to move on him. A good rule of thumb I use is once I think about moving to wait another half an hour to see what happens. I know that I get impatient easily, so I have to fight that. I have a buddy that will sit in one spot all day long. Both of us kill birds, but sometimes moving is the answer and other times it is not.
Decoys, oh man. When they work they are AWESOME! I decoyed two birds last year and had two see them and turn around and run. I think the mistake beginners make is thinking they NEED decoys. They are a tool, just like a screwdriver makes a poor hammer, decoys make poor fix all turkey hunting equipment. I like to go conservative with decoys, hen and a jake. If I use a strutter, I make it a jake strutter. I think I get the same dominance challenge, but subdominant birds are less likely to turn and run. You also need to have an idea of the birds you are hunting, is there a truly dominant bird you are after? That strutter may be the ticket, but if one of his buddies comes in that is tired of getting beat, well, at least you have a pretty decoy to look at!! I've killed many more birds without decoys, but I own several, so I'm still torn!
I don't think you can have the wrong type of call, but you should have a variety, maybe a pot call or two with different surfaces, couple mouth calls, and a box to find what he seems to like. Tomorrow may be different, so I like variety.
There's my two cents!
SETUP: Often you don't have but a few moments to choose a place to set up, but it can be the key factor in killing a turkey or not. No matter how much time you have, always analyze your surroundings.
*If possible choose a background wider than your outline (tree, stump, log, etc.).
*Make sure no trees or saplings will limit your ability to swing your gun left or right.
*Try to not sit in the direct sunlight.
*Consider slightly cheating towards your dominant side when you position your gun in relation to the turkey. If you are right handed it is easier and more natural to ease gun left if the turkey goes left, and vise versa. Rarely does the gobbler show up exactly where you think he will.
*Utilize the terrain to your advantage. When possible, and especially in the woods, set up within range of a natural break, such as the break of the hill, so that when the gobbler appears he is able to be shot and not given the opportunity to hang up out of range or decide something is wrong.
*Be aware of any barrier that may hang a gobbler up...creek, downed tree, thicket. If time allows get around those or be able to shoot across if possible.
*Have your gun up and ready to shoot, preferably with your cheek on stock to limit as much movement as possible.
*If the turkey appears at a spot you have to reposition for a shot, you have two options....let him walk off and try again OR (if using a mouth call) cluck a few times AS you swing your gun for the shot. Swing first without calling or prior to clucking and he may be gone quick. This will be a judgement call you make derived from experience.
All the above have cost me turkeys as well as been the deciding reason I have killed turkeys. The more experience you gain, these decisions will become second nature.
:welcomeOG: Welcome to the wonderful world of turkey hunting. 20 Plus and I'm still making mistakes bud. My best advice is keep it simple. Do what the birds do.. say what the birds say.. Get between the birds and where they might want to be. Most of all have fun with it. It will happen stick with it. Oooo one more thing keep the deeks home. There probably a 50/50 split for me over the years. JMO
:anim_25:
My opinion only, take it for what it's worth.
Mistakes
Using decoys
Using blinds
quit hunting once the gobbling tapers off
thinking you have to kill him within the first hour of day light
poor set-up
afraid of turkeys
not respecting a turkeys ears
not paying attention with your eyes and ears
using your mouth more than your eyes and ears
shooting to far
trying to hunt like others on the internet
Just to name a few.
Quote from: guesswho on January 26, 2014, 01:33:57 PM
My opinion only, take it for what it's worth.
Mistakes
Using decoys
Using blinds
quit hunting once the gobbling tapers off
thinking you have to kill him within the first hour of day light
poor set-up
afraid of turkeys
not respecting a turkeys ears
not paying attention with your eyes and ears
using your mouth more than your eyes and ears
shooting to far
trying to hunt like others on the internet
Just to name a few.
That sums it up to a tee in my opinion as well.
My top three rules of turkey hunting are,
1. set still
2. Set Still
3. SET STILL
All joking aside IMO the biggest mistakes novices make are the inability to set still and lack of patience. The birds have ALL day to do what they do. They don't wear watches! ;)
Thinking turkeys are smart.
Quote from: WildTigerTrout on January 26, 2014, 09:26:37 PM
My top three rules of turkey hunting are,
1. set still
2. Set Still
3. SET STILL
All joking aside IMO the biggest mistakes novices make are the inability to set still and lack of patience. The birds have ALL day to do what they do. They don't wear watches! ;)
Agree
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Thinking to yourself 'if a turkey isn't gobbling, he's no longer there.'
:z-twocents:
over calling,spooking birds off the roost tree,movement,taking shots that are out of range...thinking "All" turkeys are stupid.... ;D
Enjoy the ride,it's a learning experience every spring day...
A couple this i goofed up when I first started was calling before i had a good set up, i called and bam the turkey was almost in my lap and busted me trying to find some cover.
Not waiting long enough after calling, I'd not hear a gobble and after a few mimutes move on and as soon as I'd get up or move around the bend in the trail there would be a turkey.
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If a turkey answers your calls when using a particular caller (pot, box, etc) don't go changing callers. Give him what he likes answering until you pull the trigger.
Scout a lot. Don't call to them, owl hoot or goose call crow call whatever but no yelping! Then sit tight hang tough and don't quit when they stop gobbling!! I've hunted turkey's for22 years learned like you and a lot of others and still make mistakes! Follow your gut, it'll help you kill birds too! Good luck :anim_25:
Learn everything about turkeys in general that you can lay your hands on. Learn their language to understand what that say to you and how to speak intelligently back to them with a clear message. Understand what drives them to do what they do. I have seen every 'rule' that I was first taught about turkeys disproved by turkeys. Start to become the gobbler, walk through the woods like he does, go where he goes and know why, understand why he gobbles one day and is silent the next. Change your time schedule and rhythms to match his. Grasp how to approach him under his radar and be ignored. Get entirely inside of his head and the 'mistakes' will begin to fall away.
Turkey hunting can be the most exhilarating and challenging mental game you can play.
Stop watching Primos videos.
Enjoy! ;)
FullChoke
My biggest boo boo is setting against a tree and letting them sneak up behind me. Just try and raise that gun when you have one @ 15 yards staring at you.
when i first started it was calling to loud now my biggest mistake is my patience level
Trying to get closer and getting busted
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Just because he doesn't gobble every time you call, doesn't mean he isn't interested. Be patient on calling while he is still on the limb. Do just enough to say I'm over here and WAIT!!!!!!!!!
Calling to him while he is still on the limb.
Quote from: chatterbox on February 02, 2014, 06:35:07 AM
Calling to him while he is still on the limb.
I agree that this is a mistake many make. It is so hard not to call when they are gobbling good, but won't fly down. You worry about hens or other hunters, but fight the urge. I only give one subtle tree yelp or nothing at all, unless vocal hens are with him or in his vicinity then I may be a little more vocal. Otherwise I bite my tongue and wait patiently and sometimes it takes lots of patience. If I hear him fly down or determine he's down then I'll call.
I think the same can be said for calling while working one on the ground. Having an awareness of when to not call can be the determining factor for success. I think it's an instinct that is only gained through experience.
I think rookie turkey hunters just don't realize how still you really need to be. Most likely their biggest mistake is in choosing a poor setup. Only experience will fix that. So, stay at it and over time your mistakes will be fewer and fewer.
Quote from: chatterbox on February 02, 2014, 06:35:07 AM
Calling to him while he is still on the limb.
I agree to a point. If he has hens I play it different. If he's alone I wait till I get a good position after he pitches down or if I'm where I already need to be maybe some tree Yelps and maybe a flydown cackle right before he pitches down. A lot of different things can work depending on the scenario
calling to early
calling to often
calling to loud
using decoys all the time
Quote from: WildTigerTrout on January 26, 2014, 09:26:37 PM
My top three rules of turkey hunting are,
1. set still
2. Set Still
3. SET STILL
All joking aside IMO the biggest mistakes novices make are the inability to set still and lack of patience. The birds have ALL day to do what they do. They don't wear watches! ;)
This is what I first tell people who are getting into turkey hunting....
Not knowing when to make a move and when to stay put.
A lot of times you'll set up and things dont go as planned. There's a time to be patient and a time when you have to do something else.... the trick is knowing when you're beat and it's time to re-asses the situation OR knowing that you need to hold tight.
A mistake I used to make too many times is giving up and moving too soon. A turkey has all day to get something done and it seems that he is often in no particular hurry to get where he's going. Now, when I decide it's time to move, I look at my watch and wait an extra timed 20 minutes before standing up. It works just often enough that I continue to do it.
Seems like I continue to make most of my other mistakes like getting too close, calling too often, forgetting my face mask, etc. etc.
My success on calling in turkeys went up when I started calling less frequently. Even though I love to hear them gobble, once I know that he knows where I am at I dont call but about every 10-15min...
This spring will mark only my third spring of turkey hunting. However, in a short time, I have learned a ton.
When I tackle something new, I read and read and read; all I can find. I have no regrets doing that, but it is important to remember that not everything works "by the book". Be ready to try something different or unusual for the circumstance. My first bird was taken by using a gobble call, on a whim. Several birds entered a field and began feeding and moving away. Several yelps and clucks and purrs fell on deaf ears. In desperation, I gobbled using my mouth call. All birds immediately stopped and turned and starting walking in my direction. I resisted the urge to call any further, and fifteen minutes later he was in range.
So, read and research, but do not be afraid to experiment. You never know.
Quote from: MEbeardlover on February 18, 2014, 07:12:51 PM
This spring will mark only my third spring of turkey hunting. However, in a short time, I have learned a ton.
When I tackle something new, I read and read and read; all I can find. I have no regrets doing that, but it is important to remember that not everything works "by the book". Be ready to try something different or unusual for the circumstance. My first bird was taken by using a gobble call, on a whim. Several birds entered a field and began feeding and moving away. Several yelps and clucks and purrs fell on deaf ears. In desperation, I gobbled using my mouth call. All birds immediately stopped and turned and starting walking in my direction. I resisted the urge to call any further, and fifteen minutes later he was in range.
So, read and research, but do not be afraid to experiment. You never know.
Toms have 2 emotions in the spring. Horny and jealous. If the first emotion doesn't work, hit them on the second.
When I hunt private land, I will try the horny aspect first. If this doesn't work, I hit them with gobble calls, and scratching in the leaves.
When I first started turkey hunting over 15 years ago, I tended to move too much and too often. Running and gunning does not work for me. Note that I almost always hunt public land. I started killing a lot more turkeys by locating areas that they were using, setting up before daylight, and being patient. I will not move before at least 3 hours have passed unless I have been busted or someone else moves in on my setup. As far as calling, I listen to the turkeys and do what they do. If they are real vocal and call a lot, I do too. If they are quiet, I call very little.
Thanks for all the replies. This will be my first season hunting.
Welp, this'll be my 15th season hunting these deg'gum crazy birds, and I'm still screwin' up hunts!! :( I'd say that definitely one of the biggest mistake that is made is - bad setup! In fact, I called in 3 HUGE gobblers last year on a piece of land I was hunting for the very first time, and what I was trying to do was help my buddy who scored us the hunt a bird (I was the caller, he was the hunter, both of us had guns). I just *KNEW* they were going to come thru the woods & hit this fire lane, so we setup along that lane & threw out the decoys real quick, setup my buddy in view of the dekes, and I sat up hill from him, next to a big pine - with a fallen down tree on my right side. Guess where the birds came? Straight to me, in the woods the whole time, on my right side!!! Blocked myself right out of a shot. Walked away with 0 birds in the bag.
I really believe you could be a below-average to mediocre caller, and yet limit out every year, if you pay more attention to your setup. Sometimes, you have to hunt a bird a few times to get a "bead" on what's going on, but - setup is crucial. This is the one area where your skills improve as you gain experience from hunting as much as you can.
My buddy & I are going to be able to hunt that spot again, and our game plan is MUCH more tight this year. My buddy's been practicing his calling, too, which will help if they come straight to me - he can yelp a little, and bring them into him, if we are in a similar position again. Hoping to post pics on here in a few weeks of one of those birds from last year; that's the plan, at least! :)
Quote from: Tinman22 on February 18, 2014, 10:22:47 AM
My success on calling in turkeys went up when I started calling less frequently. Even though I love to hear them gobble, once I know that he knows where I am at I dont call but about every 10-15min...
:z-winnersmiley: This is one thing that really sticks out for me,that I have learned over the years.You will get more birds.
a word of advice from an old man to the newer guys.....slow down,relax,enjoy the morning and the show.
Stay put when you think you should move! Call every now and then and always give a spot another 30-40 minutes because turkeys don't stop what they are doing and make a beeline to you every time. I have stood up and stretched before fixing to go to try another spot only to hear wings flapping and watch a bird fly off to the next county....
To many hunters like to go out with friends or relatives and call'em up before season. Not a good idea. They start to know your call. And one more thing. If you hunt with a friend make sure he is able to hear the turkey gobble. I have two buddies and neither one can hear a turkey gobble at 75 yards and they are brothers. But they can hear a deer walking at close range. Its as strange as the things turkeys do. cluck