Went in to my farm this morning and listened to some birds gobble. Had 3 birds on the ridge that I was on gobbling their heads off while the next ridge over there was two more birds hammering away. My plan was to take a youth in the morning and try to get him a bird during youth season and I was wondering if him killing one out of these groups would mess up any birds on the opposite ridges.
I doubt it. I shoot all the time at the range at my lease. An hour later, there will be turkeys strutting in the same place.
Gman
Nah, you'll be fine!
I've see a group of 3, we killed one went back the next day shot #2 and went back the next day and killed the 3rd bird all from the same roost location. All real nice river bottom 3yr old + birds
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Quote from: TauntoHawk on March 25, 2016, 10:40:28 AM
I've see a group of 3, we killed one went back the next day shot #2 and went back the next day and killed the 3rd bird all from the same roost location. All real nice river bottom 3yr old + birds
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Yep we've done the same. Even killed a bird the next day after my buddy filled his body full of lead the previous day. Acted like nothing was wrong but his lower breast was shot up
Agreed. They may be a bit spooky for a little bit after, but it shouldn't drive them off the property.
True, we hunt together most of the season and was just wondering if we took a risk of messing up the season later on by killing one now while they're still grouped up.
What you saw or heard this morning was unpressured birds going about their daily movements. After you shoot within the group you will change his daily pattern and it will take a few days for them to calm down. It all has to do with how you pressure the birds in his roost area. Regardless what your looking for in the morning is the opportunities to introduce a young hunter the experience of a lifetime ... I agree it's all about taking a kid hunting and introducing him or her to turkey hunting..
Quote from: MDTOM84 on March 25, 2016, 10:59:51 AM
If the kid does get a bird, well then it is well worth taking the risk of scaring them!!! :icon_thumright:
This. You'll be fine. Good luck with the youth.
JMO, continued pressure affects the birds patterns not shooting occasionally at the range.
Well, I'm ashamed to admit this but last year, on two separate occasions, I called in the same group of three bearded birds. I missed on two separate occasions. Hit a twig with one, clipped some grass on the second and the third time they came in, things just didn't work out for me to get a shot at all. How do I know it was the same birds? It was 2 jakes and one long beard. One of the jakes had wings with more white than usual. Roasted within the same couple trees every evening. Came from the same direction every morning. Their last time though they got sneaky. Came through the woods to my right instead of following the field edge. Had I taken the shotgun, it'd have been a dead bird the first time. Certainly the second time. Third time, still a no.
That wouldn't even be a concern to me, as for those who only hunt Public have no control over what happens. I know on Public you hear many shots, many misses and some kills and you can still kill one, they just end up a bit more wary. So in your case where it sounds like you have some control as to what goes on there, I wouldn't even give it a second thought.
Quote from: wvmntnhick on March 25, 2016, 12:30:07 PM
Well, I'm ashamed to admit this but last year, on two separate occasions, I called in the same group of three bearded birds. I missed on two separate occasions. Hit a twig with one, clipped some grass on the second and the third time they came in, things just didn't work out for me to get a shot at all. How do I know it was the same birds? It was 2 jakes and one long beard. One of the jakes had wings with more white than usual. Roasted within the same couple trees every evening. Came from the same direction every morning. Their last time though they got sneaky. Came through the woods to my right instead of following the field edge. Had I taken the shotgun, it'd have been a dead bird the first time. Certainly the second time. Third time, still a no.
We all miss or just screw it up once in awhile. You must be some caller to tangle with the same birds on a number of occasions. :turkey2:
With my boy I have a flock of what I call "training" birds. These are unpressured birds that reside on the backside of the property. I have permission to hunt this land but it is small. I have never personally carried a gun back there and never will. Now I know these birds about as well as anyone could and it's about as good of odds for success as you get around here. However my rule is that only one tom gets taken per year. And even with that limited pressure it usually takes a week or two for the birds to settle back to their normal pattern after we take one.
Hopefully I'll find out in the morning!!!!! LOL
I'm talking about two different groups of birds. Like if I kill one from one group, the shotgun blast shouldn't mess with the other group across the farm right?
If they are not pressured you should be good. I've killed birds and had other birds gobble at the shot. People shoot them all the time when a pair comes in and the other gobbler attacks the one flopping on the ground! lol
Quote from: ThunderChickenGetter on March 25, 2016, 01:45:23 PM
I'm talking about two different groups of birds. Like if I kill one from one group, the shotgun blast shouldn't mess with the other group across the farm right?
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You are over thinking the situation. Turkeys do not have the ability to analyze or even rationalize a situation or the sound of a gun shot. They do not know what they heard was a gun shot or that it is in any way dangerous for them in the future.
I shot into a group Wednesday and called in one of the gobblers again this morning. They are still roosting and strutting in the same places.
When I disturb them I just change my setup next time I go after them.
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Quote from: ThunderChickenGetter on March 25, 2016, 01:45:23 PM
I'm talking about two different groups of birds. Like if I kill one from one group, the shotgun blast shouldn't mess with the other group across the farm right?
Birds are not going to associate a gun shot, to their well being. They'll probably gobble at the blast, just like they do with thunder. Under the right circumstance you could shoot one and go back to the same exact spot and shoot another. I don't believe they even have the ability to reason when they see their buddy hit the dirt. A few years ago on Public, called in 3 mature Toms and shot one, went back a couple days later and the other 2 came back to the very same spot and only 1 left. Why would they even think about coming back to this spot?
Shooting doesn't bother them...what does bother them is running out to a downed bird, screaming, yelling and the hoopla you see the TV guys doing.
If you down a bird...sit tight and let the rest move off naturally. Collect your bird quietly and move out of the area...then celebrate.
Quote from: Cutt on March 25, 2016, 03:06:31 PM
Quote from: ThunderChickenGetter on March 25, 2016, 01:45:23 PM
I'm talking about two different groups of birds. Like if I kill one from one group, the shotgun blast shouldn't mess with the other group across the farm right?
Birds are not going to associate a gun shot, to their well being. They'll probably gobble at the blast, just like they do with thunder. Under the right circumstance you could shoot one and go back to the same exact spot and shoot another. I don't believe they even have the ability to reason when they see their buddy hit the dirt. A few years ago on Public, called in 3 mature Toms and shot one, went back a couple days later and the other 2 came back to the very same spot and only 1 left. Why would they even think about coming back to this spot?
Most turkeys hear load noises all the time. Thunder, logging noises, farming noise, ect. Like cutt said, they can't reason that the noise was a gun shot and they are being hunted.
I've blasted birds right after they flew down from the roost and they didn't roost there again.
Let the kid roll one up...it will be worth it even if the birds leave the country
But to answer the original question. I have shot one strait off the roost and there was another in the group that dang near rooster on the same limb the next day.
I have also shot birds well off the roost that the spotter was about 300 yards from the original spot.
Trying to guess what a turkeys next move is, is like trying to plan the day for a 2 year old kid...it just don't work.
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Quote from: Gamblinman on March 25, 2016, 03:17:51 PM
Shooting doesn't bother them...what does bother them is running out to a downed bird, screaming, yelling and the hoopla you see the TV guys doing.
If you down a bird...sit tight and let the rest move off naturally. Collect your bird quietly and move out of the area...then celebrate.
^^^This. Those birds from two separate groups will have no clue as to what just happened if you just shoot and then wait. Even the birds in the same group could potentially not notice. I have shot birds before only to have their friends run about 10 yards away and then come back and put a whooping on his downed buddy. They hear thunder all the time. Take that youth and go get them a bird.... ;D Good luck.
No luck this morning. Roosted one last night from a distance but the temperature dropped to the mid 30's overnight and all the birds were tight lipped. Never heard the first gobble this morning and never seen a bird.
Quote from: Gamblinman on March 25, 2016, 03:17:51 PM
Shooting doesn't bother them...what does bother them is running out to a downed bird, screaming, yelling and the hoopla you see the TV guys doing.
If you down a bird...sit tight and let the rest move off naturally. Collect your bird quietly and move out of the area...then celebrate.
I think the thing that could make the birds leave would be constant disturbance as in them seeing you over and over and getting spooked that way. Like others have said it isn't uncommon for birds from the same flock to jump on one that's just been shot...Let 'em wander away. Try not to let 'em know you're there and definitely don't startle them if you can help it...Distant shots aren't going to effect them at all. They hear all sorts of noises regularly, from farmers driving noisy equipment, to dropping things and distant talking/shouting, to thunder and jets going over...You won't have a problem...
Quote from: tomstopper on March 26, 2016, 07:32:33 AM
Quote from: Gamblinman on March 25, 2016, 03:17:51 PM
Shooting doesn't bother them...what does bother them is running out to a downed bird, screaming, yelling and the hoopla you see the TV guys doing.
If you down a bird...sit tight and let the rest move off naturally. Collect your bird quietly and move out of the area...then celebrate.
^^^This. Those birds from two separate groups will have no clue as to what just happened if you just shoot and then wait. Even the birds in the same group could potentially not notice. I have shot birds before only to have their friends run about 10 yards away and then come back and put a whooping on his downed buddy. They hear thunder all the time. Take that youth and go get them a bird.... ;D Good luck.
Agreed
Should have no effect on another group of birds just sneak out quietly and all that'll happen is you'll probably get a shock gobble from one of them
won't hurt a thing
I would not obsess over what it does to the spooked birds. On one occasion, I dropped a long beard and sat tight cause I knew there were others close by. 5 minutes later or so, I purred in a second one and he came running in and bowed up over the dead one. He got it too (legal at the time in SC). On another occasion, my partner missed one that jumped and glided off to the other side of the field. We watched him for 1/2 hour or so and coaxed him back in. No miss this time.
I think sometimes we give them more credit then necessary....they're adaptable creatures but also get spooked by all kinda things so it's not to abnormal for them to get scared. Buddy and I shot 4 seperate birds in one day sitting at a single live oak before, one first thing in the morning, another a hour later, one mid afternoon, and one that evening. Although that's definitely way off from the norm to do, it does show that I don't think shooting bothers them all that much as we may play it up in our heads