How often do you think you/we do everything right and still do not kill the bird?
I know I have done everything wrong and still killed a bird... But there have been those close calls, or days with birds gobbling, that I do not think I would have done anything different, and wonder is someone with more knowledge or experience would have killed the bird?
Had it happen today for sure... Birds in range, but due to brush, no shot... They would not peek their heads past the hedge row. I cannot think of anything I would have done different to kill them (outside of reaping), but I wonder if some of the better turkey hunters would not have figured out what to do?
How often do you think "it is what it is," and how often "if I had only..."????
You never know. I have had guys go in after me on a bird I could not kill to save my life and also I have went in and killed birds that had others pulling their hair out. That's just turkey hunting. Learn something from every hunt no matter the outcome and you will absolutely get better. You catch that bird just right and you will kill him. Just can't never tell when it's that time. An old turkey hunter told me when I was starting out " son , when a turkey is ready to die , the only thing you can mess up is the shot. You can rub a rusty nail on a piece of tin and call him right in. When he ain't, there is absolutely nothing you can do to convince him otherwise".
It's usually my fault if a birds in range and I don't manage to kill it. Sometimes they give us the slip though.
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Scratching the leaves can make em come closer, when all is lost gobbler sounds or fights sounds often change things
That's why they call it huntin and not killin. There have been to many days that I did nothing wrong and still came home empty handed
There are definitely no gimmes in turkey hunting and gobblers play by their own rules.
I've had a gobbler come in less than 10 feet behind me and could hear his wing tips dragging leaves. His drumming was loud enough to make my chest vibrate. After a while, he turned around and went back the way he came. He stayed behind me the entire time and never crossed into my line of sight. So close, but so far away. That's turkey hunting.
Jim
Quote from: Bowguy on April 03, 2016, 12:38:31 AM
Scratching the leaves can make em come closer, when all is lost gobbler sounds or fights sounds often change things
. This WORKS. Also gobble tube if your comfortable using it.
I second guess what else could I have done better way more with deer, I might not even see more than one good shooter buck in archery. Turkeys I kick myself for an hour than I'm off to find the next day one
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The only time "what if?" Enters my mind is when I blow the shot. Otherwise, I'm not worried about it. No sense getting upset about it. As said above, if he wants to die, he will. If not, there's nothing you can do about it.
There are definitely times we do everything right and still don't succeed. But there are also times we succeed in spite of ourselves.
I think the better hunters (callers), have a knack for asking a Tom to move over a bit, yeah, right there in that opening where I can get a good look at you and see if you are my type........LOL
I can't seem to speak that language!
Quote from: turkaholic on April 03, 2016, 06:19:36 AM
Quote from: Bowguy on April 03, 2016, 12:38:31 AM
Scratching the leaves can make em come closer, when all is lost gobbler sounds or fights sounds often change things
. This WORKS. Also gobble tube if your comfortable using it.
Love using fighting purrs for this
Lots of factors, calling skill, woodsmanship, patience, knowing when and where to move, but having luck on your side is awful important.
Quote from: Gooserbat on April 03, 2016, 10:36:39 AM
Lots of factors, calling skill, woodsmanship, patience, knowing when and where to move, but having luck on your side is awful important.
I'll always take luck. Gotta have that no matter what else you do perfectly.
I had one bird that I got in range multiple times over a 3-4 year span on a property. Sucker roosted in the same tree almost every time, except the times I setup to kill him coming to the roost . I threw everything at him; buddy hunt, gobble, decoy/no decoy, slip, crawl, etc. sucker just had my number.
Finally, one day I had a feeling. I had to leave him about 830 later in the year. He only had 1-2 hens. I could tell he was amped up that year. I went to class and when I returned about 1.5 hours later, there were fresh boot tracks and feathers in the parking spot (I was the only person allowed on the property). Never had a turkey roost in that dang thicket again....but I did kill him partner he next morning...lol
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I think that's what I enjoy the most about turkey hunting, the uncertainty. We've got to do the right things at the right times, but the right thing today with one bird, may be the wrong thing with another one tomorrow. It can drive you crazy at times, but never gets old.
Bob
Natures way is for the hen to go to the gobbler. That's why a gobble can be heard much farther than a yelp. This means that basically you can do every thing right with you're set up and calling but if the gobbler doesn't do something wrong (going to the hen), then it still won't work. Every time we try to call in a gobbler we are trying to get them to do something wrong. Sometimes they just want to do everything right too and we fail! That's the fun of it.
I think I understated the mood of the gobbler in my early hunting. Sometimes, they are just not as fired up. Maybe because of my calling skills (or lack), but sometimes they just lack the fire to close the distance. Other times, I think I am a master and so does Tom. So many variables. I think the frustration is what makes it so fun. I do know there are better turkey hunters than me. But I also know there are plenty of dumb turkeys and I am fine with that. I really think dumb turkeys taste better. Well, maybe cause that is the only kind I have eaten! :funnyturkey:
When I started turkey hunting, I lived in a different area, and managed to get access to some premium hunting property. If I flubbed one bird, there was another around the corner willing to cooperate.
I no longer live in the same area, and I have a few birds around, but generally I am hunting one bird (or lately a pair). When things go wrong (or don't go right), I find myself being a bit more introspective.
The pair I was hunting this afternoon was fired up... I called, got them fired up, and waited... They came close again, but then wandered off (gobbling as they left me). I set up right were they came to yesterday (I could see their footprints).
I then started gobbling at them, which once again got them fired up, and they started coming in quick... Alternated gobbling and hen calling, and they were eating it up... Came to the same point and wandered off again (gobbling the whole time). I have no idea what I would have done different...
Many, many times I know exactly what I did wrong... More often than not I have no idea, and I think that is just turkey hunting. Maybe I need to buy those magic crystal turkey balls from Flextone... Then I would know if I could have done something that would have resulted in my carrying a bird back to the truck.
Get determined. You got this!
Sometimes you do nothing wrong. Calling a gobbler to you is like reversing mother nature, most of the time it just wont work.You just have to tip your hat to him and try another day!