How many of you guys have never killed a bird someone else has called in for you? It just hit me the other day that every bird I have killed has been my doing. Don't thint it's good or bad but I am wondering if I am primarily alone on this one. Have called in plenty of birds for others just not the other way around. It's probably for the best though as I am pretty critical when it comes to calling. My way is always better. Ha ha. That and most of my hunting when I want to shoot is solo. So what say ye?
You're not alone, I've never shot a bird called by somebody else either. I've introduced several people to turkey hunting over the years, but other than that, I've always hunted alone.
Bob
I have never killed one someone else called in for me. There has been several times that some friends and I have talked about hunting like that ,but it has not happened yet. Other than hunting with the boys I would rather be alone in the turkey woods,I really dont know why.
Nope. Not me. Never have I had anyone call a bird for me.
Wait, err, ummm... Maybe a few times. Actually, I've called several. Had several called in to me. Never seen any harm in it. Whether I'm calling or someone else is calling, the end result is generally the same. Someone pulls the trigger and we either high five each other for a bit or we head back to the camp with the district smell of disappointment oozing from every available pore in our bodies. Hahaha.
Last year I called in 12 birds but only killed one and it was actually one that a buddy of mine blew the fears out of about 2 minutes before I pulled the trigger. The others either didn't give me a shot or were on other properties. Well, except the one I missed. Twice at that. (See the trend here?) the year before I called in 7 jakes and one gobbler in one morning. Had three of the jakes in spitting distance but the longbeard stayed away so all got a pass. Called five more jakes back to me later in the morning. No longbeard in sight so I smoked one of them. Later that year I'd called in 8 gobblers in one morning. Had a group of 5, group of 2 and a single. Again, none of them truly wanted to play so all walked away unscathed. And yet again, the year before that, I'd called in the largest of my life and got him at 40 yards only to kill the second largest bird of my life 2 days later on the same farm at 35 yards. Calling them isn't generally the issue. Getting them to fully commit when they know they should see a hen and then getting them killed when they do is my largest issue. Don't want to toot my own horn here but my calling has vastly improved the past several years.
Quote from: Happy on April 10, 2016, 05:02:15 PM
Have called in plenty of birds for others just not the other way around. It's probably for the best though as I am pretty critical when it comes to calling. My way is always better. Ha ha. That and most of my hunting when I want to shoot is solo. So what say ye?
This will be the case for me as well. I have a buddie who I don't get to hunt with that much any more. He is very good,a great wing man. Patient,sits still,knows when and when not to move. Practices great woodsman ship. His calling skills are ok. You really don't have to be great at calling,but it definitely helps. But you need the whole package. Even though I like to think my way is better,I keep my ego in check :lol: I always remain humbl! I'm definitely not a game hog. When the chips are down and it's getting ready to happen,I usually always let the other person shoot. Unless the bird is getting spooky,then I'm on him. I don't think anyone has ever called one up for me. On a couple of occasions,I couldn't get them going. And whoever I was with did. But I put the finishing touches on him. Sometimes I'm just lucky
:turkey:
Hadn't thought about it before, but I haven't. I tried years ago to get someone to take me, even have an uncle that is likely the best turkey hunter I've ever known. No one wanted a tag along. The uncle told me to go buy every turkey video I could and learn that way. What he didn't tell me is our Mississippi turkeys aren't like those movie star turkeys. He knew there was a lot of extra calling and product promotion in the videos and I'd rarely if ever kill a bird by mimicking what I watched. After two years I finally figured out less is usually more and begin to regularly kill birds. I'd never tell him, but I'm the better for it. Learned to make decisions based on each bird and not depend on someone else. But in all honesty, I wouldn't have a problem shooting one someone else worked in.
I think I got all my own birds. Some were stalked and ambushed, especially in the fall, but I don't remember anyone ever calling me up a turkey. I too like to do it my own way. I've called in a couple for other people though
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Every bird I have ever killed , I called in. Now I have taken quite a few people and called them birds to their gun. Back when I started turkey hunting in the late 70s , the turkey hunters then didn't care to share their secrets. My grandpa took me when I was too young to shoot but passed before I got old enough. I learned a little from him but like I said I was very young. I went through the school of hard knocks and was self taught. We didn't have all these videos and Internet so learning was much slower. Last year I broke the 100th bird that I pulled the trigger on. I don't know how many I called that other people took but it's probably at least half that if not more.
Quote from: OldSchool on April 10, 2016, 05:15:04 PM
You're not alone, I've never shot a bird called by somebody else either. I've introduced several people to turkey hunting over the years, but other than that, I've always hunted alone.
Bob
^^^This. Have called in many for youths and friends but have never had any called in for me.
I'd rather call than shoot. That's my favorite part!
Grew up with deer hunters.
My very first turkey hunt my buddy and I decided he would be the shooter and I would be the caller. Well at the first sign of light I was calling too much, complete novice, zero expectation of seeing a bird and 20 mins after legal shooting light sure enough a big silent tom strutted right in, and my buddy got him. Thought I had this turkey stuff down.
I can call turkeys all day!
Haha!
It was 4 long years till I called in one and got my first. Very humbling indeed.
I've since learned to call proficiently and have called in more for others than I have for myself. Just finished calling for my buddy's daughter during youth weekend. 2 called in and 2 misses. That's how it goes.
I've yet to have someone call for me.
I think I only shot 1 that someone else did all the calling. But I've shot plenty that someone else did some of the calling. My best friend and I hunt together a lot and have been doing it since we were kids. Lots of times we both call to a bird and if it seems to like on of us more than the other then that guy finishes him and the other does the shooting. I know lots of guys take a lot of pride in never having any help. I'd rather have the memories of shared hunts with great friends.
I haven't been turkey hunting all that many years, so this is easier to understand. Not only have I called in all of my birds, no one has even seen me shoot a bird. And last year was the first time I called in a turkey for another hunter to shoot. That happened to be my sons first turkey. That was a thrill for sure!
Never had anyone call for me, and never would have any call for me. Don't have a problem calling for someone if they want that, but I'd rather do my own, it's what makes my hunt. With someone else calling,it just wouldn't be as gratifying to me.
Quote from: Farmboy27 on April 10, 2016, 07:02:08 PM
I'd rather have the memories of shared hunts with great friends.
^^^^^^ Right on to this my OG brother!
Always called my own.
Quote from: TrackeySauresRex on April 10, 2016, 08:24:46 PM
Quote from: Farmboy27 on April 10, 2016, 07:02:08 PM
I'd rather have the memories of shared hunts with great friends.
^^^^^^ Right on to this my OG brother!
Heck yeah. That's what it's about right there.
Called every gobbler I killed. Called a good number for others. Never "introduced" anyone to the sport. There are too many people out there already.
Introduced a couple of people to the craziness and was brought into it by my dad. Got super lucky with my first bird at 12, but I called it in by self when he left me to go start supper at the camp. Never had anyone even near me when I kill a bird....I keep my secrets close to the chest
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When I was a young gun, I started hunting birds in the fall with my father. One day on a ridge in WV, we split up and he happened upon a flock. He killed a bird and scattered the rest. He told me where to go set up, and I did.
I sat at the base of that tree and commenced to Yelp, Yelp, yelping on my little slate and peg. Minutes later, a bird answered and started towards me. I can remember like it was yesterday my next series of calls... hands trembling like a dog crapping razor blades, I managed to squawk out another series of yelps and the bird walked into view / range. I shot, and the bird tumbled and flopped (to which I promptly dumped another round of 3" mag 4's into the body - oops! Haha).
Since that day, every bird killed I have called in. I've called in as many, if not more, for others - but never had one called for me. Probably a little obsessive compulsive on my part, more than anything.
On my very first hunt, a buddy called for me. It meant nothing to me and really did not excite me. Since then I have called in every bird I have killed and several for others. The game is all about the calling for me, the shooting is the easy part.
These days I don't even know anyone ''personally'' that I would let call for me. I am very passionate about this sport and none my friends really put any heart in it.
I've got a true hunting buddy. We rib each other a lot over things, spent many a morning chasing ol toms.
A lot of good memories.
Now he loves the sport as much as I do, but maybe not quite the passion.
He's a good woodsman, knows when and what to do in certain situations, sometimes we read each other's minds.
He's really good on a pot call, and we hit about the hottest bird I think we ever ran into, I had a hard time doing it but I didn't call, I let him run the whole show. It was the first bird someone had ever called in for me.
I truly think that was a huge confidence builder for him, many times before that he would let me do most of or all the calling.
I had one other bird called in for me, a special one. My 13 year old step daughter took a interest in hunting with me.
We were hunting a late season day, full foliage and the gobbling was very minimal that week.
No bird to set up on that morning so we hit my favorite ridge top and set up. I started handing her pot calls and she went to town. Not much going on so I let her have some fun.
At one point, she just stopped. I looked at her and she whispered here they come...
4 jakes were in a race to get to us 60 yards away. Now I don't usually take a Jake, I want to hear that blabber mouth 2 year old the next season.
She had her gun laying beside her and couldn't move. When I realized that, there was no way I was passing on one of those Jake birds.
A special memory in the turkey woods, I'll never forget!
All of the above. I have hunted with my cousin since the beginning of my addiction and we have called in birds for each other. At the end of the day, the memory of the hunt is what counts.
Yes, I have had others call in birds for me. Almost all have been by friends that I taught how to turkey hunt and call. Anymore, seeing the pride on their faces when they call in a bird on their own is more important to me than being able to say that I did the calling.
I'll tell you another thing about letting other people call. You learn pretty quickly that what you think a gobbler wants to hear and come to is quite often meaningless. By letting others call when hunting together, I have learned that gobblers will come to calling that any of you that only do our own calling would never think they would come to.
It will take the wind out of your sails pretty rapidly when you finally come to understand that it is often not your great calling that makes a bird come to a call, but many times its just the bird and its attitude at the time.
Never had thought about it, but I can't remember ever having one called in for me. Guess I am kind of particular as well. In fact, my brother is the only one that I ever hunt with that I don't mind if he calls, but we tag team it. The rest of the folks I take, the understanding is that their calls stay in their pockets or the truck.
Quote from: GobbleNut on April 11, 2016, 09:03:19 AM
I'll tell you another thing about letting other people call. You learn pretty quickly that what you think a gobbler wants to hear and come to is quite often meaningless. By letting others call when hunting together, I have learned that gobblers will come to calling that any of you that only do our own calling would never think they would come to.
It will take the wind out of your sails pretty rapidly when you finally come to understand that it is often not your great calling that makes a bird come to a call, but many times its just the bird and its attitude at the time.
Amen to that. There have been birds that have come to sounds that I'd question were even turkey. My cousin can't call worth a lick but I can recall a day when we were younger that we had called to a distant tom only to have him answer my cousin but wouldn't reply to me at all. His calling was nails on a chalk board. Mine wasn't stellar at that time but it was decidedly better. That was a unanimous decision btw.
I have had a bird or 2 called in for me. But these where no planned hunts. I hunt primarily hunt with my brother and father. We don't hunt together per say however we are always away at camp together.
On Accasionally we meet up in the woods. On a slow day we have walked together Accasionally making a call to see if we can spark something up. Most of the time I do all the calling however there has been times my brother wants to make a call or 2. So there has been a time or 2 that my brother has sparked a bird where I was not able. Obviously we immediately set up. Since the bird liked his call or calling we just roll with it. Tons of fun when this happens and we are together.
Best I can recall, I never have. But, I'd have no problem doing so. The many times I've hunted with someone I'd consider a better hunter and caller (yes, I wrote "many times"), it's been a situation where I was their guide. Sometimes I did most of the calling for them, and other times they did it on their own once I got us in position. Really enjoyed and learned a lot on those hunts. Amazing how much it is to process and analyze what's taking place when you have a backseat to the party.
I killed one years ago called in by a friend. We were running and gunning late in the morning. We took turns calling trying to get a bird to go off. A gobbler finally answered my friend's box call. We sat up with me in front and him behind calling and about 20 minutes later I was walking out with the bird. Longest bearded gobbler I have killed to date, 11 1/2". All the other birds I have called in myself and I have also called in birds for other hunters too. I enjoy the calling more than the shooting!!
Come to think of it I've not ever had anyone else solely call one for me. Now I've had a few who were called by both myself and a friend.
Never killed a bird someone else called in...
I would probably rather call in a bird for someone else than shoot a bird someone else called in... Frankly, I would rather do both though, which is why I generally hunt alone when I am actually trying to kill a bird for myself.
Calling in a bird for someone new to turkey hunting is fun and exciting, and I will likely enjoy calling in some birds for my two girls when they are old enough. But going hunting with one of my buddies that turkey hunts to have one of us kill a bird does not appeal to me. Sitting still for a long time (not talking), with one caller and one shooter just does not make sense to me. Either way, hunting with someone takes away half the fun for me.
Until my kids go into the field with me, turkey hunting is pure "me-time."
Nope I have never. I've killed birds with my dad but I called them in myself. I've called in bird for others but most of my kills are by myself. Also seems that the hunts just work out better that way??
In all my 25 plus years of turkey hunting i've called all my birds myself.. In my younger days with us not having a lot of turkeys to hunt you didn't tell your friends or bring them along on you hunting trips..
To everyone that truly wants to hunt alone and not have help, I understand completely. There are lots of things I would rather do alone. To everyone that says they never shot one someone called in because they want to act "macho", leave that stuff for the NFL and WWF. Nobody thinks any higher of you for it. And for those that say they won't take somebody new or won't let anybody that is along even take out a call, when the obsession of turkey hunting over takes the passion for ones family and friends and letting them learn this great pastime, well....I feel extreme sorrow for you.
I have. Think its pretty even between how many I have called in for people and how many they have called in for me.
Only one has been called in by someone other than my self! My first bird was called in by my father!