In 28 years of Fall and Spring Turkey Hunting, I have always made it a habit to buy any and all outdoor mags from Feb--till May. Basically anything related to Spring or Fall Turkey Hunting.
In recent years I am seeing pics and reading of turkey hunters actually sprinting as hard as they can to a gobbling tom. Shotgun in one hand and Gobbler head and fan in the other. Other pics show a Spring hunter working a mouth call and a box call at the same time and same thing-- if the gobbler does not come in- that hunter is sprinting to the tom.
But if this happens on public lands - all the spooked and scared jakes and gobblers will possibly not respond to the calls of the next hunter. I am sure that hunter will get his tom-- but---what about the next guy.
I worry about myself.
The next guy should be able to kill his birds just fine. As long as there are birds to hunt. I am not a fan of many new trends but an opinion is all I can give and it means no more than anyone else's opinion. I wouldn't get to hung up on how others hunt as long as they aren't breaking laws. Enjoy your hunts and don't let it ruin your day.
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Me personally, I think it's a matter of time before fanning is outlawed. Too dangerous in my opinion but you know what they say about opinions.
Just remember a good turkey caller and a good woodman makes a good hunter...scouting, calling , mistakes, experience and patience's makes for a good day in the turkey woods..regardless you can't read it all in books, you have to spend time hunting these birds...both public birds and private birds takes skills and strategies. It all depends on the guy and his hunting skills and IF he really wants to develop himself into becoming a good turkey hunter..i guess it's all about adapting and spending time learning about turkeys..just a opinion...
Guess, I dont really understand this post. If I hear a Gobbler on either public or private land I sprint toward him. Get close and take up a position to call him in closer. Does not seem to bother them in the least. I do the same when trying to cut them off. I do not carry a fan but do carry a box call. Dont run with a mouth call in case of choking on it and a fan is extremly dangerous.
If I am hunting in a blind and I hear a gobble all decoys go ito the blind and its off to the races. I was taught to hunt this way and it works very well.
I am sure a few more will get hurt using a fan and they will be outlawed.
You seem to be saying they charge the gobbler at full tilt right up until they stop and pull the trigger. Is that a correct reading quavers?
I consider myself fairly well read on turkey hunting and have never seen or read anything quite like that. I've seen reaping done, but they move slowly if at all. I've seen hunters moving fast to new cover or get ahead of a moving bird, but never run right up to one and blast it.
I do not hunt public land on my home grounds but do have access to places that arent always that easy to pattern birds. In the last few years I have been getting way more aggressive in my tactics whether it be calling or getting in tight in the mornings and my success has improved dramatically...I used to be the old one or two yelps and wait type of hunter but that just didnt seem to put birds in hand..now every day I hunt like its the last day of the season..
What amazes me is that you are required to wear hunter orange during gun deer season so other hunters won't shoot you but it's legal to wave a turkey fan to attract a turkey during turkey season. I'm not condemning anyone who hunts legally but don't this seem odd?
They will learn what works and what doesn't
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Funny, I read an article recently, can't remember for the life of me if it was outdoor life or field and stream. Anyway the author's premise was the "Cutt n' Run" days of the 90's were becoming a thing of the past, turkeys weren't responding as they once did and he felt more hunters were successful reverting back to the "old timers" tactics of sit in a spot and call and be patient. Alot of states I feel are reaching carrying capacities so populations are stabilizing and gobblers just aren't running over each other to get to a hen. In comes fanning and reaping, both I am adamantly against, but as situations change so does the tactics we use to be successful, I just don't need to be successful that badly.
Quote from: tha bugman on June 05, 2017, 10:57:39 AM
They will learn what works and what doesn't
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If you don't get shot it's a success. If you do it wasnt.. :TooFunny:
Interesting method of turkey hunting,...but anybody that thinks they are going to "sprint" up to a turkey and shoot one regularly, with or without holding a fan/head is most likely in for a rude awakening. I suppose there might be a rare instance where someone does that and is successful, but I couldn't imagine that it would happen often enough that someone would adopt that strategy as their hunting method.
As for the idea that the "sprint and shoot" method would have long term impact on those of us that use more traditional calling strategies, I doubt that, as well. Yeah, it might cause a gobbler to take cover and be on edge for a while, but once things got back to normal, it probably would have no impact on his willingness to investigate a turkey call in the distance,...based on that experience alone.
In reality, there are few places where turkeys are hunted that they don't have regular encounters with people. They learn to react to those human interactions that they interpret as being dangerous, and then try to avoid those interactions as much as possible. For instance, a lot of us hunt places where you will see turkeys along main roads that get a good deal of traffic. Around here (and I suspect most other places), turkeys let cars drive by all day long without even paying the least bit of attention. However, let a car stop along that road and those turkeys will often instantly react and head for cover.
Why do they do that? It is because they have had negative experiences with what happens when a vehicle stops as compared to when it keeps going. They have catalogued in their tiny little brains that there is a difference in the danger associated with a car that keeps moving,...and one that stops. When a car stops, there is some likelihood that a human may jump out, make a loud noise, and then "old George" is suddenly flopping around on the ground,...never to be seen again.
And so it is with other human/turkey interactions. They "learn", during their lives, what human interactions are dangerous to them,...and what are probably not. About the only thing a guy running at a gobbler is going to see is that bird's azz-end as he skedaddles for cover a long, long ways out of gun range.
Quavers, i read somewhere that you hunted 16 days this year and only killed 2 turkeys.
If I hunted Stewart State Forest, I'd be more worried about what the hell youre doing that's preventing you from killing birds more regularly and how many YOU actually educate before you find a dumb one.
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 02:15:47 PM
Quavers, i read somewhere that you hunted 16 days this year and only killed 2 turkeys.
If I hunted Stewart State Forest, I'd be more worried about what the hell youre doing that's preventing you from killing birds more regularly and how many YOU actually educate before you find a dumb one.
Was that reply necessary, constructive, or helpful in any way?
Quote from: g8rvet on June 05, 2017, 02:21:19 PM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 02:15:47 PM
Quavers, i read somewhere that you hunted 16 days this year and only killed 2 turkeys.
If I hunted Stewart State Forest, I'd be more worried about what the hell youre doing that's preventing you from killing birds more regularly and how many YOU actually educate before you find a dumb one.
Was that reply necessary, constructive, or helpful in any way?
x2
^^^no..... but there's lots of inconsiderate a-holes on this forum thus the response.
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Quote from: g8rvet on June 05, 2017, 02:21:19 PM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 02:15:47 PM
Quavers, i read somewhere that you hunted 16 days this year and only killed 2 turkeys.
If I hunted Stewart State Forest, I'd be more worried about what the hell youre doing that's preventing you from killing birds more regularly and how many YOU actually educate before you find a dumb one.
Was that reply necessary, constructive, or helpful in any way?
The essence of the thread was concern about birds being educated by unorthodox tactics supposedly being employed by a new generation of turkey hunters.
I happen to hunt with and guide for one of the guys he is referencing in the original post. He lives in Florida and has most likely legally killed more turkeys than any modern hunter. Although he does not "sprint" at turkeys he/we do move at an aggressive pace when we decide which bird is in play for the morning. It doesn't mean you burn down the woods to the first turkey you hear with reckless abandonment. It does mean that once you decide on a bird, you move swiftly and get as tight to that turkey as remotely possible.
This particular individual does not move with a turkey fan in front of him, but he does carry a Montana decoy company silk screen fold up of a gobbler and uses it as a shield when moving on birds that are close by. He will also use it to reap birds if the situation dictates.
I personally don't believe in reaping or fanning and look forward to the day it's outlawed but many of today's killers will gladly reap a bird and throw it in the back of the truck with the same level of satisfaction I get from calling one up or using topography and habitat features to stalk a field bird with hens that isn't callable on that particular day.
My response to the original poster was simply pointing out that criticizing today's killers for bumping birds seems a bit hypocritical considering the fact that it took him such an extensive number of days to kill 2 turkeys. There were a hell of a lot of bumped turkeys in those 14 unsuccessful days afield. In contrast, the guys he is reading about rarely spend more than 2 or 3 days at the maximum in one place before they have a dead bird in their hands. There are a lot of innovative tactics being employed by some incredibly successful hunters around the US. You may not agree with some of the tactics but I can tell you one thing, the hunter who stays on his home turf hunting the same birds on the same topography is not the guy you want to be taking advice from. The guys who travel to different places and continually find success despite foreign terrain and undesirable weather conditions are the ones you want and to be paying attention to if you want to improve your game.
If I hunted 16 days and only killed 2 turkeys.... I'd be paying attention to some of the stuff I was reading and I'd be considering how I could integrate it into my hunting style to become a more successful hunter.
Lots of sensitivity in this forum among guys who don't like to hear counter perspective. The purpose of discussion isn't to hold hands and sing koom-bay-yah.
problem is that the guy openly advertises on line where he hunts & then gets mad when guys are there bumping birds. keep your mouth shut, & worry about what you do not others. Mike
I see way more hunters sitting in blinds with decoy spreads that would make a goose hunter shake his head than running and gunning these days.
The quickest way to ruin hunting for yourself is to worry about every last stranger and how he hunts.
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I'm sure I bump my share of birds. I tend to take an aggressive approach with my hunting. I'm not afraid to practically run to a bird before setting up close if I can. If that makes me less of a hunter than someone who sets up in a good spot and gives a soft yelp every hour till a bird shows up, then so be it. I don't have the time or the desire to play the sit and wait game. I've tried it before and haven't been sure if I called in the bird or ambushed him. I'd rather take it to the bird. If I bust one here and there, so be it. I hunt this way because I enjoy it. And if I ever quit enjoying hunting or have to hunt in a way I don't enjoy, then I'm done.
I suppose that perhaps I missed the real message in the original post. I assumed that "sprinting to a gobbler" meant the methodology was to just take off running towards a gobbler in hopes of catching him off-guard and then shooting him before he could react.
If "sprinting" means approaching a gobbler in the distance quickly and stealthily to obtain the proper advantage in terms of set-up and calling location, then I suppose I must be one of those "new turkey hunters". I have been spring gobbler hunting since 1965 and my methodology has always been to cut the distance to any gobbler I hear as quickly as possible.
I'm sure in my early years my approach could have been defined as "sprinting". Nowadays, I would have to call it a "hasty waddle",...but I still try to move as quickly as I can. Quick and stealthy movement towards a gobbler, assuming you are not a "sit and waiter", is just good turkey hunting strategy.
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 07:53:08 PM
Quote from: g8rvet on June 05, 2017, 02:21:19 PM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 02:15:47 PM
Quavers, i read somewhere that you hunted 16 days this year and only killed 2 turkeys.
If I hunted Stewart State Forest, I'd be more worried about what the hell youre doing that's preventing you from killing birds more regularly and how many YOU actually educate before you find a dumb one.
Was that reply necessary, constructive, or helpful in any way?
The essence of the thread was concern about birds being educated by unorthodox tactics supposedly being employed by a new generation of turkey hunters.
I happen to hunt with and guide for one of the guys he is referencing in the original post. He lives in Florida and has most likely legally killed more turkeys than any modern hunter. Although he does not "sprint" at turkeys he/we do move at an aggressive pace when we decide which bird is in play for the morning. It doesn't mean you burn down the woods to the first turkey you hear with reckless abandonment. It does mean that once you decide on a bird, you move swiftly and get as tight to that turkey as remotely possible.
This particular individual does not move with a turkey fan in front of him, but he does carry a Montana decoy company silk screen fold up of a gobbler and uses it as a shield when moving on birds that are close by. He will also use it to reap birds if the situation dictates.
I personally don't believe in reaping or fanning and look forward to the day it's outlawed but many of today's killers will gladly reap a bird and throw it in the back of the truck with the same level of satisfaction I get from calling one up or using topography and habitat features to stalk a field bird with hens that isn't callable on that particular day.
My response to the original poster was simply pointing out that criticizing today's killers for bumping birds seems a bit hypocritical considering the fact that it took him such an extensive number of days to kill 2 turkeys. There were a hell of a lot of bumped turkeys in those 14 unsuccessful days afield. In contrast, the guys he is reading about rarely spend more than 2 or 3 days at the maximum in one place before they have a dead bird in their hands. There are a lot of innovative tactics being employed by some incredibly successful hunters around the US. You may not agree with some of the tactics but I can tell you one thing, the hunter who stays on his home turf hunting the same birds on the same topography is not the guy you want to be taking advice from. The guys who travel to different places and continually find success despite foreign terrain and undesirable weather conditions are the ones you want and to be paying attention to if you want to improve your game.
If I hunted 16 days and only killed 2 turkeys.... I'd be paying attention to some of the stuff I was reading and I'd be considering how I could integrate it into my hunting style to become a more successful hunter.
Lots of sensitivity in this forum among guys who don't like to hear counter perspective. The purpose of discussion isn't to hold hands and sing koom-bay-yah.
Lots of constructive stuff in your post, but all I heard was your feelings were hurt for your pal so you lashed out. could have made the same points with out being a know it all dick, but that is just my opinion of you and your style, so no kumbaya from me.
QuoteThere were a hell of a lot of bumped turkeys in those 14 unsuccessful days afield.
You don't know that.
Quote from: g8rvet on June 05, 2017, 09:45:36 PM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 07:53:08 PM
Quote from: g8rvet on June 05, 2017, 02:21:19 PM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 02:15:47 PM
Quavers, i read somewhere that you hunted 16 days this year and only killed 2 turkeys.
If I hunted Stewart State Forest, I'd be more worried about what the hell youre doing that's preventing you from killing birds more regularly and how many YOU actually educate before you find a dumb one.
Was that reply necessary, constructive, or helpful in any way?
The essence of the thread was concern about birds being educated by unorthodox tactics supposedly being employed by a new generation of turkey hunters.
I happen to hunt with and guide for one of the guys he is referencing in the original post. He lives in Florida and has most likely legally killed more turkeys than any modern hunter. Although he does not "sprint" at turkeys he/we do move at an aggressive pace when we decide which bird is in play for the morning. It doesn't mean you burn down the woods to the first turkey you hear with reckless abandonment. It does mean that once you decide on a bird, you move swiftly and get as tight to that turkey as remotely possible.
This particular individual does not move with a turkey fan in front of him, but he does carry a Montana decoy company silk screen fold up of a gobbler and uses it as a shield when moving on birds that are close by. He will also use it to reap birds if the situation dictates.
I personally don't believe in reaping or fanning and look forward to the day it's outlawed but many of today's killers will gladly reap a bird and throw it in the back of the truck with the same level of satisfaction I get from calling one up or using topography and habitat features to stalk a field bird with hens that isn't callable on that particular day.
My response to the original poster was simply pointing out that criticizing today's killers for bumping birds seems a bit hypocritical considering the fact that it took him such an extensive number of days to kill 2 turkeys. There were a hell of a lot of bumped turkeys in those 14 unsuccessful days afield. In contrast, the guys he is reading about rarely spend more than 2 or 3 days at the maximum in one place before they have a dead bird in their hands. There are a lot of innovative tactics being employed by some incredibly successful hunters around the US. You may not agree with some of the tactics but I can tell you one thing, the hunter who stays on his home turf hunting the same birds on the same topography is not the guy you want to be taking advice from. The guys who travel to different places and continually find success despite foreign terrain and undesirable weather conditions are the ones you want and to be paying attention to if you want to improve your game.
If I hunted 16 days and only killed 2 turkeys.... I'd be paying attention to some of the stuff I was reading and I'd be considering how I could integrate it into my hunting style to become a more successful hunter.
Lots of sensitivity in this forum among guys who don't like to hear counter perspective. The purpose of discussion isn't to hold hands and sing koom-bay-yah.
Lots of constructive stuff in your post, but all I heard was your feelings were hurt for your pal so you lashed out. could have made the same points with out being a know it all dick, but that is just my opinion of you and your style, so no kumbaya from me.
Anyone literate can clearly see the point of the post was to express concern regarding bumped turkeys. I provided some counter perspective that taking 16 days kill 2 birds is statistical verification that the OP should probably stop worrying about other people bumping turkeys and pay a little more attention to what tactics those guys are using.
I wasn't defending anyone but certainly took the opportunity to clarify what he was reading versus the actual application of the tactics in the field since I've seen them employed first hand. I could careless if someone wants to criticize my buddy. He could careless. Our results speak for themselves. I was just making the obvious point that criticizing people who are extremely successful using innovative tactics seems ironic considering the lack of success experienced by the OP using his preferred tactics (whatever they are).
Don't get your panties in a wad, vet. I just call it like I see it.
Well you are a summers eve. Just calling it like I see it don't get your knickers knotted.
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Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 07:53:08 PM
Quote from: g8rvet on June 05, 2017, 02:21:19 PM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 02:15:47 PM
Quavers, i read somewhere that you hunted 16 days this year and only killed 2 turkeys.
If I hunted Stewart State Forest, I'd be more worried about what the hell youre doing that's preventing you from killing birds more regularly and how many YOU actually educate before you find a dumb one.
Was that reply necessary, constructive, or helpful in any way?
The essence of the thread was concern about birds being educated by unorthodox tactics supposedly being employed by a new generation of turkey hunters.
I happen to hunt with and guide for one of the guys he is referencing in the original post. He lives in Florida and has most likely legally killed more turkeys than any modern hunter. Although he does not "sprint" at turkeys he/we do move at an aggressive pace when we decide which bird is in play for the morning. It doesn't mean you burn down the woods to the first turkey you hear with reckless abandonment. It does mean that once you decide on a bird, you move swiftly and get as tight to that turkey as remotely possible.
This particular individual does not move with a turkey fan in front of him, but he does carry a Montana decoy company silk screen fold up of a gobbler and uses it as a shield when moving on birds that are close by. He will also use it to reap birds if the situation dictates.
I personally don't believe in reaping or fanning and look forward to the day it's outlawed but many of today's killers will gladly reap a bird and throw it in the back of the truck with the same level of satisfaction I get from calling one up or using topography and habitat features to stalk a field bird with hens that isn't callable on that particular day.
My response to the original poster was simply pointing out that criticizing today's killers for bumping birds seems a bit hypocritical considering the fact that it took him such an extensive number of days to kill 2 turkeys. There were a hell of a lot of bumped turkeys in those 14 unsuccessful days afield. In contrast, the guys he is reading about rarely spend more than 2 or 3 days at the maximum in one place before they have a dead bird in their hands. There are a lot of innovative tactics being employed by some incredibly successful hunters around the US. You may not agree with some of the tactics but I can tell you one thing, the hunter who stays on his home turf hunting the same birds on the same topography is not the guy you want to be taking advice from. The guys who travel to different places and continually find success despite foreign terrain and undesirable weather conditions are the ones you want and to be paying attention to if you want to improve your game.
If I hunted 16 days and only killed 2 turkeys.... I'd be paying attention to some of the stuff I was reading and I'd be considering how I could integrate it into my hunting style to become a more successful hunter.
Lots of sensitivity in this forum among guys who don't like to hear counter perspective. The purpose of discussion isn't to hold hands and sing koom-bay-yah.
About the only thing I can find to correct in your reply is that I do believe it is spelled kumbaya. :angel9:
My mantra in Spring Turkey hunting is that a bird is either gonna be scared or dead when I am done with him, and I have had that approach for 38 years. That is also why I spend all off season acquiring new places and properties to hunt. You can never have too many places to chase turkeys. Sorry if I bump any of the OP's birds.
I can see this in a few lights but I'm not getting why you'd advertise spots than complain about how the masses hunt it.
We gotta find ways to move away from others n not make em hunt our way.
I hunt private, public. Public is better. More room to get away. Even a size able for the northeast farm of over 1000 acres is just too small for more than one or two aggressive guys. Never mind if they're off dif days than you. Every tree on the prop has had someone next to it this week alone.
If you don't like how guys hunt just don't hunt w em
Days hunted vs. birds killed doesn't mean squat. And I personally like it when guys run around chasing gobbles, it tends to break up the birds and sometimes makes it easier to call them in. And if you like to run and gun, you most assuredly are probably bumping some birds you didn't even know were there. I hunt the way I like to hunt, and try not to be too concerned how others go about it as long as they are being safe and legal about it. America is a big place. What are traditional, time honored hunting methods in your region, just may be frowned on or even ridiculed in another region. I think we have slowly lost a lot of courtesy that was once a cornerstone of hunter ethics in the last decade or so due to the influence of social media. Hopefully it is a trend that doesn't last.
Quote from: the Ward on June 06, 2017, 12:56:43 PM
Days hunted vs. birds killed doesn't mean squat. And I personally like it when guys run around chasing gobbles, it tends to break up the birds and sometimes makes it easier to call them in. And if you like to run and gun, you most assuredly are probably bumping some birds you didn't even know were there. I hunt the way I like to hunt, and try not to be too concerned how others go about it as long as they are being safe and legal about it. America is a big place. What are traditional, time honored hunting methods in your region, just may be frowned on or even ridiculed in another region. I think we have slowly lost a lot of courtesy that was once a cornerstone of hunter ethics in the last decade or so due to the influence of social media. Hopefully it is a trend that doesn't last.
Good post
Quote from: the Ward on June 06, 2017, 12:56:43 PM
Days hunted vs. birds killed doesn't mean squat. And I personally like it when guys run around chasing gobbles, it tends to break up the birds and sometimes makes it easier to call them in. And if you like to run and gun, you most assuredly are probably bumping some birds you didn't even know were there. I hunt the way I like to hunt, and try not to be too concerned how others go about it as long as they are being safe and legal about it. America is a big place. What are traditional, time honored hunting methods in your region, just may be frowned on or even ridiculed in another region. I think we have slowly lost a lot of courtesy that was once a cornerstone of hunter ethics in the last decade or so due to the influence of social media. Hopefully it is a trend that doesn't last.
Well said my brother.
I've read about they guy VATurkeyStomper was referring to. I would describe his hunting like quavers did. He doesn't exactly charge toms full tilt, but he is known for running through the woods to close the distance. He is decidedly an aggressive hunter, moving a lot and not sitting much at all. I've heard him described as a world class athlete that uses those skills to turkey hunt.
I probably couldn't keep up with the guy if I hunted with him, but I generally enjoy a slower pace, taking in the woods as I go.
If I hunted property with him, I wouldn't worry too much. He'll be gone in a day or two. ;D And he'll most likely be taking a bird or two with him.
I read some of the replys. While I dont agree with everyone here- to each their own. I do remember - Craig. This young man was no more then 18. He ran full tilt through a swamp I was hunting in . Tried to sprint to the roost tree to get a shot . He spooked them and I had to go elsewhere.
Quote from: quavers59 on June 09, 2017, 02:11:30 PM
I read some of the replys. While I dont agree with everyone here- to each their own. I do remember - Craig. This young man was no more then 18. He ran full tilt through a swamp I was hunting in . Tried to sprint to the roost tree to get a shot . He spooked them and I had to go elsewhere.
He should have learned a valuable lesson from that. We all make mistakes at some time in our life. Especally when we were/are young.
Quote from: quavers59 on June 09, 2017, 02:11:30 PM
While I dont agree with everyone here- to each their own.
That is a good attitude to have with everybody,...within reason. One of the fundamental ethics of turkey hunters is if a guy gets on a bird first, another hunter should not (consciously) interfere with his hunt. If I am moving in on a gobbler, whether quickly or slowly, I am always listening/looking for indicators that someone else has beat me to that bird. If I can make a reasonable assessment that someone is actively hunting that gobbler, I am going to back out and look for another one.
Having said that, there is a difference to me in a situation where another hunter is set up within a reasonable distance of a gobbler and is in an active calling exchange with that bird, and a situation where a hunter is squatted behind a bunch of decoys, possibly several hundred yards from a bird, and somehow thinks that any gobbler within earshot is his "property" for the day. That dog don't hunt, boys.
Depending on where you are hunting,...and specifically on public land,...setting up too far from a gobbling bird, and even more importantly, planting yourself on decoys too far away, is a sure way to get a gobbler shot out from under you by a more aggressive hunter that knows his stuff. That is nobody's fault but your own.
Quote from: quavers59 on June 09, 2017, 02:11:30 PMI do remember - Craig. This young man was no more then 18. He ran full tilt through a swamp I was hunting in . Tried to sprint to the roost tree to get a shot . He spooked them and I had to go elsewhere.
Sounds like an inexperienced young hunter,....but there are many questions about this situation: Did this young man know you were there? How close were you to the gobbler? Were you actively "engaged" with the bird, and close enough so that the hunter should reasonably be aware of your presence? If not, did you make an attempt to let him know you were on the bird?
If you did, and he still "sprinted" past you, then he clearly violated that unwritten ethics rule above. If he legitimately did not know you were around, and assuming his intentions were not just to try to run up and shoot the bird out of the tree, then his only mistake was in not moving stealthily enough to not bust the bird, regardless of whether he was "sprinting" or "creeping".
Experienced and knowledgeable hunters adjust their approach tactics to the conditions. Sometimes those conditions call for speed,...and sometimes they call for stealth,....sometimes they call for a combination of both.
There have always been and will always be idiot hunters on public land, and some on private too. Ain't nothing you can do about them. Just put distance between you and them, go the extra mile and seek out unpressured birds. That's what I do. Be safe y'all.
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 07:53:08 PM
Quote from: g8rvet on June 05, 2017, 02:21:19 PM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 02:15:47 PM
Quavers, i read somewhere that you hunted 16 days this year and only killed 2 turkeys.
If I hunted Stewart State Forest, I'd be more worried about what the hell youre doing that's preventing you from killing birds more regularly and how many YOU actually educate before you find a dumb one.
Was that reply necessary, constructive, or helpful in any way?
The essence of the thread was concern about birds being educated by unorthodox tactics supposedly being employed by a new generation of turkey hunters.
I happen to hunt with and guide for one of the guys he is referencing in the original post. He lives in Florida and has most likely legally killed more turkeys than any modern hunter. Although he does not "sprint" at turkeys he/we do move at an aggressive pace when we decide which bird is in play for the morning. It doesn't mean you burn down the woods to the first turkey you hear with reckless abandonment. It does mean that once you decide on a bird, you move swiftly and get as tight to that turkey as remotely possible.
This particular individual does not move with a turkey fan in front of him, but he does carry a Montana decoy company silk screen fold up of a gobbler and uses it as a shield when moving on birds that are close by. He will also use it to reap birds if the situation dictates.
I personally don't believe in reaping or fanning and look forward to the day it's outlawed but many of today's killers will gladly reap a bird and throw it in the back of the truck with the same level of satisfaction I get from calling one up or using topography and habitat features to stalk a field bird with hens that isn't callable on that particular day.
My response to the original poster was simply pointing out that criticizing today's killers for bumping birds seems a bit hypocritical considering the fact that it took him such an extensive number of days to kill 2 turkeys. There were a hell of a lot of bumped turkeys in those 14 unsuccessful days afield. In contrast, the guys he is reading about rarely spend more than 2 or 3 days at the maximum in one place before they have a dead bird in their hands. There are a lot of innovative tactics being employed by some incredibly successful hunters around the US. You may not agree with some of the tactics but I can tell you one thing, the hunter who stays on his home turf hunting the same birds on the same topography is not the guy you want to be taking advice from. The guys who travel to different places and continually find success despite foreign terrain and undesirable weather conditions are the ones you want and to be paying attention to if you want to improve your game.
If I hunted 16 days and only killed 2 turkeys.... I'd be paying attention to some of the stuff I was reading and I'd be considering how I could integrate it into my hunting style to become a more successful hunter.
Lots of sensitivity in this forum among guys who don't like to hear counter perspective. The purpose of discussion isn't to hold hands and sing koom-bay-yah.
You sound like you have the typical guide mentality that is ruining hunting. It's all about killing as many birds as fast as you can so you can get the maximum number of clients through your operation. Then berate someone who "only" kills two birds in sixteen days. It's no wonder you guys have such a bad reputation.
Public Lands can be very tough if someone cuts into the Tom you are hunting. Both my Brother in law Mark and I have had 3 toms each spooked and other hunters from what I understand from gobbler#1 . And he was in his 70s at the time. Anything can and will happen on public lands
merriansman-- I dont agree with your post and we will leave it at that. My skills rack up with any and all members here.
Quote from: quavers59 on June 10, 2017, 01:17:57 PM
merriansman-- I dont agree with your post and we will leave it at that. My skills rack up with any and all members here.
Quavers, did you read my post? I'm agreeing with you. There's nothing wrong with "only" killing two birds in sixteen days. Turkey hunting should be about a lot more than kill rate. Don't get me wrong, I like to kill birds, and have killed my share, but the current emphasis on killing as many as you can as fast as you can is bad for hunting. And the commercial guiding industry has played a large role in perpetuating that notion.
Quote from: merriamsman on June 10, 2017, 12:38:26 PM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 07:53:08 PM
Quote from: g8rvet on June 05, 2017, 02:21:19 PM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 02:15:47 PM
Quavers, i read somewhere that you hunted 16 days this year and only killed 2 turkeys.
If I hunted Stewart State Forest, I'd be more worried about what the hell youre doing that's preventing you from killing birds more regularly and how many YOU actually educate before you find a dumb one.
Was that reply necessary, constructive, or helpful in any way?
The essence of the thread was concern about birds being educated by unorthodox tactics supposedly being employed by a new generation of turkey hunters.
I happen to hunt with and guide for one of the guys he is referencing in the original post. He lives in Florida and has most likely legally killed more turkeys than any modern hunter. Although he does not "sprint" at turkeys he/we do move at an aggressive pace when we decide which bird is in play for the morning. It doesn't mean you burn down the woods to the first turkey you hear with reckless abandonment. It does mean that once you decide on a bird, you move swiftly and get as tight to that turkey as remotely possible.
This particular individual does not move with a turkey fan in front of him, but he does carry a Montana decoy company silk screen fold up of a gobbler and uses it as a shield when moving on birds that are close by. He will also use it to reap birds if the situation dictates.
I personally don't believe in reaping or fanning and look forward to the day it's outlawed but many of today's killers will gladly reap a bird and throw it in the back of the truck with the same level of satisfaction I get from calling one up or using topography and habitat features to stalk a field bird with hens that isn't callable on that particular day.
My response to the original poster was simply pointing out that criticizing today's killers for bumping birds seems a bit hypocritical considering the fact that it took him such an extensive number of days to kill 2 turkeys. There were a hell of a lot of bumped turkeys in those 14 unsuccessful days afield. In contrast, the guys he is reading about rarely spend more than 2 or 3 days at the maximum in one place before they have a dead bird in their hands. There are a lot of innovative tactics being employed by some incredibly successful hunters around the US. You may not agree with some of the tactics but I can tell you one thing, the hunter who stays on his home turf hunting the same birds on the same topography is not the guy you want to be taking advice from. The guys who travel to different places and continually find success despite foreign terrain and undesirable weather conditions are the ones you want and to be paying attention to if you want to improve your game.
If I hunted 16 days and only killed 2 turkeys.... I'd be paying attention to some of the stuff I was reading and I'd be considering how I could integrate it into my hunting style to become a more successful hunter.
Lots of sensitivity in this forum among guys who don't like to hear counter perspective. The purpose of discussion isn't to hold hands and sing koom-bay-yah.
You sound like you have the typical guide mentality that is ruining hunting. It's all about killing as many birds as fast as you can so you can get the maximum number of clients through your operation. Then berate someone who "only" kills two birds in sixteen days. It's no wonder you guys have such a bad reputation.
Whether I'm guiding for charity events, for friends or commercially, I hunt with the same philosophy I have when I'm personally hunting for myself:
We are here to kill turkeys.
Of course, there are a lot of ways to kill turkeys and my personal turkey religion is not something I impose on clients. I won't reap, fan and I won't kill a bird that happens coincidentally to cross my path when I'm hunting. I find no skill or satisfaction in any kill derived in such a manner. That being said, I still focus very heavily on results and seek to refine my ability to achieve them each year. I practice mouth calls ALL YEAR, I practice running pot calls 6 mos of the year, I study maps all year, I start planning my next season immediately after the current one finishes, I conduct research on new areas I'm planning on hunting all year and I'll start experimenting with some new TSS loads for my 12 gas next week. Maybe that's something you can't understand but none of that is done to improve the odds of failure. Fu$& failure.
Surprisingly, it's often clients who have significant sums of money on the line and only 3 days to kill who will sell their souls to punch a tag. Too many times I've had clients request to shoot a bird from the truck or want to reap a bird on the first hour of a 3 day hunt. While I ensure that the law is followed, I'm not going to tell a client not to reap a bird.
You seem to have a grievance with those who focus on success. I can't understand why anyone would fault someone else for desiring to improve at their chosen craft. News flash for you my friend, hunting is an industry and businesses who don't produce don't survive. No company being traded on the DOW or Nasdaq ever achieved success striving for mediocrity and no hunting operation with low success rates will survive. There are too many guys with too much knowledge, experience and competitive spirit for hunting to ever go back to what it once was.
Lastly, I didn't berate anyone. I simply criticized someone who was criticizing something completely foreign to them and clarified that their interpretation of what they were reading should not be as literal as it was.
And I'll also tell you this, if you've never sprinted to a turkey, you've never challenged yourself to a goal within our past-time that compelled you to do so. Ive sprinted in seasons past. I sprinted this spring to seize 2 narrow windows of opportunity and converted in both scenarios. I will certainly sprint again. Those aggressive moves were not made with any discourtesy or disregard to other hunters and I despise anyone who would ever hunt over top of someone else.
To each their own.
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 10, 2017, 01:49:19 PM
Quote from: merriamsman on June 10, 2017, 12:38:26 PM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 07:53:08 PM
Quote from: g8rvet on June 05, 2017, 02:21:19 PM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 02:15:47 PM
Quavers, i read somewhere that you hunted 16 days this year and only killed 2 turkeys.
If I hunted Stewart State Forest, I'd be more worried about what the hell youre doing that's preventing you from killing birds more regularly and how many YOU actually educate before you find a dumb one.
Was that reply necessary, constructive, or helpful in any way?
The essence of the thread was concern about birds being educated by unorthodox tactics supposedly being employed by a new generation of turkey hunters.
I happen to hunt with and guide for one of the guys he is referencing in the original post. He lives in Florida and has most likely legally killed more turkeys than any modern hunter. Although he does not "sprint" at turkeys he/we do move at an aggressive pace when we decide which bird is in play for the morning. It doesn't mean you burn down the woods to the first turkey you hear with reckless abandonment. It does mean that once you decide on a bird, you move swiftly and get as tight to that turkey as remotely possible.
This particular individual does not move with a turkey fan in front of him, but he does carry a Montana decoy company silk screen fold up of a gobbler and uses it as a shield when moving on birds that are close by. He will also use it to reap birds if the situation dictates.
I personally don't believe in reaping or fanning and look forward to the day it's outlawed but many of today's killers will gladly reap a bird and throw it in the back of the truck with the same level of satisfaction I get from calling one up or using topography and habitat features to stalk a field bird with hens that isn't callable on that particular day.
My response to the original poster was simply pointing out that criticizing today's killers for bumping birds seems a bit hypocritical considering the fact that it took him such an extensive number of days to kill 2 turkeys. There were a hell of a lot of bumped turkeys in those 14 unsuccessful days afield. In contrast, the guys he is reading about rarely spend more than 2 or 3 days at the maximum in one place before they have a dead bird in their hands. There are a lot of innovative tactics being employed by some incredibly successful hunters around the US. You may not agree with some of the tactics but I can tell you one thing, the hunter who stays on his home turf hunting the same birds on the same topography is not the guy you want to be taking advice from. The guys who travel to different places and continually find success despite foreign terrain and undesirable weather conditions are the ones you want and to be paying attention to if you want to improve your game.
If I hunted 16 days and only killed 2 turkeys.... I'd be paying attention to some of the stuff I was reading and I'd be considering how I could integrate it into my hunting style to become a more successful hunter.
Lots of sensitivity in this forum among guys who don't like to hear counter perspective. The purpose of discussion isn't to hold hands and sing koom-bay-yah.
You sound like you have the typical guide mentality that is ruining hunting. It's all about killing as many birds as fast as you can so you can get the maximum number of clients through your operation. Then berate someone who "only" kills two birds in sixteen days. It's no wonder you guys have such a bad reputation.
Whether I'm guiding for charity events, for friends or commercially, I hunt with the same philosophy I have when I'm personally hunting for myself:
We are here to kill turkeys.
Of course, there are a lot of ways to kill turkeys and my personal turkey religion is not something I impose on clients. I won't reap, fan and I won't kill a bird that happens coincidentally to cross my path when I'm hunting. I find no skill or satisfaction in any kill derived in such a manner. That being said, I still focus very heavily on results and seek to refine my ability to achieve them each year. I practice mouth calls ALL YEAR, I practice running pot calls 6 mos of the year, I study maps all year, I start planning my next season immediately after the current one finishes, I conduct research on new areas I'm planning on hunting all year and I'll start experimenting with some new TSS loads for my 12 gas next week. Maybe that's something you can't understand but none of that is done to improve the odds of failure. Fu$& failure.
Surprisingly, it's often clients who have significant sums of money on the line and only 3 days to kill who will sell their souls to punch a tag. Too many times I've had clients request to shoot a bird from the truck or want to reap a bird on the first hour of a 3 day hunt. While I ensure that the law is followed, I'm not going to tell a client not to reap a bird.
You seem to have a grievance with those who focus on success. I can't understand why anyone would fault someone else for desiring to improve at their chosen craft. News flash for you my friend, hunting is an industry and businesses who don't produce don't survive. No company being traded on the DOW or Nasdaq ever achieved success striving for mediocrity and no hunting operation with low success rates will survive. There are too many guys with too much knowledge, experience and competitive spirit for hunting to ever go back to what it once was.
Lastly, I didn't berate anyone. I simply criticized someone who was criticizing something completely foreign to them and clarified that their interpretation of what they were reading should not be as literal as it was.
And I'll also tell you this, if you've never sprinted to a turkey, you've never challenged yourself to a goal within our past-time that compelled you to do so. Ive sprinted in seasons past. I sprinted this spring to seize 2 narrow windows of opportunity and converted in both scenarios. I will certainly sprint again. Those aggressive moves were not made with any discourtesy or disregard to other hunters and I despise anyone who would ever hunt over top of someone else.
To each their own.
Good post in describing yourself and how you feel about turkey hunting.. I just wish i could live long enough to see what you think at age 70....But still again a good post...
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 10, 2017, 01:49:19 PM
Quote from: merriamsman on June 10, 2017, 12:38:26 PM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 07:53:08 PM
Quote from: g8rvet on June 05, 2017, 02:21:19 PM
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 05, 2017, 02:15:47 PM
Quavers, i read somewhere that you hunted 16 days this year and only killed 2 turkeys.
If I hunted Stewart State Forest, I'd be more worried about what the hell youre doing that's preventing you from killing birds more regularly and how many YOU actually educate before you find a dumb one.
Was that reply necessary, constructive, or helpful in any way?
The essence of the thread was concern about birds being educated by unorthodox tactics supposedly being employed by a new generation of turkey hunters.
I happen to hunt with and guide for one of the guys he is referencing in the original post. He lives in Florida and has most likely legally killed more turkeys than any modern hunter. Although he does not "sprint" at turkeys he/we do move at an aggressive pace when we decide which bird is in play for the morning. It doesn't mean you burn down the woods to the first turkey you hear with reckless abandonment. It does mean that once you decide on a bird, you move swiftly and get as tight to that turkey as remotely possible.
This particular individual does not move with a turkey fan in front of him, but he does carry a Montana decoy company silk screen fold up of a gobbler and uses it as a shield when moving on birds that are close by. He will also use it to reap birds if the situation dictates.
I personally don't believe in reaping or fanning and look forward to the day it's outlawed but many of today's killers will gladly reap a bird and throw it in the back of the truck with the same level of satisfaction I get from calling one up or using topography and habitat features to stalk a field bird with hens that isn't callable on that particular day.
My response to the original poster was simply pointing out that criticizing today's killers for bumping birds seems a bit hypocritical considering the fact that it took him such an extensive number of days to kill 2 turkeys. There were a hell of a lot of bumped turkeys in those 14 unsuccessful days afield. In contrast, the guys he is reading about rarely spend more than 2 or 3 days at the maximum in one place before they have a dead bird in their hands. There are a lot of innovative tactics being employed by some incredibly successful hunters around the US. You may not agree with some of the tactics but I can tell you one thing, the hunter who stays on his home turf hunting the same birds on the same topography is not the guy you want to be taking advice from. The guys who travel to different places and continually find success despite foreign terrain and undesirable weather conditions are the ones you want and to be paying attention to if you want to improve your game.
If I hunted 16 days and only killed 2 turkeys.... I'd be paying attention to some of the stuff I was reading and I'd be considering how I could integrate it into my hunting style to become a more successful hunter.
Lots of sensitivity in this forum among guys who don't like to hear counter perspective. The purpose of discussion isn't to hold hands and sing koom-bay-yah.
You sound like you have the typical guide mentality that is ruining hunting. It's all about killing as many birds as fast as you can so you can get the maximum number of clients through your operation. Then berate someone who "only" kills two birds in sixteen days. It's no wonder you guys have such a bad reputation.
Whether I'm guiding for charity events, for friends or commercially, I hunt with the same philosophy I have when I'm personally hunting for myself:
We are here to kill turkeys.
Of course, there are a lot of ways to kill turkeys and my personal turkey religion is not something I impose on clients. I won't reap, fan and I won't kill a bird that happens coincidentally to cross my path when I'm hunting. I find no skill or satisfaction in any kill derived in such a manner. That being said, I still focus very heavily on results and seek to refine my ability to achieve them each year. I practice mouth calls ALL YEAR, I practice running pot calls 6 mos of the year, I study maps all year, I start planning my next season immediately after the current one finishes, I conduct research on new areas I'm planning on hunting all year and I'll start experimenting with some new TSS loads for my 12 gas next week. Maybe that's something you can't understand but none of that is done to improve the odds of failure. Fu$& failure.
Surprisingly, it's often clients who have significant sums of money on the line and only 3 days to kill who will sell their souls to punch a tag. Too many times I've had clients request to shoot a bird from the truck or want to reap a bird on the first hour of a 3 day hunt. While I ensure that the law is followed, I'm not going to tell a client not to reap a bird.
You seem to have a grievance with those who focus on success. I can't understand why anyone would fault someone else for desiring to improve at their chosen craft. News flash for you my friend, hunting is an industry and businesses who don't produce don't survive. No company being traded on the DOW or Nasdaq ever achieved success striving for mediocrity and no hunting operation with low success rates will survive. There are too many guys with too much knowledge, experience and competitive spirit for hunting to ever go back to what it once was.
Lastly, I didn't berate anyone. I simply criticized someone who was criticizing something completely foreign to them and clarified that their interpretation of what they were reading should not be as literal as it was.
And I'll also tell you this, if you've never sprinted to a turkey, you've never challenged yourself to a goal within our past-time that compelled you to do so. Ive sprinted in seasons past. I sprinted this spring to seize 2 narrow windows of opportunity and converted in both scenarios. I will certainly sprint again. Those aggressive moves were not made with any discourtesy or disregard to other hunters and I despise anyone who would ever hunt over top of someone else.
To each their own.
I don't care how someone hunts, as long as it is legal. I took umbrage at your comment about him only killing two birds in sixteen days, like that was some kind of failure that rendered his comment of no value. I think that type of attitude is bad for hunting in general, and seems to be fostered by the commercialization of the sport.
Quote from: warrent423 on June 10, 2017, 05:40:49 PM
Took me 6 full weeks of season to kill 2 longbeards on my local National Forest ground. They were both called to the gun and killed within 30 steps. I'd put myself against any one of you "well traveled", part time guide, professional athlete hunters on any ground, in any state. No shame Quavers59.
The only person you need to prove that to is yourself.
Put your money where your mouth is, pick 3 states anywhere in the country, do some research and locate public land based on that research, give yourself 1 travel day to get to your first state and one travel day to get back from your last with the goal of killing 1 gobbler in each of those 3 states.
Despite your snarky response, I wish you safe travels and success overcoming the many challenges you are certain to encounter. Like most sh!t talkers, you most likely have a dozen excuses as to why you won't or why you can't but I'll guarantee you one thing... if you do it l, you'll find yourself sprinting at some point ;-)
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 10, 2017, 06:44:10 PM
Quote from: warrent423 on June 10, 2017, 05:40:49 PM
Took me 6 full weeks of season to kill 2 longbeards on my local National Forest ground. They were both called to the gun and killed within 30 steps. I'd put myself against any one of you "well traveled", part time guide, professional athlete hunters on any ground, in any state. No shame Quavers59.
The only person you need to prove that to is yourself.
Put your money where your mouth is, pick 3 states anywhere in the country, do some research and locate public land based on that research, give yourself 1 travel day to get to your first state and one travel day to get back from your last with the goal of killing 1 gobbler in each of those 3 states.
Despite your snarky response, I wish you safe travels and success overcoming the many challenges you are certain to encounter. Like most sh!t talkers, you most likely have a dozen excuses as to why you won't or why you can't but I'll guarantee you one thing... if you do it l, you'll find yourself sprinting at some point ;-)
I'm sitting on pins and needles. :TooFunny:
Quote from: warrent423 on June 09, 2017, 10:46:51 PM
Some young, stupid, world class athelete. so called turkey hunter "sprints" past me to get to a Gobbler and I'm going to shoot the running gear right out from under 'em ;) Figures the a##hat was from Florida.
Really?! Please let all of us "so called turkey hunters" know where you hunt so we don't get shot! I've read a lot of things on this site that I don't agree with but never any that totally disgusted me like this post. Threatening to shoot someone over a turkey!! Do us all a favor and get out of the woods and into therapy.
Quote from: warrent423 on June 10, 2017, 05:40:49 PMI'd put myself against any one of you "well traveled", part time guide, professional athlete hunters on any ground, in any state. No shame Quavers59.
Thats a pretty bold statement to make.I have been at this for a while, had success doing the competitive calling thing years ago, and would say turkey hunting is my passion, but I would stop short of making the claim you just made. There are some guys on here that I would have to tip my hat to. Instead of challenging them, I would try to learn from them.
I understand exactly where VaTuRkStOmPeR is comingvfrom. He was initially responding to someone being critical of a friend of his, and in his response, threw out a legitimate criticism of his own. I would have done the same thing.
Nothing wrong with laying in there and working hard to tag out, and kudos for sticking with it. But, I wouldn't be saying I was as good as anyone on here either.
Can't we all just get along...not shoot other hunters legs out from under them,hunt however it makes us happy within the law,and last but not least have a big ol O.G. group hug..... :funnyturkey:
Hunting openers on public lands vs killing turkeys on public lands are two different things. Sounds like you do a lot of the former and very little of the latter.
Best of luck in 2018.
Quote from: 1iagobblergetter on June 10, 2017, 09:06:36 PM
Can't we all just get along...not shoot other hunters legs out from under them,hunt however it makes us happy within the law,and last but not least have a big ol O.G. group hug..... :funnyturkey:
I'm learning lots in this thread. I had no idea warrent423 was VaTuRkStOmPeRs Daddy.
Quote from: Hooksfan on June 10, 2017, 09:27:05 PM
Quote from: 1iagobblergetter on June 10, 2017, 09:06:36 PM
Can't we all just get along...not shoot other hunters legs out from under them,hunt however it makes us happy within the law,and last but not least have a big ol O.G. group hug..... :funnyturkey:
I'm learning lots in this thread. I had no idea warrent423 was VaTuRkStOmPeRs Daddy.
:TooFunny: Ya...I missed that also,but I still think a Group hug is in order.
Quote from: 1iagobblergetter on June 10, 2017, 09:35:34 PM
Quote from: Hooksfan on June 10, 2017, 09:27:05 PM
Quote from: 1iagobblergetter on June 10, 2017, 09:06:36 PM
Can't we all just get along...not shoot other hunters legs out from under them,hunt however it makes us happy within the law,and last but not least have a big ol O.G. group hug..... :funnyturkey:
I'm learning lots in this thread. I had no idea warrent423 was VaTuRkStOmPeRs Daddy.
:TooFunny: Ya...I missed that also,but I still think a Group hug is in order.
I agree, we all love turkey hunting regardless... so let's stop, take a minute and have a moment of silence and then a big group hug... Let's pay respect too all those turkeys living and non-living ...
Quote from: Greg Massey on June 10, 2017, 09:49:57 PM
Quote from: 1iagobblergetter on June 10, 2017, 09:35:34 PM
Quote from: Hooksfan on June 10, 2017, 09:27:05 PM
Quote from: 1iagobblergetter on June 10, 2017, 09:06:36 PM
Can't we all just get along...not shoot other hunters legs out from under them,hunt however it makes us happy within the law,and last but not least have a big ol O.G. group hug..... :funnyturkey:
I'm learning lots in this thread. I had no idea warrent423 was VaTuRkStOmPeRs Daddy.
:TooFunny: Ya...I missed that also,but I still think a Group hug is in order.
I agree, we all love turkey hunting regardless... so let's stop, take a minute and have a moment of silence and then a big group hug... Let's pay respect too all those turkeys living and non-living ...
:happy0167:
Well this has become quite the dick measuring contest. ::)
(http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss29/Tom_Foolery_74/ethug.jpg) (http://s558.photobucket.com/user/Tom_Foolery_74/media/ethug.jpg.html)
Quote from: Tom Foolery on June 10, 2017, 10:19:39 PM
(http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/ss29/Tom_Foolery_74/ethug.jpg) (http://s558.photobucket.com/user/Tom_Foolery_74/media/ethug.jpg.html)
Guy's enough with the foul language... that will get you kick out of this forum ..asap....show respect. Old Gobbler will not put up with stuff like this..
Show respect in a thread where someone has already talked about shooting another hunter? LOL
Quote from: Hooksfan on June 10, 2017, 09:27:05 PM
Quote from: 1iagobblergetter on June 10, 2017, 09:06:36 PM
Can't we all just get along...not shoot other hunters legs out from under them,hunt however it makes us happy within the law,and last but not least have a big ol O.G. group hug..... :funnyturkey:
I'm learning lots in this thread. I had no idea warrent423 was VaTuRkStOmPeRs Daddy.
I just learned that, too. I think I'm putting myself up for adoption. Dad goes turkey hunting a lot and takes a lot of selfies but we're starving for turkey here on the home front.
I'll just say this regarding public private n such. In some places public has less pressure. In many places public is easier cause you have more room to get away from others.
Killing birds quickly is no measure either. Some day sone birds just wanna die, dif sub species can be easier to kill n no matter how tough a sub species prime land w little interference can be way easier than someone hunting pressured birds. Some guys will argue that but facts are facts, animals that don't know they're being hunted no matter the species are easier.
Don't think animals learn, throw a calf rope on a dog, next time you pick up rope dog is under couch, catch a coon in a cage trap, put a big white paint spot on em to identify him, now try n recatch em.
Chase some unbothered bunnies w beagles n try to see how good your dogs are on club ones w all the evasive maneuvers. Etc etc
Nothing here is apples to apples
How did I wind up on archery talk? :emoticon-cartoon-012:
:TooFunny: :toothy12: :toothy9: :TooFunny:
Since we are all measuring, here's how good a turkey hunter I am: Put me on the right turkey at the right time and I am the worlds greatest turkey hunter. Put me on the wrong turkey at the wrong time and I am the worlds worst. ;D :newmascot:
Is it really "cabin fever " season already ? We do have one simple rule ...BE NICE , people come to oldgobbler to have a good time , a good informative pleasant time ....not watch folks argue we have a saying " get along ...move along " as in we may have minor differences but in the end we're very similar in likeness let's not quarrel of nonsense and focus on things we do like in common
I'm gonna lend some insight from a administrators point of view , regardless of subject matter there is always gonna be folks that want to blow off a little steam , then get over themselves ....then move on never to be involved in a ugly situation again ..I've seen people arguing over the years like it was the end of the world from stuff as dumb as the " Dixie Chicks " then move on ...I like so many Of you...my friends ....have had a few bad days in my time , thank goodness I have you guys to back me up and help each other out through the bumpy spots in life ,we all encounter --
But yes there is always some know it all A$$'s out there , I got one like that at my work that everyone detests ...this guy is the expert on everything, I swear if he proclaimed to know how to fly the space shuttle I wouldn't be surprised ....he is a world class corn-holer -- the reason folks come to places like this is to get away from folks like that and get real world purposeful information and entertainment, not to surround themselves with arrogant folks like that
This may be hard to believe .........I myself.... don't tell nobody this.....there was a time when I had never killed a turkey .... wait a minute.....every single turkey hunter in the world was that way at one time -- over the years I've learned a few things , I learned humility quickly cause those old gobblers are gonna run you in circles , I reflect back on my years of turkey hunting and realize that some of the best turkey hunts I ever went on I never even pulled the trigger , the education I got from a flock of turkeys was valued and I began to enjoy the act of turkey hunting in its entirety , not just a dead gobbler - some folks just get so fixated on a " kill at any cost " mentality I know for a fact they are missing out on the finer points of turkey hunting .....I'm trying to kill a gobbler just like the next guy , but trust me on this slow down ...enjoy the finer points of the experience, soak it in and ....BE NICE
Quote from: Tombo on June 11, 2017, 07:46:33 AM
How did I wind up on archery talk? :emoticon-cartoon-012:
Was thinking the same thing...although this is kind of mild to some of the arguments on ArcheryTalk!!!! :TooFunny: :TooFunny: :TooFunny:
Hear you -Old Gobbler. Took me 5 full Springs to kill my 1st turkey. A flying jake with a fews days left. And this year it took me a full 24 days to get my 2 toms--a jake and a gobbler. My post is about what I have seen- including those 1st 5 years when other turkey hunters cut in on me plenty of times. This started to increase on the public lands starting around 2006 with gobbler#1. Plenty of times, I am in close to 2 miles when someone sprinted to use cover as I was calling softly. He would either spook him or get him.It is what it is. My post was pretty straight forward. Just remember that you could be under observation by a close by Spring turkey hunter who may not reveal himself. So my average in the 2 states that I hunt in is low- but I am dedicated and that is what matters. Be back here next Friday on this library computer.
No, you don't have to sprint to birds to kill them. Just call them to you.
Maybe this is a dumb question for you "old schoolers" but I am going to ask anyways. Say you hear a tom tearing it up on a distant ridgetop. You are going to plop down at your chosen location and try to call him to a location where the odds are good he isn't going to want to come as opposed to beating feet over to a location close to him where odds are good he will approach? To me getting there fast before he gobbles up a hen and calling him in and killing him is really not much different. It still requires knowledge, Woodsmanship and skill with a call. I am not the type and sit and wait. I enjoy taking the hunt to the bird and I guess I just don't get the huge difference. In my experience the tighter to the bird the better the reaction to calling. Can anyone explain please?
Thanks
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Quote from: Happy on June 12, 2017, 09:13:59 AM
Maybe this is a dumb question for you "old schoolers" but I am going to ask anyways. Say you hear a tom tearing it up on a distant ridgetop. You are going to plop down at your chosen location and try to call him to a location where the odds are good he isn't going to want to come as opposed to beating feet over to a location close to him where odds are good he will approach? To me getting there fast before he gobbles up a hen and calling him in and killing him is really not much different. It still requires knowledge, Woodsmanship and skill with a call. I am not the type and sit and wait. I enjoy taking the hunt to the bird and I guess I just don't get the huge difference. In my experience the tighter to the bird the better the reaction to calling. Can anyone explain please?
Thanks
Not sure what you're referring to old schooler I've been at it since early 80s so longer than some. In the situation your referring to or anything remotely close I'm sure most guys would move on the bird. I personally have never heard or seen anyone sprint to a bird. It wouldn't even be safe running w a loaded gun, guys do unsafer things though.
I personally prefer to roost em or be near known roosts come morning but if you're out of the game you gotta get in it.
Bear in mind not at anyone else's expense. If you hunt easily accessible areas the chance of someone ruining your hunt are better. Get in n that doesn't mean distance if everyone is riding mt bikes or quads in, could be actually climbing a mt. Crossing a brook or hunting (gasp) where there are no roads or trails.
Everyone doesn't have to hunt our way no matter what way that is so finding seclusion is key to peace.
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This thread just needs to die. lol
Turkeys will come a long distance to a well made call. One would not know that unless one tried. The benefit to that style of hunting is that your presence is not broadcast all over the whole forest. As a dearly departed friend once imparted, "It is a sin to allow them to know that you exist".
Thanks for the replies fellows. I tend to be more aggressive with my movements if necessary. I am not talking a half mile sprint but a short dash to get into position. Yes running with a loaded gun is for idiots. I open the chamber and when I am in position slide a shell in and close it. If distance is involved I move quickly but not at the expense of sending creatures scurrying to the four corners. If a tom is hot I want to get on him in a quick decisive fashion. I tend to be more old fashioned in my approach as I believe in the call but I ain't gonna sit and call to a hot tom from a half mile off if I can help it.
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I have a nephew that was so scared of bumping them, he would not set up close enough. I told him if you never bump a turkey, ever, you are not being aggressive enough. He took that to heart and has bumped a few, but his success ratio has gone WAY up. He says he did not kill one this year, but he set up and called in two, one for his dad (noob) and one for a friend (noob) and I told him he killed those birds, he just did not pull the trigger. Bumping will happen no matter your intentions. Especially on public ground. I too tend to plan to go back and be a little less aggressive, but on hard hunted public land that has tons of roads, getting away from the crowds is not always easy, so there I tend to be a little more aggressive than I do on private land I hunt, where spooking them is a major no no (small tracts).
Is this post about somebody?
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Quote from: fallhnt on June 12, 2017, 09:56:18 PM
Is this post about somebody?
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It's about the first time "Wild Game Nation" went to old Mexico and tried to use the squealing hen call on oscillated turkeys
Quote from: crow on June 12, 2017, 11:15:05 PM
Quote from: fallhnt on June 12, 2017, 09:56:18 PM
Is this post about somebody?
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It's about the first time "Wild Game " went to old Mexico and tried to use the squealing hen call on oscillated turkeys
Wait, I thought this was a recipe thread?????? :toothy9: :turkey2: :angel9:
Silvestris has a very good point in his post. Wish more would heed it!
Quote from: silvestris on June 12, 2017, 10:18:23 AM
Turkeys will come a long distance to a well made call. One would not know that unless one tried. The benefit to that style of hunting is that your presence is not broadcast all over the whole forest. As a dearly departed friend once imparted, "It is a sin to allow them to know that you exist".
Yup. Sometimes they will. Other times they won't. I'm not one to wait forever to find out. And I'm sure as heck not setting up farther away than I have to. The closer I get the less chance there is that a real hen or another hunter will get between the gobbler and me. And with all due respect to your friend, if he doesn't know that you exist, then all you're doing is ambushing him!
Quote from: Farmboy27 on June 17, 2017, 10:47:55 PM
Quote from: silvestris on June 12, 2017, 10:18:23 AM
Turkeys will come a long distance to a well made call. One would not know that unless one tried. The benefit to that style of hunting is that your presence is not broadcast all over the whole forest. As a dearly departed friend once imparted, "It is a sin to allow them to know that you exist".
Yup. Sometimes they will. Other times they won't. I'm not one to wait forever to find out. And I'm sure as heck not setting up farther away than I have to. The closer I get the less chance there is that a real hen or another hunter will get between the gobbler and me. And with all due respect to your friend, if he doesn't know that you exist, then all you're doing is ambushing him!
I think not knowing you exist is from not being seen as a hunter and letting your calling get the bird without spooking it .
I would guess that with a lot of the hunters running around and trying to beat the other ones to the gobbling bird is a way to not let the other guys get him.So how the heck can you expect the others not to do the same . Sounds like a good way to get between another hunter and the gobbling cutting him off who may have been set up and working that bird before you ever made your mad dash into the woods. This getting ahead off the gobblers direction or getting as close and sneaking up is more of an ambush than calling from a bit further away ever will be!
This year I walked in on one end of a road that was locked. Walked about a mile sat down and waited...about 10 min to gobble time a truck pulls up from the other direction and parks shining me with his headlights. I get up with the intention of walking 1/2 mile back the way I came so to give room. No sooner than I started walking a truck passes me hauling it 100 yards down the road and parks...now I am blocked....so I just stop....sit down and wait...sure enough turkey starts gobbling directly in front of me about 200 yards....I closed the distance set up on him and I don't have to tell you what happened next...but I will...all of a sudden it started sounding like wild kingdom.....owl hooting....crow calls....yelping cutting....It was like being at the NWTF convention...and of course all of this was followed by complete silence for the rest of the morning.....I am not griping its part of the game where I hunt, I don't see it getting any better, cause that's just the way that it is.
Sounds like where I hunt Tha. Folks on here talk about getting away from folks, but a lot of times that is not possible. One of the best places to do it is along a river near here, but my bro did that once and had a guy come in from the river and kill the bird. Neither knew the other was there, not anyone's fault, it just happens on public.
I have found that playing recordings of a wildcat screaming near parking lots as hunters are getting out of their trucks tends to help thin out the competition. :D
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Quote from: g8rvet on June 12, 2017, 07:11:10 PM
I have a nephew that was so scared of bumping them, he would not set up close enough. I told him if you never bump a turkey, ever, you are not being aggressive enough. He took that to heart and has bumped a few, but his success ratio has gone WAY up. He says he did not kill one this year, but he set up and called in two, one for his dad (noob) and one for a friend (noob) and I told him he killed those birds, he just did not pull the trigger. Bumping will happen no matter your intentions. Especially on public ground. I too tend to plan to go back and be a little less aggressive, but on hard hunted public land that has tons of roads, getting away from the crowds is not always easy, so there I tend to be a little more aggressive than I do on private land I hunt, where spooking them is a major no no (small tracts).
This was me for a long time. Afraid to get to close,afraid to call. My first two years of hunting I managed (by scouting general woodsmans skills and dumb luck) to kill gobblers on the first morning. Year #3 my strategy didnt work out. I heard them gobbling on the next ridge or two over but they would not come closer or close enough. With 2 days left in this season(our seasons are 5-7 days long) I decided to cut the distance in half or better........what did I have to loose ? I walked out of the woods the last day with a bird.
Since that day I have learned to be more aggressive. Do I run at every turkey that gobbles ? No. Do I sometimes cut the distance between me and him pretty quick ? Yes. Do I do it on every bird that is far away ? No. Thats where knowing turkeys,knowing the lay of the land,and having good woodsman skills come into play.
The deal is I dont care how others hunt as long as it dont effect me,BUT I'm the kind of turkey hunter that when I realize someone else is in the woods with me I get out of Dodge.
Quote from: donjuan on June 10, 2017, 10:14:45 PM
Well this has become quite the dick measuring contest. ::)
:TooFunny: I don't have anything against fanning/reaping, or whatever you want to call it, provided it's done safely and intelligently. Sprinting through the woods with a loaded gun sounds like more of an accident waiting to happen.
Quote from: owlhoot on June 18, 2017, 10:00:31 AM
Quote from: Farmboy27 on June 17, 2017, 10:47:55 PM
Quote from: silvestris on June 12, 2017, 10:18:23 AM
Turkeys will come a long distance to a well made call. One would not know that unless one tried. The benefit to that style of hunting is that your presence is not broadcast all over the whole forest. As a dearly departed friend once imparted, "It is a sin to allow them to know that you exist".
Yup. Sometimes they will. Other times they won't. I'm not one to wait forever to find out. And I'm sure as heck not setting up farther away than I have to. The closer I get the less chance there is that a real hen or another hunter will get between the gobbler and me. And with all due respect to your friend, if he doesn't know that you exist, then all you're doing is ambushing him!
I think not knowing you exist is from not being seen as a hunter and letting your calling get the bird without spooking it .
I would guess that with a lot of the hunters running around and trying to beat the other ones to the gobbling bird is a way to not let the other guys get him.So how the heck can you expect the others not to do the same . Sounds like a good way to get between another hunter and the gobbling cutting him off who may have been set up and working that bird before you ever made your mad dash into the woods. This getting ahead off the gobblers direction or getting as close and sneaking up is more of an ambush than calling from a bit further away ever will be!
You have to call loud enough for them to where you are , which is not the same as them knowing what you are are, which will give you the woods all to yourself.
This conversation has endured much longer than I ever expected.
People clearly have different hunting styles and those styles often reflect a variety of factors to include the hunter's physical condition, their preferred method of killing a gobbler and one of the unmentioned contingencies for me is the type of property I'm hunting.
On my personal leases and private pieces, I hunt with an approach I can only describe as cautious aggression. I'll get as tight as possible to a gobbler but I also hunt with a "tomorrow mentality." The best way I can describe that is an aggressive approach that intends to kill the bird today while learning as much about him as possible (and not bumping him) to increase the odds of success for tomorrow. I do not want birds having any awareness of my presence in the woods and will go to great lengths to keep my birds oblivious to hunting pressure. My brother hunts with the same approach and it preserves quality hunting for the duration of the season. The best way to measure the effectiveness of this methodology, and it's purely anecdotal at best, is to visit your property during the last week of the season, see how many birds are gobbling and how willing they are to work. If you're still calling birds in during the 5th or 6th week of the season, you've done a great job minimizing pressure and intrusion.
When I hunt public ground out of state, I'm hunting for today. Birds I would normally be roosting for the next day here in VA for tomorrow's hunt are birds I will hunt right to fly-up on out of state public ground (where all day hunting is legal). You can't hunt a bumped turkey, so I'm cautious not to do so but I'm not as worried about tomorrow or next week. I need a kill from that state and I'm going to cover ground more aggressively with little regard for the birds I'm going to bump that aren't gobbling. I'm trying to find the one bird that will cooperate not minimize my presence for turkeys I won't be hunting later on. If that involves having to bump a turkey that's gobbling very little to get to one that's on fire, I'm more than willing to sacrifice educating an uncooperative bird for one that wants to die.
Quote from: Happy on June 19, 2017, 12:28:43 PM
I have found that playing recordings of a wildcat screaming near parking lots as hunters are getting out of their trucks tends to help thin out the competition. :D
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:TooFunny: :TooFunny: :TooFunny:
Quote from: VaTuRkStOmPeR on June 20, 2017, 09:55:49 PM
This conversation has endured much longer than I ever expected.
People clearly have different hunting styles and those styles often reflect a variety of factors to include the hunter's physical condition, their preferred method of killing a gobbler and one of the unmentioned contingencies for me is the type of property I'm hunting.
On my personal leases and private pieces, I hunt with an approach I can only describe as cautious aggression. I'll get as tight as possible to a gobbler but I also hunt with a "tomorrow mentality." The best way I can describe that is an aggressive approach that intends to kill the bird today while learning as much about him as possible (and not bumping him) to increase the odds of success for tomorrow. I do not want birds having any awareness of my presence in the woods and will go to great lengths to keep my birds oblivious to hunting pressure. My brother hunts with the same approach and it preserves quality hunting for the duration of the season. The best way to measure the effectiveness of this methodology, and it's purely anecdotal at best, is to visit your property during the last week of the season, see how many birds are gobbling and how willing they are to work. If you're still calling birds in during the 5th or 6th week of the season, you've done a great job minimizing pressure and intrusion.
When I hunt public ground out of state, I'm hunting for today. Birds I would normally be roosting for the next day here in VA for tomorrow's hunt are birds I will hunt right to fly-up on out of state public ground (where all day hunting is legal). You can't hunt a bumped turkey, so I'm cautious not to do so but I'm not as worried about tomorrow or next week. I need a kill from that state and I'm going to cover ground more aggressively with little regard for the birds I'm going to bump that aren't gobbling. I'm trying to find the one bird that will cooperate not minimize my presence for turkeys I won't be hunting later on. If that involves having to bump a turkey that's gobbling very little to get to one that's on fire, I'm more than willing to sacrifice educating an uncooperative bird for one that wants to die.
Very well put. When I say that a turkey is gonna either be scared or dead when I am done with him, it is a reflection of my aggressive style of hunting. Not that I intentionally bump birds, but I'm not going to be too worried if I do. Here's why: I am a school teacher who hunts before school. That's not a lot of time. I have to have a bird on the ground by 7:45. That means being aggressive. Having said that, I don't go running through the woods and I never have. But when I started being aggressive, I found I had much more success.
The way I keep from burning properties out is that I look for new farms to hunt 12 months put of the year and I develop good relationships with the farmers and keep them well supplied with flathead and bluegill filets, shrimp, strawberries, etc . I currently have 12 or so different properties I hunt within 15 miles of my house. I actually had places thst I never even made it to hunt this year and I rarely hunt a place more than a couple times unless there is a bird that has become a challenge.
TTT
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