Curious....What one tactic in your bag of spring turkey tricks you learned from a mentor or through hard-earned experience seems to produce or at least shift odds your way?
Me, learned a long time ago if I strike a bird re-positioning forward, or if terrain dictates moving parallel of his position before calling again adds a layer of realism to the situation, vs. standing my ground and calling from the same spot.
:fud: :OGani:
Sometimes silence is golden.....
The most important lesson I learned was to call soft and sparingly. Used with scratching of the leaves can be a deadly combo.
Success ration went way up when I realized you didn't have to sit down to kill a turkey. Kneeling or standing can turn a bad setup into the perfect spot to kill a turkey.
McCleb family secret
I learned you can get a lot closer then you might think while they are still in the roost especially if there's leaf cover on the trees.
When I was green I'd hear a bird gobble and start looking for a tree to sit at with no more thought then that's where I was and the bird was over there and we can hear each other. My mentor would always turn around and say we can get a lot closer then this come on we got time he's just going to sit there and do his thing. I'd worry we were going to ruin the hunt before it started but he'd punch us right inside that birds bubble or shift to the side or completely around the bird to be in the right spot.
He put is right in the landing zone time after time and I can only think of once where we blew a bird off the limb and it wasn't all of them so we still killed that morning.
Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
Call softly, they hear very well.
When you think he's not coming, Wait a little longer.
Don't rely on decoys, especially for run and gun on public land. It's more about good calling and timing. They are excellent locators, chances are if your in the woods you don't need decoys.
Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk
Patience's don't move so fast....Stay in the cover of the shade as much as possible during your setup...
If you are near the birds when Thu fly down but show no intrest and go the other way .You had better get loud and act like a bunch of turkeys fighting. This can bring the boss hen back with the whole group following her. I have done this a few times with success.. loud cutting and yelping along with lots of noise scratching the leaves.. get aggressive
make the turkey hunt you. if you can see forever, then he can you from forever away. call loud and often unless you have a specific reason not to. what I mean by that is call as loud as necessary for a turkey to hear you. if you don't know whats there don't be afraid to call loud and often.
Call and go away from him calling every so often . Make your last call about a 100 yards away from where you started him. Tone the last call way down like you are a hen walking out of his hearing. Then quickly get back to where you started him from and don't make a peep. May take a while but usually he shows up eventually. This requires a lot of patience but is very effective.
Quote from: Bill Cooksey on March 12, 2018, 04:09:52 PM
Success ration went way up when I realized you didn't have to sit down to kill a turkey. Kneeling or standing can turn a bad setup into the perfect spot to kill a turkey.
A friend of mine always complained about birds in range just over a rise in some steep ground he hunted, I told him to stand up which he never did, I killed three birds on that property standing against a large tree that I would have never shot otherwise!
When things seem dead, I set up in a spot that has produced in the past, toss out a few calls, and take a nap...
Kee kee run can be very effective in making a hung up turkey break. Also a great locator call.
Patience. Toms work on turkey time, not mine.
Don't leave your turkey hunting grounds at 9:30 to go get gravy and biscuits , carry you some snacks and sandwich...
Quote from: g8rvet on March 12, 2018, 07:07:05 PM
Patience. Toms work on turkey time, not mine.
Hunting turkeys will definitely teach you patience! You gotta put in your time and work for it!! Just when you can't stand to sit any longer, wait another 30 mins.
Never give up and never panic. More birds live another day because people are in to big of a hurry. There is a time for speed but most of the time we are moving way to fast and disturbing way more than we realize. Also learn to not let a busted hunt ruin your experience. Most of us look forward to this time of year more than any other. Soak it all up and appreciate it. It's a whole Nother year till we get to do it again.
Quote from: Spitten and drummen on March 12, 2018, 06:26:14 PM
Call and go away from him calling every so often . Make your last call about a 100 yards away from where you started him. Tone the last call way down like you are a hen walking out of his hearing. Then quickly get back to where you started him from and don't make a peep. May take a while but usually he shows up eventually. This requires a lot of patience but is very effective.
that's pretty good.i like that.
Don't walk in the open, when it's light.
Just go with the flow. The first ten years I hunted I was busy trying to make it happen versus going with the flow and letting it happen if that makes any sense...
Quote from: Kylongspur88 on March 12, 2018, 07:55:58 PM
Just go with the flow. The first ten years I hunted I was busy trying to make it happen versus going with the flow and letting it happen if that makes any sense...
Also known as let him kill himself.
Call less and give it another half hour when I really want to move....
Quote from: paboxcall on March 12, 2018, 02:48:07 PM
Curious....What one tactic in your bag of spring turkey tricks you learned from a mentor or through hard-earned experience seems to produce or at least shift odds your way?
Me, learned a long time ago if I strike a bird re-positioning forward, or if terrain dictates moving parallel of his position before calling again adds a layer of realism to the situation, vs. standing my ground and calling from the same spot.
:fud: :OGani:
My post was going to be the same as yours. Move and try again. I've had great success utilizing this tactic.
HECS suit and fanning.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
If I go a couple days and nothing wants to work then i take a day and commit to not yelping. If you want to try something that is really hard as a hunter but really kills turkeys, work birds without yelping at them. There are days when you can yelp birds right in, but there's a whole lot more days that you can't! I think the secrets most people's grandads would tell them will always be the biggest secrets and the hardest secrets to use. Don't call so much, don't call so loud, and wait longer than you think you should.
ill run 2 different pot calls normally a copper and crystal maybe throw a gobble or 4 in with it
Get a full size binocular on a Rick Young harness and learn how to use them.
It's not just for field hunting either. I can't tell you how many times I've spotted the tips of a full fan through the woods. If I wasn't glassing ahead of myself, I for sure would have boogered the majority of those birds.
When they are not gobbling, spot them first, get a direction on where you think they are headed, and make a BIG fast loop around them using terrain to your advantage. Once you are out ahead of them, sit down, give a few soft calls, and sit frickin' still.
Lots of guys say they won't shoot a bird unless it's coming in gobbling to their calls. I'll tell you this for a fact........on high pressured birds like I hunt, the longest hooks have come from silent birds.
If they don't want to gobble.......I hunt them down and kill them for not cooperating.
Remember what my dad always says , shoot early and often, see you soon john, lets get after them this year!!
Remember what my dad always says , shoot early and often, see you soon john, lets get after them this year!!
Quote from: potter on March 12, 2018, 10:01:32 PM
Remember what my dad always says , shoot early and often, see you soon john, lets get after them this year!!
:TooFunny: :TooFunny:
Can't wait! Tell Pap I said hello!
I like to use the ol Mohican sneak and peak every once in a spring moon
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Carry a turkey wing. I've killed more birds with a "calless" fly down than by making a bunch of racket at daylight. Just wings and a single series of yelps after the "flydown"
Quote from: tha bugman on March 12, 2018, 04:17:15 PM
McCleb family secret
That does work but you really have to trust your hunting partner that's doing the shooting.
Hunt on property with a lot of birds!
If you have time, set up so that when the bird appears, he is already in the kill zone. Set up on a rise that they have to get up on top to see, or hunt a roadbed at a curve where they have to come around to see, but either way, make sure they are in range when they do make an appearance
If they hang up with a hen/hens, piss off the boss hen and hold on :z-flirtysmile3:
If using a decoy, position the decoy so it is facing away from the direction the Tom is coming. If he thinks "she" can see him, chances are he will hang up out of range.
Quote from: J_mill on March 12, 2018, 03:39:15 PM
The most important lesson I learned was to call soft and sparingly. Used with scratching of the leaves can be a deadly combo.
My success rate went up when I do this. And when you want to leave use the 20 minute and wait 20 more minutes before you do leave. :OGturkeyhead:
Get in the woods EARLY! Nothing works to your advantage more in the turkey woods then complete darkness. Slip into where you think you need to be in the complete dark and then you still have time to make little moves if you need to. Much easier then trying to get set up on a roosted bird and it being too light to get anywhere near him. And on hung up birds, don't be afraid to work towards him if the terrain allows it. Also, you don't need to be sitting to kill turkeys. Standing behind giant oaks works just fine.
In most scenarios you can get a lot closer than you think you can. I hunt the Appalachian foothills of Ohio, and you can use the terrain to get right on top of birds. The closer you are, you're odds go way up
This is something that's worked several times for me.
Bird hits the ground going in the opposite direction??
Get up and move to his roost tree or roost area as fast as possible. Sit down and call.
I've seen birds turn around and come straight to ya.
They think that hen made it to him after he left. Adds realism and something different to that pressured bird.
Has anyone tried using Knight and Hale's fighting purr calls soon after the gobbler flies down and starts heading away from you---to try and bring him back ??
When you know he is coming.....shut up.
NEVER call when out in the open. If I want to call I always make sure Im beside a tree that can hide me.
You dont always have to sit.
Try and get closer.If I strike one I like to atleast close half the distance.
Quote from: perrytrails on March 13, 2018, 10:06:23 AM
This is something that's worked several times for me.
Bird hits the ground going in the opposite direction??
Get up and move to his roost tree or roost area as fast as possible. Sit down and call.
I've seen birds turn around and come straight to ya.
They think that hen made it to him after he left. Adds realism and something different to that pressured bird.
That is one I have never tried. I will think of you
when it works and report back!
Stand up.
Quote from: aaron on March 13, 2018, 08:23:59 AM
In most scenarios you can get a lot closer than you think you can. I hunt the Appalachian foothills of Ohio, and you can use the terrain to get right on top of birds. The closer you are, you're odds go way up
Same in East KY.
When setting up on a gobbler, take your time to get as close as possible and CHOOSE THE RIGHT SET-UP. If he don't commit,reposition.If that don't work move on him again , as long as he's talking to keep track of him and assuming you gave him plenty of time at each setup. It all comes down to patience and persistence on your part. And of course if that don't work, well that's turkey hunting
challenge with gobbler & jake yelps, Mike
Last year I read somewhere about using a train whistle as a locater call, tried it and had good success with it.
the only negative was the occasional hobo that would follow you around, not a big problem and I plan on using it again this year.
Be patient and stay in the woods all day if you are able, get comfortable and sit still in the shadows out of the sunbeams. Call and then take a nap when things may seem slow, you just might wake up to purring, clucks or Gobbler footsteps in the leaves. When moving about always be looking for the best tree to sit down at...I love big trees with built-in armrest. Don't get bored & fidgety...be observant and quiet and blend in with nature. Look for Morel mushrooms, Box Turtles, snakes, birds in the tree canopies, squirrels, etc. to past the time. Relax and remember the idea is to have fun whether you kill or not. Thank God for his creation.
I really shouldn't tell but..... The tactic that has worked so good for me in my 30 + years is a bold one but is killer. When things aren't going the way you had hoped. Pull out your red wolf gobble tube and you turkey wing. Give him a gobble or two and scrape the wing on tree bark lightly. Get your gun up and hold on , because he's coming. This works trust me. I would not even bother hunting with out my weapons.
Always be the first hen to putt, and wait until the first tweety bird sounds off to make a tree call.
Don't paddle across the river in your canoe at prime time, only to realize your mouth calls are still in your truck. And yes, I paddled back across
When you don't know what to do next then do nothing. That has worked a bunch for me over the years. Probably read it or heard it somewhere way back when and don't claim to have said it first.
Quote from: perrytrails on March 13, 2018, 10:06:23 AM
This is something that's worked several times for me.
Bird hits the ground going in the opposite direction??
Get up and move to his roost tree or roost area as fast as possible. Sit down and call.
I've seen birds turn around and come straight to ya.
They think that hen made it to him after he left. Adds realism and something different to that pressured bird.
I have heard of this tactic, but I haven't had one do it since I learned of it. I also believe that the reason the gobbler is more inclined to return to the roost tree is that since he just came through those woods, he knows that there are not any dangers along that path. Except for you, of course.
Quote from: Bolandstrutters on March 13, 2018, 08:06:30 AM
Get in the woods EARLY! Nothing works to your advantage more in the turkey woods then complete darkness. Slip into where you think you need to be in the complete dark and then you still have time to make little moves if you need to. Much easier then trying to get set up on a roosted bird and it being too light to get anywhere near him. And on hung up birds, don't be afraid to work towards him if the terrain allows it. Also, you don't need to be sitting to kill turkeys. Standing behind giant oaks works just fine.
. I agree, standing behind a tree works well.All of your tips are spot on.Get out there at 0 dark thirty, and get to the right area fast, and don't walk in the middle of a field, if at all possible.
Quote from: FullChoke on March 14, 2018, 03:29:02 PM
Quote from: perrytrails on March 13, 2018, 10:06:23 AM
This is something that's worked several times for me.
Bird hits the ground going in the opposite direction??
Get up and move to his roost tree or roost area as fast as possible. Sit down and call.
I've seen birds turn around and come straight to ya.
They think that hen made it to him after he left. Adds realism and something different to that pressured bird.
I have heard of this tactic, but I haven't had one do it since I learned of it. I also believe that the reason the gobbler is more inclined to return to the roost tree is that since he just came through those woods, he knows that there are not any dangers along that path. Except for you, of course.
It's something else to try...like others, what works today won't work tomorrow.
That's turkey hunting period