Spring thunder is one of the many YouTube channels I watch regularly. On the latest episode, he has a few come in and keep trucking. They apparently saw something they didn't like. This is the story of my hunting career. I've had this exact scenario play out several times. So what would you do different? Or what do you think happend? I just want to be able to close the deal when it happens to me this year. Lol
https://youtu.be/iSR2CXhxBNo
7:55 is the part I'm talking about.
Great channel by the way. Check out some of their other videos.
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There were several things I didn't like.
I don't think his calling skills are great first of all. When the birds came in he was still calling loud. I shut up when I see a bird, and only call if the bird needs more coaxing. He should have given soft purs and that's it. He continued to hammer on them after the birds made up their minds.
I didn't like his decoy setup either. I don't face a single hen pointing right at me or facing away. I angle it somewhere in between. I would probably have staked a Jake also if I were using a decoy. Those two birds would have ganged up on a Jake for sure. The decoy also seemed to be right on top of them. I pur mine a bit further out.
If you also look they were not concealed well. I like to be up in the woods if I'm hunting a small open field. They appeared to be sitting on the first or second tree on the field.
I think the while setup was bad. Your going to have times where a bird will hangup, but those things I mentioned go a long way.
Good luck
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Well clearly not even trying to conceal himself very well. Turkey stepped up to where he could see where calling came from and sees a hunter sitting right in the open on edge of field. Poor set up on the hunters part in my opinion.
The turkey saw him. Pure and simple.
Personally I would have not used the decoy and wouldn't be sitting on the edge of a field yacking and moving around so much.
If blind calling I want to be set up calling in an area a turkey has to be in range before he sees "the source". The calling while not great was about the best thing he did in that setup. He did call to much and at the wrong time in my opininion but i have heard worse.Guess he should have used a blind. He could have hid all the decoy parts scattered around him as well. Not covering the access road into the field was an oversight on his part as well.
I agree with the above observations. The other thing I saw was the feathers laying right next to him, out in plain view. With no foliage around, I would have picked a better setup. Further in the woods probably and too much movement for my liking. What you have to realize too, he is trying to hide a camera and camera man. Better concealment, no movement, what about the camera man's movement and concealment. Many things went wrong IMO. SETUP, SETUP, SETUP.
Those turkeys couldn't have been more than 80 yards away. With my TSS and my fancy-dancy choke I got, I would'a just waited until they was all lined up and then mowed 'em all down. I'm sure I could'a got at least one... :toothy12: :toothy9: :toothy12:
(...figured I would try to get some snoods in a knot this morning,...really, I'm just cranky 'cause I ain't huntin' yet!) ;D
I've watched the spring thunder series so far but it's not close to what it was with A-Aron running the show.
The calling was expected they are trying to get the birds to gobble on camera so they are going to call loud and aggressive to them insight I can deal with that
But a common theme in the first few episodes is set ups are in the wide open the youth hunt was even worse sometimes setting up feet from any trees or brush. And decoy set ups have be oddly placed or used when they shouldn't guess they might have to have a decoy out for a sponsor I don't know but on the youth hunt they had the same birds come in like 5 times and each time the second they saw the strut decoy they skirted and scooted why on Earth would you set up again on them with the same decoy after 1,2,3 failed attempts with that happening is beyond me.
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Quote from: GobbleNut on March 23, 2018, 09:05:02 AM
Those turkeys couldn't have been more than 80 yards away. With my TSS and my fancy-dancy choke I got, I would'a just waited until they was all lined up and then mowed 'em all down. I'm sure I could'a got at least one... :toothy12: :toothy9: :toothy12:
(...figured I would try to get some snoods in a knot this morning,...really, I'm just cranky 'cause I ain't huntin' yet!) ;D
I was watching another show recently where I know the host shoots TSS and you can hear him wisper to the camera man "what is he 70".. "yeah that's too far".. bird starts to walk away taking at least 6 steps fuether away "I'm gonna try and take him"
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I set up where the bird is in range when I see him. He has to at least peek to try to find the hen. If it is too open , he will stay out there and look. He is not the smartest thing in the world , however he has enough sense to know that he should be able to see the hen thats been calling.
I agree. Looks like the birds busted them.
Not to hijack, but anybody know why Aaron left Spring Thunder?
EK
Quote from: TauntoHawk on March 23, 2018, 09:07:45 AM
I've watched the spring thunder series so far but it's not close to what it was with A-Aron running the show.
I was going to say the same thing. Aaron can flat call, and is very knowledgable about turkeys. These guys are sub par turkey hunters at best. Also, Aaron and his buddies are now running a YouTube channel "The Hunting Public" that is really good. A lot more laid back but with Aaron being the star and still sharing tons of knowledge. They're currently doing a day by day series in public land Alabama which has been fun to watch!
Quote from: POk3s on March 23, 2018, 10:08:54 AM
Quote from: TauntoHawk on March 23, 2018, 09:07:45 AM
I've watched the spring thunder series so far but it's not close to what it was with A-Aron running the show.
I was going to say the same thing. Aaron can flat call, and is very knowledgable about turkeys. These guys are sub par turkey hunters at best. Also, Aaron and his buddies are now running a YouTube channel "The Hunting Public" that is really good. A lot more laid back but with Aaron being the star and still sharing tons of knowledge. They're currently doing a day by day series in public land Alabama which has been fun to watch!
For sure I've been following along and keep up with Zach through Instagram dms.
The spring thunder will become another just ok video series to watch when you're bored
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Quote from: EKavanagh on March 23, 2018, 10:05:02 AM
I agree. Looks like the birds busted them.
Not to hijack, but anybody know why Aaron left Spring Thunder?
EK
Do his own thing, he was working for Midwest whitetail and spring thunder and wanted to created his own brnad geared more around the public land or small parcel everyday hunter experience and it's fantastic.
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Busted! He had the light shining on him lighting him up like a spotlight. Something looking like a predator with a dead turkey is what that gobbler saw. The doll on the stake was not enough to distract it. All the do-dads don't make up for a bad set-up.
Pretty much what everyones said, poor setup, calling, movement....busted. Got a few things to learn yet...
Three possible causes are plain to see. Hunter, and probably cameraman, weren't hidden well. Decoy was poorly set, and even when set properly they'll sometimes booger a turkey for whatever reason. My bet though is that full fan sticking up right next to him was the main culprit. Either the full fan spooked the birds, or it drew even more attention to the hunter.
As soon as I saw the other fellows carrying decoys and cameras I'd have told them good luck and have fun and Id see them at the truck later. Then I'd have wandered off in another direction and tried to locate a gobbling bird. As far as what happened in their case I couldn't tell you, didn't make it that far.
I think I'd have not had 7 other guys trying to facebook live a hunt
Yeah, y'all are right after looking back. He's out in the open. They definitely saw him because the bird was strutting then instantly got out of there. Thanks for all the replies.
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I wouldn't call it "busted",...as in the birds seeing and identifying the hunters. Those birds did not react as if they had realized there were humans there. Their reaction would have been totally different had that have happened. Either that, or those are the dumbest d@mn Eastern wild turkeys on the planet.
They obviously were concerned about something being out of place,...or perhaps they just weren't in the mood to interact with other loud-mouth turkeys at the moment,...but there was certainly no recognition that there were people there.
I use the term busted loosely with turkeys. In this case I'd say the hunter(s) were busted, but they didnt necessarily bust the turkeys. Like you said they definitely saw something out of place. Even did the telltale wing tuck when you know theyre about to get out of dodge. Thats when i know ive been busted lol
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What would you have done different?
Everything.
Better concealmeant and in the shadows, no moving into position with birds right in front and not well obscured, very light purr or cluck if any calling at all, decoy setup poor, 5 folks too many....way too many.
Enjoyable thread, and it would seem my observations are reiteration of those that have already replied.
I felt there are a couple of things that could have made that situation go better.
I think that leaving the decoy in the truck might have proven beneficial (those birds very well would have continued forward motion looking for the hen that was not there)... If he were using decoys, I would have probably had a jake decoy along with the hen (although that could be dangerous on public land).
I do not think the whispering helped his cause... Those birds came out of the brush nervous, and it could have very well been due to the whispering... Certainly the birds heard it, and whether or not they reacted to it is up for debate... I believe in zero verbal communication while working birds I can see or hear. I have made the most quite of "chirps" on my scratch box and had birds respond hundreds of yards away... They can certainly hear the whispering or low talking of a human voice; whether or not they interpret that as danger is up for debate, but I believe they do in many cases (especially public land).
I believe that turkeys can pinpoint a turkey or hunter calling within inches at the distance those birds were... Once I can see turkey, I assume he can see me, and I do not call at them. If I need to call at a bird that is "almost" in range, I try and wait till the bird is obscured behind a bush, tree or rock.... Sometimes you have to know when to "keep it in your pants."
I did not really get a good handle on his setup, but when hunting in such a situation, I never like to be out in the open... Edge of the woods near an open area, so that it is a natural course of action for the birds to continue forward motion to look for that hen.
As others have said, that turkey sensed danger... Could have been the camera man, could have been the whispering, could have been due to calling at birds that could see him and pinpoint his location; probably some combination therein. It seems to me that he was hunting these birds as naïve private land birds, as opposed to public land birds that have been hunted and chased around the woods by hunters...
All of that being said, hindsight is 20/20 and those birds looked like they have been around the block, and I most likely would have found some way to screw the pooch as well.
Quote from: TauntoHawk on March 23, 2018, 09:07:45 AM
I've watched the spring thunder series so far but it's not close to what it was with A-Aron running the show.
The calling was expected they are trying to get the birds to gobble on camera so they are going to call loud and aggressive to them insight I can deal with that
But a common theme in the first few episodes is set ups are in the wide open the youth hunt was even worse sometimes setting up feet from any trees or brush. And decoy set ups have be oddly placed or used when they shouldn't guess they might have to have a decoy out for a sponsor I don't know but on the youth hunt they had the same birds come in like 5 times and each time the second they saw the strut decoy they skirted and scooted why on Earth would you set up again on them with the same decoy after 1,2,3 failed attempts with that happening is beyond me.
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If you think Spring Thunder went downhill, check out some of the new Primos videos. They really suck, then again, since Wilbur sold and bailed, its been going downhill anyway.