What's one of the first things you learned about turkeys ? I learned they can make a grown man cry like a baby.
First thing I learned in the field is something I had already read not to do in a book and foolishly did anyway, the bird went silent and I looked over my left shoulder, we saw each other at the same time and he hightailed it out of there.
Durn things are skittish ain't they???
Quote from: tal on March 22, 2020, 04:07:20 PM
Durn things are skittish ain't they???
You betcha!
Just like the real estate saying. The 3 most important things about turkey hunting are location, location, location. Know where they are and where they want to go.
Sometimes when he steps behind a tree he never steps out. Just literally disappear.
That they can get out of the path of an arrow purty darn quick coming down at them. Was going to pin that old gobbler to the ground or so I thought. The recurve shot the arrow right where the bird was a split second ago darn it.
I learned make sure your guns patterned or it doesn't matter if you call one in..
Also learning multiple calls and putting some feeling into your calling did help.
I learned their ears are as good or better than their eyes.
I think I learned after the first gobble I would be obsessed the rest of my days! This will be my 28th season and I think I am more obsessed than ever!
X2!
I learned always to expect them to do things you dont expect them to do and that there is nothing set in stone on what they will or will not do.
Things have lazer vision. When my mentor said you can't move he darn well meant it. I sure boogered a lot of birds that first year by not sitting totally still.
Patience, got to be #1, no telling how many times I walked away from a bird that had shut up for
15 min or so, go a few hundred yards, call again and he gobbles right were you just left!!!
My most memorable hunt to this day took place in southern Alabama on public land, many years ago.
Fired one up on the roost, moved in and set up just over a Ridge from him, started calling at daylight
two hrs later he is still in the tree waiting for that hen to come to him. After trying every call I had I decided to take a box, cutt like crazy with some long raspy come find me yelps. Put the call down and shut up, bout 20 min later he gobbled once, another 10 min he gobbled again, a few min later he started
Cranking it up, at 50 min I heard him fly down, 3 min later I heard him drumming a few more and I see
His fan topping the Ridge. Took him at 20 yards almost an hour after I shut up and over 3 hrs since I set up.
Yep, got to be patience for me.
RW
Patience is your best call, set up is everything, calling is less than 10%, and if they could smell, we would never see them. :OGani:
First thing I learned about turkeys was their "Biology" i.e. calling, body language , social stucture and more. This lead me to knowing what turkeys do, and helped me become a better turkey hunter.
MK M GOBL
Quote from: guesswho on March 22, 2020, 04:20:27 PM
I learned their ears are as good or better than their eyes.
This. They can find your position from ridges away. Thought that was amazing
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They do have lazer vision as someone said. But the darn things will run if the wind turns a leaf over. They give skiddish a whole new name.
The first thing was how exactly they could pinpoint your location. Within inches in most cases I suspect.
The second thing was how addicting the gobble is!
Be very very STILL!
Turkey's don't wait around to figure out what an unknown movement is. They just put distance between you & them.
Jim
They're fun as hell to hunt
Quote from: Crghss on March 22, 2020, 08:02:25 PM
They're fun as hell to hunt
Winner! Although they had taught me a bunch of things before I learned that. LOL
Make no mistake they are vial and evil creatures, tools of the devil and it is a service to man-kind to keep them in check
How quickly they pick up on movement :turkey2:
That I was addicted to this damn disease!!!
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Don't move. Don't move. Don't move.
Their eyesight. When I first started my mentor told me to hunt them like they have a rifle with a high powered scope hunting you. That first year I modeled a statue. I got into some turkeys, killed a few, and definitely left some out there by not making a more aggressive play, but I believe it was a lot easier to learn by starting conservative and learn just how aggressive you can be versus the other way around.
I learned to stop wasting time trying to bust 'em up in Fall and just set up and call 'em in.
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That they are too stupid to realize what a spectacular hunter I am, and rarely do what they are supposed to, or expected to.
That you have to load the shotgun if you want to kill one. Don't ask. :'( :'( :'( :'(
The very first thing I learned was that if you have one answer your call from 75 yards away, jumping up and running towards them thinking you can shoot them before they can get away is not a good strategy.... :)
First thing I learned was nothing can compare to hunting birds in spring on the ground in their turf, not another animal, season, etc.
It's also a wonderful time to be up in the outdoors watching the real world wake up with each sunrise.
Much like muzzleloader, I started it to just be in the woods an extra time...today, turkey hunting is what I'm most loyal to and passionate about.
All good points above!
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The first thing I learned is they can see you blink and hear your heart beat from a very long distance.
DO NOT RUN OUT THERE AND GRAB an OLD GOBBLER BY THE LEGS WHILE HES STILL KICKING
Yup, double can opener spinning like a circular saw...... :turkey2:
Fallhnt - I agree, the bust of the flock thing is not a good strategy.
Hotspur - Yes indeed, a lacerated palm taught me this lesson very early as well. I would add grabbing at a flopping bird will only get you started plucking the bird. If you want him looking nice and pretty for a mount get him by the neck and then hold him up. If his head is down let him flop out if your not mounting.
need
Here's a tip I don't think I've seen listed. If he is in close, but you haven't got a shot yet and he turns his back to you flips his wings and starts to leave. Raise up, move or do whatever you need to get a clean shot (using good reason of course, I'm not saying rush him), because the gig is up he's leaving and most likely won't be back.
Tough to think what the first thing I "truly" learned was. I was preached over and over again.. that turkeys have incredible eye sight and hearing. It was beat into my head by my father. The morning of my first turkey hunt, birds were gobbling everywhere. We set up on a powerline with a small strip of trees with some gaps and then a hard surfaced road - the closest group of birds was in the woods on the other side of the road (property line). My dad put on a show for me and called 3 gorgeous longbeards up to that road.. they stood there forever strutting before working their way across the strip of trees and into the powerline.. they danced and strutted 20 yards away from me.. Dad was 15 yards or so behind me calling. I froze. Trying so hard not to blink, or twitch, I let those 3 strutting longbeards spit and drum their way down the powerline and that was it.
I think the only thing I learned in that moment... was "This is awesome!"
first thing i learned about turkeys was i could draw one somewhat accurately by tracing my hand and outspread fingers
first thing I leaned . But was already warned . If he answers and is coming in stop calling.
First one i ever called was coming wide open so I just got more aggressive on my box. He said
"Excuse me sir. Would you mind placing your call on the ground and allow me to sneak in in peace?" NOT
First thing I learned was if there is a mistake to be made I will make it. Over the years thought all mistakes have been made and then create a new one
First thing I learned,Turkeys can cover a lot of ground quick, and after you call to them they know your location better than any gps could.
Greg
When you've taken several birds, and think you've got them pretty well figured out, they'll remind you that you don't!
Expect the unexpected...
First thing for me was to learn to never think "this is what they will do or where they will go"
I've since learned to just do whatever seems right at a given time
I was told a lot by the guy that got me turkey hunting.
I think the first thing I learned myself was you can't figure out what a bird will do when he is on the limb because he does not know himself. Don't get frustrated when he does not fly down in your lap (my first hunt), but be willing to make an adjustment when you need to (pretty much most of the rest of them).
Patience and perseverance kills way more birds than calling.
The most surefire way to make a gobbler a little ways off stop gobbling is to pack up all your stuff from where you're set up and strike out in his direction. Works every time, seems like.
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That they're ignorant.
The first thing I learned was that I needed to practice my calling more. I spent my first season hunting turkeys watching them high tail it in the opposite direction. :lol:
Hard to outdraw a turkey!
Dam hard to get the gun on a turkey that has spotted you!
I learned that they will sometimes freeze and stay that way for 5 minutes until you convince yourself that it just has to be a tree that looks turkeyish, and then when you finally move because your foot is falling asleep, they run like hell... And then you cuss. A lot!
I learned turkeys roost in trees. Nothing else is consistent.
I always heard people call them dumb, but you need to hunt them to see otherwise. They always have something new to show you. They are a awesome bird to hunt, and watch.
Sit still
I learned, It ain't deer hunting.....
It's not hard to educate one.
Be patience and be where the turkeys are wonting to go
That they can be killed. Didn't need a high end custom call or years of experience calling. Called in my first gobbler (3 year old bird) last year with a $3.99 primos mouth call I picked up a few weeks before the season started.
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I learned that a bird with a brain the size of a walnut can make me look pretty stupid much of the time.
I learned that the only absolute in turkey hunting is there are no absolutes! You can't call them downhill. Yes you can. They won't cross a fence line. Yes they will. They won't cross a stream. Yes they will. I have learned through the years that you NEVER know what they will or won't do until they do it! :z-dizzy:
I also learned what sit still REALLY means! :o