Thoughts on the NewGuy at Camp

[shaman]

It's been a decade since I took on an apprentice turkey hunter.  That was my buddy, SuperCore.  Old age and a bum ticker got him out of the game a couple of seasons ago, and my sons goaded one of their friends from high school into the sport.  He's been invited to Turkey Camp this year. He's 28.  He's never hunted gobblers before.  I've got a clean slate.

If you start back around Labor Day and work forward in my Weblog, you can see how he did during this past deer season.  He'd never shot a deer previous to this.

My strategy, as with SuperCore previously, is to have him tag along in the pre-season with myself and my sons.  When we turn him loose, we'll put him in a good spot and let him call one in.  We've only got 200 acres to hunt, so Runnin' 'n Gunnin' is not exactly a good idea. 

I'm wondering from y'all, what advice would you give FNG? 

[GobbleNut]

If you are actually looking for an honest opinion, my personal advice would be to start searching now for some bigger areas to hunt.  Surely there have got to be some public lands close enough so that all concerned can actually expand their hunting horizons beyond staking out a spot on 200 acres.  In my opinion, a person's ability to learn to turkey hunt,...and really enjoy it,...cannot be accomplished under your restricted circumstances. 

..Just my half-a-cent's worth on the matter,...no contention intended...   

[shaman]

If you are actually looking for an honest opinion, my personal advice would be to start searching now for some bigger areas to hunt.  Surely there have got to be some public lands close enough so that all concerned can actually expand their hunting horizons beyond staking out a spot on 200 acres.  In my opinion, a person's ability to learn to turkey hunt,...and really enjoy it,...cannot be accomplished under your restricted circumstances. 

..Just my half-a-cent's worth on the matter,...no contention intended...   

No problem.  I see exactly what you mean.  You're right in that hunting large public plan tracts does give you a different feel for turkeys and turkey hunting. 

However, I'd also say that until you have really burrowed in on a piece of land, it can be harder to pick up on a lot of subtleties.  I've been hunting our farm for 20 seasons now. I've seen generation after generation of the same flocks.  Hunting a small plot has its enjoyments. It also makes a great teaching environment.

I hunted public land quite a bit when I was younger.  Where we are, NE region of KY,  there are darn few public close by.  I used to have to drive 3 hours to get to Hocking Hills or The Big South Fork.    The smaller WMA's around Cincinnati are extremely crowded. 

As far as writing about turkeys,  I found that concentrating on a single plot resonates with a lot of guys.  They want to know more about those situations-- small plots in heavily hunted regions.  I'm in an area that has had tremendous hunting pressure from all sides.  If anything, my birds tend to find my land a sanctuary.  Guys want to hear about how to be successful in those situations.

[Sir-diealot]

If you are actually looking for an honest opinion, my personal advice would be to start searching now for some bigger areas to hunt.  Surely there have got to be some public lands close enough so that all concerned can actually expand their hunting horizons beyond staking out a spot on 200 acres.  In my opinion, a person's ability to learn to turkey hunt,...and really enjoy it,...cannot be accomplished under your restricted circumstances. 

..Just my half-a-cent's worth on the matter,...no contention intended...   

200 acres restricted? Wow, well maybe it there are more that 10 people hunting it.

[GobbleNut]

If you are actually looking for an honest opinion, my personal advice would be to start searching now for some bigger areas to hunt.  Surely there have got to be some public lands close enough so that all concerned can actually expand their hunting horizons beyond staking out a spot on 200 acres.  In my opinion, a person's ability to learn to turkey hunt,...and really enjoy it,...cannot be accomplished under your restricted circumstances. 

..Just my half-a-cent's worth on the matter,...no contention intended...   

200 acres restricted? Wow, well maybe it there are more that 10 people hunting it.

  Yeah, I guess it all depends on our individual perspectives based on where we hunt.  As someone who might cover 10,000 acres (or more) in a morning's hunt, being confined to 200 acres would make me feel like a caged lion.  Around here, you could cover ten 200 acre parcels and possibly not find a single turkey on any of them.

I suppose the bottom line is that you gotta hunt what's available to you.  ...But if it was me, I would be searching far and wide to expand my turkey hunting horizons in that situation.

[EZ]

If you are actually looking for an honest opinion, my personal advice would be to start searching now for some bigger areas to hunt.  Surely there have got to be some public lands close enough so that all concerned can actually expand their hunting horizons beyond staking out a spot on 200 acres.  In my opinion, a person's ability to learn to turkey hunt,...and really enjoy it,...cannot be accomplished under your restricted circumstances. 

..Just my half-a-cent's worth on the matter,...no contention intended...   

I couldn't agree more. Just as long as there's a decent population of birds and not totally overrun with pressure.

[owlhoot]

If you are actually looking for an honest opinion, my personal advice would be to start searching now for some bigger areas to hunt.  Surely there have got to be some public lands close enough so that all concerned can actually expand their hunting horizons beyond staking out a spot on 200 acres.  In my opinion, a person's ability to learn to turkey hunt,...and really enjoy it,...cannot be accomplished under your restricted circumstances. 

..Just my half-a-cent's worth on the matter,...no contention intended...   

200 acres restricted? Wow, well maybe it there are more that 10 people hunting it.

  Yeah, I guess it all depends on our individual perspectives based on where we hunt.  As someone who might cover 10,000 acres (or more) in a morning's hunt, being confined to 200 acres would make me feel like a caged lion.  Around here, you could cover ten 200 acre parcels and possibly not find a single turkey on any of them.

I suppose the bottom line is that you gotta hunt what's available to you.  ...But if it was me, I would be searching far and wide to expand my turkey hunting horizons in that situation.

10,000 acres or more in a mornings hunt . Please tell us your workout regimen. And vitamins you take!

[Greg Massey]

If you are actually looking for an honest opinion, my personal advice would be to start searching now for some bigger areas to hunt.  Surely there have got to be some public lands close enough so that all concerned can actually expand their hunting horizons beyond staking out a spot on 200 acres.  In my opinion, a person's ability to learn to turkey hunt,...and really enjoy it,...cannot be accomplished under your restricted circumstances. 

..Just my half-a-cent's worth on the matter,...no contention intended...   

200 acres restricted? Wow, well maybe it there are more that 10 people hunting it.

  Yeah, I guess it all depends on our individual perspectives based on where we hunt.  As someone who might cover 10,000 acres (or more) in a morning's hunt, being confined to 200 acres would make me feel like a caged lion.  Around here, you could cover ten 200 acre parcels and possibly not find a single turkey on any of them.

I suppose the bottom line is that you gotta hunt what's available to you.  ...But if it was me, I would be searching far and wide to expand my turkey hunting horizons in that situation.

10,000 acres or more in a mornings hunt . Please tell us your workout regimen. And vitamins you take!

X2 .. i want to know what brand of vitamins also... that's one hell of a hunt to cover 10,000 ac. on a morning hunt... I take my hat off to you.. omg..

[Sir-diealot]

If you are actually looking for an honest opinion, my personal advice would be to start searching now for some bigger areas to hunt.  Surely there have got to be some public lands close enough so that all concerned can actually expand their hunting horizons beyond staking out a spot on 200 acres.  In my opinion, a person's ability to learn to turkey hunt,...and really enjoy it,...cannot be accomplished under your restricted circumstances. 

..Just my half-a-cent's worth on the matter,...no contention intended...   

200 acres restricted? Wow, well maybe it there are more that 10 people hunting it.

  Yeah, I guess it all depends on our individual perspectives based on where we hunt.  As someone who might cover 10,000 acres (or more) in a morning's hunt, being confined to 200 acres would make me feel like a caged lion.  Around here, you could cover ten 200 acre parcels and possibly not find a single turkey on any of them.

I suppose the bottom line is that you gotta hunt what's available to you.  ...But if it was me, I would be searching far and wide to expand my turkey hunting horizons in that situation.

Right now I am hunting 85 acres, just one other and myself normally, sometimes like last year there is a third person. I hunt the lower half and he hunts the upper half, I sure wish I could hunt that upper half, much more wooded and just very pretty vegetation whereas down below it is more open fields and the type of vegetation just chokes up the small wooded area up so much you can't see a turkey hunting. That is why I got to the state park from time to time but since the fishers have moved in it is hard to find any turkey there now and you can't shoot the fishers at all in my area. There is other area but I have to stay where it is kinda flat because of my balance.

[guesswho]

If I was taking/mentoring a new hunter my plan would be for them to shadow me.   They would be welcome to take the shot, but what we do and when we do it would be my call.   

If I was going to turn a new hunter loose on their own, my best advice to them would be hunt like your being hunted, slow and steady, you don't have to kill him before 7 a.m.   Let it happen instead of trying to force it to happen.   Learn these simple tactics and they will be way ahead on the learning curve.       

[shaman]

If I was going to turn a new hunter loose on their own, my best advice to them would be hunt like your being hunted, slow and steady, you don't have to kill him before 7 a.m.   Let it happen instead of trying to force it to happen.   Learn these simple tactics and they will be way ahead on the learning curve.     

I quite agree.  This was probably the biggest impediment I faced in my first 20 years as a turkey hunter.   It was all about getting close to a roost tree and hoping they'd fly down on my side. 

[GobbleNut]

10,000 acres or more in a mornings hunt . Please tell us your workout regimen. And vitamins you take!

X2 .. i want to know what brand of vitamins also... that's one hell of a hunt to cover 10,000 ac. on a morning hunt... I take my hat off to you.. omg..

  Unfortunately, no I am not superman.  I wish I was, but at 69 and rising, I am well aware of my limitations nowadays.  Although I can see where it could be assumed that I cover that amount of country walking, what I meant is that I will cover that much or more searching for gobblers via a more efficient transportation mode (i.e....my truck).  As I stated above, anybody that hunts the west that assumes every 200 acre parcel has a gobbler on it is in for a major rude awakening when they come here.  For example, the National Forest I generally hunt has one of the highest (western-states) turkey densities of any I am aware of, but it is not at all unusual to cover thousands of acres looking for those birds. 

I suppose the lesson to be learned is that we all have to adjust our hunting style (and preferences) to the conditions we face wherever we might be.  I realize there are places where public lands are limited,...and those that exist get hammered by turkey hunters,...but nonetheless I would be constantly searching for additional hunting opportunities if I was in that position. 

[shaman]

For the most part, I've been quite satisfied with hunting the same 200 acre parcel for 20 years straight.  We've usually got turkeys.  There are usually enough of them around that I can fill both tags in a week's worth of hunting.  It's a bit more intimate than public hunting to be sure.  I have hens coming up and poking their head in the bedroom window.

If I haven't made up my mind where I'm going on a given morning, I just have to stand at one of a few "listening posts" and get a feel for which gobblers are active and then trudge over to the nearest blind-- usually nothing more than a big tree with a boat cushion at its base.  I have several that accommodate a caller and a shooter leftover from my days teaching my two sons.  I've got one whole side of the property that was my old hunting buddy's favorite haunt.  I'll be able to point out a few places over there and be fairly certain that FNG will connect with something.

[Greg Massey]

The thing about killing turkeys, is you have to have turkey's to hunt. It's doesn't matter if it's 1/2 ac. - 1000 ac or more, it can be one of the best farm's period but if it's not holding turkeys you chances decrees a whole lot..

[davisd9]

If I was taking/mentoring a new hunter my plan would be for them to shadow me.   They would be welcome to take the shot, but what we do and when we do it would be my call.   

If I was going to turn a new hunter loose on their own, my best advice to them would be hunt like your being hunted, slow and steady, you don't have to kill him before 7 a.m.   Let it happen instead of trying to force it to happen.   Learn these simple tactics and they will be way ahead on the learning curve.     

Where should I be and at what time?