Turkey Hunter's

[Greg Massey]

What do you rely on most in helping you kill a gobbler?   Is it your gun, choke, shells, cell phone hunting app, camo or your ability to practice and become a better caller? I think we all agree you have to have turkey's to hunt. Do you feel more satisfy in calling your gobbler within 20 yards or less or killing him at 40 plus yards just because you have a gun capable of making that kind of shot? Myself i like to call them in as close as possible, it's just more satisfying knowing that all my year long practicing has paid off in fooling that gobbler.  We all know, scouting, learning the land and were turkey's like to hang out all play a part. Could the answer to this post be everything above and more in trying to  be successful.... do you practice with your calls year round or at least some during the year or do you decide few weeks before season opens to find you turkey hunting gear and just go turkey hunting without much prep work? What's your reason for turkey hunting? This should be a fun post.

[Gooserbat]

It's my steel trap of a mind.  In other words experience has taught me a lot more than I can buy. Now the flip side is I have no issues adding any thing that helps... Turkey specific gun and shells, or the best camo, knowing my calls, and the all important butt cushion.

[roosterstraw]

For me I've alwaysturkey hunted to get me through to deer season. Deer hunting is my true passion. I have to admit after joining this forum and buying a few custom calls I'm more excited about this turkey season than I have been in a long time. I don't think making turkey calls is the most important thing. It's more of knowing what to say and when to say it. Moving when you need to move. The most important to me is being where the turkeys are.

[bushangler]

Woodsmanship, a bum shoulder has forced me to stop but I only hunted turkeys with a bow trad and coMpound for about 10yrs without a blind. I learned more about turkeys in that time that I would have in 100yrs of doing the norm.


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[Hook hanger]

Rely on the most to help kill a turkey. Honestly I'm going with woodsmanship. Can't kill much without it! 

[Dtrkyman]

Experience,

I have been at it a long time and have been fortunate enough to hunt them more than most people!  All that goes a long way in making decisions in the moment without really thinking too much about it.

[Yoder409]

A PhD in Experience from the School of Hard Knocks.

This will be my 44th spring chasing these daffy birds.  Knowing what to say to him, when to say it, saying it accurately and where to say it from........

[the Ward]

I talk to the turkeys, and the turkeys talk to me. I sing this like the old band aid commercial jingle
" i am stuck on the band aid, and the band aids stuck on me" I made it up one day when hunting with my son when he was young. We were out all morning, he was getting bored, we had 0 turkey activity. We got up to leave, and this ditty just popped into my head, so i started to sing it as we were gathering up our stuff. He was laughing hard, and we started to walk and he suddenly stopped and said"Dad there's a turkey" Yep, turkey had slipped up on us while i was screwing around singing and hitting the tube call to punctuate the song. And the turkey immediately vacated the area. It is one his favorite hunting stories now that he is grown up. They had a box call engraved with the saying and gave it to me some years ago for my 50th b-day. Killed a fine gobbler with it too. So that is my secret weapon!

[Moh20]

I'm going with woodsmanship and calling rythm.

[Huntress]

I rely on my persistence and my willingness to work him.  I'm not stuck on one technique or way of doing things.  I usually chase one gobbler until I get him.  I've only lost the game to a few...

[tal]

 All the things mentioned by OP will help you kill birds. I like calling them. I want to get inside that bird's head and bring him to me. The why is the challenge, nothing else you hunt do you interact with the quarry as you do a turkey. Or as Mallory said about the mountain, "Because it's there".

[Zobo]

I agree with tal, I'm ALL about the calling. It's what I like about duck hunting too. It's why I'm not much of a deer or dove hunter. Woodmanship is probably the most important aspect for success but calling is at the heart of why I'm a turkey hunter.

[fmf]

mostly just dumb luck.  A close second would be spending so much time in the woods, so that dumb luck has a better chance of finding me

[tal]

mostly just dumb luck.  A close second would be spending so much time in the woods, so that dumb luck has a better chance of finding me

Best answer yet

[g8rvet]

Calling him to me is what does it for me.  I also like calling ducks.  Less about exact sound and lot more about the cadence, rhythm and timing.  Turkey and duck have different sounds within their populations.  Some of the ugliest calling I have heard has been by lonely hens of both varieties.  I have a bunch of duck and turkey calls and probably use 3 of each 90+% of the time.

Like I told the boys I coached in football - "we are playing to have fun and I promise you it is more fun to win, but it is still fun to just try your best". Some of my most memorable hunts I have screwed up royally, been totally baffled as to what went wrong and just had a bird zig when I thought he would zag.