Whats the best lesson you've learned from a tough bird that helped you later on?

[Tom007]

Never under estimate their vision, intelligence, and Woods sense. I learned from all the tough birds that we are hunting in their "domain", they have the home field advantage. A successful harvest on a mature gobbler requires flawless strategies and a little bit of luck. That's what makes our sport so rewarding when it all comes together....

[GobbleNut]

Never under estimate their vision, intelligence, and Woods sense.

How true. I'm not sure I would define it as "intelligence" as much as a turkey's instinct to conclude that pretty much everything that is out-of-place in their domain is something that is going to try to eat them.   
Either way, underestimating their ability to associate unusual "stuff" in their environment as a threat is a really good way to not give one a ride home in your truck.   

[Tom007]

Never under estimate their vision, intelligence, and Woods sense.

How true. I'm not sure I would define it as "intelligence" as much as a turkey's instinct to conclude that pretty much everything that is out-of-place in their domain is something that is going to try to eat them.   
Either way, underestimating their ability to associate unusual "stuff" in their environment as a threat is a really good way to not give one a ride home in your truck.   

Amen my friend, your spot on here! Be safe...

[Yoder409]

Over the years I've had a few birds in paticular that were just IGNORANTLY hard.  But what those few had in common is that
...in the end...they died.

How that helped me is that it made me realize:

#1. None of these birds is invincible.  He WILL screw up one day.

#2. I ain't too bad at this game.  My skills are pretty solid.  Confidence is huge.

#3.  Be patient.  And while you're being patient, LEARN the bird and figure out his weakness or the flaw in his game.

[shaman]

There was one bird that taught me the most,  Mister Natural

See Mister Natural and the Incident at Broken Corners

Bottom line:  Don't wreck your season trying to target a single bird.

Natural not only wrecked my season, but he darn near put me in the hospital.

[Colbrian2002]

Being absolutely painfully still!

[High plains drifter]

Yeah this was not. I tried to stay patient, and not move around as much as I used to. When I first started turkey hunting I moved around a lot, and had no patience. So with a bird that's very difficult, you have to sort of wait that bird out. That's my opinion.

[Easy81]

I hunted a whole season with a broken leg and crutches a couple years ago. I always knew to be patient but that year it ingrained patience in me for sure. 


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[eddie234]

Patience


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[nyturkeyduster]

Just get out of bed.

He has to be lucky every day, I just have to be lucky once.

[Marc]

Try to make your own good luck, and avoid making your own bad luck...  Don't call in the open, use the terrain and avoid walking in areas that you can be seen easily, avoid walking in areas that will create excess noise pollution.


I have killed birds that wanted that hen to come to him...  Would NOT make those last few steps...  Twice in the past few years, I called in jakes, and killed the tom that came in to run him off, and multiple times, have killed birds that followed a hen I worked up into a frazzle.  If you cannot call in the tom, directly, call him in indirectly.

If I make a move, it is not always towards the bird...  Especially one that is hung up, or a bird that comes close and drifts off again.

I have hunted where I believe I did everything right, and everything went wrong...  Learn to laugh at yourself, and be humbled by nature...

I am not convinced that turkeys are "smart," but they do have one foot on the panic button...  The old ones have both feet on the panic button.

[Zobo]

  I learned that no bird is worth being angry or upset over. This is a leisure activity and it's supposed to be fun. Don't ever do something unsafe and stupid. You never want to regret your actions in order to harvest a tough gobbler. A turkey is not worth it. Always be safe!!!

[Uncle Tom]

They can hear you thinking, and see you change your mind....either Tom Kelly or Ben Rodger Lee...not sure. Just keep this in your noggin and you will be one up on them on most days, and we need all we can get...on most days.