Scenario Advice

[WestFelicianaTurkeyHunter]

Fairly new to turkey hunting and looking to get some advice on a certain scenario that happened to me this past Saturday.  I'm in an area where the turkeys don't gobble much.  I was sitting against a tree at a food plot, 5 yards into the woods.  Called a couple times and scratched.  I'm on top of a ridge, behind me it drops off pretty good into a bottom.  I heard something coming up behind me.  I look over to my left and 3 gobblers are within 10 yards of me on the edge of the food plot.  I was waiting for one of them to reach the field, where I had a good shot.  A gust of wind blew a branch down on my right and scared them off.  I didn't try to swing my gun or get up and try and shoot.  Just wanted to get some advice on this situation, anything I could have done differently and if I set up in the same spot again, what I might should do differently.... I know next time could be a completely different scenario, but just trying to learn.  This would have been my first gobbler, so a little discouraged about it.  Thanks guys!

[eggshell]

You most likely done the best thing. I am surprised the limb spooked them. I imagine they had already noticed you and were on edge, so the limb was enough to make them leave. Next trip set up in a different spot, they may be leery of that one. Not knowing how the birds were acting or how fast they left I couldn't give you any other tip than sit still and hope for another try. I hope you didn't leave the area, if they were only mildly spooked they may have come in again in an hour or so. To say you could have turned and shot is a guess not knowing all the elements of the situation. If they were only slowly sneaking away and it was open then you very well may of been able to turn and shoot one. That all depends on your shooting skills, pattern knowledge and more. You done the safest and generally best thing by sitting still, everything else is a gamble. With very little experience always error on the side of caution. There will be another day and I would bet those birds were not severely spooked. Go get em another day.

[Mbhyman88]

It goes wrong more often than it goes right.  Things like the wind are out of your control.  That being said, years ago I had a similar situation happen.  I was setup 20 yards down from the corner of a field about 5 yards in the woods like you described.  This was back when I use to hunt with decoys.  My decoys were straight in front of me, my gun on my knee pointed that direction.  I see a long beard step out of the woods to my left about 30 yards from me and make several steps towards my decoys.  The bird makes it to about 20 yards just a little to my left, I think to myself, "this is perfect, I won't have to move my gun at all, this bird will walk right into my sights and game over".  Well the bird took about two more steps, saw me or something he didn't like, putted and was gone before I could think to swing on him.  What I took from that is, don't pass up a good shot opportunity waiting for the perfect shot.  The longer a bird is within shotgun range and eyesight, the more time for something to go wrong.  If you saw the birds and feel they didn't see you at 10 yards with a good shot, had a second or two to compose yourself, my advise for next time would be to take the shot.  Not saying to rush and "shoot from the hip", instead swing, aim, and take the shot if it is still there.  This is assuming you shoot right handed and taking a shot to your left is much easier than to the right.  If the birds had not seen you yet, it will take them a second or two to register you as danger and decide they need to get out of dodge, but usually that is enough time. 

This might not have worked in your situation, each one is a little different.  Don't be discuraged, things happen.  I've killed a pile of turkeys and continue to make mistakes.  Very rarely does it go perfectly.  I don't know how much time you had in your situation or what kind of shot you may have had.  My take away for you is, if you have a good shot take it.

[ScottTaulbee]

It goes wrong more often than it goes right.  Things like the wind are out of your control.  That being said, years ago I had a similar situation happen.  I was setup 20 yards down from the corner of a field about 5 yards in the woods like you described.  This was back when I use to hunt with decoys.  My decoys were straight in front of me, my gun on my knee pointed that direction.  I see a long beard step out of the woods to my left about 30 yards from me and make several steps towards my decoys.  The bird makes it to about 20 yards just a little to my left, I think to myself, "this is perfect, I won't have to move my gun at all, this bird will walk right into my sights and game over".  Well the bird took about two more steps, saw me or something he didn't like, putted and was gone before I could think to swing on him.  What I took from that is, don't pass up a good shot opportunity waiting for the perfect shot.  The longer a bird is within shotgun range and eyesight, the more time for something to go wrong.  If you saw the birds and feel they didn't see you at 10 yards with a good shot, had a second or two to compose yourself, my advise for next time would be to take the shot.  Not saying to rush and "shoot from the hip", instead swing, aim, and take the shot if it is still there.  This is assuming you shoot right handed and taking a shot to your left is much easier than to the right.  If the birds had not seen you yet, it will take them a second or two to register you as danger and decide they need to get out of dodge, but usually that is enough time. 

This might not have worked in your situation, each one is a little different.  Don't be discuraged, things happen.  I've killed a pile of turkeys and continue to make mistakes.  Very rarely does it go perfectly.  I don't know how much time you had in your situation or what kind of shot you may have had.  My take away for you is, if you have a good shot take it.

I second this. I like to choose my set up in such a way that the second I see him, he's in range to kill. It doesn't always work out like that, but I'll know the general area he's going to come from and like to get in a position that as soon as I see him I can shoot him when I can. If I can see him, he can see me 100x's better. And as stated above in a round about way, it's a shot gun, you're not shooting a slug and have a pattern, don't be afraid to pull up, swing and shoot one. If you have any sort of a wing shooting or clay shooting background it will be second nature.


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[TrackeySauresRex]

 I never had one spook in a wind like you experienced.
Some will disagree with this but... Do you have a red dot on the firearm?
  I've been rock solid before where I haven't even blinked and had birds spook in the past. These were situations where I thought to be a slam dunk. I can swear that the red reflective lenses gets them squirrelY. I keep mine covered with my hand when there on the way in.
Just something to think about.



 

[TrackeySauresRex]

What I took from that is, don't pass up a good shot opportunity waiting for the perfect shot.  The longer a bird is within shotgun range and eyesight, the more time for something to go wrong. 

This might not have worked in your situation, each one is a little different.  Don't be discuraged, things happen.  I've killed a pile of turkeys and continue to make mistakes.  Very rarely does it go perfectly.  I don't know how much time you had in your situation or what kind of shot you may have had.  My take away for you is, if you have a good shot take it.

^^^  Great info to follow here.

[joey46]

Interesting on the red dot comment.  I may put my gun in a rest, turn on the red dot then walk about 30 yards away and see how noticeable it is.  Not the first time someone has mentioned this.

[Neill_Prater]

IMO, turkeys are just like people, each one is a little different. I've seen birds that are, well, for lack of a better word "dumb". Perhaps less aware is a better term. Nothing seems to spook them . I've killed birds sitting against a fence post without a bit of vegetation near me, and I've had birds spook when I thought a SEAL sniper would have had trouble picking me up.

In this particular instance, I agree, the bird saw you, or at least your form.  That alone wasn't enough to cause them to boogey, but the movement of the limb was.

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[jhoward11]

I wouldn't have shot at a running bird. Same area, different spot with more concealment and you'll get them. Look at it this way...you get to enjoy another hunt. Half the fun is trying to outsmart them. You just gained some experience. 30 more years an you'll have seen it all....or just half! Go get'em!!!

[deadbuck]

Look at the bright side, you know you have 3 birds to hunt in your area. Now, go back out there and get them. After 40 years of turkey hunting I have learned that turkey hunting is either easy or impossible. That day it was impossible, lol. Only thing worse would have been for you to shoot and miss. I cant remember every turkey I ever killed, but I can remember every one I missed!!

[g8rvet]

No advice better than what was given, just a similar situation.

Had been fooling with a bird on hard hunted public.  He would hang up at about 100 yards to several in my group that were hunting him, but roosted same area for like 5 days in a row.  On day 5 we were ready.  Nephew leaned against a huge oak. Bird sounded off up on the little ridge and I got him fired up.  I walked away calling with him answering and obviously following.  When he got close to nephew I sat down.  I could see nephew's tree, but not the bird or him.  I was wondering why he had not shot as he was gobbling very close to him.  I am looking at him and see a huge limb, high up in the tree just turn loose and fall.  I watched it to the ground so knew it did not hit nephew.  Turns out bird came in and stopped about 35 yards away, too thick to shoot.  Nephew was waiting for him to clear when the limb fell.  It spooked the bird, not crazy, but he just walked right away from him. We were able to get him to gobble a few more times, but he would never come in. 

I would have done exactly what you did and have done it a couple times.  Early in my career I tried moving my gun on one and spooked him.  Deadbuck said it just how I feel.

[King Cobra]

It seems to me when you turned to the left you had 6 eyeballs looking at you at 10 yards. The birds definitely knew something was up then the branch fell and that was the icing on the cake. As others have mentioned at lease you know you have 3 nice birds to hunt. Remember when a bird is coming to your call a lot of times it's not what the bird see's but what he expects to see and doesn't. It's all part of the game that we love so much. Get back out there and good luck!

[3bailey3]

I had a bird coming right off the roost last week, he had gobbled 4 times coming and was in range and I couldn't see him just under a rise, wind blew just a little and a pine cone fell and hit my barrel, bird gobbled it the sound but never heard him after that, Crazy!

[WestFelicianaTurkeyHunter]

Thanks for all the advice!  Can't wait to get back out there.

[Sixes]

Did you flinch when the limb fell?

If so, they saw the movement at that distance.

Not much you could have done without snap shooting.