"Sitting down to a turkey"

[chingson]

Good morning all,

A little background and context before my question to yall. I am 28 I have been turkey hunting hard since I turned 16 and could drive myself. Those first few years were rough as I did not have many places/turkeys to hunt. Through many years of trial and error I have gotten to where I kill 1-3 birds a season around my home states. The past few years have been much more consistently sucessful.

However, it seems every season there is a "lesson" that is the central theme of my season. Spring of 2024 I missed out on three different longbeards due to what I assume is "sitting wrong".

My first question is, when turkey hunters speak on "sitting down to a turkey" are they referring to the direction you are facing when you are working a bird? That is what cost me. I am right-handed and three different birds came in wide, and I was stuck and had to watch them walk on by. One instance two birds were ten steps from me.

As a right-handed shooter, should I put my left shoulder towards the gobbling? What if the bird swings way left at that point?

Also, is there another definition of "sitting down to a turkey" that I am missing?

[BullTom]

As a right handed shooter, I try to setup on the right side of a tree with my left shoulder pointed where I expect the turkey to show up. This gives me the best chance to swing if he comes right of where I expected.

When I sit down to a turkey, the two most important considerations for me are: 1. Would a turkey want to be here if he wasnt prompted? 2. When I first see him (and he sees me/doesnt see a hen), will he be in range? If the answer to either is no, I adjust, if I can.



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[paboxcall]

Jim Spencer once wrote "sit down wrong, and you're beat." He was 100% correct.

I've often thought to myself that if one doesn't know the ground at that set up location, without luck that turkey will beat you every time. Guys like me who hunt large tracts of public rarely get to know the ground intimately, as in blow downs, root ball depressions, benches, rocks, water, beech or multi rose flora scrub brush, etc.

It all plays into his decision to come in straight to your set up, or peel off left or right along the way.

Too many times I've struck a bird mid morning, and without thinking it through, sit right down right there or get a little closer and sit, with my left shoulder facing the direction he might come if walking an imaginary chalk line between him and the tree at my back.

Its the stuff in between that more often determines the outcome of that interaction if the gobbler is committed to walking in.

"Sit down wrong, and you're beat." Sometimes you can influence that set up, other times you are at the mercy of the conditions on the ground. The more you know the ground, the better your odds are.

[mountainhunter1]

Good morning all,

A little background and context before my question to yall. I am 28 I have been turkey hunting hard since I turned 16 and could drive myself. Those first few years were rough as I did not have many places/turkeys to hunt. Through many years of trial and error I have gotten to where I kill 1-3 birds a season around my home states. The past few years have been much more consistently sucessful.

However, it seems every season there is a "lesson" that is the central theme of my season. Spring of 2024 I missed out on three different longbeards due to what I assume is "sitting wrong".

My first question is, when turkey hunters speak on "sitting down to a turkey" are they referring to the direction you are facing when you are working a bird? That is what cost me. I am right-handed and three different birds came in wide, and I was stuck and had to watch them walk on by. One instance two birds were ten steps from me.

As a right-handed shooter, should I put my left shoulder towards the gobbling? What if the bird swings way left at that point?

Also, is there another definition of "sitting down to a turkey" that I am missing?

Good morning all,

A little background and context before my question to yall. I am 28 I have been turkey hunting hard since I turned 16 and could drive myself. Those first few years were rough as I did not have many places/turkeys to hunt. Through many years of trial and error I have gotten to where I kill 1-3 birds a season around my home states. The past few years have been much more consistently sucessful.

However, it seems every season there is a "lesson" that is the central theme of my season. Spring of 2024 I missed out on three different longbeards due to what I assume is "sitting wrong".

My first question is, when turkey hunters speak on "sitting down to a turkey" are they referring to the direction you are facing when you are working a bird? That is what cost me. I am right-handed and three different birds came in wide, and I was stuck and had to watch them walk on by. One instance two birds were ten steps from me.

As a right-handed shooter, should I put my left shoulder towards the gobbling? What if the bird swings way left at that point?

Also, is there another definition of "sitting down to a turkey" that I am missing?

They are not referring to which way their shoulders are pointing (while that is also important at times if the turkey loops around the side).

It is all about sitting down where he wants to be. It takes years to know that for most folks, but it sounds like you are getting fairly seasoned and maybe you have a fairly decent grasp on what you are doing. To make the lesson simple enough - always try to have the high ground. If there is even a tiny shoulder or ledge on that ridge that is barely higher than where you are sitting - that is usually where he will wind up because he knows every inch of that ridgeline and wants to get as high as he can and look back down to see the hen. Also much easier to call him up than down even though both can be done. Knowing what is between you and him is also very important. Any obstacle will make him want to hang up or skirt. All of this points to knowing the woods you are hunting and it takes boots on the ground time.

[Happy]

I think that there are a multitude of factors that come into play. First off, stay in the shadows and out of the sun. Secondly, identify the most likely route the turkey is going to take on his way in. Personally, I like for the turkey to be at the spot I want in order to see where I am. The more opportunity you give a turkey to swing wide and eyeball the situation, the more likely he is to do so. Most of my hunts aren't video quality and he isnt in view for long before he is flopping. I put my left knee pointed in the spot I expect to kill him and take it from there, if i am seated. That being said, I have killed a handful of both deer and turkeys left handed and and have even killed one gobbler 1 handed. I dont recommend the latter, especially if your shooting 3.5" 12 gauge loads out of a mossberg. Ask me how I know

[Lcmacd 58]

All very good advice....especially leaving your left shoulder out (for right handed shooters). Woodsmanship will always be your biggest friend....even the best callers are experts in Woodsmanship.

[GobbleNut]

Agreed...all good advice. Follow it as closely as possible to maximize your chances.

One point I would add...and it took me a few decades to realize...is that there are times when standing, rather than sitting, is your best option. The old mantra of "sit with your back against a tree" that has been pounded into our brains over the years just isn't the best approach all the time.

More and more, my first consideration is whether the circumstances at hand are such that I am better off standing rather than sitting. I very often now pick out a tree/bush with just the right density and limb structure and tuck myself in behind it. Generally speaking, the sight-line advantages that come with being three feet higher can be significant in a lot of situations. In addition, I also find that adjusting my body and ability to swing my gun to a gobbler's approach is much easier, and the movement involved in doing that is less likely to be detected.

Also, if you are calling from behind something, it is reasonable to assume that an approaching gobbler will be more likely to come on in looking for that hen behind that obstacle than he would otherwise...at least, that has been my experience. 

Of course, where you hunt and how you hunt definitely comes into play. Most of the time, I hunt in a manner where my interactions with a gobbler are brief. That is, I strike a gobbler, judge whether he is going to come looking...and if he is, I set up quickly and he usually arrives in a time frame where standing up for a few minutes is not an issue...even for an old dude. 

On the other hand, if you are hunting in situations where staying in one spot for a length of time is the best approach, then the standing set-up is, without question, not the best choice. The point being is to consider, in every encounter, whether there is an advantage to a standing or sitting strategy based on the specific circumstances. 

[Davyalabama]

Good advice has been given ----- listen to it ---- Yeah, I've done this a long time, still haven't learned to shoot left handed, just be ornery I guess.  These type of birds is what makes it so much fun, frustrating, infuriating, keeps us coming back day after day, year over year.  They come in the wrong way -- to the wrong side of the shooting shoulder, behind us, standing behind of clump of something and flies off or runs off when we stand up --- Dog-gone-it just come in and be killed why-dontcha.

Sitting to a bird, has already been mentioned, it's more about presence of the land, knowing the birds/particular turkey, the contours, and "where he wants to go and with whom."  You can be in a great setting, everything perfect, but if that hen(s) come and take him off, you have several choices from there.  However, if you already know which way they generally go when they all leave the roosts, be in that direction, let them come to you.  I will say this about sitting on a ledge, that's the particular turkey -- some will come up a small rise, others will like to circle around you and come down on you.  That's just the fun of it.

This is what makes turkey hunting soooooo much fun, it's chess against a grandmaster that is participating for his life. 

[Tom007]

Agreed...all good advice. Follow it as closely as possible to maximize your chances.

One point I would add...and it took me a few decades to realize...is that there are times when standing, rather than sitting, is your best option. The old mantra of "sit with your back against a tree" that has been pounded into our brains over the years just isn't the best approach all the time.

More and more, my first consideration is whether the circumstances at hand are such that I am better off standing rather than sitting. I very often now pick out a tree/bush with just the right density and limb structure and tuck myself in behind it. Generally speaking, the sight-line advantages that come with being three feet higher can be significant in a lot of situations. In addition, I also find that adjusting my body and ability to swing my gun to a gobbler's approach is much easier, and the movement involved in doing that is less likely to be detected.

Also, if you are calling from behind something, it is reasonable to assume that an approaching gobbler will be more likely to come on in looking for that hen behind that obstacle than he would otherwise...at least, that has been my experience. 

Of course, where you hunt and how you hunt definitely comes into play. Most of the time, I hunt in a manner where my interactions with a gobbler are brief. That is, I strike a gobbler, judge whether he is going to come looking...and if he is, I set up quickly and he usually arrives in a time frame where standing up for a few minutes is not an issue...even for an old dude. 

On the other hand, if you are hunting in situations where staying in one spot for a length of time is the best approach, then the standing set-up is, without question, not the best choice. The point being is to consider, in every encounter, whether there is an advantage to a standing or sitting strategy based on the specific circumstances. 

Very good info here. I've recently harvested a few Tom's standing behind a large tree in some cover. My success here definitely adds another way for me to set up on a gobbler. The most important thing I do BEFORE I set up when I'm prospecting for a Tom is I stop and survey the woods before I call. What I mean here is I pick a set-up spot before I call at that location. I never stop and call in open woods/saplings with no real good "hiding/setup trees". I've learned over the years that you better be ready to sit when you here that gobble, a bad set-up is surely going to lead to a busted Tom.

[Bowguy]

As a right handed shooter, I try to setup on the right side of a tree with my left shoulder pointed where I expect the turkey to show up. This gives me the best chance to swing if he comes right of where I expected.



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This is correct. Point your left shoulder if righty toward the bird. That allows swinging each way some. Lefty is opposite.
Practice adjusting at home on a lollicolumn or backyard tree. . First I'd move my feet than maybe "sidewinder" my butt for a slight adjustment. If you need to err, remember easier to swing way left for a righty as the gun stays cheeked. Swinging right (on righty) pulls the gun away from your body making the shots harder.
If you need to cheat to cover more area, remember this.
Gobblenut has a great point as well!

[bwhana]

One of the best hunting things my dad taught me growing up was to shoot left and right handed. I don't have to move much no matter which side a bird comes in and makes setting up even easier.  Over my hunting career, I've actually taken more animals left handed even though I'm right handed and for unknown reasons, I'm more accurate with rifles at long range shooting left handed.

[Zfhunter1]

A lot of great knowledge and advice here crazy to think how much of a difference different styles will help. Might have to try some of these tips.


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