Sit and wait, or make something happen?

[timbrhuntr]

I am no expert but 2 years ago I blew out my shoulder and couldn't hardly lift my arm. I still wanted to hunt so I figured out if I sat with my gun on my knee and bird came the right way I could get a shot without having to lift the gun much. Well I found that once I got set up I didn't really feel much like trying to change spots so I sat alot longer than normal. I sat a the roost site in the morning and if nothing came I sat there until noon. I saw more birds that week than ever. Only problem was I was aiming off a little and couldn't get a shot at any of them. If I could have lifted my gun I could have filled my tag several times. Since then if I am in a good spot I try to sit a little longer even if the birds go silent. To stress this point last year I could hunt the morning before work but had to leave by 830 am. Twice I bumped nice toms that where silently coming in. Both had been very vocal on the roost and after flydown then went quite.I also shot my osceola last year because I waited him out. I sat in a good spot and had one tom answer twice at daybreak then go quite. At 850am I heard a bird scratching in the leaves and one location putt. Which I answered. The tom then slowly made his way out into the field and up to me. If I had left after flydown when all went quite I would not have shot him. But it has to be a good spot where I know birds are likely to show up. I also have to admit that same year I bought the gobbler lounger and it makes sitting longer almost bearable.

[gob09]

I am no expert but 2 years ago I blew out my shoulder and couldn't hardly lift my arm. I still wanted to hunt so I figured out if I sat with my gun on my knee and bird came the right way I could get a shot without having to lift the gun much. Well I found that once I got set up I didn't really feel much like trying to change spots so I sat alot longer than normal. I sat a the roost site in the morning and if nothing came I sat there until noon. I saw more birds that week than ever. Only problem was I was aiming off a little and couldn't get a shot at any of them. If I could have lifted my gun I could have filled my tag several times. Since then if I am in a good spot I try to sit a little longer even if the birds go silent. To stress this point last year I could hunt the morning before work but had to leave by 830 am. Twice I bumped nice toms that where silently coming in. Both had been very vocal on the roost and after flydown then went quite.I also shot my osceola last year because I waited him out. I sat in a good spot and had one tom answer twice at daybreak then go quite. At 850am I heard a bird scratching in the leaves and one location putt. Which I answered. The tom then slowly made his way out into the field and up to me. If I had left after flydown when all went quite I would not have shot him. But it has to be a good spot where I know birds are likely to show up. I also have to admit that same year I bought the gobbler lounger and it makes sitting longer almost bearable.

that is exactly why i bought one  so i could sit still longer
i bought a gobbler lounger for christmas cant wait to use it

[WildTigerTrout]

I do BOTH. But I really like to Run and Gun.

[cahaba]

The birds I hunt patience kills more birds than run and gun. For one they are heavily hunted and dont gobble much. 10 years ago you could run and gun and usually strike a bird. Things have changed here.

[gunnerj]

I'm gonna try something new for this season. I have been chatting with quite a few seasoned turkey hunters, and I have a question. How many of you run and gun to set up on a gobbler, and how many of you will sit and wait it out?
My new plan for the spring is to get boots on the ground and scout, scout scout. I'll bring nothing but binocs and my GPS.
I'm getting tired of sitting it out in hopes a gobbler will come to my calls. If he won't, I've decided to go find one that wants to die.
I hope my new style of hunting is gonna work. What do you guys think?

Boots on the ground and scout, scout, scout is right. You put the time in and you will be sucessful. Run and gun or sit is a question answered by the gobs. If you currently are not successful, change up.

[handcannon]

I try. I mean I really try to sit there as long as I can but it sure is hard. After flydown and once again I've been snookered on the direction that I think they will flydown, I try not to get too aggressive with my calling.  If I just continue to sit there the little devil on my shoulder keeps telling me to get my fat butt up and go try to get in front of them. Usually dont work cause they usually never head to the same place two days in a row for me. That's when I stop listening to the little voices and just sit my butt back down and try to wait it out and see what happens.

I have been having a hard time lately finding vocal birds after they fly down so I try not to do any more calling to them once they do gobble after my calling. I've found the last couple years that if I try and call to them again, they usually will shut up and go another direction. About once every 20minutes or more is it for me.

[gob09]

i have deciced im going to hunt public land more this season on the days through the week i have off work. which will more than likely be very windy or rainy and hunt all day in one or two spots. there were several times i know i could have kill nice birds if i'd just set tight.
im goin to save the private land spots for the weekend so i can stay out of the crowd and be a little more agressive.

[CallMaker]

Like most everyone else has said, I try to set up on a Gobbler early. If I have to move I will but usually not too far as I hunt wooded ridges most of the time.  Moving in terrain like that can make more noise than it's worth sometimes. I got busted a couple of times by big easterns last year by trying to move.  As I get older I don't move as much as I used to but if nothing is happening I start moving and calling.

[ElkTurkMan]

I do both, but I find myself sitting and waiting them out more and more these days.   There is a time and a palce for running and gunning, but me personally, I have boogered a bunch of birds that I should have killed had I been alittle more patient and waited them out.  I have also missed out on killing some birds I could have killed had a moved on them, however that is a small fraction compared to the number I have boogered by not being patient.   

[TauntoHawk]

making things happen and being aggressive is my favorite thing about turkey hunting.. with that said I could learn to be a little more patient most of the time

[timberjack86]

It will work. No right or wrong here. The most important thing is to know there are birds and stay positive.  I like to set up on a gobbling bird early, run and gun till lunch, sit and wait for a few hours, then run and gun till dark.

I do the same.

[n2deer]

I hunt where I know birds are. Plain and simple.

When I dont hear them, I know they are still there. If they gobble I go and if they dont I sit where there is alot of sign.

No since in running around and bumping birds if its not necessarily. Its a whole lot better to let your presence be known when that gun goes off.

I learned to trust my turkey info and go with that. If there making the sign, they will be there on there schedule.

[J Gilbert]

I'm a sit and wait guy for sure.  On my lease, there's only 4 or 5 of us that hunt 1200 acres, so we spread out a good bit.  Fortunately for me, my dad and 2 of the other guys set up on different parts of our 250+ acres of fields, far away from me, ultimately leavin me a full 1/4th+ of the property to hunt by myself.  That being said, I've killed 4 turkeys in the last 3 years, along with 1 miss, in the exact same spot.  We've got a plot that the birds roost close to, usually anywhere from 100-300 yards away, and they'll generally come through at some point during the middle of the day.  By sitting there and not bumping the birds by moving around, it greatly improves my odds of killing a turkey.  My plan coming into opening weekend is hit the plot opening morning as usual, hopefully connect on a bird there early, and move throughout the rest of "my" part of the property trying to strike and kill a bird as quickly as possible.  I don't get to hunt a ton, so I'm looking to fill my 3 tags as quickly as possible, and if I end up having more time to spend in the woods, I'll just work on getting my two buddies their first birds

[Ol'Mossy]

First, I always try to set up on a gobbler that I know is there first thing in the morning.  If that doesn't work out, I love to cover ground with the old run n gun.  If you get set up, on a bird, be patient.  But, don't hesitate to mvoe if you need to.  Moving even a few yards can sometimes turn things in your favor.   Good luck!   

+2

[deltaeta]

Run and gun. Sit it out if afternoon hunting.