Turkey Shy!

[hookedspur]

I think you are bored. I get busted just about every year, but not Turkey shy. Ticked off more than anything. Stinken silent birds.

All you can do after that Jay is pick yourself up, change your depends, and climb right back in that hoverround!

[Muskie03]

Sometimes, when they gobble alot, I just go and sit in my truck. Just sit in my truck. Ya guess, there are people who for one reason or another lock up when a bird gobbles.

[Skeeterbait]

I do think a lot of people are too conservative in their hunting style for what ever reason.  My hunting would be considered aggressive by many.  But if you are fully ablebodied with some reasonable woodsmanship skills, then picking a spot and guarding it for the morning like deer stand hunting is a huge waste of time.

[Shotgun]

I love Turkey shy people...quit hating on them 

[guesswho]

I love Turkey shy people...quit hating on them 

Thier some of my favorite people, I just don't like hunting with them

[Shotgun]

I love Turkey shy people...quit hating on them  

Thier some of my favorite people, I just don't like hunting with them

I'm right there with ya  

[lmbhngr]

I have to disagree with you Paladin. We get so much hunting pressure where I am mid May these birds get real quiet round here. Educated birds are not a myth IMO. It happened to me last year; birds gobbled on the roost hit the ground and shut right up

[bowhunter84]

Ya gotta get real close...or you won't be able to shoot 'em off the limb.  That .243 ammo is getting expensive.

[Spring_Woods]

Is there such a thing as turkey shy hunters?  Some claim that their are call shy birds that are afraid of calls.   Do you think there are some hunters who are afraid of turkeys?  What I mean is do you think there are some hunters who are so afraid of getting busted by a turkey that they are afraid to really try and kill one?  Afraid to call, go to the bird, get within 80 yards, ect....

yeah, that used to be me. Playing the game too careful, gets you nothing. I found this out the hard way, 4 seasons in a row.

[guesswho]

It happened to me last year; birds gobbled on the roost hit the ground and shut right up

If they were educated why would they even gobble on the limb?   Could it be once they hit the ground they had no need to gobble anymore?    How far along are they in the breeding season in mid May where your hunting?  Just trying to figure out if something other than pressure made them go quiet.   

[lmbhngr]

I hunted the same bird for more than a week straight. Shot the one he was hangin with got a fistful of feathers. From that day forward both birds would gobble on the limb; pitch down walk the opposite direction from where I was. I switch my calls every day. Mid May here is full foliage on the trees; maybe they gobbled to let the hens know where they were. They didn`t roost together. I know when I would leave they would be in the field with the hens. Another spot we hunt middle of May you`re lucky to get a tom to answer your calls but you drive by the farm at dusk they`re in the fields. Both spots get hunted ALOT! These birds get called to alot that`s why I always switch up my calls.

[reynolds243]

my only issue with "called at alot" or call shy birds is REAL hens call all day in the woods and during feeding.

I am not understanding how "calling" is the issue. human or danger affecting a birds behavior sure but I dont see it as the calling part. I believe once pressue really gets on them from seeing a bunch of humans in the woods that were not there all year they behave more as nature intends them to...hens coming to them. if they cant see you or you are not on the way then they will go elsewhere.


that just my opinion though

[shootumindaface]

my only issue with "called at alot" or call shy birds is REAL hens call all day in the woods and during feeding.

I am not understanding how "calling" is the issue. human or danger affecting a birds behavior sure but I dont see it as the calling part. I believe once pressue really gets on them from seeing a bunch of humans in the woods that were not there all year they behave more as nature intends them to...hens coming to them. if they cant see you or you are not on the way then they will go elsewhere.


that just my opinion though

Face it, the not only know that it is a human calling, but they also know what type of call you are calling on and even in some cases can narrow it down to brand

[lmbhngr]

Call me crazy but I think if you use the same call day after day that bird`s gonna get "educated".If you use the same series of calls day after day the bird gets educated. Call to much the bird gets educated. Maybe it doesn`t have anything to do with calling but if the birds get hunted everyday don`t they get called to everyday? Bottom line IMO is that the later the season gets these birds aren`t coming unless they see the hens.

[swampy]

I think we could all agree that birds do the darndest things for not very obvious reasons. Ive saw the dramatic sides of both. Just last year a friend asked me to help him kill a bird that stayed in one of his fields. He didnt know much about turkey hunting and wanted me to call. We approach the feild and theres two hens feeding 300 yards away. We do the sneak and get in a favorable position to watch the hens and field and i open with one series of the lost call medium voice (cluck, blah blah blah). They immediately stand upright and do the old slow.....turn...easy....look over the shoulder....step....step...... tuck the wings and run away to the other side of the field. Wow never saw such a dramatic response from any bird.
                     Two seasons ago on a heavily hunted public piece during the middle of the week roosted a bird and man was he ever hot. I just knew he had been bumped from his normal roost because he was in an odd ball spot and was gobbling his head off. Hmmm I got between him and where i knew he wanted to be and where i knew his usual hens were. Well he let loose all the way to the decoy and i coldnt get a shot from the angle i had. He stayed close to long and caught sight of the glare off my barrel and left quit gobblin every thing. I knew i was still btween him and where he wanted to be so i circled around to make sure he was on the right side of me and bumped him again as in i saw him turn a run . Relentlessly I setup and gobbled a few times staged a fight hat beating, purrs, the works low and behold as soon as i sat the hat back on my head here he comes running half strut 19 steps boom dead. It all started at daybreak and ended at 9 now that bird was in a bind, away from his hens and obviously a extremely jealous hard hunted 4 yr old public land bird with a short term memory. Strange arent they.