Bad habits that cost you birds.........

[reflexl]

Yall have any? I started waiting till they drop the fan till I shoot. It has cost me in the past but hopefully not this year. reflexl

[Wingbone]

I used to be bad about wanting to get up an move on a bird before giving him a chance to make up his mind about closing the distance. I finally learned to have patience, but now my buddies say I give the birds WAY too long to make up their mind. I don't know if that's a bad habit or not, though. I've killed many more turkeys than they have, and I haven't bumped a bird by getting overly aggressive with them in years. I think I'll stick with waiting the ole toms out, if I think I can wear'em down anyway.

[n2deer]

I have a bad habit of wanting to make something happen.
Kills lots of birds and runs em off too.

[ziggy]

trying to put "the sneak" on them

[longspur]

. I've killed many more turkeys than they have, and I haven't bumped a bird by getting overly aggressive with them in years.

this should settle it for you.

[jblackburn]

I get impatient and want to move on a bird.  I can also get too aggressive with calling.  I'm working on both of these, but I have also lost birds by not moving and not calling aggressively.

[njdevilsb]

I'm too quick to want to move as well.  I've been getting better at this recently.  One year my dad and I had 3 or 4 birds gobbling good after flydown, but they stayed just inside the woods a couple hundred yards away from us.  It seemed like they were in the same exact spot the whole time.  They eventually stopped gobbling.  I suggested maybe we try to relocate a little bit.  My dad said we should just stay put a little while longer.  It wasn't 5 minutes after this that I caught 3 heads coming through the brush about 20 yards away.  The caught me completely off guard.  I was standing with my gun laying on the ground.  I had to get down and get my gun and get in position without getting busted.   They came out to the field and we got 2 of them.  Once they decided to commit, they completely shut up and came right in.

[pappy]

One of my biggest problems was movement....when you get anzie like me that is a big mistake...I have to learn to be more patient, last Spring I moved my head to get a better look at a tom coming in from behind me and boom, he was outa there like a lightning bolt. I think another thing that is a bad habit for a lot of hunters is over calling and trying to call those birds in from 25 miles off....I know you don't have to run your calls non stop, but I think a lot of new hunters are so anxious that they believe the more the better, big no-no.....and you really should have to run your calls so loud that you're breaking the windows out of homes ten miles away...good controlled soft calls work a lot better.

[Gooserbat]

It's a chess game indeed.  I believe I've killed more birds by sitting tight and playing it quiet than not, but there are still those time it pays to gamble.  That said when I gamble I hold my cards close.

[mikejd]

I get impatient and want to move on a bird.  I can also get too aggressive with calling.  I'm working on both of these, but I have also lost birds by not moving and not calling aggressively.

Same here. Sometimes its hard to know what right. Just have to use instinct and don't do the what if game.

[Improvinghunter101]

My uncle is the poster boy for run and gun.  Run being the most emphasized word in that phrase.  When we hunt with him out in Nebraska he will literally fast walk at least 200 yards or better.  There have been a few times where when we've told him to stop so we could call, the birds were literally right there.  We've had to roll to the nearest tree as well as dive down into a creek bottom.  There have only been a couple times I have seen where his "running and gunning" has bumped birds.  Who actually knows the real number.  They can be there and you'd never know it anyways.  Over the years I've come to realize I just have to speak up and stop him every now and again. 

[tomstopper]

PATIENCE. Trying not to overcall and move on birds to soon. Sometimes I try to make things happen and usually nothing happens then. Good things come to those who wait.....

[Rio]

Calling too much before fly down. I'm getting better, though. I like to give a soft yelp to let him know I'm there, then get him on the ground before I make my next move. A couple times last year, though, I was SURE he was on the ground and got too loud too fast. 15 minutes later I watch him fly down.....can't win them all! Like I said...I'm working on it. Lol

[flintlock]

Lining out vacation days, gas money and getting the honey-do list done before season. 

[mudhen]

Poor equipment.

Many years ago, I decided if I wanted cheap turkey meat, I'd head to the grocery store.

I might still make mistakes, but it will be my fault, not my equipment.

I now buy the best stuff I can afford...

mudhen