First day in the turkey woods... first rookie mistake.

[jlawson382]

 

Ol' Tom gave me the slip yesterday.  I set up on the edge of a food plot, threw up my blind, and settled in and listened to the woods wake up.  Around daylight, I let out a short set of yelps on my pot call and (to my eternal surprise) got a gobble in return! So, I clucked a time or two and waited... sure enough, another gobble, closer this time.  Wait a few seconds, and yelp two or three times, and another gobble, even closer!  This went on for five minutes or so - sometimes I'd wait for him to gobble two or three times before I answered him, sometimes he'd clam up until I yelped at him, etc. - then he went quiet for a few minutes. The next time he answered a yelp, it sounded like he had gone back to where he started!  Dang.  Ok, well, let's dance again.  Five minutes or so (that seemed like an HOUR) later, and I had him coming back to me, until he hushed again.  This time, I couldn't get a response out of him, so I decided he must've gone back the other way - maybe henned up, who knows - so I'd hop up, hustle around to the other side of the stand of pines and see if I could cut him off.

This is where you expert turkey slayers shake your head and chuckle, right? "Wrong move, rookie."

Yeah, I had just packed up my blind and taken no more than five steps across the food plot when he thundered a gobble so nearby I could hear him rattle.  CRAP! I quickstepped to the side of the foodplot and hunkered down in a stand of tall grass, just in time to see him poke his head around a bush less than 30 yards away and eyeball the open area.  He stepped back behind the bush and I brought my gun up... and heard him put-put-put-putting as he quickly exited, stage left.  I guess the sneaky feller decided to circle around to see if he could find that hot hen, and he caught me moving.

THREE MORE MINUTES in that blasted blind, and I'd have filled a tag on my first day, EVER.  Close only counts in hand grenades - but if he's still there when I get time to go back, I'm going to give him one heckuva headache!

[TRKYHTR]

Throw the blind away and hunt him setting against a tree. If you need to move you can and it's not an ordeal.

TRKYHTR

[catman529]

My first solo turkey hunt, I had a jake fly down and land 5 yards in front of me and my gun wasn't ready. Then 10 minutes later, I moved my hand to scratch in the leaves, and a couple of jakes had been coming right in to 10 yards in the tree line and saw me and they were out of there.  At least you called in a bird on your first morning. My tip for future hunts would be to quit calling him once he answers... if you call a couple of times and he answers back, then just be quiet and make him look for you. If you keep calling and he hangs up and keeps gobbling, he is waiting for you to come to him, like a real hen would. Even if he goes quiet for 10 minutes he is still going to probably show up, and the best you can do is wait him out. I don't use blinds really, a lot of people do, but I'd do what TRKYHTR said and find a good tree.

[tomstopper]

It happens to all of us. With turkey hunting I have learned that patience is just as important as learning calling. Patience always pays off.... Good luck next time......

[barry]

Patience is probably the hardest trait to learn when turkey hunting.
Here's a good rule to follow...
When you are absolutely positive that you've waited long enuff and it's time to move, wait another 30 minutes just in case!

[NYbassman]

Sounds like an exciting morning in the turkey woods! Hope your next hunt ends with you standing on his head. A couple thoughts...

If he is clearly moving in your direction, there is no need to call much at all, and it sounds like you were doing quite a bit of calling. If you know he is coming your way, you can typically shut up and let him look for you. Trust me, he knows where you are. At that point you can usually put your call down and get your gun up.

Also, like a couple others said, I would ditch the blind unless it was pooring rain. I think you will find the experience more satisfying if you are sitting against a tree. Not to mention it makes it much easier and quicker to reposition on a bird if you want to.

[jlawson382]

Throw the blind away and hunt him setting against a tree. If you need to move you can and it's not an ordeal.

Sounds like pretty good advice.  My "blind" is just three stakes and some camo mesh, but it's still more than I care to haul around along with everything else.

Patience is probably the hardest trait to learn when turkey hunting.
Here's a good rule to follow...
When you are absolutely positive that you've waited long enuff and it's time to move, wait another 30 minutes just in case!

With turkey hunting I have learned that patience is just as important as learning calling. Patience always pays off....

Yep, I'd have been in good shape if I'd had the sense to sit there a little longer!

At least you called in a bird on your first morning. My tip for future hunts would be to quit calling him once he answers... if you call a couple of times and he answers back, then just be quiet and make him look for you. If you keep calling and he hangs up and keeps gobbling, he is waiting for you to come to him, like a real hen would. Even if he goes quiet for 10 minutes he is still going to probably show up, and the best you can do is wait him out.

Oh, I'm not complaining - just hearing him sound off hooked me for life.  I appreciate the advice - I'll shut up and sit still next time. 

[slamman]

the 1st rule is we all have made rookie mistakes.

the 2nd rule is the turkey will continue making us all make rookie mistakes.

welcome to the game.

[wvcurlytop]

Throw the blind away and hunt him setting against a tree. If you need to move you can and it's not an ordeal.

TRKYHTR

Agreed!!  Don't get into the frame of mind that you think you've got to have the blind to hunt or kill turkeys..

[WildTigerTrout]

IMO you just have to learn the three most important rules of turkey hunting. #1 Sit Still #2 Sit Still and you guessed it #3 Sit Still. Get rid of the blind you don't need it. Make sure you wear FULL camo, sit up against the base of a big tree and then sit still. LOL!

[DanT]

Congrats on a good hunt! Bird or no bird still sounds exciting.

And as guys have said, patience kill turkeys more than any other call, decoy, blind, etc......

[mikejd]

It happens to all of us. With turkey hunting I have learned that patience is just as important as learning calling. Patience always pays off.... Good luck next time......

Remember when you think he is gone. He is probably looking at ya.
Hey those are the hunts that teach you something.
Gotta love the alarm putts. Has been a while since I got one of them.
Anyway sounds like a cool hunt. Also if your going to use the blind on your first setup that's fine but abandon it on the reposition or you better get used to those alarm putts.

[BrowningGuy88]

I am not a rookie by any means - been chasing them 17 years and on my own for 7. I have killed my limit most of the 7 seasons I have hunted by myself. 31 birds in the last 7 years.

I got made to look like a bumbling fool this weekend and was so flustered I was ready to hang my gun up.

[DirtNap647]

we all learn every time we go better luck next time

[Neill_Prater]

I have been turkey hunting since 1977, and every year, I manage to make at least one, and more often, several "rookie" mistakes. You did great for your first hunt. You set up where the birds were and had a gobbler answer your calls. You really can't ask much more than that.

Those of us who have hunted for years will all tell you that in many situations, a gobbler going silent often means he is coming in. Unfortunately, it can also mean he has hooked up with a hen, or he has totally lost interest and is feeding along on his merry way to parts unknown!  The safest bet is to always assume he is nearby, unless you hear him gobbling as he departs. Waiting is always a gamble, and every situation is different.

Good luck on your next hunt! Neill