Is it easier to kill turkeys solo? Am I hindering my growth as a turkey hunter?

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

Ok. I hunt turkeys with my dad. It's been something I've looked forward to since I was 6. My dad always brought me along and I watched a master hunter slowly and methodically call mainly 21-24lb monster easterns into gun range and dropped every bird he shot at. I was so excited to finally hunt at 12 and I knew my dad would do everything he could to help me bag my first bird.

My first season was 1998. Nothing. We even heard almost nothing. My dad shot both his turkeys when I was at school. So I didn't even get to enjoy watching him take one. Total bummer but hey I was 12 and I was optimistic. That optimism has finally wavered. It's not working I need to make a change.

So my question is: 1. Could my dad calling, usually he swings wide so it will bring the bird right into my path with a decoy offset in between us and setup so the bird won't see either of us in its line of sight, be sending all the birds to him? Should we move closer together?

2. Should I just stop hunting with him and or wait until he can't? I feel like striking it out alone will be rough at first but Jesus it cannot be any worse than this! Also I need to gain confidence in my abilities as a hunter. Having my hand held seems to be counter intuitive.

3. Or should I just let him keep doing this until I'm 79 and still have not shot a spring bird? This is the one sport we share and equally love. Ducks too but we hunt turkeys hard. I just think something needs to change in order for me to start succeeding. I can't hunt much longer without bagging at least one bird.

Killings not the most important thing for me. But doing it once in a decade would be appreciated.

[Frylock]

Yeah man, you gotta break off on your own and find some new areas to hunt and learn, some things can't be taught.


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[Farmboy27]

Tough question. Have you participated in the calling at all?  If not then it is defiantly time to start. Change things up a bit. You said that your father is an accomplished hunter but sometimes that doesn't matter when hunting with someone else. I have called some "first birds" in for others but I'm not that great at it. I think I'm to conservative and try to hard to get the bird to the perfect place for the perfect shot.  Could this be the case with you're father?  Few of my hunts turn out exactly like I plan them and I know I'm more willing to take chances when I'm only costing myself a bird and not someone else. Also, although I cherish every minute I hunt with family and friends, some times you have to go to it on your own. My uncle took me turkey hunting my first few years and I know he was a bit disappointed when I told him I was gonna try it by myself. But even more so I think he was proud that I learned enough to try it on my own. My son is 9 and he is my best hunting buddy ever. When the time comes that he decides he's ready to go it alone I'm gonna be pretty darned sad. But I'm gonna be even more proud if what I taught him and what he learned!  Talk to your dad. I'm sure he will understand.

[SteelerFan]

Ugh... that is a dry spell.

1. Don't EVER take for granted time spent hunting with your Dad (a lot of us wish we still could)

That said, there's A LOT more to this story... Are you hearing ANY birds, seeing any birds in all that time? You might have to find better spots.

If it's a matter of coordinated effort at that critical moment that makes or breaks the hunt - that can be worked out with some post-encounter strategy discussions afterwards to improve for the next time?

If you feel like you need to strike out on your own, there's nothing wrong with that either. Two hunters can share a hunt on the same property in two different locations, working different birds.

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

Oh we're seeing birds. We worked 12. What was said before about being too conservative is the problem I believe.

He calls so little it's ridiculous. Like once every 45 minutes. I know he is trying too hard and he needs to relax and let me make mistakes.

I've been listening and mimicking his calls for over a decade and Jesus I think I know how to call like him he just had these other times he's taken friends that mess up and spook birds by doing something dumb like trying to get a box call our when the birds on its way!

Our spots are better than ever. As a kid we never had this sort of population. Hunters bought tags at a really low low rate this year in our area so we have no competition really.

We strike out to get that 22+ lb looking tom in the AM and I'm going to demand be lets me at least work my slate as its 18 years old. I know it inside and out. Soft clucks loud purrs loud yelps soft everything.

I can even do a damn gobble amazingly on a mouth call.

I may not be the best at working birds....BUT! I haven't really had my chance yet. I will keep you updated guys and I am not going to give up. It's a new day tomorrow and we have birds everywhere I did the leg work and scouting time to roost one and bag him tomorrow.

We have him patterned I don't need to call. Setup and wait for him to see that avianx and see what happens. Wish me luck guys!

[SteelerFan]

Tell your Dad your plans... tell him you think "we" need to change tactics, be a little more aggressive, use more calling, etc. etc. tell him you want to give it a try. If he balks at that idea, then it's time to tell him "ok, but I'm going to go try it my way for a while... meet you at the truck".

Good luck! 

[Farmboy27]

Whatever you do, if you decide to tell him you trying it on your own, do it nicely!!  Turkey hunting might be important, but it doesn't hold a candle to family!  Best of luck to you. Hope it all comes together soon.

[silvestris]

Your Dad seems to be doing ok on his own.  I think he will be proud when he hears you say, "You take this one, I'm going to go find one of my own".

[Double B]

You have accelerated your learning curve hunting with your Dad, I sure hope you get a bird.   I call sparingly but even i call a little more aggressive than your description.  My mentor started upping the ante and forcing me to call more and that helped as I made mistakes and learned....still learning every hunt it seems.  Good luck.

[Gobspur]

1.  Continue to hunt and spend time with your dad.  That is paramount.  Ask him "why do think you always kill birds by yourself, but we always strike out together?"  Maybe that will get him thinking he needs to change things up.

2.  Also find ways to hunt by yourself.  I deer and turkey hunted for years with friends and family.  Then I started to hunt more and more by myself, and my success rate started going up.  That got me thinking.  Now, I will sometimes hunt in the same general area as others, but ALWAYS be myself.  Its a one man game for me.  I'm just a better hunter by myself.  Learning decision making comes quick like this, because its you and you alone.

Good luck!

[Bill Cooksey]

Am I missing something with the math? You started hunting with your dad at age 12 and it was in 1998? You're now almost 30 and have never killed a turkey? If my math it right, you should have found ways to strike out for some days alone 14 years ago when you started driving.

As others have said, treasure the moments with your dad. Mine was my best friend, and I treasure every moment of our time together. But, as in life and love, in hunting there is a time to begin going it on your own. You'll never grow otherwise.

If you are truly worried about hurting his feelings, simply slip away for some solo hunts without telling him. You're a grown man, and I can't imagine he keeps tabs on your daily schedule. The solution is VERY simple. Just go hunting.

[supremepredator]

My mentor taught me the basics, I hunted with him about 3 times, then I went off on my own. He gave me some calls and even let me borrow his 870. I had no idea what I was doing that year and didn't kill a bird (did call in a hen though) next year I again hunted on my own and killed nothing, but I learned from that. This year I hunted with another guy in the club. We run and gunned together unlike my mentor (he hunts more from a blind) we heard zero gobbles each time we hunted. But one magical morning i was hunting alone and had a bird gobble over 50 times and got close enough to hear him drumming, but I couldn't close the deal. I then moved to a blind where about 7:30 my buddy walked up the hill to get in the same blind. He was not very happy and I apologized for taking his spot, but he was very forgiving, cause he new how bad I wanted to kill a bird. At 9:00 I called and killed my first bird. It was just a jake but he was mine and I called him in all by myself and was so proud of myself. With that being said he was not the only bird I called in. 2 weeks before that I called in a Tom, but because of my poor setup he saw me and bolted. The next day after I killed that jake, I moved in on gobbling bird and misjudged where he was and bumped him. The last day of the season I had 2 more jakes come at me at 28 yards. as tempting as it was, I let them walk after watching them for an hour. I learned from each of these situations and it is going to make me a better Turkey hunter. You will make mistakes and you will learn from them, you just have to keep hunting and have patience. Patience is the number one thing that kills turkeys, remember that. Sorry for the long lecture, but that's just my 2 cents.

[Dmason3]

Just keep trying man. I've killed all my birds solo. I'll set up some mornings on a group and hear over a hundred gobbles before fly down. If I take him were lucky to hear more than ten. It's crazy. I swear he's starting to think I'm making stuff up. I'm trying to get him his first bird and I don't know what it is but things are just different with him out there. Persistence is the number one thing that has got me my birds. Just keep trying


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[Happy]

I think you should do both. It's great you got to learn the basics from your dad. That being said you have to create your own style. What works for your dad may not work for you. I didn't really have a mentor in the turkey woods other than one fellow I hunted with one time. We never heard a bird. I hit it on my own and it took a few years of hard knocks before I ever pulled the trigger. Some of that is a blessing as I developed my own style and didn't have some of the negative attributes of hunting with others. I think that's something you need to do. Don't get me wrong I still screw up  and feel like smacking my forehead a against the nearest tree but I kill birds now. It's a lifelong growing process which is why it's so addicting. That being said you also should treasure time hunting with your dad. It's something a lot of folks don't get the chance to do.

[ilbucksndux]

My thought is that he is being conservative because he wants you to get one. I know I'm that way with my kids,and others I take hunting. When I'm on my own I get aggressive and get as close as I humanly can to a bird before I set up. Or its just turkeys being turkeys and you alwasy hit the off days.