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

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

Thanks for the input guys! I'm staying at it! I almost got one today, yesterday and that was with them totally silent. I'm getting their guys! Seriously I have to be. If I end this season and no success? I can't see it happening but I don't want to jinx myself!

Also I talked to the old man and he said "I want your input on every hunt now. You know these birds better than anyone. You spent every day watching from the roads, hiking miles into state land, roosting birds and you followed my rules and didn't use a turkey call. This is your time. I'm working all day and I more than trust you finding us the birds. Tomorrow your on the slate."

So the best turkey hunter I personal know has signed off and agrees 100% with you guys its time for me to get involved more. I have a slob located. Beard dragging through the leaves today. Didn't hunt that wood lot today but he's been there for the last month and a half. Time to get it done.

[renegade19]

There are few outdoor things more rewarding than killing your first turkey alone.  I'll never forget that.  But, there's nothing like quality time with your dad.  A few years ago, my dad and I placed really high in a big bass tournament.  Well enough to get a blurb in the local paper.  Next day, a buddy had seen the results and congratulated me.  His next words were "how cool would it be to be fishing with my dad one more time?".  His words really made me realize how fortunate I was.  Now, my dad is fighting cancer and it's gonna win.  Cherish all the times you can but make time to kill one on your own too!  Find the best of both worlds.  Good Luck!

[Happy]

Good luck to you. I think it's gonna g happen for you soon!

[rkm456]

My bet advice would be to learn all you can from your dad, but don't be afraid to go it alone. Having said that if he knows you always go out with him, it's a bit of a dick move for him to be hunting when you can't. A lot of the time a piece of land will only yield a couple birds a season, if he's shooting 2 of them while you aren't there he's really diminishing your chances of success. Just my 2 cents.

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

It's just getting too much now. I spent my whole week roosting and patterning birds only to have 7/10 birds shot. I have myself a ton of birds and spots with zero pressure and I think people literally saw me parked there one day and went in. Boom all my hard work down the drain.

I've been out Sunday through Sunday now and only opening day did we even hear a gobble past 6:30am. With the miss on opening day I think that was my only real chance at a bird.

I'm starting to realize my hard work means nothing in turkey hunting. Without a ton of luck I don't think I'll get one. Beginners luck ran out for me 7 years ago.

Today my dad said my calling was better than he's heard most people he hunts with. Slate, diaphragm and box. I only call loudly to get locate birds rest is just soft calling on a field/ravine edges. My dad reminded me of the Memorial Day 24 lb bird he shot.

I had called the bird across a ravine to me and my dad was way on the other side of the ravine since the bird would always come to the second call. He called..bird doesn't gobblez...nail my diaphragm with a sharp Yelp just one bam he gobbles and he's off the roost coming my way.

I purred him into 50 yards..he followers up the stupid hedge and when he turned I tried to get my gun over and boom off he goes flying to his roost and "BAM BAM" my dad shoots it.

Reason I bring this up? I've done that 4-5 times and it's always my dad who shoots the bird. Even if I don't call and the birds been looping us and I setup 50-60 yards in front to cut him off? The bird would loop right to him.

I am straight up cursed. This is not my sport I guess. I love it and I've learned every type of call from the purr to a mouth call gobble and use them sparingly if I'm working a bird. Everyone else I know does the same things and they scout less and get more turkeys. I just don't have the luck needed.

[rkm456]

Why not ask your dad to sit with you so he isn't cutting off the birds?

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

It just doesn't work when we're sitting close the birds always want to swing so wide away from the call. Like they come in for a look then strut a half second and book it.

Doesn't matter. He's about had it and Monday is the last day he will go with me. His friend has shot tons of birds but for some reason he needs to help him shoot a turkey this week.

And trust me they will get one and I'll still have nothing. This is just how it goes for me and I'm not going to worry about skipping hunting with him because he sucks at helping me get a turkey. I bet anyone of you guys could have had me into a turkey hunting machine. Not sure why he can't?

[Happy]

I think you are really frustrated and understandably so. However you can't let it get the best of you. Welcome to what many turkey hunters face every year. It sounds like your not afraid to work and that's good. That's part of what it takes to be successful on land others can hunt. Now when you scout out birds you have to keep in mind that other people are doing the same. I always take the birds that no one else will go after. People are generally lazy and use that to your advantage. Hunt further and longer than others and be smart. Get in early and quiet. Move through the woods quietly and listen. You can tell a lot of what's going on in the woods around you by listening. Don't be angry at your father but understand you will learn more on your own. From the time I went on my first hunt to when I finally pulled the trigger was ten years so don't feel bad. And I was on my own when it happened. Remember, quitters complain and winners bust their buts till they win. Good luck.

[SteelerFan]

It just doesn't work when we're sitting close the birds always want to swing so wide away from the call. Like they come in for a look then strut a half second and book it.

Doesn't matter. He's about had it and Monday is the last day he will go with me. His friend has shot tons of birds but for some reason he needs to help him shoot a turkey this week.

And trust me they will get one and I'll still have nothing. This is just how it goes for me and I'm not going to worry about skipping hunting with him because he sucks at helping me get a turkey. I bet anyone of you guys could have had me into a turkey hunting machine. Not sure why he can't?

It might just be me... but I'm more confused than ever about your "situation".  Birds "always swing wide"?? It happens so often that you set up purposely for this??

Your Dad has about "had it"... but he's going to hunt with a buddy? What's he "had it" with? You? Your attitude?? In your first post you mentioned being 12 in 1998 and your father killed two turkeys that year when you were in school. That was 18 years ago. Have you both gone 18 years without killing a bird?? I'd have taken up golf by now...

"...because he sucks at helping me get a turkey. I bet anyone of you guys could have had me into a turkey hunting machine. Not sure why he can't?"

At your age, the only one that can make you a "turkey killing machine" is you. You were going to be "calling the shots", so to speak, on this last hunt this weekend? Did you? Maybe you are also sharing some "blame"?

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

I think you are really frustrated and understandably so. However you can't let it get the best of you. Welcome to what many turkey hunters face every year. It sounds like your not afraid to work and that's good. That's part of what it takes to be successful on land others can hunt. Now when you scout out birds you have to keep in mind that other people are doing the same. I always take the birds that no one else will go after. People are generally lazy and use that to your advantage. Hunt further and longer than others and be smart. Get in early and quiet. Move through the woods quietly and listen. You can tell a lot of what's going on in the woods around you by listening. Don't be angry at your father but understand you will learn more on your own. From the time I went on my first hunt to when I finally pulled the trigger was ten years so don't feel bad. And I was on my own when it happened. Remember, quitters complain and winners bust their buts till they win. Good luck.

Thanks happy what a great reply. One thing you learn about me?

Haha I am a complainer but I never give up. I do more work than anyone I've met scouting and what not. Maybe I did too much scouting and people saw me? I don't know.

I will be spending my remaining time pushing myself to hike around 8 miles in a 12,000 acre woods. It's humongous! But I will walk it maybe Tuesday and alone I will try to do what I haven't done in 7 years with my dad and that's bag a turkey.

I'm a quarter of the season through. I had my first real shot at a real eastern tom. I know nothing is promised and nothing comes with out hard work. I'm doing the work. I really hope I can use the tips I'm reading around here and effectively turn from a great woodsman to a fair to good turkey hunter.

I noticed one little thing though. Not little actually. I've lost 97 lbs since I started scouting in February. No surgery, no drugs no lifting just straight up walking the biggest hills I know of looking for birds. thats something I can take from this season.

Turkey hunting is saving my life. Again thanks for encouragement guys as you know that's the toughest thing to come by. Can't kill em if you're in bed!

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

Oh I blame myself a lot for my failures. Surely someone my age should have soaked it in and learned how to be a productive or at least competent turkey hunter. But I'm not.

I'll clear it up. We hunted from 12-18 together every day. Then I stopped. Picked it up again st 27 and three years later I have one rio to show for it that I bagged in Texas alone.

I am negative but that's after I've been up from 4am-noon and I haven't heard a thing. I'm sure he's getting bored with taking me out and seeing me defeated but good god I go home regroup and within 20 mins I'm talking to him again about what we can do tomorrow.

Maybe tonight I won't answer the call. I have surpassed him in just about every other type of hunting but turkey. I need to go learn and make mistakes. Until then he's got friends to hunt with. My son will be 12 someday and he can help me teach him as well.

Again it's my fault. I'm the one that spent 42 hours this week and didn't hear a single gobble after Wednesday. I know that and want it to change before I'm 50 and before my dad passes away. He can't be having fun dragging us around everywhere seeing nothing. I can see the itch in him he wants to go hunt and so do I. Just time maybe we did it alone.

[Sevenyearsandcounting]

Oh steelers fan I am serious that's always how he wants to setup and I don't know why. Sure it has worked for others and people do it successfully. The very last bird we worked he sat about 50 yards to the left of me with a decoy and we tried to lure the bird down the center of the field.

The bird came about in gun range then swung hard right and did a large half circle then headed right down the trail he never walks down.

This certainly could have worked but it didn't. I'm not sure what we did wrong. I was covered head to toe and didn't move a muscle. Didn't even peak or move my eyes until he was turned around and strutting. Then bam 50 yards out and through some brush he goes no shot.

I know it's confusing how I type. This is just the desperate ramblings of a terrible turkey hunter out of ideas.

I'm also open to any kind of luck rituals lol. I have to be pushing into being he most unlucky hunter I know. I can tell you guys one thing. If I get a turkey it will have been earned. No doubt about it.

[Happy]

Stick with it. The best turkey hunters are at it year round. A lot of work goes down before a gun is ever taken to the woods. Even when hunting for other game a true turkey hunter notices turkey sign and behavior. He reads and studies maps, practices calling, stays in shape. And above all else he stays motivated. The harder you work the more you appreciate success. A lot of people never get that simple point. Above all else enjoy it and try not to worry about how you stack up to other hunters, just always try and improve. I think we have all been guilty of that at times but it really doesn't matter. It's you vs the bird and that's all you need to worry about. Best of luck to you. If you want it bad enough you will make it happen.

[silvestris]

I think there is a lot of leg-pulling going on here.

[457121]

 In the early '80's when I started turkey hunting (age 11) the only info I had was from Outdoor Life and Field and Stream magazines. Back then some articles recommended BB, #2, or #4's for body shots on turkeys! I had no idea what I was doing. Every bird I called to either shut up immediately or gobbled while going directly away from me. In my second season I started noticing that they roosted in pretty much the same places as the year before. Tried more calling and they just wouldn't cooperate. When season three rolled around I went to the same roosting areas and just sat down (no calling) and let them gobble and watched what they did after fly down. I started to notice patterns in their routes after fly down. I got my first tom after setting up an ambush. I continued to kill gobblers till I was a senior in high school that way. Later I combined the tactic with subtle calling. That was the key to my first success, get between the bird and where he wants to go.