Pinhoti Project

[DrDirtNap]

So what do you think spooked that bird in #15?  He was sure coming fast to put on the brakes like that and go puttin away.


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[Bolandstrutters]

So what do you think spooked that bird in #15?  He was sure coming fast to put on the brakes like that and go puttin away.


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My first thought was the gobbler knew exactly where that hen should have been and when he got up on their level and couldn't spot her then he got nervous.  He's probably been hunted hard before.

[Cove]

That gobbler was completely fooled; about as fooled as you can have one in my experience. He noticed something wasn't right up ahead. I'm not sure if he caught a glare off the camera lens, a silhouette off the edge of the tree or something else but it was just enough to make him nervous and retreat. He wasn't overly spooked because he started gobbling well about 15 minutes later. We had to pull out for work at that point.

[uarobert]

That gobbler was completely fooled; about as fooled as you can have one in my experience. He noticed something wasn't right up ahead. I'm not sure if he caught a glare off the camera lens, a silhouette off the edge of the tree or something else but it was just enough to make him nervous and retreat. He wasn't overly spooked because he started gobbling well about 15 minutes later. We had to pull out for work at that point.

That was what I was thinking, too. To my mind, if he just didn't see the hen and decided to bail, he would have just quietly bailed. It sounded to me like he was alarm putting, which means he saw something he thought might be a predator. Then again, he's a turkey and there's no telling what one might do any given instance.

[silvestris]

He didn't see what he was told was was there.  They get nervous in a hurry, God bless em.

[DrDirtNap]

I agree... he saw something he didn't like.   Great videos !


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[DrDirtNap]

Cove, so one of my conclusions, right or wrong, after watching all your videos would be that at least in 2018, those public land  FLORIDA birds are a lot easier to hunt than Alabama birds.  Your success rate was a lot higher in FLORIDA from what I've seen so far.  Would that be a fair statement to make?


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[GobblinNC]

Dave will obviously know better than I would but they were able to hunt longer in the day in Florida and were able to roost turkeys in the evening compared to their hunts this far in Alabama being short before work hunts. When they had all day to hunt in Bama Chubbs killed a turkey. From my experience I dont think thats a fair conclusion.

[uarobert]

I'm starting to get the shakes, Dave.
I need my new video fix.

[Cove]

Cove, so one of my conclusions, right or wrong, after watching all your videos would be that at least in 2018, those public land  FLORIDA birds are a lot easier to hunt than Alabama birds.  Your success rate was a lot higher in FLORIDA from what I've seen so far.  Would that be a fair statement to make?


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It would not. Our percentages in AL climb when we spend all day with them. In Florida, we essentially got to live with them. Not that I'm saying AL birds are push overs, I'd stack public land turkeys in the mountain regions of GA/AL/TN against any of them out there. I said it once, that I believe a lot of gobblers in those regions die of old age.  We left many mornings to fulfill work duties with gobblers that needed another hour of attention. Turkeys work on turkey time and there is no way to "quicken" turkey time. You either participate on their watch or you don't participate. That coupled with I'm fairly certain we used ALL of our luck in Florida. 

Day 17 is about to be up!! It gets worse . . . if you can believe that. 

[kennedyh1990]

I'm glad y'all have footage in the vehicle before the hunts! It has me reminiscing of some of the conversations buddies and I had before hunts this past season  ! Keep up the fantastic work! It's been a blast to watch.

[uarobert]

Oh, brother. That guy on day 17 was such a tool.
I know we all want to get our bird, but c'mon folks, a little Golden Rule helps all of us.

If I ever see someone in a spot I want to hunt, even if I beat them there. I want out, unless I know for sure that they leave the area without spooking every bird around for a mile.

I don't know those folks. I don't know what they're willing to do with a shotgun. I don't know how much they might do to booger up the area and the turkeys in it. I immediately want to book it to an area where I think I'm the only person around. That's just me. It obviously isn't how that dude thinks.

Otherwise, thanks for documenting it. Warts and all.

I wish(or maybe I don't) I could see Chubs's thought train works. Here I am waiting for him to say something profound about the next day's hunt and then... "A hamburger on a donut bun would be like dating a girl with a beard"

[GobbleNut]

Just getting around to running through the video's, Dave.  Great stuff all the way around,...as always.  Very entertaining as well as informative.  Love the pre- and post-hunt dialogue,...and the hunt sequences, whether successful or not, are really well put together.  Real, traditional spring gobbler hunting at its finest, under real conditions, and with outstanding videography under conditions that make accomplishing that extremely difficult....not to mention your world-championship calling ability.  Your hunting buddies are not too shabby either!  Five stars all the way around, my friend!

[sixbird]

Hey Dave...Been watching the vids. on binge recently. Sometimes watching them twice in one day!
I really liked the "rework" vid. where you talked about strategy. You said things on that vid. that I have thought for a long time but could never string together to articulate them. One thing in particular that you said that I do regularly is waiting until the gobbler is distracted before you call. I like to call when their view is blocked by a tree that they're walking by or when they first start to move, like you said.
Also the shock yelp or cackle. I've had great success getting gobblers to move with that tactic. AND, like you said, it's got to be immediate...
Good, good stuff brutha'!

[greencop01]

I am eating this stuff up. I think the ultimate hunt you can go on is minimalist. Some calls a strut seat a gun some camo and go out and call a tom. This past spring got tag soup but had birds every day. Some were edumicated but thats what makes it why I love it so. I'm not criticizing as long as its legal do it. But for me this is what turkey hunting is about. My hat is off to the Pinhoti Project, you guys are in the groove. Thanks for these as it is videos and thru your project I hope more hunters try this style of hunting out! Nice to see the prayers too.