Biggest change in your hunting style

[zelmo1]

What has changed in your hunting style from your first couple seasons? I have gone from 12 gauge 3 1/2' #4 lead to a lightweight 20 gauge with #8 TSS. I have also lightened my load in my vest. I take only what I need and use. Calling and adapting/learning.  are more important than getting a bird too. More of an experience than a hunt. Any thoughts?

[Gobspur]

For sure the biggest changes for me compared to when I started is using a gun that patterns well now, learned how to setup better, sitting still, and patience. I lacked in all these when I first started.

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[Gobble!]

Man that's a LONGGGGG list.

My biggest changes are I stopped using decoys all the time, I went from Remington Nitro #4s to shooting 2.5oz of TSS #9s, I discovered patience, and my calling is focused on killing a bird not making him gobble.

[ol bob]

Older = slower and almost to stop.

[davisd9]

Worry about me and how I do it and no one else.

[Greg Massey]

Age , having to adapt to make things easier ... I guess that's why i like air - cond trucks, instead of the old roll your window's down in July and Aug.. lol....

[GobbleNut]

Although my equipment has evolved over the last 50+ years, my hunting "style"  has been the same for the last 40 or so.  Starting basically with a blank slate in terms of knowing how to hunt spring gobblers, it took me ten years to figure out the "ABC's" of how to hunt them.  Those ABC's consist of A: locating a gobbling bird, B: approaching to within "conversational" distance, and C: figuring out what he wants to hear and where he wants to hear it from.  If it doesn't "pan out",...go find another one until it comes together. 

Granted, I am somewhat slower, a bit more "rotund", and the bones ache a lot more than "way back when", but my methodology has been and will remain the same until "the end"   

[BTH]

Sitting in one place considerably longer than before especially if I don't hear any gobblers BUT I know they are there. Also, a lot more subtle calling.... clucks, purrs... soft yelps with or without responses. Use to go note for note with him cause I liked to hear him gobble.

[Bowguy]

Not too much has changed from the way I did things I'm beginning to revert back. I'm going to less items again, still shoot lead. Main difference I guess is one gun is wearing a sight due to my eyes.

[SD_smith]

It's hard to pin down the biggest change. I'm constantly adapting and evolving every season. Shot my first one when I was 8, but didn't really hunt on my own until I was 13. So I've come a longggggg way with just learning from a lot of dumb errors and what not to do in the last 12 years. I'd have to say calling ability has really taken off in the last few years. Used to only have a Gaskins Box Call that Tom Gaskins Jr. gave to me when I was a kid. Now mouth calls are my main deal with a really loud slate call for reaching out to the lost boys.

"The greatest teacher, failure is."  -Yoda

[shaman]

What's changed? 

Well, the first thing is that am now hunting property that has birds on it.  In the first few years, the best I could manage was hunting a property where they roosted elsewhere and would slip onto the property after flydown. 

Next, I'm able to hunt a full week at the beginning of season. For the first decade, I was limited to 1 or 2 days a year.  However, this is all ancient history. I was hunting turkeys unsuccessfully for years. Last fast-forward to 18 seasons ago, when I finally got my own 200 acres.  I was successful the first year, but I really didn't understand what was going on.

What was going on was that I always started out in the creek bottoms, because that was where the gobblers were roosting.  I then ran myself ragged for the next 4 hours trying to catch up as they invariably walked up hill and away from me. It took me a few seasons to figure out that I'd be better off starting my day at the top of the ridge and wait for them to show up.  That way I was ahead of them instead of chasing after them.

Once I stopped trying to get as close to the roost as possible, and hung back waiting for them to fly down and come towards me, I started being consistently successful.

[LaLongbeard]

I haven't changed much. I've gotten better and more efficient thru the years and that comes mostly from experience. I hunt more out of state, when I first started I hunted the same areas in my home state. After about 20 or so years you have found what works and doesn't. I've never been into the gadgets or decoys and I'm still using the same 870 I started with. Changed chokes couple times and shells that's about it.

[Happy]

I started out with minimal equipment and then started adding gadgets and gizmos. Realized I was getting away from depending on my skills as a hunter and wasn't learning or improving and reverted back years ago. Have also reached the point where being successful doesn't mean anything unless I feel I earned it.

[paboxcall]

Decoy --> No decoy
3.5" --> 3"
Single shot --> pump
Lead #5 --> Hevi #7
Pump --> single shot
12 gauge --> 20 guage
Hevi #7 --> #9 TSS
Vest --> fanny pack
Regular camo --> leafy camo
Production calls --> custom calls
Few custom calls --> lots of custom calls
Lots of custom calls --> few select custom calls
No patience --> more patient
Little success --> better success

[dejake]

I call a lot less now.