Key points for Begiinners, what should they know

[eggshell]

Another thread that asked how we all learned to turkey hunt got me to thinking. If you are mentoring a new hunter what are some key points they should know.

I'll offer the first thought. Most novices don't get close enough, they are afraid to move and afraid to call. The closer you are the more likely you are to get that old gobbler to come look, especially if you have called and moved closer like a real hen.  Of course your going to spook some, but that's how you learn what you can get away with. Fear of doing wrong is the catalyst to failure.

[Takeaim1st]

Drink often from the Spring out of which patience flows.
Don't  overcall.
If a gobbler responds to a call you make, He has recognized your credibility, and knows exactly where you are.

[GobbleNut]

Before you go hunting fundamentals:
> Understand breeding behavior of turkeys
> Learn basics of turkey calling
> Research where you plan to hunt

When you go hunting:
> Learn when gobblers are most apt to gobble, learn how to MAKE them gobble to let you know where they are at, and then exhaust all possibilities of finding a GOBBLING turkey before you start hunting.

[Bowguy]

Here's one I teach everyone. Don't let the birds know they're being hunted. Long range observation or listening.
Another is birds ain't coming to what they don't hear no matter how good your calling is. You gotta know where they are

[MK M GOBL]

Here's my take on this, I always emphasize that it's about the hunt and how it should be fun, just hearing a gobble is success and getting one to talk to you is even better. Might call in a hen and that's a good day too. If I have the "Student" with me I always point out other wildlife out to them as well so they learn the whole experience. Getting a turkey is just a bonus. When we are in a group setting I always point out success rates so they understand there will be a lot of times that you go out you will not get a turkey, that is the where the challenge is.

The I get into the behavoiral/dominance and other turkey aspects of what's happening in the spring with the breeding cycle.

Then we talk about "Turkey Talk" and I start the kids with a Slate Call and teach from there.

The we get into where to look for turkeys, how to locate and learn from what they find. (We are in a good mix of hardwoods and farm ground, both dairy and crops and ridge and valley topography)


Last is always safety and the importance and responsibilty of handling a firearm.


Keeping it fun is a big part of keeping them interested, with so much other stuff going on it takes some dedication to keep it going.


MK M GOBL

[Kylongspur88]

Practice shooting with your off hand. Use some 2 3/4 inch dove loads to practice, but put a few down range each spring because there will come a time when he circles you and your going to have to change it up/ become a switch hitter.

[TRG3]

Consider yourself fortunate if you can find an experienced turkey hunter to take you under his/her wing and show you the ropes. This will trim a lot off the learning curve and greatly reduce that lost feeling when you finally head out on your own. After you've successfully got a few hunts under your belt, remember that there's probably someone out there hoping to receive the same type of help you got at a nimrod and would really appreciate your knowledge/experience by going with you.

[Chordeiles]

Scout before season, as much as possible, and find turkeys.

When the season starts, have a backup plan for your backup plan.

[Escout711]

You can have fantastic success late morning. My buddies and I joke around that any that gobble after 10am are dead bird walking!

[silvestris]

Practice shooting with your off hand. Use some 2 3/4 inch dove loads to practice, but put a few down range each spring because there will come a time when he circles you and your going to have to change it up/ become a switch hitter.

That is great until they get a pacemaker and the MD says right shoulder only, and don't think for a minute that the gobblers don't know.

[3bailey3]

a young guy I work with got his first bird yesterday and shot him in the breast ruining all the meat, Shoot them in the HEAD!

[Marc]

Having taken some novice hunters they are usually following my lead...  Here are mistakes I have seen made almost universally:

*Making too much noise while walking through the woods.  You can step, but try not to step on every single fallen stick or           bunch of dried leaves.  Take shorter and quicker steps, and watch where you are putting your feet.  When moving through the woods take routes in which you are less likely to be seen or heard.

*Too much head movement while sitting.  Novices do not seem to understand that head movement is a killer for a bird that is close.

*Talking...  Too many new hunters do not understand that talking will scare birds away for quite some distance.


As far as hunter strategy...

Most new hunters want to over-call.  Too much fun to call and hear that bird gobble every time.  I would say that over-calling is the #1 strategy mistake of most new hunters.

Patience...  New and old hunters all too often lack this.  It is still the single biggest reason I do not kill birds that are killable.  Wanting to move when I should not move.  On days where I have nothing to do, and nowhere to be (which is more and more rare), I will work a bird for hours...  All too often with time constraints, I push the envelope when I should have put the envelope in my back pocket and sat on it for a bit.

Moving in on a bird...  Once again, this is a struggle for new and old hunters.  You hear that distant bird.  Should you try to move closer, and how close should you get? 

All too often, new hunters either won't move in, or when they do, they call (to try and figure out where the bird is) while moving.  Move quickly, as quietly as possible (including no calling), and without being seen.

More often than not, I end up trying to get too close and bump birds at this stage of my hunting experience.  I went towards them, and they came towards me...  I will likely continue to make this mistake.

[Walkerhuntfish]

I still consider myself a novice for the most part when it comes to turkey hunting but recently I took a youth and I noticed a ever growing problem with a lot of younger folks is similar to what Marc started off with.... too much movement and noise. These younger folks seem to only learn how to hunt by sitting in box stands or blinds for deer as a start. Usually playing non stop on some electronic device. Seems like not many learn to really hunt like stalking or sitting still squirrel hunting or other small game. I learned to hunt primarily as a kid by hunting birds and squirrels which seems to help me have some success with turkeys once I started learning how turkeys work. I just think learning basic hunting skills would be the first order of business to help in being a successful turkey hunter. 

[eggshell]

*Making too much noise while walking through the woods.  You can step, but try not to step on every single fallen stick or           bunch of dried leaves.  Take shorter and quicker steps, and watch where you are putting your feet.  When moving through the woods take routes in which you are less likely to be seen or heard.

*Too much head movement while sitting.  Novices do not seem to understand that head movement is a killer for a bird that is close.

You hit two good ones Marc. Heck I see this in many people who have hunted for years. I think woodsmanship is becoming a lost art and I'm not sure why. Is it because they aren't learning in the early stages? I have a friend who has hunted turkeys for 40+ years and he sounds like a train going through the woods, then wonders why he struggles at times. I gave up coaching him and just adapt my strategies to his style when we hunt. He doesn't even realize that I am making a big circle around a bird just so we can approach from over a bench or hill and on a trail. It's twice the work killing a bird with him, but he's a wonderful friend.

As for talking; it depends on where you are. If your close to an area they hear a lot of people it won't matter a lot, but in the deep woods they notice things they don't hear daily.

[Happy]

*Making too much noise while walking through the woods.  You can step, but try not to step on every single fallen stick or           bunch of dried leaves.  Take shorter and quicker steps, and watch where you are putting your feet.  When moving through the woods take routes in which you are less likely to be seen or heard.

*Too much head movement while sitting.  Novices do not seem to understand that head movement is a killer for a bird that is close.

You hit two good ones Marc. Heck I see this in many people who have hunted for years. I think woodsmanship is becoming a lost art and I'm not sure why. Is it because they aren't learning in the early stages? I have a friend who has hunted turkeys for 40+ years and he sounds like a train going through the woods, then wonders why he struggles at times. I gave up coaching him and just adapt my strategies to his style when we hunt. He doesn't even realize that I am making a big circle around a bird just so we can approach from over a bench or hill and on a trail. It's twice the work killing a bird with him, but he's a wonderful friend.

As for talking; it depends on where you are. If your close to an area they hear a lot of people it won't matter a lot, but in the deep woods they notice things they don't hear daily.

I think a lot of it is a by product of modern hunting shows. Even deer hunting is the same. Everyone wants to sit in a tree stand or blind. There is very little still hunting or woodsmanship learned these days. If all someone does is sit in a blind with a flock of decoys or a food plot they really aren't going to learn much. My advise to every new hunter is to get in the woods and learn. Scout, cover ground, read and learn the areas you hunt. Learn how animals move around the terrain. It seems that most take the route that requires the least effort. And this isn't an anti blind or decoy rant but most hunters these days are seriously cutting themselves short and are one dimensional. For example, our season starts in about a week. I was up at 4am and as of now have put ears on 4 different longbeards and a Jake. One is gobbling not 400 yards from me as I type this. Guess how many people I have seen? 0.
Now opening day will be a circus and there will be people everywhere screwing things up in every way possible. They will probably even screw up my hunt. It's sad but those willing to put in the effort are becoming a dying breed.

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