Common mistakes

[DMTJAGER]

This I feel is a HUGE factor to consider for all turkey hunters from beginner to experienced.

When you are set up facing the direction you feel is the most likely direction a turkey will approach you when you call them in ALWAYS, ALWAYS if at all possible set up in an area that the cover allows you to near instantly shift your position or at least swing around with as little effort as needed or is humanly possible to be able to see him and shoot a gobble that has gobbled and based on his gobbling now is coming in to your calls from behind you.

This year I was hunting land I had never set foot on before and saw turkeys strutting out in a medium sized field while roosting them the evening before our first hunt. We had no luck calling one off the roost and set up on the field waiting for golden time of after 9am when the toms have bread the hens and they left to go lay eggs and now the toms are alone and looking for hens and very susceptible to calling.

Sure enough about 9:15 heard a Tom gobble about 300-350 or so yards farther away along the edge of the  the field to our right. We picked up and circled around to get closer to him and was able to get about 20' from the field edge and I was glassing the field trying to find him when he gobbled what sounded like a 200 or less yards to our right, as I was deciding what to do he gobbled again and he was definitely getting closer.

Unfortunately I had my son and I literally sit right there about 10'-15' in from the field because we were facing a pretty good opening facing the field and the brush at the fields edge to our sides was near impenetrably thick , unfortunately I gave no consideration to the very heavy brush directly behind and to the right side of us. Once we were seated I gave a few soft yelps and purrs and before I finished calling he gobbled again undoubtedly sounding even closer. 

His next gobble told me unmistakably he had left the field and was now in the woods coming in to my sons right side but farther back into the woods than we were I had my son pivot to his right but the brush he was facing was so thick he could hear the Tom walking and drumming but couldn't see any part of him and the Tom was actually no more than 20 yards from him. As I was seated about 10-12 feet to the side of my son I could clearly see the Tom and could have shot him easy. The Tom remained for about 2-3 minuets gobbling and drumming but then walked directly back the same path he walked in offering my son no shot.

Once the Tom was best guess 100 yards away I had us move up closer and in a better position and I called again and he instantly gobbled back but he would never come into range and after about 30 minuets he left.

Had I set my son up to be able to if need be shift and shoot a full 180*-200* to his right he would've killed that Tom.
They don't always fallow the script and do what the last 15-20 Toms I killed did. I know you can'y always be able to set up so you can shoot from most directions but when you can either allow for it or end up having a big old paint brush Tom at 20 yards and no shot.

In my defense in 31 years of turkey hunting I had never had a Tom I called in leave a field go into the woods and come to my set up from behind.

[High plains drifter]

When I was starting out some of my first mistakes were calling to any bird that gobbled from wherever I set up to start the morning. That would mean a lot of times calling to birds that would respond to me from 300 + yards but would never travel that far.
Then I swung to the opposite extreme frustrated that birds wouldn't come to me and would move towards any bird that gobbled at me. This is after striking him while calling so I would often bump the birds on the way to him.
Not hen calling to locate birds without an immediate plan to act if one gobbles was a big lesson learned.

LI also made that mistake my first 10 years. I learned to sit tight, and wait.One time I shot a gobbler from inside a beaver dam. It takes several years to learn the way to set up.

[silvestris]

If you shoot right-handed, point your left shoulder in the direction where you think the gobbler should appear; vice-versa if left-handed.  That is about all you can do.  That gives you maximum swing if you surmised correctly.

[Paulmyr]

I guess the one thing that don't get touched on when talking about green turkey hunters is confidence. If your not confident in what your doing your most likely not going to convince any Tom to come in. Make your decisions and be confident in them. Calling, set up, whatever. Know what your doing is right even if it might not be. When your not confident it will show in your calling, you'll hesitate when deciding or not deciding to move on bird, or whether to call or not. So many variables come into play. So be be confident what your doing is right and learn from mistakes that you do make.

[Paulmyr]

To expand on my previous point. 2 hunters hear a Tom gobble. Both have similar or no experience. One is confident. Moves on the bird and knows he's going to kill it. When he sets up he knows he's in the right spot. When he calls he knows his calling will bring that Tom in.  The other not so much.

The confident one moves in sets up and calls expecting the Tom to show up. The other hesitates, his lack of confidence shows in his calling and his decisions of where to set up, should he call, should he be silent. Should he call softly or loudly. Am I being to aggressive or not aggressive enough?  You get the point.
I guarantee the confident hunter will kill that bird with a much higher percentage than the guy who is unsure of himself.

[Tom007]

When walking and trolling for a gobbler, make sure you pick out a tree/setup spot before you call. You could get caught with a poor set up if you don't. This is crucial if a gobbler sounds off real close to you....

[macobb]

I am by no means an expert but I hunt public land only in hilly terrain in AL. The big ones I always tell new hunters that I haven't seen covered yet are...

1. If we are trying to get a response be ready to setup before calling, (have a setup picked out before).

2. If I tell you Im about to call you need to get some distance between us to be able to hear better.

3. If you think you hear a gobble point at it as long as were not already working a bird.

4. If you shoot a bird and he is not alone do not move a muscle until the other turkeys are out of the area

[HillclimberWV]

4. If you shoot a bird and he is not alone do not move a muscle until the other turkeys are out of the area

Is the purpose of this rule not to educate the other birds. Ive seen some people hang tight on videos and others immediately jump and run after the bird.

[silvestris]

Most newbies shoot and jump up whooping and a hollering so as to really educate the survivors so they won't come again.

[Turkeyman]

If you shoot right-handed, point your left shoulder in the direction where you think the gobbler should appear; vice-versa if left-handed.  That is about all you can do.  That gives you maximum swing if you surmised correctly.

Years ago I took my DIL's brother turkey hunting for the first time. I was feeding him all kinds of advice while we were walking along. Raised a bird not too far away, found a good setup tree. Told him to sit having his left shoulder pointed at the bird. Sat behind him a bit. Bird came in presenting a perfect shot...he just sat there. Bird leaves...I asked him why he didn't raise the gun and shoot when he had the opportunity. He said couldn't because he was left handed.

[MJinCP]

Long time shooter, first time hunter.  Just starting out at 62 years young, and this post is helpful.  Thank you.  I'm at that sponge stage, where all the info is new, and there's a lot to gather.  Appreciate the input very much. 

[GobbleNut]

Long time shooter, first time hunter.  Just starting out at 62 years young, and this post is helpful.  Thank you.  I'm at that sponge stage, where all the info is new, and there's a lot to gather.  Appreciate the input very much.

Welcome to the addiction!  This is a good place to be in the "sponge stage".     You will learn a lot from those here.  You will undoubtedly get a bit confused by some of the seemingly contradictory information, but that is primarily due to the fact that you are getting it from a lot of folks from different parts of the country who hunt in totally different circumstances.

Simply stated, the basics of turkey hunting are pretty much the same everywhere.  However, you will eventually come to the realization that you have to "customize" your approach to turkey hunting based, to some degree, on the places and conditions under which you hunt.  You will learn those basics here, but also understand that an equally important step in your future success is to "learn your turkeys" where you are intending to hunt.  The "book learnin'",....and your specific "turkey-woods learnin'" go hand in hand.   

[aclawrence]

One mistake I made this last spring that cost me a gobbler was setting up in a spot that was too open. I barely heard a gobble while walking down a road later on in the morning. I quickly covered the distance and got close to where I thought he was. I was on a logging road in recently burned pines. He gobbled down below through the pines in a bottom. I moved down into the pines but not close enough to shoot him when he would crest over the hill coming towards me. Well I yelped him right out of there and he came drumming up over the hill about 50-60 yds away and walked right along the crest looking for me while I sat there feeling like and idiot for not setting up close enough. I was in the wide open pines where they had been burned and he obviously could see there was no turkey beside my tree. He dropped right back down in the bottom and went silent.


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[eggshell]

MJinCP, One of the biggest reasons new hunters don't succeed is they are overly cautious. They set up too far, call timidly, call very little and set up in poor spots. Be bold and go for it.  Sure you'll screw up some birds, but you'll learn real fast what you can get away with. Failure is an excellent teacher

[West Augusta]

Don't forget to load your gun!!!

That happened to me on my first turkey hunt. 
Had never been turkey hunting before, I bought some calls and went to the ridge.
Called in three 2 year olds.  I waited for them to pass and "planned" on shooting the last in line.
CLICK.  I've never been the same.  LOL 
The addiction had a firm grasp on me.