Common mistakes

[Happy]

Speaking of which, anybody got a good location east of the Mississippi for turkeys ? Not asking for specifics just the state,county, gps coordinates, and easiest access to where I am guaranteed to hear a gobbler in the morning.

[strum]

Speaking of which, anybody got a good location east of the Mississippi for turkeys ? Not asking for specifics just the state,county, gps coordinates, and easiest access to where I am guaranteed to hear a gobbler in the morning.

YES I do

Common mistake : Telling Happy where to hunt.

[Marc]

My advice, 

1. Don't be afraid of the turkey.   I've seen guys that just freeze up when they engage a a turkey.   Afraid to do anything, turkey loses interest and walks off.  Then after the fact the hunter is full of woulda, coulda, shoulda's.  The worst thing that can happen is you mess up and spook him.  No biggie, try him another day.  Mistakes are nothing more than learning experiences.   

2. You will here patience, patience, patience.   Patience kills turkeys.  I agree with this to a point.  But patience has saved as many birds as its killed.   You can patience yourself out of a kill pretty quick.  I lean towards patiently aggressive. \

I have watched hunters waiting for the perfect opportunity with the stars and the moon aligning...  Sometimes you just gott'a pick up the gun and shoot if the bird is in range.

I have also watched some videos in which the bird is in good range, and then leaves with haste, and a desperation shot is fired and missed.  Take the opportunity when you have, and let it go when you lost it.  Go home and have some Wild Turkey when that happens...
\

Sit still.  I mean REALLY sit still!

Still... Meaning you do not lift up your arms to yawn and stretch. AND QUIET.  When I am hunting with someone there is very little verbal communication (unless we decide to move, and someone leads and makes a game plan).  That sharp turn of the  head to look at that unexpected gobble is a killer.  For the hunter, not the bird.

I'd rather have messy and accomplished rather than neat and unsuccessful..

[tlh2865]

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.

[GobbleNut]

Here's another common mistake:  Getting into a rut in your calling, both in calling the same way all the time and also in trying to sound the same way all the time. 

Yes, turkeys have a fundamental "rhythm" to their calling, but within that rhythm there is often much variation.  Cadence in calling is good, but too much of the same cadence over and over again is not natural. 

Turkey voices also vary a lot.  Don't get stuck on trying to imitate the old "contest caller" box call yelp. and then keep doing that over and over again. That is a good fundamental sound to have, but it is also not the cure-all in turkey calling.  Mix up your calling sounds when things aren't working for you.  Try different call types, tones, pitches, and volume. 

Turkey voices vary.  Sometimes gobblers want to hear a certain,...and, at times, unique,...sound to get their attention.  Sound like a turkey, but don't always sound like the same, repetitive turkey when calling,...and especially when that sound is not working for you.

[Marc]

Understanding terrain...

On a recent hunt, I was reminded of several things regarding terrain.

Acoustics in the woods, especially with hilly terrain can be quite deceiving.  A bird across another ridge sounds quite loud...  As he drops down to come towards me, it actually sounds like his considerably further.  Then all the sudden "BAM!" there is a gobble that is right in front of me as he clears that next ridge.

Utilize the terrain to your advantage...  If the terrain is too steep or too thick, sometimes you might choose a further location with a more accessible route for the bird.  You might be able to get right above that bird on a steep drop-off, but he is more likely to walk further to get up a more gentle slope.

[eggshell]

I usually don't make mistakes the turkeys just are too dumb to follow the plan.

Two mistakes I have made:

Hunting a gobbler that's smarter than me, gotta know when your outmatched and find a dumber one

Telling the noisy guy at the diner where I'm hunting and how active the birds are.

Well, dang both these make me look like a dumbarse....well I did sign up on old Gobbler, wait I'm old I can just blame it on senility.   

[GobbleNut]

I usually don't make mistakes the turkeys just are too dumb to follow the plan.

Two mistakes I have made:

Hunting a gobbler that's smarter than me, gotta know when your outmatched and find a dumber one

Telling the noisy guy at the diner where I'm hunting and how active the birds are.

Well, dang both these make me look like a dumbarse....well I did sign up on old Gobbler, wait I'm old I can just blame it on senility.   

As has been apparent since way back in the T&TH days, we are obviously two peas out of the same pod, eggshell! 

[eggshell]

Yeah Gobblenut, I think your right. Maybe someday I'll make it to NM or you can come by Ohio. Hey whatever happened to that long haired guy from Ga?

[GobbleNut]

Yeah Gobblenut, I think your right. Maybe someday I'll make it to NM or you can come by Ohio. Hey whatever happened to that long haired guy from Ga?

I'll PM you on it so as not to derail the thread here....

[LaLongbeard]

Most common mistakes I see are
1. Trying to learn how to hunt from watching YouTube hero's
2. Taking advice from pseudo experts that don't know much more than the person they are attempting to help, but feel compelled to add their nonsense to anything turkey hunting related because at some point they stumbled upon a Gobbler and killed him, or they heard one Gobble once.

Choose your expert wisely lol.

[strum]

Most common mistakes I see are
1. Trying to learn how to hunt from watching YouTube hero's
2. Taking advice from pseudo experts that don't know much more than the person they are attempting to help, but feel compelled to add their nonsense to anything turkey hunting related because at some point they stumbled upon a Gobbler and killed him, or they heard one Gobble once.

Choose your expert wisely lol.

This as spot on as anything ive heard yet!!
Im no expert. matter of fact far from it. but I have spent 10-12 years learning my area, making every mistake there is, finding
new spots to hunt, making more mistakes, learning to call less, learning to talk with the birds, making more mistakes. Through all this I feel I get a little better each year. You guys have taught me quite a bit too I must add.

[Prohunter3509]

And be real quiet
There is quiet and there is turkey quiet

[strum]

Here is one i don't see talked about much .
When ever I think I need pee i dont wait I pee. Why
Every time I think ..aww ill wait a bit ..Bam a gobbler starts hammering. Or a hen walks in.
Then im trapped . cant move cant pee .
Happened in Alabama deer hunting once to me .. a doe comes in and beds 30 yards from my tree .. she never saw me in my stand but after an hour my eyeballs were floating .  I lasted as long as I could and finally stood up and went as quiet as i could in my bottle. of course she saw me. ran off. blowing me like crazy. hunt was over.
 

[mtns2hunt]

Good thread: we need more like it. Not everyone is an expert.