Success % on birds that answer your call?

[greencop01]

After you strike a tom, what's your % of birds that come in to the gun and how many booger for whatever reason. And how would you rate your set-up?

[bghunter777]

27%

[GobbleNut]

FYI,...there's been a lengthy discussion on this in the turkey hunting tips, strategies, and methods section.

I hunt in a number of places each spring with varying knowledge of the areas and varying hunting pressure so it would be difficult for me to pull a number out of the hat.  I will say that my success rates are much higher on lightly hunted birds and/or in areas I am familiar with than they are at the other extreme.

I rate my set-ups as "wow, I'm a genius!" on those set-ups that I kill birds at,...and I rate them as "ya' dummass, why did you set up here?" on those that I don't.

[Tom007]

Right set up, hot bird 65%
Right set up, Leary pressured bird 15%
Wrong set up, hot bird 25%
Wrong set up, Leary pressured bird 0%

My best guess....

[Ol timer]

If the Tom responds then he and I both have a 50/50% change that one of us will lose in the end.

[GobbleNut]

Right set up, hot bird 65%
Right set up, Leary pressured bird 15%
Wrong set up, hot bird 25%
Wrong set up, Leary pressured bird 0%

Interesting breakdown.  I'll expand on that a bit...

Right set-up, lightly-hunted "hot bird"......90% + (even with those birds I sometimes manage to screw it up...  
Bad set-up, lightly-hunted hot bird...........50%  (if he's really hot, he'll still come close enough to get himself killed if I do my part)
Right set-up, moderately hunted but hot bird.......50%
Bad set-up, moderately hunted but hot bird..........20%
Right set-up, highly pressured bird..........................10%- with calling, 80%+ with patience and time
Wrong set-up, highly pressured bird........................"snowball in hell" 
*Familiarity with area hunted.....increase percentages a bit on the pressured birds
*Unfamiliar with area hunted.....decrease percentages a bit
....I could make this list quite a bit longer by throwing in other variables.... 

[wvmntnhick]

The farm I used to turkey hunt when I had it all to myself, 75-80%. Now that the farmers buddy hunts it the first 2 weeks and I can't go until he's done, 25%. Other heavily pressured spots, 25% on average. I try not to put myself in a setup I'm not confident in. At that point, it just comes down to the bird cooperating.


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[Marc]

Big difference between "striking" a bird in the morning, and striking one in the late morning or afternoon.  There are times of the year that they will gobble to opera music on the roost in the morning...  Generally next to hens on the same roost or nearby.

I find shooting henned up birds on the roost to be quiet challenging, and put my success rate at about 15%.  I still love to try cause of all the commotion and close calls.

Generally, early season where I hunt, those hens stay with the toms all day, but if you can make one gobble late morning or early afternoon, there is a good chance he does not have a hen, and I would put my odds around 50%

Mid season when those hens start to leave the toms around 10 AM, if I can strike a bird, my odds go to around 70% (especially if the terrain and property lines allow me to get close enough to play).

I have had great satisfaction in calling birds from another property at long distances...

I have had terrible frustration working a bird for long periods only to have it step out and be a jake.

[Paulmyr]

Curious how you rate success at a bad set up? Wondering how if you had success the set up could be bad? How do you guys base your qualifications.  In your eyes what is a bad set up? Are there creeks, fence lines, or other obstacles  involved? Are you using the same set ups over and over and some produce better than others?

[Dtrkyman]

Never thought about it and don't really care.

Calling birds to spots on the private grounds I manage is really high, but am I really calling them in when I am exactly where they want to go?

I hunted public in Missouri and Michigan last year, struck a bird in each state at a location I really did not scout, killed them both!  So I called to 2 public land birds and killed both, definitely not the norm!

[Tom007]

My thoughts of bad set up:
Poor shooting lanes, thick, tough shot chance
Stream, fence between you and bird, may affect him crossing it
Bad background for hunter, small tree not breaking up outline etc.
Down hill set up from bird, my experience lowers chance. They come up easier....
Sun angle. This is big, especially with gun optics

Would love to hear additional thoughts....

[fallhnt]

0% of calling one in this spring.

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[strum]

This is a tough question because of soo many variables most of which have already been talked about.
First off.. To me if I know for sure with out a doubt that I got a solid answer. Then its a 100% success right there.
Now from there.. anything can happen.
There are times when I feel like I can kill any  that answers me.
  Then I get humbled by some smart %#@$%  bird.

[idgobble]

Overall average for all scenarios, high pressure, low pressure, time of season, time of day, henned up, young gobblers, old gobblers, good and bad set ups, interference from predators & other hunters, etc..   46.32% 

[Greg Massey]

I just want to hunt and kill gobblers , i didn't worry about percentages ...