Originally Posted by
buckpro
We hunt a lot alike.
I feel like setup is half the battle every time.
Few other options I’d like to add to what you already said. If a bird hangs up at a good distance and I can move anywhere but forward without being seen, a gobble call has work for me more times than not. Get him fired up as you can, then the key is hauling ass 50 yards left or right and hitting that gobble call the next time he fires off, then haul ass back and shut up Give him 5 minutes and see if he’s coming. Jealousy is a hell of a tool. Not able to do that a lot but when I can’t reposition its my last ditch effort and pays off alot. They either haul ass to you, or the other way.
One thing a guy taught me on a elk hunt(which I compare a lot to turkeys) is don’t give up. We worked this bull for 3 hours at 200 yards, with cows, he kept telling me “he’ll break”. He did. I apply the same thing to a henned up bird when he’s beat me atleast once and now I just hate him. I stay on the group and call just enough to let him know you are still there, you will know when he is ready to break loose. I am super aggressive 90% of the time but when I come in touch with a bird like this, I wait him out, sometimes I can break him loose by 9am, some times it has taken till 2pm, but he will break.
I was not taught to hunt at daylight, my mentor taught me to hunt after 10am till almost roost. One thing I do in the afternoons is slip around and see if I cant strike one up, if that doesn’t work I got to a spot I feel comfortable in, and see if I can’t make him fire up. I use 4 different calls(he used about 7), start off slow for the first 10 minutes, the next 10 minutes get aggressive and end it with a gobble call and shut up. Wait 5 minutes and cut/yelp a few times loudly, he’ll cut you off a lot of times. If no answer wait 10 minutes and move on. That setup has led dozens of birds to their death.
If I do hunt in the morning which usually means showing up right at daylight, I just listen, then move to the bird and try to keep locating him just by hooting. I get as close as I possibly can until I like the setup and then call. Don’t make yourself known until you have the advantage.
Focus on your setup and know the land your hunting and you’ve already won half the battle.
That last sentence is very important. I have a friend who kills a lot of turkeys. He says that he never calls to a specific bird (one that he has located) until he gets to the place that he thinks he can kill that turkey. He spends more time silently getting to wherever he thinks that spot is than he does calling to the turkey.
There is a lot of good stuff in this thread
Them that don't know him won't like him, and them that do sometimes won't know how to take him
He ain't wrong, he's just different, and his pride won't let him do things to make you think he's right
They don't put Championship rings on smooth hands
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