Your right. Alot of guys strive for super duper tight patterns to reach out but end up missing a close bird. While nice tight, even pattern is important I have kilt alot more birds at less than 20 than I have killed over 40. A tight pattern is good, I kinda think you can take it too far. If they are close ya just gotta bear down and make sure and keep your cheek on the stock. Most turkeys are missed from people peeking at em and takin their cheek off the gun resulting in them shooting over the bird.
Gordo
Senior Member
This one seems it would be obvious, but I'll let her rip since it screwed me my first time turkey hunting.
I knew I had a bird coming into me from the west, as he was making all kinds of ruckus. When I positioned myself up against the tree I was facing the exact direction he was coming from, straight away.
Well sure enough the bird pops up 20 yards away but to my right. Needless to say in the position I was in I could not swing my gun to the right.
If I would have been set up with my left shoulder facing the direction I knew he was coming from, instead of having my shoulders squared up, I would have dusted his ass.
Hope that one makes sense.
I knew I had a bird coming into me from the west, as he was making all kinds of ruckus. When I positioned myself up against the tree I was facing the exact direction he was coming from, straight away.
Well sure enough the bird pops up 20 yards away but to my right. Needless to say in the position I was in I could not swing my gun to the right.
If I would have been set up with my left shoulder facing the direction I knew he was coming from, instead of having my shoulders squared up, I would have dusted his ass.
Hope that one makes sense.
Very good point Gordo. If you know where a bird is coming from then you must think ahead on the positioning of not only yourself but also your swing path of your weapon. Also, get your gun up and be looking down the barrel long before that bird gets within range so that you will have very little movement left to do when he gets real close. That will prevent him from busting you. In addition to that, when taking off the safety, do it as quietly as possible.
Sounds similar to coyote hunting. I usually sit on an angle rather than head on. I look straight toward my farthest right shot direction and watch over my left shoulder. Being right handed I can swing my gun left more fluidly than right.
Excellent tip right there! I like to do the same thing when hunting waterfowl in fields.... Angling the layout blinds just slightly to the right (if you shoot right-handed) allows for a more natural and more comfortable swing of the gun. I never really thought about applying this same mentality to turk hunting, but I sure will now!
Get your gun up? Look down your barrel? Taking off your safety? COme on chad!!!!!!! Man up and shoot one with a bow! hahaha
Carebear
Junior Member
"""My first Turkey tasted like crap!"""
just a belch here, I have always deep fried em ! Yum. Yum.
Turkey Nuggets are the Bang.
just a belch here, I have always deep fried em ! Yum. Yum.
Turkey Nuggets are the Bang.
Oh yea oh yea oh yea... breaded and deep fried turkey nuggets smothered in buffalo sauce... love it. BTW, welcome to TOO!
Many times we will start the morning in an area and only hear 1 bird gobbling on the roost. We take that bird out and the next morning there are multiple birds gobbling in the same area. This has happened twice already this season. It's like you kill 1 and 3 come to bury him. It doesn't take subordinate gobblers long to figure out that the beast is dead. This is one of the reasons that public land hunting gets better as the season progresses.
Maybe I need to check out public ground then..... Startin to feel like I couldn't get a Turkey @ Krogers.
As you know, there's not a lot of public hunting in Licking Co, but Perry and Muskingum to your south and east have many thousands of acres. I am fortunate to have 10k+ acres of public hunting within 20 minutes of me and we hunt it a lot...especially the 2nd half of the season. I went on a scouting mission through Zaleski State Forest a few years ago on a perfect morning during the 3rd week of season. I "stop and yelped" every place I could get my truck off the road from one end to the other and made at least a dozen birds gobble from the road...and saw a grand total of 6 vehicles on 27,000 acres of public hunting. Everybody thinks that everybody goes there...so nobody goes there.
To be honest Mike, I have never looked into public ground. In fact, didn't even know there was any in Licking Co. I've always had a place to hunt for deer but not much on the Turkey's. Will have to look that up later on this evening. Thanks Mike.
Can't help much with this one, but I would definitely look at being close to there roosting areas if you have any that are being used consistantly.
How does rainy days like today effect turkey movement? Is it worth even trying? Does effect fly down time? Do they stay back in woods to strut? What are some other observations y'all have noticed when hunting in rain? Thanks