A little Tip that may help on a setup

Adrian J Hare · 04-23-2006, 05:09 AM

My time of posting is going to come to a slow down. As some of you know the season here WAY up north and No, not a part of Yankee land , we are the Canadia's

and it is going to open up on Tuesday. Jalva and Scrapper are headed up today and we have some interesting things we are doing this season. I'm sure you will all find out later and its not all hunting.

What I would like to say before I slow down is I have learned a little thing or two over the years of Turkey hunting. As some of you may not understand and must be saying to yourself , "What Can a Canadian know about Turkey hunting" I have did a little of it and have spent years traveling. I have only hunted 15 different States and have got stuck on a few that I have went back to a great amount of times. I guide in the Southern Florida season and see the same advice there as well.

Most turkey hunters want to find a setup and one of the first things they want to do is CUT everything down around them so that they can see better. This works right into a turkey favor. What you need to know is the your gun will only shoot a small bullet type pattern for 8 yards untill the shot pattern opens. A small limb or stick that sticks up or hangs down at 5-6 yards or even out at 10 yards will not have any impact on your shot pattern unless you aim right at it and fire.

Do not cut down everything in front of you, only what may tie up your gun barrel incase you need to make a move. Some of this brush will help conceal you and make you blend right in a lot better. If you can setup and still see 60% around some of the stuff in front of you in the direction the birds may came, study your shooting lanes and use the hanging and cluttered stuff for your advantage. Have Patience and allow the bird to walk into a shooting lane that is in front of you. Remember if the bird can not see you and is not allarmed he is not going to leave anytime soon, He will walk into your sight or point of aim Re: shooting Lanes.

The eye sight of a gobbler is 10 times better then yours or mine. If you cut away stuff like this on a bird that is in the roost that you have set up on , then the roosted bird has now about 60 times better eye sight while he is in the tree. He will see this movement and decide well before flydown to walk off the other way.

When you get to a setup leave them little branches that our gun barrel don't touch and you will see a difference in how the gobbler will come closer with out noticing the Timber cutting that he has never seen before...BT

Dr Andy · 04-23-2006, 06:35 AM

Good advice Thanks

busyhunter56 · 04-23-2006, 06:44 AM

nice read

Arrowmaster · 04-23-2006, 08:31 AM

Good advise... Good luck to you

JW · 04-23-2006, 08:49 AM

Adrian,
Very sound advice and I'll add a bit more- maybe others have other advice to which was learned the hard way like me!

Be very aware of your surroundings. Including you!

What happens when you are excited ?- You start breathing harder which can cause movement by you! Ever wonder why that bird high tailed it out of there. I am willing to bet it saw something that alarmed it...perirod...and even if you though you where not moving in your own mind and by getting excited and breathing heavier will cause more movement of you chest area. I bet the bird saw that!

Second thing - and you may laugh. I have witnessed birds seeing me blink - even though I have been in head to toe camo! So also try to control that.......

Third thing and it goes very nicely to Adrian's post. If you can always look for a set-up in the shadows. Use that to your advantage. Direct sunlight may cause a glare or glint off soemthing you have brought with you or are wearing. Shadows will stop that!

Fourththing -
Watch for bright areas behind you. Even though you have on good camo - you body may be highlighted from behind! Be aware of that and look for cover to break-up your outline.

Last thing....
Say you get busted but don't know why. Ask yourself why and try to learn from that mistake! Don't move untill you hve figured it out. Will make you a better hunter. Oh I have made lots of mistakes and each time I pondered why. But it has taught me some very valuable lessons to which I have larned and leanred well. And that is the beauty of turkey hunting cause after 20 years I am still learning!

JW

bradisthebest · 04-23-2006, 09:58 AM

I know exacly what you mean adrian i am from Ontario to and my posts will defendly slow down. I can't wait for tuesday i just love the spring turkey hunting.

Mailman29680 · 04-23-2006, 03:56 PM

Good advice
The cover may also keep you out of the sun.
Movement in direct sunlight is hard to miss for a hunter,turkeys will see it even better.

neb · 04-23-2006, 07:36 PM

I like to set up if this makes sense to anyone. I set up if at all possible so the birds come in at a 90 degree to me. To better explane it I set up so I'm concealed to the side and the birds come in only from that direction. They will have there eyes on the decoys and not coming in looking right at me. I have got away with alot of errors this way and have never been detected as of yet. This is just my way of not getting busted and it works for me.

huntnma · 04-23-2006, 08:15 PM

oh man, i used to cut everything that may of gotten in the way......but now i know better and i havent had one problem.....Thank God...very good post and replies.....