Great Question BT!We talk much about alot things that are impotant to the outcome of a hunt and in my opinion this is the one that proves most critical!Its a frusterating experience to work hard on a gobbler finally managing to get him in gun range to find yourself in a situation where you have made a bad judgement where to set-up and the bird being in gun range, yet you being out of position either cant see him or cant move your gun without being seen.Or very simply he see's you move your gun to take a shot and the next thing you see is nothing but tail feathers.<img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>I've been there and learned the hard way.One of the toughest things to prepare my clients to understand is that they must be ready to take the shot when the opportunity presents itself with little or no movement!
Heres a couple of things I try to avoid in setting up for a shot.
1.dont put yourself in a situation where you cant move your gun left to right!Obviously sometimes we cant help it,but you can get yourself so hid that it is more a hindrance than a help!Trust your camo!A tree right in front of you can stop you from being able to move your gun left to right!
2.Avoid calling to that gobbler if he's in gun range already unless your about to drop the hammer on him!Calling this close just gives your position away and now he's staring at you eyeball to eyeball and greatly limits your ability to move your gun without his pericopic vision picking you up!
Here are some things I think will help!
1.Set-up with your off shoulder facing where you think the bird will approach!This will enable you to move 180degrees much easier than if you were to face him dead on!
2.Have your gun already up before he gets there!Obviously I dont mean cheek on stock but your gun on your knee in the direction he's approaching greatly reduces movement when it comes time to shoulder your gun!Having your gun draped across your lap or laying on the ground by your side while your working a bird will come back to bite you in the behind I garruntee it!
3.Anticipate his approach,when that bird goes silent and you know he was coming "'get ready"listen for footsteps and drumming!Look for that tailfan or that whitecap on a gobblers head in lowlight conditions that whitecap can stickout like a sore thumb!Alot of times on silent gobblers I have either picked out footsteps or heard strutting and was ready when they appeared!Using your ears knowing what to listen for can keep you from being caught with your pants down!<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
4.Finally limit your movement!Add all these things up and thats exactly what this all is meant to do when that bird enters gun range!Knowing when and when not to move is so important,using his tail fan,or waiting for him to go behind a tree or stump,anything that blocks his view from you should all be anticipated and taken advantage of if need be!Trying to make a big swing on a bird or shifting when he's in plain sight will most likely end up in a spooked bird or a shot that should'nt be taken!Practice patience and as BT said look ahead of the bird and utilize the woods to your advantage in moving your gun or shifting into a better position!
Theres more that goes into set-up than just being able to get in a good postion to get that gobbler to come in,you have to be able to shoot without being seen in it too!!Great post BT!!Hope this helps all!Bob
Monarch isn't a butterfly it's the King of the Spring!
Edited by - bobgobble2 on 01/12/2003 08:13:58