RE: Passive or aggressive philosophy?
 

Couldn't have said it better...

Per normal with a GMMAT thread there is a mile of river to wade across and I care not for it.... I made it to post 12 and found someone I agree with... so I'll leave it at that.

I've been after turkeys in 9 states for almost 20 years now and have been very successful and very blessed.

My net findings are that 90% of turkey hunters who (pardon the misnomer) "run and gun" have no idea what the term "run and gun" even means. Most people who try and move on turkeys end up bumping more birds than they ever see... let alone kill.

Running and gunning, by my working definition, is moving on a bird after having engaged him.... what most people call runing and gunning is just simply walking and calling.... prospecting or trolling basically..... and it educates a hell of a lot of birds. Everyone tends to argue with me about... thats fine... what the hell do I know anyway... I'm sure someone who has been turkey hunting for two years knows volumes more than me (thats directed at nobody by the way... just a general attitude I get from neophyte turkey hunters when I tell them tis better to be patient than expeditious).

RE: Passive or aggressive philosophy?
 

While I somewhat agree with you...

Some people have to do it, with a five day season...being agressive and employinga run and gun tactic is almost a MUST. You can't sit and be too patient, and sit around and wait.

If I educate hoards of birds, but kill one, which is all my tag is good for anyway, I think it is worth it.

I will never be one to tell someone how to hunt, just explain how or why I do something, when asked.

RE: Passive or aggressive philosophy?
 

I wish you all the luck in the world trying aggressive tactics while bow hunting out of a double bull blind.... either you'll end up like a Looney Tunes episode trying to sneak around in your still popped up blind, or you'll spend your entire morning putting your blind up... breaking it back down again... moving 100 yards.... repeating again....

A weapon can infact change your calling style... because it changes your hunting style. I don't hunt with a gun out of groundblind..... why bother with it?

Also.... effective range is certainly NOT a wash.... I'm a good shot with the bow, and if the conditions are right and I'm comfortable, I wouldn't hesitate to take a 45 yard shot at a deer.... but turkeys don't hardly ever hold still worth a crap.... and you are shooting at a vital area not much bigger than a CD... I personally limit myself to 25 yards with a bow. With the gun, my gun can kill turkeys at 60 yards.... I've patterned it at that range and I KNOW it can do it.... that said... I like to wait until they are inside of 35 yards..... why.... well.... thats the reason I turkey hunt... if you know what I mean, then you'll get it...;) An animal with eyesight like a turkey can see an arrow coming.... and they will come unglued on you.... a little tiny move by a turkey at the shot is enough to totally throw you off.... I've missed my share of turkeys but (touch wood) I've never crippled one up.... and I'd like to keep it that way.

RE: Passive or aggressive philosophy?
 

In that situation, I don't disagree with you Kyle. A 5 day season is quick..... I'm a southern boy....so a month and a half is standard.... gotta take a more subtle approach around here if you want to hear any gobbling by week three. Pressured turkeys are the hardest turkeys to kill.....pressured field turkeys don't count because there is only one way to kill them reliably (.22-250), and its not my cup of tea and verboten most places anyway...otherwise they are impossible even for a shotgun hunter...nevermind a bow hunter....

RE: Passive or aggressive philosophy?
 

You've quoted TEmbry, which is fine, because I DO use a double bull while running and "bowing"

I can pop up the blind in >7 seconds, and take er down the same. If it I have to do it 13 times to kill a turkey so be it. I know my equipment, and how to use it to my advantage. Running and gunning with a blind isn't as time consuming as it may seem.

Thanks for the luck wishes, I wish you all the luck in the world too.

RE: Passive or aggressive philosophy?
 

Even though I'm asked to I'm not going to pretend to wade through half this thread.

There is a time and place for both agressive calling and subtle to no calling. I (we) call that taking a gobblers temperature. You can be silent and never get the bird to come, you can subtle call and he'll respond and strut and gobble his head off but not come one foot closer. In nature, hens are suppose to go to the gobbler. You can get aggressive and push a gobbler away. There is a time and place for all tactics and only the situation itself will dictate it. I've pounded a bird, fired him up and then shut up and we killed it. I've had bird killed by subtle then quiet only to get aggressive to have him run. Like Jeff mentioned in his thread opener, every bird is different and I'd bet I"m 50/50 on aggressive/subtle.

Jeff to answer your question, we'll be passive until I need to be aggressive. ;)

RE: Passive or aggressive philosophy?
 

Well I suppose practice makes perfect...between the blind, the bow, the calls, the decoys.... I'd have to hire a caddy to hunt that way... I have enough crap to tote now as it is.... I've seriously considered buying a dolly with offroad tires to haul all the stuff I have been carrying lately....

Best of luck Kyle.

edit'd out profanity skirting.

*further edit... Sorry Rob... thanks for looking out! SC

RE: Passive or aggressive philosophy?
 

Maybe Im misunderstanding, so let me ask some questions?

What do you consider aggresive? Someone squaking their head off every 5 minutes sounding like a buzzard dying, or someone who moves in on a gobbling bird (within 200 yards) and chooses to call, as needed, more often than the before stated no sooner than 30 minutes...

I consider myself a semi-aggressive turkey hunter. I go to predetermined spots that I know turkeys will be close by. If i have a bird roosted, I will move in close and setup before daylight, if not, I wait and listen. Once a bird sounds off, I head his direction, or to where I could cut him off from where I think he might go. I almost always try and setup within 200 yards, close as I can without bumping him, which for me, terrain usually dictates. Call to him softly on the limb, fly down cackle and wing flap if hes responded. From there it is purely situational. I may get up and move in 30 minutes, I may wait until 11 am if Im confident he was interested and will make his rounds later. I may move off immediately to a different bird If I dont like the setup. What would this be considered under your definitions?

Thats actually exactly what I was referring to, apples to apples oranges to oranges. What changes if someone chooses to bowhunt from a blind compared to gun hunting from the blind? What changes when someone chooses to gun hunt from the groundwith no blindcompared to bowhunting on the ground with no blind? If your answer is anything different than "there is no change in calling tactics", please provide an explanation. Im honestly curious on how someone could think this.

The hunting style changes, which in turn dictates calling style, the weapon your holding in hand has little to do with this IMO.

So in your instance, you have a 10 yard advantage over your chosen ranges? Do you truly feel that it helps THAT much? In my case, because I always have a decoy 99% of the time, I would just set the decoys in 10 yards closer than I would gun hunting. Problem solved.

Trust me dude, I get what you mean. I like gettin em close just as much as the next guy. My personal range limits, for now atleast, are 30 with bow and 35-40 with gun. To me, I turkey hunt because I enjoy calling them in. Passive or agressively, doesn't matter Ive done both and enjoy both. It is all in the calling the bird in to me, ambushing a bird wouldn't provide me near the excitement, not that I wouldn't do it if I had a bird patterned. Knock on wood, Ive never crippled a bird either, though I have missed once due to miss judging the yardage...but now I have a rangefinder:D.

You said 9 states, which I am sooo jealous ofbtw:),how many have you tagged in? Just curious, no malice intended. Going on a 3-4 day trip out of state to new land sure can add a twist to a hunt. I love the whole scenario of camping and turkey hunting, with no one but a friend or dad. I hope to reach those numbers over the next 3-4 years. Ive only hunted 3 states so far, tagged in two.

RE: Passive or aggressive philosophy?
 

tough question....Turkeys are hard because they may call and come in full force calling all the way until they're in the zone.....or say nothing until they are in your lap...

If a bird is answering me I call back conservitively (how the heck do you spell that word??)[8D]

If he is getting closer and closer I respond with light calls but consistant...

If birds are not answering I call in moderation until I'm ready to pack up and have breakfast.

RE: Passive or aggressive philosophy?
 

Hey I want you all to now the van got me home safe and sound, alls well.



Just remember call loud and call often, the best of luck to all of you.;)