SORRY! Closest ever??
 

Ok, mhy recent post has stirred up some controversy and has obviously made me and my friend look like unethical hunters, which we are NOT! SwampCollie brought up an awesome point..... closer shots are hard to come by, so I ask you now.... the closest incounter/shot you've ever had with a turkey.
-personally I have been literally just a mear 2 feet from a hen, and the closest ive ever taken a bird was at just 6 yrds. And both those were NOT out of a blind.
Again, I am not an unethical hunter, maybe my last post wasn't the greatest, but I look forward to hear your answers to this question.........

RE: SORRY! Closest ever??
 

I think the closest I have been to a turkey was about 10 yards and the closest I have ever taken one was about 15 yards.

RE: SORRY! Closest ever??
 

8 yards... opening day this year!

RE: SORRY! Closest ever??
 

My first bird I ever took was without decoys and without a blind. I was calling and the bird came into sight and started running right at me and I waited until he slowed down and it was about 7 steps. I have never gotten a gobler that close again but I have had a few hens within 5 steps. This post is much safer then the other tiger!!

RE: SORRY! Closest ever??
 

8 yds, and I missedfor a gobbler.
I've had hens just a few feet from me.

RE: SORRY! Closest ever??
 

Never stated you or your friend was unethical. I'm sure you are not. Just said the decision your friend made was not a really good one. He got lucky. You weren't the one who took the shot, so I really wasn't even questioning you. Friends don't let friends take bad shots, right?:DBTW, my closest shot was about 13 yards.

RE: SORRY! Closest ever??
 

I missed the unethical thread I guess.

Far as whats the closest I have had both toms and hens touch me while turkey hunting. Hens on the boot tops, pecking the back of my vest from behind the tree, and toms strutting by an Oak tree wing tips brushing the legs. When you dont hunt out of a blind, stuff like this happens espescially if you hunt in tight cover like we do here in the southern swamps. Sit still and hunt long enough around here and your bound to bump into em espescially a cluck and purr hunter. I've seen whole flocks of hens decend on our set ups and mingle with in feet for hours at a time.Sit still, be a tree and watch what wild turkey do.

Far as how close, I have seen them shot at less than a yard. Real exciting stuff! You either clobber em or you miss. I prefer to shoot em 20-30 yards myself, but it dont always go down like that. Sometimes they end up in your lap. Those are the most exciting turkey hunts far as I am concerned.

RE: SORRY! Closest ever??
 

That is some intense stuff hatracked ! I cant even imagine shooting one at less thatn a yard, wow. Sounds like you have had some great hunting experiences. Awesome, thanks for sharing!!

RE: SORRY! Closest ever??
 

I know SuperStrutter... I just wanted to clear it up. It's all cool. Thanks for replying.

RE: SORRY! Closest ever??
 

My closest shot happened yesterday when i shot a Jake at about 5 yds, the hen was only 3 hens from me, i would of took the 2 toms behind the jake but i didnt have a shot at them and i was afraid that the jake and hen would see me. So i took the shot and killed my first bird(Androndack Turkey).

RE: SORRY! Closest ever??
 

ive had a jake brush my pant leg...no BS. anyone that knows me knows i been tellin that story since it happened:D great hunt.

he circled a longbeard i had strutting and gobbling at 40yds in an open patch between the woods. i was enjoyin the day watchin the show waitin on the shot...no sense in killing him before the show was over...i see a bird RUNNING up and around that big bird and down through the brush. i was confused lol. here he comes RUNNING at me. stops directly infront of me at 1-2yds. staring in my eyes no joke. he knew EXZACTLY where that hen call came from. i already had the big bird in gun range..i kept calling to keep the show exciting..that jake walked around back and forth looking dead in my eyes and brushed my leg. he was there a good 2 minutes. i knew i couldnt blink. tears rolled down my face...i couldnt hold it i HAD to blink. PUTT PUTT PUTT he walked about 2yds away. the big bird vanished like he was a dream...actually came into about 20 when he seen that jake...but i couldnt move...they then went to the next field and ate breakfast together [&:]guess the longbeard didnt wanna kick his butt after the jake saved his life.......i could honestly grabbed him with my hand..we was mere inches from my 21 inch barrel...

RE: SORRY! Closest ever??
 

Closest 6-8 yards. My cousin sat back and called across a field and I belly cralled along the field edge. The bird headed my way and was right out in front of me. That was my first bird. I was covered in mud but I didn't give a damn.

Tom

RE: SORRY! Closest ever??
 

Anyone who read the other thread read my little close range mishaps story.

As far as how close to one I have been....I had a hen two springs ago walk between my father and I, who were seated about 8 feet apart. I don't think I have ever been so nervous in my life. I thought for sure the bird was going to hear us breathing, or see me shaking. All that excitement from an ugly ol' hen! She never spooked either...just kept on looking for what had made that noise about 15 minutes prior.

RE: SORRY! Closest ever??
 

maybe i just wait too long before i shoot, lol.....i have had several hens within 3-4 feet, no blind, just a few branches and what not....but i have also had a few of my gobblers come in that close....my first one ever was 3 feet from me, i was dying....then i missed a jake that was about 6-7 yds. from me, then i shot his buddy, big ol gobbler, lol......then i had some more jakes come in within 3-4 yds of me, missed the one, shot his buddy.....i make sure the missesare a good clean miss before i shoot again...i've learned anything under 10-12 yds. is going to be tough for me , seeing i shake like a freak, so i have elarned not to take that close of shot, the odds are i'll miss or worse wound one....i had last years swamp bird come 2-3 feet from me,just a single palm frond between us,he saw me shaking and took off, got him the next day...i have always felt blessed, but after reading the close encounters y'all have had, i really feel blessed. i thought it happened all of the time......

RE: SORRY! Closest ever??
 

Yesterday my brother had a hen at 5 feet. He was walking down a logging road behind our pond and it busted out right next to the trail. I also had a hen bust out from next to a logging road once 3 years ago. A couple years ago i snuck out of my house in the middle of the night and was driving around with my buddies. My mom called my phone so i got out of the car to answer it. As i stepped out of the car into the ditch i stepped right on a hen. She flew out from under my foot and i fell over. I assume she was on her nest but she was like 5 feet from th road? Another time i was about 12 and i got my first turkey call, decoys and blind. It was a little HS Strut box call and a set of the love-traingle decoys by feather flex. The blind was one of those stake blinds with the fabric in between them. I was out in the woods around 4-5 o' clock and these 4 jakes came walking by about 10 feet away. I was shaking like mad. They never made any turkeys sounds, and they sounded like deer walking through the woods.