What did you learn this year?
 

Hope everyone had a safe and successful turkey season for 2007!
I thought it would be helpful to start a thread and have everyone can post what they learned this year! Maybe help the learning curve on these tough birds!

Hunt safe,

Willie

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

I learned to actually make time to hunt...didn't get out once this season.

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

i learned take the first shot you get

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

Whatever your gut tells you to do DO IT!

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

If he's coming in, let him come in. I took two shots at different birds that I misjudged the distance on and watched them both fly off. They were working their way towards me. Had I waited, I would most likely have taken them home with me.

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

No matter how good a caller you are or think you are, some birds just don't want to play the game. Either by being henned up, or just go quiet after flydown. This senerio sure makes for a very tuff season. We all must have several other plans in the works for these very encounters.
I was hunting a few different places this year that I normally don't hunt, so the lack of knowing the movement patterns and roost locations ended up hurting me in the long run. I did luck out and ended up doubling with a good buddy of mine on a pair of jakes the second day of our season this year, but that was the last of my luck for the rest of the entire season!! While I never actually seen any hens this year, I did hear many different gobblers sounding off in the early hours, only to go quiet or head the other way, onto private property!!! Very frustrating to say the least!!
Seems that they didn't like to have a lot of calling thrown at them, for what ever reason. The small talk ended up bringing them closer, but just couldn't seal the deal!! Some hard leaned lessons for this year!![&:]

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

I learned never to get overconfident. after last year i thought i had this whole thing figured out. this season was the toughest ever. even though i filled 2 out of 3 tags, i've never had to work so hard in my life. i also learned to be more patient while trying to get my 10 yr old son his first bird. I also learned that the excitementthis sport stirred up in that young man can make me feel like a kid again!

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

play the game and be patient.

i set up on the closest birds that were gobbling the most...i always pick the bird thats gobbling the most to setup on.

setup and had them going bonkers...but noticed they all sounded like jake birds. oh well we will see what happens..i was on a point/hillside that turkeys always hang out on..right when they hit the ground another bird lit up and hammered pretty far to my left. they shut down immediately. i never heard another peep from them. stuck with it...clucked, purred, scratched leaves...once in a while id give some soft yelps. a good half hour to anhour later he gobbled where i last heard the jakes. 150ish yards infront of me. kept at my calling...just calling a little every 15-20 minutes or so..a half hour or so later he let outa gobble 100-150yds infront of me to the right. hmmmm...

didnt hear anything for a good while. figured he was just passin through with hens or something...but i kept hearing what i would sworn was a turkey scratchin in the leaves. fighting not to take a nap on the warm spring morning...the birds tend to come back there around 9-10am..i was gunna nap till then..i gave one last look around before i shut my eyes and i saw a turkey body shining in the spring sun!!! i peeked around to see if it was a longbeard..head was behind a tree. he swung his head around at the same time i did...we had a stare down..he let out a big ole gobble and i seen a longbeard hangin...killed him and turned out to be a double longbeard!!


patience paid off...normally i would left that setup after i didnt hear anything for a while and went runnin and gunnin till 9 am or so and came back...i killed him at 8...but he was within 100yds of me for a good half hour or more...i followed his scratchings the whole way around me. it was him the whole time...

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

I learned that I can't judge distances.:D

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

I learned to sit still when turkeys come in behind you when they were supposed to come from in front. DADGUMIT!

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

I learned this year from the Indiana season I need to pull the trigger. hehehehehe Instead of second guessing my yardage. I mean its not like I dont pattern and I have an awesome shooting gun. I just like em to be under 30 yards.

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

Man sorry to hear about your season...

This spring was kinda weird... Doing my home work really payed off big... I killed two 3 year old Gobblers...

Maybe next spring will be your season...

Cant wait for spring 2008

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

i learned, i dont know a thing....you think you've got it, then that season comes and reminds you that the turkeys are in control....

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

I learned that the Thermacell truly works :)

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

PATIENCE

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

First, if they're coming in, shut up and let 'em come. Got a nice bird this way.

Now the hard lesson. Had one gobbling for 30 minutes, he was in his strut zone and wouldn't leave it. Eventually he left and gave a parting gobble from far away. I made a move to reposition then called some more. No answer, and after 20 minutes I gave up. Walked to the strut area and FLUSHED THE BIG TOM!!! OUCH! I hope I remember this one, that was a tough lesson. The silent birds are a challenge, patience pays off.

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

i learned to have more than one place to hunt. and i learned more about calling in different situations. I called in two mature longbeards this spring to be killed, others that were more lucky because of hens or bad setups. so i learned that PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT when it comes to calling. not that im even a mile within perfect, but im decent only because i spent countless hours working with my calls. this year i hope to do the same with duck and goose calls.

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

couldnt have said it better myself.....once you get em hot shut up for that last 100 yards except for some purring if he hangs up. i only start calling if they start loosing interest or heading a different direction.

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

I learned this sport no matter how frustrating at times is truly incredible. Even if the morning doesn't go as planned, nothing like spring sun and chirping songbirds to wake up to. Birds are just a bonus I think i already knew this but remind myself every year

RE: What did you learn this year?
 

Two main things, as some one mentioned above, NEVER get OVER confident. I am convinced that there is no such thing as an expert turkey hunter. There are good ones, even great, but nobody in an expert. Secondly, trust your hunting partner, especially when he can see the bird and what direction its going and you cant.