stay put or run n gun??
04-30-2008, 08:37 PM
#1
Giant Nontypical
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: PA
Posts: 9,085
stay put or run n gun??
ok...heres a scenerio...you work birds off the roost...they gobble and respond a little...they pick up hens or whatever...they keep responding off and on....or say they eventually quit responding or leave earshot...
your setup on a point that is scratched up pretty good...
you have a good 2+ miles of nice grassy trails that go through perfect turkey territory...if they are responding, you can usually get one to locate...can even extend the runnin n gunnin trail all day if you really want to put miles on your boots...
do you sit and wait hoping they come back??
or do you run n gun and hope to find a hot one??
if you wait on the point calling off an on, how long do you sit and wait? all day?(only allowed to hunt till noon)
ive been hunting this area since i was 12..im now 21..thats 10 years...i know most of the land fairly well..and know some of it all too well...
dad and i have had success both ways...i killed one last year by sitting and waiting..but he responded off and on all morning and made a big semi circle around me before i killed him at like 9...dad killed one running and gunning...and ive fired up and worked a couple the last couple years myself running n gunning..but never killed one running n gunning and trying to locate one...sometimes i end up back at the truck at 10 or 11 and really never located one to work..also, its not uncommon for birds to come back to the area at 8, 9, 10am...
but its almost torture for me to sit there if im not hearing birds...
just looking for expert turkey hunter advice....i know i know..i bet "get some patience and sit there!"...
if sitting there is the advice...what kinda calling should i do off and on?? usually do a mix of yelps, clucks, purrs, and scratching in leaves every 15minutes or half hour...usually closer to every half hour..last year was easy to sit there because i had him respond pretty much every 15 mins-half hour i called and knew he was making a big circle...worked that bird off the roost...
birds are pretty pressured and its not uncommon for them to come in pretty tight lipped...even the "blabber mouth" 2yos...mine last year shut down completely after he got within 100-150yds...i was ready to call it quits and take a nap..looked around and spotted him standing there..he just got above the knoll of the ridge...right after i spotted him he looked around for the hen and let out a gobble...the rest is history..but weve had them come in 100% silent...
your setup on a point that is scratched up pretty good...
you have a good 2+ miles of nice grassy trails that go through perfect turkey territory...if they are responding, you can usually get one to locate...can even extend the runnin n gunnin trail all day if you really want to put miles on your boots...
do you sit and wait hoping they come back??
or do you run n gun and hope to find a hot one??
if you wait on the point calling off an on, how long do you sit and wait? all day?(only allowed to hunt till noon)
ive been hunting this area since i was 12..im now 21..thats 10 years...i know most of the land fairly well..and know some of it all too well...
dad and i have had success both ways...i killed one last year by sitting and waiting..but he responded off and on all morning and made a big semi circle around me before i killed him at like 9...dad killed one running and gunning...and ive fired up and worked a couple the last couple years myself running n gunning..but never killed one running n gunning and trying to locate one...sometimes i end up back at the truck at 10 or 11 and really never located one to work..also, its not uncommon for birds to come back to the area at 8, 9, 10am...
but its almost torture for me to sit there if im not hearing birds...
just looking for expert turkey hunter advice....i know i know..i bet "get some patience and sit there!"...
if sitting there is the advice...what kinda calling should i do off and on?? usually do a mix of yelps, clucks, purrs, and scratching in leaves every 15minutes or half hour...usually closer to every half hour..last year was easy to sit there because i had him respond pretty much every 15 mins-half hour i called and knew he was making a big circle...worked that bird off the roost...
birds are pretty pressured and its not uncommon for them to come in pretty tight lipped...even the "blabber mouth" 2yos...mine last year shut down completely after he got within 100-150yds...i was ready to call it quits and take a nap..looked around and spotted him standing there..he just got above the knoll of the ridge...right after i spotted him he looked around for the hen and let out a gobble...the rest is history..but weve had them come in 100% silent...
04-30-2008, 09:10 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: El Dorado Kansas
Posts: 1,311
RE: stay put or run n gun??
My thing this time of year is.... its just plain tough...
If its public land.. sit your ass down, if that bird gobbles 10 dudes are gonna come running...
wait em out and if ya shoot one cool.... if not, get him in a weekn when the hens start nesting.
Take that nap your talkin about.
If its public land.. sit your ass down, if that bird gobbles 10 dudes are gonna come running...
wait em out and if ya shoot one cool.... if not, get him in a weekn when the hens start nesting.
Take that nap your talkin about.
05-01-2008, 01:25 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Castile N.Y.
Posts: 2,090
RE: stay put or run n gun??
Good advise king. If you know those birds will come back, why not work them off the roost, then run and gun if nothing is going on for a while, then come back for and hour or two for a late morning sit. This tactic can prove deadly!
05-01-2008, 05:30 AM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,425
RE: stay put or run n gun??
I do about the same...If the gobblers are moving, looking for hens, I run and gun...If they are henned up, I sit...
Now, if they are henned up, I might also wait and go about 11-1 and catch a gobbler looking, then I might also run and gun...I've killed them as late as 6:30pm, and he was gobbling his head off...
Now, if they are henned up, I might also wait and go about 11-1 and catch a gobbler looking, then I might also run and gun...I've killed them as late as 6:30pm, and he was gobbling his head off...
05-01-2008, 06:05 AM
#6
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: oklahoma
Posts: 71
RE: stay put or run n gun??
I have taken birds both ways if you know they will be back in a few hours an want to wait them out i would back off calling i am not saying to stop but it justs gives them a chance to slip up on ya or head the other way.Hunting mid morning the birds are often not as vocal as that first 30 min. off the roost your ears an eyes are your best tool.Run an Gun can pay off to you just run a higher risk of getting busted or run off birds that you never seen
But you know the land your hunting an how the birds are acting you just got to make up your mind how you want to hunt them
Good Luck
But you know the land your hunting an how the birds are acting you just got to make up your mind how you want to hunt them
Good Luck
05-01-2008, 06:27 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Hampton Virginia
Posts: 1,607
RE: stay put or run n gun??
I am changing my ways from run and gun to set up near all of the scratching. It has paid off in seeing birds but have not gotten in closs enough. Both times hens have come in to the area first and the gobblers stayed out of range except for one for my buddy and a jake for my son.
05-01-2008, 07:34 AM
#8
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 7,208
RE: stay put or run n gun??
If I am confident I’ll have birds move thru on their own at some point, I’ll wait em out. If I am in an unfamiliar area, or one that has no certainty of birds passing thru, I’ll roam. I like roaming, but generally, it’s not been the most productive for me.
05-01-2008, 09:08 AM
#9
Giant Nontypical
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: PA
Posts: 9,085
RE: stay put or run n gun??
thanx guys....
guess ya'll would pretty much play it by ear how i do when im hunting there...
i almost sealed the deal today...715 i had a bird come in...long story short he saw something he didnt like or was just down right nervous...i saw his body before he saw me...gun up..saftey off..solid as a rock...that red head popped up a couple seconds later and immedatley was head bobbin...he got REAL nervous looking and ducked back behind a big oak..i figured a few soft yelps on the mouth call would settle him down...he bolted...i know he didnt catch movement...when he was head bobbing i was FROZE...ive never had one not calm down if i remained frozen...or atleast give me a good shot...
i could have probably killed him...but was concerned with the brush and wanted to see the full beard...could see he had a good paintbrush but wanted to see the whole thing..for the sake of having a cleaner shot...all i could see was the head and neck and base of the beard...
about 9 i went over to where he was and i feel alot better about not firing. it was thicker than it looked...looked OPEN when i was focused on him...but i had a hair left and right and that was it...
he never alarm putted..but got outta dodge in a hurry...i actually had to check my gun to make sure i didnt fire and miss and didnt realize it lol...
only 2 things i can think of...i was slightly silhoeted from his angle...though, under a hemlock tree and had alot of brush behind the hemlock i probably still stuck out slightly...happened so quick i couldnt get a better angle for myself...and i think he knew exactly where the hen SHOULD been and knew right away there wasnt a hen there...when i made the hen calls he knew something was REAL fishy...i think it was a mix of both....i know he didnt catch noise or movement from me...i know that.
dad always taught me to setup so they have to be within range to look for the hen...and call just enough to make them come in looking for the hen....mainly because we dont hunt with decoys...it works...we rarely ever have one hang up...they either come or they dont...but this bird didnt like something he seen or didnt see....
hopefully get after him and his buddies a day or 2 next week unless i kill on saturday at home...had to come back early for lunch and a meeting for training next year...
guess ya'll would pretty much play it by ear how i do when im hunting there...
i almost sealed the deal today...715 i had a bird come in...long story short he saw something he didnt like or was just down right nervous...i saw his body before he saw me...gun up..saftey off..solid as a rock...that red head popped up a couple seconds later and immedatley was head bobbin...he got REAL nervous looking and ducked back behind a big oak..i figured a few soft yelps on the mouth call would settle him down...he bolted...i know he didnt catch movement...when he was head bobbing i was FROZE...ive never had one not calm down if i remained frozen...or atleast give me a good shot...
i could have probably killed him...but was concerned with the brush and wanted to see the full beard...could see he had a good paintbrush but wanted to see the whole thing..for the sake of having a cleaner shot...all i could see was the head and neck and base of the beard...
about 9 i went over to where he was and i feel alot better about not firing. it was thicker than it looked...looked OPEN when i was focused on him...but i had a hair left and right and that was it...
he never alarm putted..but got outta dodge in a hurry...i actually had to check my gun to make sure i didnt fire and miss and didnt realize it lol...
only 2 things i can think of...i was slightly silhoeted from his angle...though, under a hemlock tree and had alot of brush behind the hemlock i probably still stuck out slightly...happened so quick i couldnt get a better angle for myself...and i think he knew exactly where the hen SHOULD been and knew right away there wasnt a hen there...when i made the hen calls he knew something was REAL fishy...i think it was a mix of both....i know he didnt catch noise or movement from me...i know that.
dad always taught me to setup so they have to be within range to look for the hen...and call just enough to make them come in looking for the hen....mainly because we dont hunt with decoys...it works...we rarely ever have one hang up...they either come or they dont...but this bird didnt like something he seen or didnt see....
hopefully get after him and his buddies a day or 2 next week unless i kill on saturday at home...had to come back early for lunch and a meeting for training next year...