First Time Out Critique
04-08-2013, 06:06 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 362
First Time Out Critique
First day out: Set up and after settling in started to call. Sat quietly for a while and called again. Nothing at all. After an hour or so I moved and set up at the edge of a field. Tried some clucks and yelps. I thought I heard a faint gobble but with all the other bird chatter in the woods it was hard to tell. About 35 minutes later quiet as a mouse I spot a turkey coming from the same direction I heard the gobble. It was moving along the edge of the field. My gun of course is in my lap (first mistake). I freak and snap my hand to it (second mistake). The bird is moving toward me and will cross right in front of me but then stops, turns and is gone. I assume I got busted. Lesson learned there. A question I have is what next? Is the hunt over? Should I move? Any other critiques or input?
04-08-2013, 09:43 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: North Idaho
Posts: 1,071
well if it was easy everyone would be doing it...sounds like you need to scout a little more and get closer to where they are if possible...don't give up! Best to have your shotgun on your knees and back against a wide enough tree to cover your body, get a mouth call if possible. Good luck!!
04-10-2013, 01:41 PM
#5
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 7,437
Yep - you got busted.
Rule #1 Have gun up in the direction of the Gobble before he gets there. So much as the slightest wrong movement and Heez gone!
Yes ~ the hunt is over for that spot...
...if you know the terrain and can leave that spot and do an end around on that bird and come at the bird from the other side at a different angle and call to it. That might work. Do not use the same call. If no answer I move on and go find another spot to hunt.
However - I find it best just to leave and go to a second spot. Back-up spots you find by lots of scouting. We always have several back-ups as even after 27 years of doing this - something stupid always happens.... So have more than one spot to go too. Last yr I screwed up early and with my daughter in tow we moved 5 more times through the course of the day and scored in a brand new area at 7:00 PM that night.....It was a long day! I had worked and saw seveal good Toms. Some got close some did not....
Calling sequence. I like to start off soft and get louder each time I use a different call. I do this every 15-20 minutes. If I find a call which elicits that gobble - that is what I stay with for that bird.
The Biology of what is going on is the Tom Gobbles to call his hens. The hen will cluck to answer him and go to him. But you want to change that. You want that Tom to come to you.....so call sparingly. I do not call everytime he gobbles I might call every 4th time he gobbles. Each bird is different and with experience you will know when to call and when not to. When the gobbles boom you had better have your gun up and in his direction. Also learn to recognize the Spit and Drumm as that is a low hum. Some can hear it out to 25 yrds away. Some can not.
If you see the bird and your gun is not up the best you can do is wait till his head goes behind a tree - but it had better be a big diameter tree as they can see 240 degrees. Any movement that bird does not like and he is gone faster than you can blink your eyes.
Or let him walk on by and out of sight and then reposition you and the gun in his direction and then try to call him back. That works too.
Dave...JW
Rule #1 Have gun up in the direction of the Gobble before he gets there. So much as the slightest wrong movement and Heez gone!
A question I have is what next? Is the hunt over?
Should I move?
However - I find it best just to leave and go to a second spot. Back-up spots you find by lots of scouting. We always have several back-ups as even after 27 years of doing this - something stupid always happens.... So have more than one spot to go too. Last yr I screwed up early and with my daughter in tow we moved 5 more times through the course of the day and scored in a brand new area at 7:00 PM that night.....It was a long day! I had worked and saw seveal good Toms. Some got close some did not....
Any other critiques or input?
The Biology of what is going on is the Tom Gobbles to call his hens. The hen will cluck to answer him and go to him. But you want to change that. You want that Tom to come to you.....so call sparingly. I do not call everytime he gobbles I might call every 4th time he gobbles. Each bird is different and with experience you will know when to call and when not to. When the gobbles boom you had better have your gun up and in his direction. Also learn to recognize the Spit and Drumm as that is a low hum. Some can hear it out to 25 yrds away. Some can not.
If you see the bird and your gun is not up the best you can do is wait till his head goes behind a tree - but it had better be a big diameter tree as they can see 240 degrees. Any movement that bird does not like and he is gone faster than you can blink your eyes.
Or let him walk on by and out of sight and then reposition you and the gun in his direction and then try to call him back. That works too.
Dave...JW
04-10-2013, 03:12 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 2,186
Lots of good advice already.
Over the past 45 some odd years of chasing Eastern gobblers, I have learned that I ahve a lot to learn still. For sure I can say a beginner has a strong tendency to over call. If I am lucky enough to located a Tom willing to gobble as you did, I'll not call much if at all. I think that when the gobbler hits a call the first time, he knows the direction.
As JW mentioned, you are trying to get the gobber to go "bass ackwards" against nature. Rather than him calling a hen to him, which is nature's way, you are attempting to entice him to come to a hen. I've seen a many a gobbler stop 75 to 100 yards from me and strut their butts for a hour or more off trying to get me to come to him. Most times that scenario works out well if you are patient enough and real hens don't pull him away.
As far as movement. It is a weird deal. I have been able to get away with a lot of movement at times, and practically none at others. In general though you will not be able to get away with much movement at all. If you do have to move, do so slowly and try to do so when the gobbler's head is not visible.
I was recently busted by two gobblers that were easing towards me from probably 100 yards away. Have yet to figure out why. But it was an obvious "putt" bust. Last year I was able to turn slowly about 45 deg. in order to get a clear shot at a Tom that was easing along below me only about 20 yards away. So go figure.
Another thing I have learned. Gobblers during spring breeding time have short memories. One time I flat missed a gobbler at maybe 35 yards. He flew off and lit on a hillside about 125 yards away. He did not walk off so for grins I sat still. I was able to get his attention again in about 15 minutes and dang if he came straight back to me! Most time for me, a miss is a gone bird for sure !!! Now either this gobbler was the dumbest in the woods or the horniest in the woods or I am a heck of a caller. Had to be one (or both) of the first two ! I will dismiss the later !!! If I were you I'd go right back into that area again. I'd bet he's still hanging close by.
Over the past 45 some odd years of chasing Eastern gobblers, I have learned that I ahve a lot to learn still. For sure I can say a beginner has a strong tendency to over call. If I am lucky enough to located a Tom willing to gobble as you did, I'll not call much if at all. I think that when the gobbler hits a call the first time, he knows the direction.
As JW mentioned, you are trying to get the gobber to go "bass ackwards" against nature. Rather than him calling a hen to him, which is nature's way, you are attempting to entice him to come to a hen. I've seen a many a gobbler stop 75 to 100 yards from me and strut their butts for a hour or more off trying to get me to come to him. Most times that scenario works out well if you are patient enough and real hens don't pull him away.
As far as movement. It is a weird deal. I have been able to get away with a lot of movement at times, and practically none at others. In general though you will not be able to get away with much movement at all. If you do have to move, do so slowly and try to do so when the gobbler's head is not visible.
I was recently busted by two gobblers that were easing towards me from probably 100 yards away. Have yet to figure out why. But it was an obvious "putt" bust. Last year I was able to turn slowly about 45 deg. in order to get a clear shot at a Tom that was easing along below me only about 20 yards away. So go figure.
Another thing I have learned. Gobblers during spring breeding time have short memories. One time I flat missed a gobbler at maybe 35 yards. He flew off and lit on a hillside about 125 yards away. He did not walk off so for grins I sat still. I was able to get his attention again in about 15 minutes and dang if he came straight back to me! Most time for me, a miss is a gone bird for sure !!! Now either this gobbler was the dumbest in the woods or the horniest in the woods or I am a heck of a caller. Had to be one (or both) of the first two ! I will dismiss the later !!! If I were you I'd go right back into that area again. I'd bet he's still hanging close by.
04-10-2013, 07:10 PM
#7
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 362
Thanks guys for all the pointers. I knew I was on my duff when I saw the bird at the last second and "panicked"... I knew better as to have my gun ready but was caught off guard. I learned quite a bit in just that first time out. I know I need to do better scouting and have found some good videos on the subject.
Thanks again for all the input. I know I have a lot more to learn and learn more every time I get out.
What are your thoughts on decoys? I haven't used them but wonder if they are out a Tom would be focussed more on them rather than looking for me.
Thanks again for all the input. I know I have a lot more to learn and learn more every time I get out.
What are your thoughts on decoys? I haven't used them but wonder if they are out a Tom would be focussed more on them rather than looking for me.
04-10-2013, 07:25 PM
#8
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 7,437
Decoys may have helped but any movement by you even with the decoys and he is gone!
Welcome to turkey hunting! I have am taught a new lesson or two each yr. I have been at for 27.
Best advice - learn from those lessons - don't make the same mistake twice.
On a side note. I no longer shoot Jakes - but I do use them to practice on how much I can move and then watch the jake as they tell you when they are nervous. You can get away with some movement. it will help yo to read when the bird will bolt.
Be safe out there!
Dave...JW
Welcome to turkey hunting! I have am taught a new lesson or two each yr. I have been at for 27.
Best advice - learn from those lessons - don't make the same mistake twice.
On a side note. I no longer shoot Jakes - but I do use them to practice on how much I can move and then watch the jake as they tell you when they are nervous. You can get away with some movement. it will help yo to read when the bird will bolt.
Be safe out there!
Dave...JW
04-11-2013, 02:55 AM
#9
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Tuscaloosa AL
Posts: 609
Looks like everyone covered this one pretty good!
I would like to second the comment JW had about recognizing the spit and drumm. I've killed a lot of turkeys that work a setup that aren't even the bird you are calling come in, and if it weren't for him drumming I would never had been able to turn in the right direction. I've also hunted with friends and heard a bird drumming and tell them be ready and they never hear it.....I think they hear it, but don't recognize it as a turkey sound.
As for being busted.....I'd get up and try to find another bird, and try him again the next day.
I would like to second the comment JW had about recognizing the spit and drumm. I've killed a lot of turkeys that work a setup that aren't even the bird you are calling come in, and if it weren't for him drumming I would never had been able to turn in the right direction. I've also hunted with friends and heard a bird drumming and tell them be ready and they never hear it.....I think they hear it, but don't recognize it as a turkey sound.
As for being busted.....I'd get up and try to find another bird, and try him again the next day.
