So what was your major mistake this year?
 

What did you learn from that mistake.

Me - I use a blind - a lot - mainly I have gotten old and don't bend well at all anymore.

I do not open up the back of the blind. That was my mistake. According to my camera it cost me a bird - 7 times. So I gotta rethink that as towards the end of the season there where some dandies!

But if I can't coax them out to the front - they win!

JW

My biggest mistake was not hunting enough, but life got in the way last spring.:confused0024:

Didn't hunt the 1st half of the season because my buddy wasn't available and he caretakes the cattle ranch I hunt on. Birds got quiet and scarce in the 2nd half of the season.

My mistake was finding birds in an area I hadn't seen birds much before and hadn't scouted. It was crisscrossed by creeks and I kept setting up with obstacles between me and the birds.

Not pushing it and getting closer to a Rio in Texas at midday.

I played it safe trying to move in front of a very vocal bird. I could've put myself in front of him, as he came up a hill. He came up to my level but out of range, because he drifted to his right.

Didn't do much wrong this season but one day I did hear birds off in the distance in 3 different directions and instead of getting closer to one of them off the bat I stayed put and tried to call them in. When I finally gave it up and headed for the last bird I still heard, he was moving away and there was no getting him back. Same day, I was using a crow call to locate and struck a bird close. Problem was, there was nowhere to set up when he sounded off. When I finally set-up in a decent spot, he went quiet and that was that.

Only went once, called in a very nice 3 yo Tom for my son. Could've got a double if I would've taken my gun.
So, 1 for 1 there were no mistakes made, only improvements needed

I took a shot where I cold see the birds head clearly but not much
else. The moral of this story is trying to shoot thru too much
brush is an excellent way to end up with a Turkey running away
after the shot. Should have waited for a better shot but I felt
he was getting nervous. In the future, I'll wait, I'd rather watch
him walk away with no shot taken than run off after I've shot.