Good advice on being....
03-07-2004, 08:34 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Calif
Posts: 1,894
Good advice on being....
ready to shoot when that bird shows himself unexpectingly or where he wasnt suppose too,and how to adjust to it! !Some 20 something years ago I lost my first gobbler because I wasn't ready when my gobbler first showed himself.Instead of waiting for him to walk behind a tree or some other obstruction shielding my movement because of my inexperience I moved to raise my gun in plain view of him and out of my haste as the gobbler was running off made a bad shot!!(Lesson learned)..heres a good article for preventing you from making the same mistake I made..
Knowing when to move and save the day...
It's one of the most heart-pounding experiences in hunting.
You've been calling to a hot-gobbling turkey that answers your every call. He's closed the gap of 200 yards through the woods and is now just about in your face, his gobbles vibrating the woods around you.
You hear his footsteps in the leaves and know that any second, he's going to pop out from behind the trees right in front of you.
As you wait, gun up and aimed in the direction of the gobbler's approach, the woods seem to grow silent. Your heart races as your eyes dart from side to side, straining to find the bird in the maze of brush and branches before you.
Suddenly, a gobble thunders not 25 yards away, but this time, the bird's not in front of you, he's off to your right, way to your right.
So what do you do?
Try to move now and the tom is probably going to bust you, which means he's out of there and the sure-thing hunt you had working melts into an empty-handed walk back to your truck.
Knowing when to move on an approaching turkey is one of the most important skills a hunter can develop.
When setting up, try to envision the different directions the bird may approach from. Get yourself mentally prepared for what you hope will play out, but be ready to switch gears when the tom decides differently.
Which directions offer you clear shooting and how far out?
Use trees to mark the maximum distance you can effectively shoot (within 40 yards) so you will know when the bird has stepped into range.
As the bird approaches, stay attuned to his advance. Marking the sound of his gobbles, footsteps in the leaves, or spitting and drumming — a sound a gobbler makes when he is strutting and one that can only be heard when he is getting close.
If you're a right-handed shooter, point your left shoulder toward the turkey, with your knees up and your shotgun propped on the left one. Lefties should do just the opposite for lefties.
Keep the butt of the gun pressed tightly against the shoulder and keep your head down on the stock, sighting down the barrel. You want to be ready to shoot.
By sitting this way you have a greater range of motion from which to swing your gun and aim if necessary.
As the turkey comes into sight, watch his head and move only when his eyes are out of sight, usually when he steps behind a tree.
By following this advice, hunters are sure to connect on more incoming turkeys and reduce the number of sure-to-fail quick-draw attempts.
Knowing when to move and save the day...
It's one of the most heart-pounding experiences in hunting.
You've been calling to a hot-gobbling turkey that answers your every call. He's closed the gap of 200 yards through the woods and is now just about in your face, his gobbles vibrating the woods around you.
You hear his footsteps in the leaves and know that any second, he's going to pop out from behind the trees right in front of you.
As you wait, gun up and aimed in the direction of the gobbler's approach, the woods seem to grow silent. Your heart races as your eyes dart from side to side, straining to find the bird in the maze of brush and branches before you.
Suddenly, a gobble thunders not 25 yards away, but this time, the bird's not in front of you, he's off to your right, way to your right.
So what do you do?
Try to move now and the tom is probably going to bust you, which means he's out of there and the sure-thing hunt you had working melts into an empty-handed walk back to your truck.
Knowing when to move on an approaching turkey is one of the most important skills a hunter can develop.
When setting up, try to envision the different directions the bird may approach from. Get yourself mentally prepared for what you hope will play out, but be ready to switch gears when the tom decides differently.
Which directions offer you clear shooting and how far out?
Use trees to mark the maximum distance you can effectively shoot (within 40 yards) so you will know when the bird has stepped into range.
As the bird approaches, stay attuned to his advance. Marking the sound of his gobbles, footsteps in the leaves, or spitting and drumming — a sound a gobbler makes when he is strutting and one that can only be heard when he is getting close.
If you're a right-handed shooter, point your left shoulder toward the turkey, with your knees up and your shotgun propped on the left one. Lefties should do just the opposite for lefties.
Keep the butt of the gun pressed tightly against the shoulder and keep your head down on the stock, sighting down the barrel. You want to be ready to shoot.
By sitting this way you have a greater range of motion from which to swing your gun and aim if necessary.
As the turkey comes into sight, watch his head and move only when his eyes are out of sight, usually when he steps behind a tree.
By following this advice, hunters are sure to connect on more incoming turkeys and reduce the number of sure-to-fail quick-draw attempts.
03-09-2004, 02:46 PM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 500
RE: Good advice on being....
That's good advice. Last spring, I had a tom cross 75 yards of lightly wooded cover to get into range, taking about a step every five minutes (it seemed), and looking at me all the time (it seemed). My hands were concealed from view, so I was making soft clucks with my mouth diaphragm and scratching the leaves with a twig. As he approached, I looked for the place where he would not be eyeballing yours truly, and at 35 yards he passed behind a tree. I raised my gun at that moment, and then waited a bit more after he came out from behind the tree (it wasn't a very big tree, so I only had a moment to shoulder the gun) while I slowly took it off safe, slowly pointed it in his direction, slowly took aim and fired.
Had I tried to raise the gun earlier, or tried to throw the gun to my shoulder quickly after he was in range, I'm sure I'd have been busted and gone home empty-handed. That tom turned out to be a five-bearded trophy, so staying calm, being patient and thinking constantly proved to be worthwhile.
Had I tried to raise the gun earlier, or tried to throw the gun to my shoulder quickly after he was in range, I'm sure I'd have been busted and gone home empty-handed. That tom turned out to be a five-bearded trophy, so staying calm, being patient and thinking constantly proved to be worthwhile.
