Following your Gut Instinct
03-09-2005, 11:37 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ripley TN USA
Posts: 284
Following your Gut Instinct
For all the new turkey hunters on this forum. I would like to share with you one trait that is probably one of the most important lessons you will learn in hunting the wild turkey. In my 20 years of experience hunting these birds, I learned long ago to always follow you gut instinct. Experienced turkey hunters know what this is and I think most will agree it is very important. How do you follow your gut instinct well I will share a spring hunt I experienced 6 years ago in Missouri.
I was scouting the day before the season opener when I heard a gobble at 2pm. He was close so I setup next to a tree and just listened to the bird. He was marching the ridge flank gobbling his head off apparently looking for a hen. He quit after about 20 minutes and never heard him again. I never called to him and quickly left the seen undetected. This old boy has staked out this ridge and I pretty much concluded this was one of his strut zones. Well opening day came and you can pretty much guess where I was at first light. Sure enough he gobbled from his ridge. I setup up on him about 75 yard from his roost. Called once to get his attention, he gobbled, 10 minutes later he flies down. My technique at fly down is hammer them hard with everything I can . He is gobbling his head off but never comes in, hangs up at about 60 yards. Then he start his marching routine...he would go away 200 yards and then come back to me staying out of range. Time 8:00am. I was frazzled. Then he left and moved on to another area as his gobbles faded. We have all been here! I got up stretched and starting gathering my calls and gear to go find me another bird. Then it hit me, my gut told me to Stay! he will be back! my head said to heck with that, move and find another bird. Well as luck would have it I listened to my gut and moved 60 yards to where the bird was earlier. I setup and waited him out. I thought to myself man I must be crazy but I had that FEELING. I waited about a hour before I made my first call around 9:30am. Nothing!!!! Waited another 30 minutes called BAM! he gobbled! Heeees back! 10:30am and the hunt begins again. Now he's about 55 yards out of range and out of sight. I call, no gobble but I can hear him drumming. Nothing but soft purrs and scratching this boy was going to hear from now on. Well, 45 minutes later I tagged the old boy...shot him when he stuck his head out around a tree for a looksee. 3 year old tom with a 11 inch beard weighing in at around 26 pounds. End of hunt@11:15am, been on that same ridge for over 6 hours.
Following your gut instinct is not foolproof and is not a sure thing but in my experience following my gut instinct has greatly increased the number of birds I have tagged over the years.
I was scouting the day before the season opener when I heard a gobble at 2pm. He was close so I setup next to a tree and just listened to the bird. He was marching the ridge flank gobbling his head off apparently looking for a hen. He quit after about 20 minutes and never heard him again. I never called to him and quickly left the seen undetected. This old boy has staked out this ridge and I pretty much concluded this was one of his strut zones. Well opening day came and you can pretty much guess where I was at first light. Sure enough he gobbled from his ridge. I setup up on him about 75 yard from his roost. Called once to get his attention, he gobbled, 10 minutes later he flies down. My technique at fly down is hammer them hard with everything I can . He is gobbling his head off but never comes in, hangs up at about 60 yards. Then he start his marching routine...he would go away 200 yards and then come back to me staying out of range. Time 8:00am. I was frazzled. Then he left and moved on to another area as his gobbles faded. We have all been here! I got up stretched and starting gathering my calls and gear to go find me another bird. Then it hit me, my gut told me to Stay! he will be back! my head said to heck with that, move and find another bird. Well as luck would have it I listened to my gut and moved 60 yards to where the bird was earlier. I setup and waited him out. I thought to myself man I must be crazy but I had that FEELING. I waited about a hour before I made my first call around 9:30am. Nothing!!!! Waited another 30 minutes called BAM! he gobbled! Heeees back! 10:30am and the hunt begins again. Now he's about 55 yards out of range and out of sight. I call, no gobble but I can hear him drumming. Nothing but soft purrs and scratching this boy was going to hear from now on. Well, 45 minutes later I tagged the old boy...shot him when he stuck his head out around a tree for a looksee. 3 year old tom with a 11 inch beard weighing in at around 26 pounds. End of hunt@11:15am, been on that same ridge for over 6 hours.
Following your gut instinct is not foolproof and is not a sure thing but in my experience following my gut instinct has greatly increased the number of birds I have tagged over the years.
03-09-2005, 12:03 PM
#2
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 125
RE: Following your Gut Instinct
nice story,great lesson and reminder that sometimes sit and wait prevails.i am convinced that turks even though they do not initially cooperate have a imprint where they heard that lonely,willing hen,and there is a good chance they will be back with or without gobbling before the day is up especially later in the season when the hens are tending to the nest.26 lb,11 inch beard,congrats on your bird and listening to your gut instinct.
