I see you have tried the moped trick before.

This is what I have experienced recently.



I started turkey hunting many years ago on public land. To someone who had never turkey hunted or had a family member who turkey hunted it was tough going trying to teach myself. If I had been smart I would have quit during those dark years. I finally got tired of hunting public land with no success and joined my first club. Lessons learned on public land started to pay off, I suddenly started to slay turkeys. A few of them came so easy I could have banged pots and pans together and still killed them. I killed birds at 5 yds, I killed birds at 50 yds. Then, for reasons only known to the turkey gods, things got a little harder. My techniques didn't change nor did the effort I put into hunting them. Things started to even out. Year before last I had 4 killed, literally, but the gods decided to have more fun with me. Uncontrollable reasons ranged from dogs running the bird off as he was coming in to birds flying off the roost and try to land in your lap (sucks to have a red dot when they do this). Last year I hunted mostly public land and remembered why I joined a club. Also, I shot and missed a good 'un last year.

None of the above has shankened my love of the sport, even having to listen to Yekrut and N2 rib me about it. All I have to say is those gobbla's better look out this year, I am pumped and ready to go at them sum bucks again this year.

I hope I skip that part.

I was blessed with LOTS of encounters last year. A sure enough turkey slayer could have prolly limited in both Tennessee AND Alabama had they been on the same hunts I had on the same properties. I suck, spook birds, etc. and will do more of the same this year I'm certain of it. I'm gonna be having a FREAKIN BLAST while doing it though you can count on that!

There is one thing about it, if you have a bunch of birds you can do what you want and still kill them for the most part.

I had a ton of birds when I was learning and IMO having a bunch of birds to fool with allows you to learn much faster than someone who can only play the game every now and then on public land or private ground that is not as heavily populated. IF you learn from your mistakes, you will be a turkey slayer in no time IMO when you have good places to learn on. About 5 or 6 years into my turkey hunting career I remember years where I would call into shotgun range 30+ different longbeards and only shoot my limit (2 for a while and then up to 3 at the time in TN) by only shooting birds that looked to have full thick 10+ inch beards or better. I screwed up alot then and still do, but when I did screw up then I could strike one up around every bend it seemed and calling up 3 -5 longbeards at the time was the norm. I had a ton of birds on all of my places so anytime I went I had a better than %50 chance of coming home with a bird each trip the best I remember. I am MUCH more careful now and do not have a 1/10th of the birds I used to so I sort of have to or I would be playing the game very much. You keep killing birds, because I AM going to keep ragging you no matter what.

A true turkey hunting God is revealed!!! Lol!

I made it look easy back then. I have to work for them these days.

My feelings would be hurt if you didn't.

I sure hope can kill some. Lets hopes that comes true.

Man yea no matter what, it is going to be awesome

Ya'll add to this, what do you think is the most important factors related to being a good turkey hunter? Mine are as follows in no particualr order.

- Having good places to go with lots of birds
- Being patient and knowing when NOT to move
- DON'T spook any turkey, hen or gobbler if you can help it at all.
- Know the property you are hunting. Know where the fields, creeks, ditches, fences, any major topographic features are on it and how to work a bird across/around them.
- Know where the birds want to be and when they are there. Do your homework and know where they roost, where they feed, where they strut, where they go when it rains, where they go when the wind blows hard.
- Knowing when to call and when not to call are both important, but not what I would call a deal breaker in most situations. What you say to them when you are calling and the rhythm of your calls is more important that what it actually sounds like too IMO. Most hens I have ever heard could not even place in a calling competition, the rhythm is all that matters.
- Hunt where there are lots of birds.
- Always be ready, never walk or make a move with your gun on your shoulder.
- Never call when not VERY close to a place set up. Sometimes it happens so quick that all you can do is sit down.
- Listen to the old timers who have been doing it for several years. They don't share info much, but when they do it is turkey gold.
- When you can hunt with someone who has killed several birds and learn what you can from them. Learning on your own SUCKS!
- Know how to "sit down" on a turkey. Right hand shooters typically should try to always point their left knee to the bird at all times to offer the widest range of motion to swing and shoot. Left handers Should point their right knee towards a incoming bird at all times. Trust me, track them as close as you can when you can because it will happen when you lose track and he pops up 10 feet to your 90 degree right and there isn't squat you can do but stop breathing and watch him sail to the next county.
-DON'T MOVE A MUSCLE!
- Plant chufa, shoot a rhino with nitro's, or really cheat and use some TSS.

Ya'll add to this when you can, it could be lots of help to some new hunters and a refresher to us that have been at it for a while.

Had that happen last year...Then missed his buddy running away at about 50 yards

Yekrut nailed most of what I have learned as well over the years.

NEVER underestimate where a committed gobbler may show up. I made this rookie mistake last year and it cost me a good gobbler (no comment hellfighter). He may gobble at 9 oclock one minute and then pop up at 5 oclock 5 minutes later. He makes his living doing this. If he is close, have your gun up and ready. I had mine shouldered and on my knee and still couldn't get it presented correctly when he popped up 10 yds at 1 oclock on me when he had just gobbled at my 7 oclock not a few minutes earlier.

In the offseason, learn to shoot from your opposite shoulder. It helps with the above.

Learn to use calls that other hunters do not use or know how to use. Wingbones, tubes, etc.

On pressured birds, less is more. Tone it down a bit, maybe to just a single cluck or purr. Listen around you. If the real hens are not sounding off, you sounding off just lets them know you are not a local hen.

A turkey "call" can be anything; a scratch in the leaves, a slight rub of a turkey wing on a nearby bush, the beating of a turkey wing against the air.

I'll add as I think of more.

Good stuff 3toe!

The best year I ever had was the year before last. Didn't kill one but heard and saw them almost every time.There seems to be no limit to ways to screw the deal up. Once I went out and was messing around in the evening because I was bored. Low and behold one gobbled so I sat down on the side of the road. Never saw him so I got up to leave and he took off from behind some bushes about 20 yards away. You learn from your mistakes. I should have a doctorate in turkey hunting.

Very good reading from you guys...keep it coming!!!

I lucked up and killed my first two long beards ever last year on back to back weekends. I had two close encounters before I killed my first. I had gobblers within 15 yards over my right shoulder both times and my gun laying on my lap. I wont do that again. They can appear anytime, anywhere!

I also read everything I could on this turkey forum from the
SHO NUFF turkey killers! It helped.

I owe my last and best gobbler to advice I got here. He gobbled a long time then shut up. I knew from stuff I read here to sit tight and sure enough about 30 min later he showed up quietly looking for me.

Think LIKE a turkey and ask yourself WWTD (what would turkey do)? It helps when you know what they are going to do before they even know what they are going to do. Being a good woodsman has killed way more birds than calling ever will.

I'll add a little to yekruts post regarding woodsmanship as I think this is one of, if not the most important thing for not only turkey hunting, but any hunting. But, as its related to turkey hunting, as was said "think like a turkey".

What does that mean? It's really fairly simple, although those danged ol birds can make it very hard. A turkey is like most any other animal, 99% of the time he is going to take the easiest path to you. He is not going to push through briers, wade creeks, open gates, etc. He would rather walk around an obstacle than fly, although he will fly it sometimes if the mood strikes him. For reasons only known to him most of the time he would rather walk up a hill than down it. He likes roads and wide open places, unlike a big old buck. When it rains he generally doesn't like to be in the woods where everything is wet and moving, he likes pastures and roads where he can see whats coming.

I mention all this to get to my point. It takes practice, but as you gain experience, the moment you hear that ol gobbler sound off you will immediately be able to take a mental snapshot of your surroundings and "think like turkey" when you are making your most important decisions such as setups, distance, etc. You will be able to process instantly what constitutes a possible obstacle to an incoming gobbler, which way he might be inclined to go if there are fields, roads, or rain present in the area. All of these things are what separates the experienced hunters from the beginners in my opinion. However, even if/when you are able to do these things it doesn't always guarantee success. I am walking breathing example of that.