What makes you successful as a turkey hunter.

[Buckmaster7600]

I understand that everyone’s idea of a successful season is different but for me a successful season is killing turkeys. What’s the one thing that you do that consistently puts gobblers on the ground?

 

Mine would be being recklessly  aggressive. Now that I don’t hunt the home farm and basically exclusively hunt public I have zero fear of bumping/educating birds. If I hear a bird gobble I’m getting as close as possible and going to do what I have to to kill him.  If I bump him oh well, I’ll  move on to the next bird or next piece of property. When I first transitioned from hunting the home farm to public I wasn’t as aggressive and had my butt kicked a lot trying to tip toe around gobblers. 

[mowin]

Mine is knowing the limb his feet is wrapped around and getting close, really close.  Then having him land in my lap.

If I don't know where he's roosted because I was lazy and didn't roost him, I rely on my knowledge of the land and there habits. However, they often head to lands this can't hunt, then I rely on my calling and knowledge of where they might be after the hens leave them. 

[mowin]

Just now, Rusty said:

Location, location, location.   I scout from my back porch while drinking my morning coffee.   

I wish I had turkeys roosting nearby.  Sometimes I can just hear them on roost, but I rarely see them in the spring from the back deck. 

[Buckmaster7600]

7 minutes ago, Rusty said:

Location, location, location.   I scout from my back porch while drinking my morning coffee.   

This is exactly what I did for years, it’s why I quit hunting them for a bit. I got very bored of walking out my back door and knowing what limb they were on.  Nothing wrong with it if you enjoy it but it became very mundane for me. 

[mowin]

3 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

This is exactly what I did for years, it’s why I quit hunting them for a bit. I got very bored of walking out my back door and knowing what limb they were on.  Nothing wrong with it if you enjoy it but it became very mundane for me. 

It's why I look for a older tom with long spurs and try to target him. If I kill him, I usually don't bother hunting again unless it's a new or youth hunter. 

[Buckmaster7600]

4 minutes ago, mowin said:

It's why I look for an older tom with long spurs and try to target him. If I kill him, I usually don't bother hunting again unless it's a new or youth hunter. 

I don’t shoot Jake’s but even with binoculars I’ve never been able to tell if a Tom is a 2yr old with 7/8” spurs or a 3yr old with 1 1/8” spurs. I’ve had others say they could but I haven’t figured it out yet. 

[mowin]

3 minutes ago, Rusty said:

I couldn't agree more.  I haven't killed a bird in 20 years, it's too easy.  

I agree 100%.  But depends on the turkey. If it's a 2 yr old tom, ya easy. A 3 or 4 yr old is different.  Killing  A 3-4 yr old on smaller to medium sized private lands, makes it a true challenge.  In my area they have too many parcels to escape to that don't allow hunting.  

[mowin]

7 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

I don’t shoot Jake’s but even with binoculars I’ve never been able to tell if a Tom is a 2yr old with 7/8” spurs or a 3yr old with 1 1/8” spurs. I’ve had others say they could but I haven’t figured it out yet. 

I definitely have scouted and tagged older birds.  Yes, I've had to pass birds first thing in the morning because it was difficult to tell which one was my target as there were more than just him in range. 

I try to get close enough to see him going to roost, and can follow him from roost to my feet in the morning.  The later in the season it gets, and the field starts getting too tall, it gets impossible to tell, unless he happened to have a missing tail feather. 

Edited March 30, 2023 by mowin

[G-man]

49 minutes ago, Rusty said:

Location, location, location.   I scout from my back porch while drinking my morning coffee.   

I listen from the hottub in the am and evening. 

[Buckmaster7600]

19 minutes ago, mowin said:

I definitely have scouted and tagged older birds.  Yes, I've had to pass birds first thing in the morning because it was difficult to tell which one was my target as there were more than just him in range. 

I try to get close enough to see him going to roost, and can follow him from roost to my feet in the morning.  The later in the season it gets, and the field starts getting too tall, it gets impossible to tell, unless he happened to have a missing tail feather. 

I guess that’s what makes it fun for all of us, we all find our ways that we enjoy. I have zero desire to ever roost another bird unless it’s for a youth. As I’ve said before if I know what limb he’s on the odds are in my favor.
 

I like killing gobblers that I didn’t know existed on property I’ve never stepped foot on before. The adventure is part of the challenge. 

[mowin]

3 minutes ago, G-man said:

I listen from the hottub in the am and evening. 

So do I.  But the jets drown out the distant gobbles. 

[G-man]

2 minutes ago, mowin said:

So do I.  But the jets drown out the distant gobbles. 

Turn them off....

[mowin]

1 minute ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

I guess that’s what makes it fun for all of us, we all find our ways that we enjoy. I have zero desire to ever roost another bird unless it’s for a youth. As I’ve said before if I know what limb he’s on the odds are in my favor.
 

I like killing gobblers that I didn’t know existed on property I’ve never stepped foot on before. The adventure is part of the challenge. 

Exactly. You like public and finding whatever bird, except Jake's, that are totally foreign to you. That's the challenge you crave.

I don't have that luxury.  75-150 acre tracts make that difficult, so I look for a older tom.

We both would rather not kill anything, but help youths or first time hunters get a turkey.  We're the same, but different. 

[mowin]

19 minutes ago, G-man said:

Turn them off....

What?  That's why I bought a hot tub..

Edited March 30, 2023 by mowin

[Buckmaster7600]

2 hours ago, blackbeltbill said:

   As far as success in the Turkey Woods- most New hunters are very fortunate indeed to start out with a Mentor. As,I wrote,I was on my own from the beginning. 

  Been hunting with Cynthia  her first 3 years. She has taken 3 Gobblers including that 26.1lb Gobbler last Spring.

   Perhaps,I taught her a few Tips.

I was fortunate to have one of the best turkey hunters that I’ve ever been around as my mentor and dad. I unfortunately thought I knew everything and thought that I was a better Turkey hunter so I didn’t learn much from him at all.

One of my biggest regrets in life!