Giving Passes And Taking Chances.

[blackbeltbill]

    Giving Passes:-- I have done more then my Share of This. Hunting mostly the Hardwoods and Wetlands- The Gobblers when called into 30 yards or so often Strut Behind 1 or more Young Thin Trees.  You hunt them Long enough and you know a Fatal Wounding Shot situation.   Most Guys especially  with less then 15 Springs under their belts will probably " Send It". Been there and done it. You will never find that Gobbler. He is Coyote Bait that Night.

     I had a Nice Gobbler strut up to 30 yards this past late April in New Jersey behind 3 Slim Trees. No sense in Wounding one of the few Gobblers of North New Jersey.  He got a pass.  

  Years back,I ended up about about 20 yards or less from a Low Roosting Spring Gobbler.  Super easy Shot if,I wanted it. And he never saw me as,I was pressed up standing next to another tree. Easy 10" Beard/3 year old. Watched him Gobble for 30 minutes and a flydown. I gave this guy and probably  another 5 Toms like him a pass. I have takin my share off the Roost. Too easy for me. I am definitely  not about the numbers anymore.   And yeah- it is Legal in New York.

   Taking Chances: If you are a " Run and Gunner" like me on Public- you definitely  have to " sometimes " take chances as in- either,I Kill him or Spook him. I just talked to Cynthia  about this the other day. If you move like Molasses and roll your feet over the Twigs- you can get close. This is a Learned Skill and many newer Turkey Hunters today will never learn this part of Woodsmanship.  Technology and TSS makes up for it. 

  Getting back to Standing against  Trees- I have yet to be made by a Hen or Gobbler. Don't  pick a slim Tree . Pick a good sized Hickory or Maple. I have shot plenty of Turkeys In this manner. Just make yourself part of the Tree. 

  Luck out There!

  

 

[DirtTime]

I give plenty of passes to deer, and in the fall every turkey I see gets a pass. Most good hunters learn their limits and the limits of their gun, bow, spitball shooter, rubberband and paper clip, slingshot........ I do and it was instilled in me when I was taught to not take risks that may result in wounding an animal and not recovering it. They teach that in the hunter education classes as well, even way back when I took mine. Yet, each year we hear and read about someone (not always a young or inexperienced hunter-very often it's older experienced hunters as well) doing something dumb and wounding game, or worse.

• Always know your target and what's beyond it.
• Never take obscured shots, make sure you have a clear view of your target.

Those who play stupid games often win stupid prizes. Hunt with common sense and you won't be taking risks and you'll be passing more game as you will know the shot is questionable and not take it.

Edited May 24, 2023 by DirtTime
spelling and grammer

[Buckmaster7600]

I probably take more risky shots than most on turkeys. But my risks are always very close range, I won’t shoot at a turkey over 25yds and most of my shots are half that distance. If I “miss” a bird at 15yds the chances of him getting stray pellets in him are much less than the guys that “miss” at 400yds. 
 

Deer is a totally different game. Around the house meat hunting I wait for the perfect shots, perfectly broadside,  wait for their near leg to go forward etc. If I’m tracking a buck in the big woods and I know it’s a buck I want to kill I’m shooting at whatever piece of his hair I can see. I don’t care what angle, if he’s moving, if there’s brush in the way, I’m shooting.