Turkey hunting can be frustrating.

[HOOfan_1]

I've hunted turkey for about 20 years now. I still haven't gotten one. I've got a few shots in spring, but the woods have been so thick I didn't get them. I shot one with a .30-06 while deer hunting once, I know I hit him, but I guess the bullet just didn't expend enough energy to kill him outright.

I've had many come right on me in spring and when I put down my call and pick up my gun, off they go. (bad gag reflex would keep me from using diaphragm calls.

Today I was sitting in the woods about 25 yards from a field. My dad set up about 60 yards to my left. I had heard gobbling in the creek bottom in front of me. I called for about 30 minutes and heard gobbling about once every minute and for 30 minutes or so it seemed like it would not come in. Then I didn't hear gobbling for about 5 minutes, and the next one I heard was just to my left, I thought for sure they were right on top of my dad. Then about 4 minutes later, I see one to my left and behind me going out into the field. Gobbling continues and about 3 minutes later they come back into the woods, it was 2 gobblers and a third I didn't see too well, a hen or a jake. The gobblers were huge, and within about 20 yards of me.

Two problems here, they were right between my dad and I, and they were so close, if I moved for my gun, that would have been it. They stopped gobbling by now and were walking back and forth, jumping over some fallen trees. Finally they headed off in front of me, but a fallen tree was between us and all I saw was the tops of their heads. By now I finally had my gun up, but never got a satisfactory shot. I figured they would stick around and come up to my right where I could shoot, so I didn't want to take a poor shot in hopes of getting a better one. If I knew I wouldn't see them again, I would have shot. I would either have hit them in the head, or missed all together. I never spooked them, but I think they got frustrated the hen they thought they were right on top of was not moving to them.

 

[dirtykid]

dont feel bad the only time i even seen turkeys is when i've been hunting SOMETHINGELSE !! coyote's ,deer ,crows it seems like their abundant when the season is closed and then as soon as opener hits POOF !! their gone !! and not to be heard,, opr seen except from far-away,, they say their stupid and often i've sat in blind calling yote's and here come bid-ol Tom strutting his stuff, and i think to myself, i wonder if i could hit him with my .243 ? thats ok though, the 1-turkey i did shoot years ago was hard to pluck and de-feather and the meat was all dark and greasy, i had a chance to go this spring hunt and just passed it up,i'll spend my time feeding racoons our table-scraps throughout this summer and fatten-them up for next fall's trapping season !!

 

[dirtykid]

sorry for the spelling.had a few captain's tonite and a little tipsy !! wooohh !!!

 

[eastbank]

don,t give up,keep at it. you will prevail sooner or later. half the fun is being in the woods. eastbank.

 

[jmr40]

I feel your pain. Turkey's are the most frustrating animals I've ever hunted. I've not taken one this year either. Had the safety off 4 times and could not get the shot. Had one bird within 10 yards before I could see him because of the thick brush. Also had a coyote come to my calls and could not get a shot at him. Two weeks ago I had 3 different gobblers gobbling like crazy at the same time, but none would come any closer. I'm hunting on public land and by this time of the year they have heard every call out there.

 

[HOOfan_1]

don,t give up,keep at it. you will prevail sooner or later. half the fun is being in the woods. eastbank.

I love being in the woods in fall and winter. It is a little less fun in spring. The woods where I hunt are as thick as a jungle, full of ticks and sometimes full of mosquitos. I hate arachnids. Spiders, scorpions, ticks. If I find a tick crawling on me, I feel tickles all over me for the rest of the day. I still like being in the woods in spring, but it is a little less enjoyable.

Had the safety off 4 times and could not get the shot. .

had my gun up and safety off at the very end of the 8-10 minutes they were walking around me and in retrospect I should have taken a shot.

 

[infmp32]

If you're getting busted when you put your call down, pick up either one of those slate call holders that straps to your leg or a push button call you can mount on your shotgun. Either one will allow you to have your gun up and only have to make a minimal movement to shoot.

 

[Cob]

When that turkey comes in to a call, he is expecting to see a turkey hen... You have to maintain "something of the form of a hen turkey", while using cover when moving. Just because you move does not mean he is going to recognize you as danger. You have to be convincing enough with your movement that he does not realize that you are not the nice hen turkey he is expecting yet.

in that split second that Mr. Gobbler is making the changeover in his peanut sized brain of "fixing to get laid by a nice hen turkey", to "there is a hunter with a 12 gauge", use his misjudgement to your advantage and blow his head off while he is looking directly at you. If hen decoys are legal in your state, so much the better, and could gain you another second or two before shooting

 

[HOOfan_1]

I had a decoy out...I am not sure if they saw it or not. I think I put it too close to me...maybe 15 yards away. The big problem was when I set up, they were right in front of me, but they decided to come up to my left and the appeared almost behind me. They never got within 20 feet of the decoy. The biggest problem was the fallen down trees around me. They gave me a chance to bring up my gun when the gobblers went behind them, but kept them father from me and shielded most of their body.