Humble Pie, Tag Sandwiches, and Wild Turkey 101

[jhogue]

I had a seemingly great season last year. I tagged out in Arkansas in the first week and killed both birds coming in gobbling right off the roost. Last year was my 6th year calling my own turkeys and 7th hunting. This year, I had big plans of killing an Osceola on Spring Break and then killing birds in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and potentially trying to chase a Merriam’s our west some where to complete a single season grand slam (if I was successful in Florida, I felt very good about getting and eastern in Arkansas and a Rio in Oklahoma or Kansas). Today I have one final opportunity to hunt in Oklahoma and Arkansas and Florida dreams are long gone. The Kansas hunt is still a few weeks away and I just hope birds are still interested by the time I get up there. Going back through this season, I can’t find too many things I would have done differently. In other years, the tactics I used this year have worked. I’ve never hunted 100% on public land, but can’t blame that on everything. I pulled my copy of Bad Birds our last night while failing to sleep. I read through a few of his stories again and the preface. I’m reminded greatly that my 8 years of turkey hunting “experience” still makes me a youngster in this game and the bird always gets a choice. Too gobble today or not. To come to calls or walk away. This year I’ve heard lesss gobbling into the morning and afternoon than ever before. That’s the humble pie part. Tag sandwiches is a term I heard from my turkey mentor when I struck out in Florida. I’m closing on 7 tag sandwiches if no luck comes my way Friday in Oklahoma. Hoping not to eat any more in Kansas. The Wild Turkey 101 bit is related to a superstition I wanted to test this year. Last year I struck out the first three days of season in Arkansas while my fifth of 101 sat untouched. I decided to have a pour or two the third night and killed my first bird of the season quickly the next morning. I tried it this year and it seemed like it was going to work out. The bird I had tried to hunt all season seemed hotter than ever before, gobbling over 60 times on the limb. When he hit the ground however, he played the same game he did every other morning I tried to work him. He gobbled a few times at calls, then walked away gobbling. Well, here’s to staying humble and staying in the game to chase them another day.

[Uncle Nicky]

Happens to most of us I believe, but some are too proud to admit to it. In my experience, roosted often does not mean roasted, and turkeys rarely come charginging in to hen calls, like you see on TV. Had some of the same luck myself this year, went on an almost "guaranteed" outfitted hunt, and didn't pull the trigger in 3 days of hard hunting. The outfitter apologized, said the birds "weren't acting right", and offered "to make it right", we shall see. Other days, you do everything wrong, and an old educated bird walks right into your setup. That's turkey hunting, at least for me.

[turkeyinstrut]

I learned a long, long time ago there are no guarantees in turkey hunting but keep yer chin up, as we all have been humbled at one time or another.

[2Shooter]

I learned a long, long time ago there are no guarantees in turkey hunting but keep yer chin up, as we all have been humbled at one time or another.

X2 brother!!!

[norINhunter]

As long as you can take away something you've learned from the days hunt it's a productive day. There are no absolutes the promise of a new day always keeps me coming back for more.

[howl]

That's the great thing about hunting gobblers. They're always a challenge. Just wait until you take a younger person along and they tell you about all the gobbles you don't hear or spy a jake you never saw. The first time it happened with me, I got up to go somewhere else and the young fella told me one would answer me every time I called. It would have been maybe a quarter mile away. I never heard it. I was about to hang it up after that. Now, I know there are gobbles I won't hear. I know there are turkeys I never see. And it astonishes me every time I kill one.

There were a couple things typed that struck a chord with me. One is having two in a row jump down and come on down. Odds of that happening are so low. The other is spending time on an older bird. If I'm still toting the skunk around, I leave those alone and go find a younger gobbler.

[jhogue]

That's the great thing about hunting gobblers. They're always a challenge. Just wait until you take a younger person along and they tell you about all the gobbles you don't hear or spy a jake you never saw. The first time it happened with me, I got up to go somewhere else and the young fella told me one would answer me every time I called. It would have been maybe a quarter mile away. I never heard it. I was about to hang it up after that. Now, I know there are gobbles I won't hear. I know there are turkeys I never see. And it astonishes me every time I kill one.

There were a couple things typed that struck a chord with me. One is having two in a row jump down and come on down. Odds of that happening are so low. The other is spending time on an older bird. If I'm still toting the skunk around, I leave those alone and go find a younger gobbler.

It wasn’t two in a row last year, but it just happened that the two birds I killed came right in. One was an over eager two year old. The other was a three year old that my dad had tried to work for three days. I accidentally went in on this bird from a different direction than my dad had tried to work him. He was a little more of a chore to call in, but it was still all over within 30 minutes of the first gobble. As far as the old birds I may have been working this year, the one thing I probably would have done this year is going to some different areas. I located a bunch of birds in early season and knew they were still there. They just gobbled very inconsistently all season. One small area, I located three birds in. All three were gobbling two days before season, and zero gobbled until next to last day of season. That day I heard a guy kill one of them about 1/3 mile from where they were pre-season. I really just kept getting drug in by some early gobbling that ended quickly and never came back throughout the day. Only two days did I work a bird up in the morning. Once by myself and the second with a more experienced hunter. He hunted him a few more days before getting fed up and going elsewhere. He killed a bird the same day he left the area, but I decided to hang in there. That was probably the demise of my Arkansas season, and also accounted for lack of hunting time in Oklahoma. Who knows what may have happened in Oklahoma if I’d spent half the time there I spent in Arkansas. I just really want to kill and Arkansas bird every year. Many lessons learned.

[jryser]

That’s exactly why we love it. We call it turkey hunting Bc the F word was already taken. [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]


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[Hoobilly]

As long as you can take away something you've learned from the days hunt it's a productive day. There are no absolutes the promise of a new day always keeps me coming back for more.

exactly! When you mess up and know it, remember every detail vowing to never do that again until the next time..


Then keep relearning that mistake until you fosho know exactly how to keep from doing it. Some learn it faster than others

[timbrhuntr]

Hey its fun ain't it. I been chasing the same old tom all week with my bow and he just keeps giving me the slip. He has a thick beard and could be a multibeard which would be a first for here. Well this morning I worked him on three different set ups and finally on the third he committed and came inside 30 yards. Well I shot over him and all I got was a few feathers that the broadhead shaved off. I'm hoping he ain't to spooked as he is my white whale this spring LOL

[Cut N Run]

I feel for you brother. That aggravation factor is why it's called turkey hunting & not turkey shooting. It takes the tough days to appreciate the easy ones. They definitely earn the respect they're due. You never can tell the days when they about run you over to find the source of the calling, but it sure is fun when it happens.

Like you, I'm due for an easy one. I hunted my ace up the sleeve honey hole today and heard nothing but dogs barking at the neighbor's farm and the backup beepers on dump trucks working a mile away. I know he'll be passing through that area, probably when I'm at work tomorrow, Wednesday, or Thursday.

Jim