Set Up

Turkey hunting tips & tricks that have worked & can help others.
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Gobbler
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Set Up

Post by Gobbler »

Set Up defined as... What you do in a hunting situation to position yourself to hunt turkeys. Including your equipment and your woodsmanship.

I think the set up is more important than the calling ability. I think calling can be a big factor but I
think the set up is more important. What do others think?
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vaturkey
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Re: Set Up

Post by vaturkey »

I also think the setup is more important. :thumbup:
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guesswho
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Re: Set Up

Post by guesswho »

A lot of hunters are clueless when it comes set-ups. Thats why a lot of tags go unfilled. And it's not something you can teach, you either get it or you don't, and it's hard to pick out the right set-up sometimes. Especially on unfamiliar ground. You can take the current Grand National Champion whoever that is and set him up in the wrong location, direction ect., then set up an average caller in the right spot the right way and I'll put my next paycheck that the average caller gets more shot oportunities.
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ICDEDTURKES
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Re: Set Up

Post by ICDEDTURKES »

Good calling will call up a bunch of turkeys, good calling and proper set up will put your foot on their noggin..
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Stinky J Picklestein
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Re: Set Up

Post by Stinky J Picklestein »

With the right setup, you might not even need to call.
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Turkey Talker
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Re: Set Up

Post by Turkey Talker »

Set up is everything, not knowing the land means you better be able to call, if you can locate birds and see which way they are headed, set up on them by making a big loop around them, sometimes you have to ambush a turkey and not call at all to kill them. Its all set up.
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hawglips
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Re: Set Up

Post by hawglips »

Some folks like to try to out-think a turkey. I'm not that smart. So I like to keep it simple -- (1) Locate the bird (2) Set up on him (3) Call him to the gun.

We were just talking about setting up with the back to the turkey recently, and on Saturday, I found myself set up with my back to the turkeys. I chuckled to myself when I realized what I'd just done. Setting up right is crucial.

The way I hunt, proximity, approach, and first visual contact are the main keys to consider for a good set up. I like to be tight, and situated so that he's got to come in looking for me, and won't be able to see me till he's in range. I want to use his eyes and ears against him. If you get set up like that, are willing to move as necessary, and don't screw it up by calling badly, your chances are pretty good.
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ICDEDTURKES
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Re: Set Up

Post by ICDEDTURKES »

hawglips wrote:
The way I hunt, proximity, approach, and first visual contact are the main keys to consider for a good set up. I like to be tight, and situated so that he's got to come in looking for me, and won't be able to see me till he's in range. I want to use his eyes and ears against him. If you get set up like that, are willing to move as necessary, and don't screw it up by calling badly, your chances are pretty good.
All while actually visualizing a turkey taking different approaches to your set up that you can see as highly likely..
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Re: Set Up

Post by ArkansasDon »

We dont roost or put the birds to bed. We go into the woods still @ dark in the blind using a Owl Hooter for a “shock” gobble. Once Sally & I locate our bird, we try to close the distance a bit but important thing for "our" set ups is, good shooting lanes and good gun swing lane at least 90 degrees or better. Another is good place for a long sit with good long view. We alway like to hunt the woods. All of these are 1st, calling, some of the worst turkey sounds came from a real hen cruz'n threw my woods. Personally I think too much emphasized on calling perfection. I feel its more important to know the different sounds a turkey makes, simple Yelps or Tree Calls, Clucks, Cut's and when to use them. There is no single fool proof formula that will always work, it often takes patience and call experimentation to discover which one of the call sound is going to have that re-active responce.
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Re: Set Up

Post by savduck »

Set up is the biggest factor.

If I get on a bird that I cant kill, and Im thinking about how to do it, Im not thinking what call to pull out. Im thinking about how to manuever to get him to where he is willing to come. When you get to the rights spot, you dont have to do a lot of calling.

I do think good calling is more important now days than in years past, just do to the sheer number of people who cant call now days that are in the woods. Public land birds hear a bunch of crap these days. Having the right set up, coupled with good calling gets it done later in the season.
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Re: Set Up

Post by drenalinld »

Setup, setup, setup. I am terrible at it. I choose the spot I think will be best and knowing I don't know spit, I will avoid that spot and go completely opposite and sometimes I kill em. Woodsmanship kills more turkeys than any other skill and setup is a result of woodsmanship.
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GLS
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Re: Set Up

Post by GLS »

Yep, set-up is the single most important facet of turkey hunting. It is something that can't be taught. We all know to keep still. In five minutes you can learn to use a slate. Ah, but try to figure out the best place to sit. Not too thick, not too open. The Goldilocks factor. Turkeybuster is the best I know at it. He can scan a forest canopy and tell from a distance where the open lanes are and where the best set up is. I look at the canopy and see leaves and have a knack for finding thick areas.
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Re: Set Up

Post by 3toe »

I work hard at trying to learn something new every year to make me a better turkey hunter. Set up and past dealings with turkey are one of my main focuses. If I know where he likes to go and have been in that area I know I have a good chance to kill him in a matter of days. I also take mental notes when running and gunning of what the woods look like, good places to setup, potential future obstacles, etc. if I can leave the woods saying I learned something then it was a successful hunt whether or not I am toting a gobbler.
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TS
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Re: Set Up

Post by TS »

Set up plus the cadience of your calls is more important than sound
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