feet, knees and butts

Turkey hunting tips & tricks that have worked & can help others.
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hawglips
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feet, knees and butts

Post by hawglips »

After I killed a turkey on Saturday morning sitting directly on the wet ground, I thought about how often I end up killing them like that - sitting directly on the ground and not on a cushion or anything else.

Though I try to sit on a cushion when I am working a bird, it seems that I end up not on one fairly often - because I move on birds a lot and hunt them on my feet more than I do in a static setup location.

Thinking back on the last couple years and the details of individual birds, there were 4 killed standing, 2 killed kneeling, 4 killed sitting bare butt on the ground, 1 killed laying on my side, and 8 killed sitting on a cushion.

Anybody else like that?
Last edited by hawglips on January 27th, 2015, 10:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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ICDEDTURKES
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by ICDEDTURKES »

I hunt vestless so no cushion for me, like you try to stay mobile.. I will stand if under story dictates.. With my shooting woes at times if given the opportunity when working a bird I will lay down.. I also think you are less likely to get picked off.
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by timbrhuntr »

hawglips wrote:, 4 killed sitting bare butt on the ground, .

Anybody else like that?
First guesswho wants to send out pics of his butt and now this. You guys that don't hunt with decoys have some very strange tendencies ! :shock: ;) I don't even wanns know what this howl guy does :blackeye: :LMAO:

:bootyshake: :bootyshake: :bootyshake: :bootyshake: :bootyshake: :bootyshake: :bootyshake: :bootyshake:

Sorry Hal I couldn't help it. On a more serious note the last several I have killed this way I did it sitting in my gobbler lounger. I find that I can pick it up and move very easily if there is enough cover. If a bird doesn't come in right I just wait until he moves off then reposition plop in the chair and start again. I did kill one last year while crawling prone behind a fan but that is whole other story.
Last edited by timbrhuntr on January 27th, 2015, 10:33 am, edited 2 times in total.
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GLS
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by GLS »

I hunt vestless as well, but I have a small closed foam pad from Bass Pro that clips to a large carabiner to my belt. I have stood and kneeled. The most miserable position is prone. I won't do that again.
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by Bigspurs68 »

I do wear a vest with a seat but rarely ever deploy it. Usually where I end up hunting, my seat would be a sled at best. This spring I'll likely kill birds while sitting on the bare ground, kneeling and standing. I'd almost bet money that I won't be on a seat for any of them.
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by Waddle Whacker »

I am almost always on a cushion. Every once in a while I leave it up and use it as padding for my back. Depends on the tree. I've shot a few while standing. 8 or 9 years ago, I shot one from the prone position with a 3.5 incher. I really thought I broke my collar bone. I was sore for days. It was worth it though.
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hookedspur
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by hookedspur »

Last year I killed 3 left handed 5 right handed. 2 of them from a chair 1 standing 2 on my knees 3 from my gobbler lounger .
I never thought about till this post .
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by guesswho »

It's rare for me to kill one, but it's even rarer for my butt to be on a cushion when I do.
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ICDEDTURKES
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by ICDEDTURKES »

The posts in this thread stand in sharp contrast to the "Which Vest" threads where so many folks talk about the comfort of the seat and padding in the vest.. Heck some of these new vests have so much padding they make the hunter look like a SWAT member bundled up to kick in a door LOL
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by jcrob1 »

I go vestless most of the time or either wear a bowhunters vest. So, i very rarely have a cushion. I can think of maybe one or two I've killed sitting on a cushion in the last 5 years. Zero last year.
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by blunderbuss »

Always on a pad! :D
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HuntnMa
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by HuntnMa »

I usually sit on my butt ...I've shot em laying down, standing up, on my butt.....it just depends on the situation.
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by DC1. »

I've killed them standing,kneeling, setting on a cushion, without a cushion and laying prone,which i'll never do again. It aint cool to be slid backwards on the ground by a 2.0oz load of fours. :shock:
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howl
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by howl »

Hardly ever kill one without I'm sitting on a cushion. Keep a fat cushion clipped to my belt. If I move on a bird, I carry it in my hand.
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by Beard Collecter »

I never go into the woods without my vest and attached cushion, but often find myself sliding out of it to crawl. I have killed them sitting, kneeling and prone, but never standing.
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by Shooter »

Nope, no bare ground for me. Been using some sort of a Hot seat since I was a kid.
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by pedro »

I have a seat with my vest, but seems like I end up not on it when I am move to work a bird.
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by FireDoc »

I know a guy who has what I would describe as a camo innertube thingamabob. He loves it. Still makes me chuckle everytime I see it.

Myself, I've got one of the Hunt Comfort smaller seat cushions. Fits in my vest and waterproof bottom.
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by GLS »

FireDoc wrote:I know a guy who has what I would describe as a camo innertube thingamabob. He loves it. Still makes me chuckle everytime I see it.

Myself, I've got one of the Hunt Comfort smaller seat cushions. Fits in my vest and waterproof bottom.
I used to carry a self-inflating small cushion. It didn't like the mesquite and cactus of the Big Bend area of TX nor did the cactus and mesquite like it.
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by Spuriosity »

Always wear a vest with a fold down cushion and am usually on it. I do fold it up when moving and occasionally have to plop down in a hurry and sit on the bare ground. Have killed a few off my knees and a few standing and leaning against a tree depending on terrain.
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by GLS »

Years ago an old turkey hunter who terrorized the turkeys in the low country preferred hunting while standing. He felt that he could see them better over the gall berry bushes and palmetto stands. He would lean his non-shooting shoulder against the tree and hold his gun barrel down resting on something to keep his muzzle from plugging the dirt. I've tried this technique and one can shift weight between legs without movement. Gil
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by hookspur »

I almost never use a cushion these days. I used to make my own from a wheelbarrow innertube and some camo cloth, but it's just something else to carry. I tend to go light, and there's something about sitting directly on the ground that makes me feel more connected to the hunt. Hard to explain, but I feel freer to move around and make adjustments, and make myself smaller and less of a questionable object in the woods.
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by gophert »

I never go into the woods "RAW DOG". I always have my vest on and put the cushin down unless I'm crawling. I shot one 2 years ago from the knees, and one from one knee, but most are sitting from a cushin. Here in TN, you go without a cushin, you will find yourself on a rock and end up being there way too long.
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by Grumpy »

Sound like you need to sew up a camo suit out of inside out Depends.
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Re: feet, knees and butts

Post by hobbes »

I'm almost always sitting on my vest cushion. I have ended up not getting it unclipped if I happen upon a bird unexpectedly because I'll keep it folded/clipped up when covering long distances so it isn't slapping the backs of my legs while walking. I've shot a couple birds standing, a couple birds kneeling, and one laying flat but most of them have been sitting on the same vest cushion. I don't like setting up kneeling or laying prone because it gets really uncomfortable if I get stuck that way for long.

The biggest advantage to the cushion is keeping me off the wet ground. While unfolded they are also good at keeping blood off of me while packing out a tom with holes in his head.
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