What did you do wrong today?

[Bgoodman30]

This should be a good running thread of mistakes we make in the turkey woods. I have been quickly humbled by the TN gobbler..

Saturday: I didn't set up close enough to the roost.
Sunday : I didn't set up close enough to the roost
Monday I didn't set up close enough to the roost.

I know but apparently haven't learned that if you have a henned up gobbler you better be the first piece he finds in the morning or its over...

 

[Boll Weevil]

The difference between not close enough to a roosted bird and too close…is exactly 1 step. Ask me how I know.

 

[REN]

The difference between not close enough to a roosted bird and too close…is exactly 1 step. Ask me how I know.

Hahah been there

Monday mid morning we spotted 4 birds out in a field and made a move to get around. Stopped where I knew we were getting close and said to my buddy "we can sit here as the safe move OR we can risk it all and move up 50yds". We moved up 50yds and got busted right away haha. We knew it all along to and called it

 

[megalomaniac]

Been a good season so far. I don't really second guess myself at this point. There are some birds right now that just are NOT killable. And I'm OK with that. But in 2 weeks I have a date with the only bird I could not kill this past trip. He only has 2 hens, and hopefully they have just started to lay in 2 weeks

 

[Rageman]

Wow it's like the post was put up for me lol Saturday and Sunday heard at least six different gobblers both days had one get to about 70 yards and lock up and walk away Monday heard them on roost after i made some tree yelps they shut completely up I literally skirted the whole area they were gobbling they seemed to run from calls I threw my hands up and went to a different property this morning and got a Jake

 

[Bgoodman30]

The difference between not close enough to a roosted bird and too close…is exactly 1 step. Ask me how I know.

Right! More times than not when I think I am surely busted there is no way they didn't see or hear me I end up killing.. I usually take the safe approach though because for whatever reason my private land birds like to roost on or right by property lines.. One false move and bye bye...

 

[tn24]

Second morning had set up between two fields softly calling. After about an hour of hearing or seeing nothing, I got up to leave. Instead of sneaking up to the field edge and checking I walked straight into the field, looked up and saw a gobbler about 75 yards away that had been walking my way.

 

[huvrman]

Monday morning headed to a ridge road where I'd heard a gobbler and seen a hen the day before. While walking in I spooked one off the roost. It was silent as it flew away so I continued on another few feet and sat down. Yelped a few times as the sun came up and heard nothing. 7 am I stand up and one flies out of a tree directly over me. Dejected, and figuring the area was ruined, I decide to head over to the other side of my property, where I eventually hear four gobblers. But no luck as they headed the opposite direction with some hens. At 8 pm that night my cell cam sends me the pics of the day. Sure enough, not 75 yards from where I left that morning, 2 gobblers walked through an hour later. Had I stayed put I'd likely have gotten a shot ( or at least I like to think so.)

 

[rem270]

Opening morning- Got impatient and tried to move where I thought they flew down because I had a bend in the field I could hide behind. Come to find out they flew down in the timber and would have walked right to me more than likely.

Sunday afternoon- Just wasn't were they were apparently.

Tuesday afternoon- Seen 2 gobblers and a hen 150 yards out. Seen the way they were moving and got in front of them. Did everything right. Got set down when I dropped off a big bluff and called. Nothing. Sat there another 5 mins or so and thought I'll sit here for a while so went to reposition my vest where I could get on the pad all the way and kick back. Soon as I did that the hen came in from my far right side in the woods and busted me. I was expecting her/them to come in off the field edge

 

[PalsPal]

Went to the wrong spot Saturday and Sunday.

The gobbler had either moved off or didn't want to play. I don't have the luxury of multiple gobblers to choose from in this area.

 

[Plateau Hunter]

Didn't go….lol

 

[RealtreeVol]

Setup on a field edge in a blind. Had a hen cross out in front of me at about 60 yards. 2 birds gobbling early, and then went silent. 2 hours later look up and about to see them enter the field within range. They pause, and one begins to circle right behind me. Had one clear opening for a shot at about 30-35 yards. I had to turn all the way around and had one shooting lane. Rushed and took the shot and missed.

Should have maybe waited to see if they would eventually have entered the field as I was between them and the hen. Frustrating!

 

[Specializedjon]

Are we just talkin about hunting or in general

 

[bvoss]

The difference between not close enough to a roosted bird and too close…is exactly 1 step. Ask me how I know.

So dang true!

 

[LenS]

Opening morning I pulled my most common mistake.....moving too soon. Had 3 gobblers coming in completely silent. Sadly, probably won't be the last time this season I mess up in this manner!

 

[philsanchez76]

Man, seems like not staying put long enough is pretty common mistake. I know it is for me. I used to sit on the ground and lean up against a tree and would get so uncomfortable that it was near impossible for me to stay put. I'd justify moving very easily. Now I got me a comfy chair and this has helped me be able to actually stay put for WAYYYY longer than years past. However, my chair still has not procured me a dead gobbler. soon though.

 

[Wahoo98]

Saturday: I didn't set up close enough to the roost
Sunday: Set up close and got busted trying to peak at the roosted gobbler...I don't know why I did it. I guess I thought I was slick.

 

[REN]

slept through my alarm today. HOWEVER hunting the previous 5 days in a row, I was not to upset to be able to sleep till 6:30 this morning and take my kids to school instead lol.

 

[Rageman]

Phil Sanchez man it's hard to sit sometimes but alot of times it's the best thing to do find some good scratch and maybe some good strut lines and wait Emm out it makes the turkey to be less pressured and Boogered up but by all means check his temperature to see might work for you it makes for a long season applying the run and gun tactics being patIent on good sign puts more on the truck bed for me

 

[Bgoodman30]

Are we just talkin about hunting or in general

This is a safe space..

 

[Bgoodman30]

slept through my alarm today. HOWEVER hunting the previous 5 days in a row, I was not to upset to be able to sleep till 6:30 this morning and take my kids to school instead lol.

I took my kids to school today as well but reports were it was the quietest day of the season so far.

 

[Popcorn]

Simply chose the wrong location…
I plan to hunt silent gobblers, spent a lot of my youth chasing gobbles so when I set up its for the morning or afternoon. Locate and pattern lone gobblers, then get out there. Just don't forget that rain is a reset button in a turkey brain and his instinct has a new destination.

 

[philsanchez76]

Phil Sanchez man it's hard to sit sometimes but alot of times it's the best thing to do find some good scratch and maybe some good strut lines and wait Emm out it makes the turkey to be less pressured and Boogered up but by all means check his temperature to see might work for you it makes for a long season applying the run and gun tactics being patIent on good sign puts more on the truck bed for me

Yeah some people say this is too much like deer hunting, but hey I like deer hunting. And if they aint talking I will deer hunt those turkeys!

 

[Hduke86]

Yesterday walked in the woods and called softly. Had two toms sound off instantly. I thought "dang they are already close" so instead of stopping for a second to look at the lay of the land I just found a tree to sit down at next to me. Well if I would have just looked down the ridge top I would have seen the open hardwood flat on it and all the scratch and strutting zone they had been using. So I was in the thick underbrush and yup you guessed it…. They went straight to the open flat area and strutted,spit, drum, and gobbled their heads off. We played back and forth for two hours. I'd call and they would explode, I'd shut up and they wouldn't move and would just strut. I'd scratch the leaves and they would explode. Back and forth but at 70 yards they wouldn't move. Lesson of that morning was when I hear them gobble if I'm not in a spot they feel "safe" or a spot that they can strut in then I will find the closest spot that looks like that and get in range of it. On a side note I had a guy at the gate when I was leaving ask me how it was this morning. I told him my morning and he asked what I was shooting. I replied 3" #9 tss and he said "hell son that would have killed them both dead at 70 yards" I told him when I pulled my gun up that the bead/barrel would be covering them up and I don't long range turkey hunt and it's ONE per day and not two. I said not only is that illegal but also the dumbest and most irresponsible thing to do and that it's a moron move to sling tss and pray for a clean kill. Needless to say we parted ways after that lol

 

[Bgoodman30]

Well first mistake I assumed those 2 would be roosted in same spot.. Buddy and I got in early and tight and had a good setup. 2 owls hit the tree right by them and started going off and nothing.. One of those where your jaw just drops and you think now what?

2nd mistake. Hear a far off gobble so we make a mad dash.. Never heard another roost gobble but hear him on the ground on the ridge top. Get setup and hear a gang of hens and I get them fired up. Gobbler is answering and the whole flock is getting closer, gun up and ready for him to pop up this little draw.. Then his gobbles angle left and I was worried he might be moving for the field... Boss hen still in front yakking and no more gobbles.. Wait a little bit longer and I tell my buddy I got to start heading and need to be on the road to work at 9am.. Stand up and there he is strutting behind us in the field in between us and the trucks... Its getting rough around here..

 

[REN]

Nothing really wrong today just didn't have a ton of time.

However I did see a nice 120inch 8pt at 20 yds still with both antlers. Almost tried to scare the crap out of him in hopes they would come off lol

 

[Bgoodman30]

Well didn't hunt this morning but I was making a corner on the way to take the kids to school and a gobbler in full strut walks right out in front of my truck and I slammed on the brakes.... I definitely screwed up I need all the help I can get to fill a tag...

 

[REN]

I didn't wear enough clothes to my youngest soccer game this morning.

Whoever thought an 8am start time was a good idea needs a swift kick in the crotch

 

[30-06 type of guy]

Didn't follow my heart this morning and I knew better too.

 

[younggun308]

I didn't adjust my tactics to the wind enough. Also should have conditioned my strikers better. The calls don't play as easy in the cold as they do in the living room.