Your Biggest Rookie Mistake(s)?

[TheLBLman]

The thread about first calls got me thinking about all the rookie mistakes I made.

Hard to say which ones were my worst,
but two were calling too much,
and moving too much.

That "moving" too much was two-fold,
as in "moving" my hands & head too much too fast,
as well as not staying put in a location long enough.

 

[Acorn]

The thread about first calls got me thinking about all the rookie mistakes I made.

Hard to say which ones were my worst,
but two were calling too much,
and moving too much.

That "moving" too much was two-fold,
as in "moving" my hands & head too much too fast,
as well as not staying put in a location long enough.

X2

 

[fairchaser]

Biggest rookie mistake was thinking turkeys only have eyesight like deer and wouldn't notice slight movements. Also that they couldn't pinpoint you from your calling or that a decoy would look like a live turkey to them. The list goes on but I'll stop here, it's too embarrassing.

 

[muddyboots]

Not going after turkeys thst gobble from a long way off.

 

[UpperTully]

Calling to much and patience. I'd bumped quite a few silent birds I didn't know was coming up to move locations.

 

[TN Larry]

Not changing something i.e. location, call, tone, volume, etc. and giving up too quick on a bird.

 

[catman529]

One that still sits with me as a major rookie move that helped me learn how to hunt, was when I was set up on a tom near a field edge on some public ground. I was hunting with ImThere and it was either 2011 or 2012, it was sure to be a dead bird...

Ricky stayed back a ways while I snuck to the field edge and called in this tom that was out in the field. He was coming in hot, going in and out of strut, and being the green horn I was, I decided to make some clucks and purrs on my tube call right before he got into range. He poked his head up and started putt putting away, never to be seen again. Not sure if it was my crappy calling, or just the fact it was a public land bird hearing turkey noises up close but not seeing a turkey.

There's a lot of birds I should have killed in 2011 and 2012, that helped teach me how to hunt em. And more recently, a lot of birds I should have killed, if I could hold my gun steady. :bash: :lol:

 

[Setterman]

Thinking all turkeys were gobblers. Not kidding, my first hunt on my own after having buddies take me I got a bird to gobble at me one day mid morning. I set up and started calling, bird wouldn't answer bu all of a sudden I see a turkey coming through tallish grass. I let it get in range thinking oh boy I got him. I take aim and fire, after the shot I jump up and run to my bird to see a dead hen.


Can't believe I'm telling this story, but I made a mistake and a huge rookie mistake. I knew I had messed up and called a friend who was an Alabama game warden to tell him what happened. this was before cell phones, so he had me Drive back to the national forest with the bird. Wrote me a citation which cost me $250 and took my bird. I made an idiotic mistake because I was new and it cost me, ever since then I am extra careful before pulling the trigger, first and last hen I've ever killed,

That was my worst mistake although every dang season I make several rookie mistakes that I've done time and again. Moving too soon, not taking the shot, misjudging distance of a bird and moving too close, getting busted trying to move at the wrong time. I could go on and on, and I believe anyone who doesn't admit to these excuses is lying, or doesn't hunt much

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Moving to soon and not getting close enough before calling.


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[Roost 1]

Taking Whiskey hunting that first time......,,

 

[Tennessee Lead]

Being too timid.
Not taking shots because I thought he was too far and wasn't .
Rushing shots because of excitement resulting in misses.
Poor set up location .
Being afraid to make moves.
Calling to birds that were committed resulting in hang up .
Not going to a bird in the distance begging to die .
I'm sure I'm leaving out some and some I still do when emotions take over.


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[Roost 1]

Poor set-up in my opinion is number one rookie mistake. A great setup can overcome lots of mistakes.

 

[woodsman04]

Over calling for sure, and setting up in spots that's too open or not enough terrain features for them to "peek" over.

Also bumping birds that I thought were further or not giving enough time.

I would say all of these are mistakes that all turkey hunters make, begging and seasoned. I still do anyways.

Over calling us about the only thing that I can control well. There's always times when we mis judge distance of a bird on the roost or what not.


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[TNhunter]

Moving too early and not being aggressive enough when I finally did decide to move on a bird.

 

[edtcase]

Overcalling. I purposely called 1/2 of what I normally do last year and saw and took many more birds. I've learned a lot in the files but also have learned a lot here.


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[TheLBLman]

Good post, Setterman.

Thinking all turkeys were gobblers.

I once called in a bird gobbling it's head off, and when it's red head popped up over the edge about 25 yards away, I nailed him. That one turned out to be a hen-sized jake with a barely visible beard.

That was many year's ago, and I haven't shot a jake since (personal choice, not that it's illegal).

Sometimes a jake's gobble can sound much like a longbeard's, especially to the less experienced turkey hunter.

There's always times when we mis judge distance of a bird on the roost or what not.

At this stage in my turkey hunting career,
misjudging distance of a gobbling bird on the roost is what I most struggle to perfect.

Early season, woods are real open, they can sometimes sound 200 yards away when they're closer to 2,000!
Late season, woods are thick, they can sometimes sound 200 yards away when they're already within range!
Unfortunately, in either case, you may be seen when you try to move closer.

 

[rustybarrel]

D, All of the above

 

[Boll Weevil]

Every once in awhile I put a shell in my gun that somehow...doesn't have any pellets in it. I mean it goes boom and everything, kicks the tar out of me just like normal, but then the turkey just flies off. :bash:

Maybe I should start handloading so I know for sure that there's pellets in each and every shell.

 

[TheLBLman]

May or may not be a "rookie" mistake, but
I've pulled the trigger on a strutting Tom,
only to realize there was no shell in the chamber --- CLICK!
Actually let that bird go, even though could have shot him running after chambering the round.
He "won" that "round". :tu:

 

[Setterman]

I'll add setups. Every dang year several times I'll cost myself a bird by choosing a piss poor setup. Sometimes it's laziness where I won't climb another 50 yards to get even with the bird, sometimes it's panicking and just sitting down in a bad spot then being stuck.

I've been doing this a long time, and have done this every year for as long as I can remember. You'd think I'd learn at some point

 

[BackwoodsBoy]

Patience for sure, I used to have a horrible tendency to try to "close the gap" when I shouldn't have.

I'm also bad a judging distance when I get excited , I've let several 35 yard birds pass cause I thought they were too far at the moment. I'm really bad at this when bowhunting deer, better to let one pass than to shoot too far though

 

[spoon]

If you can think of a mistake, I've probably done it except kill a hen

 

[PalsPal]

Mistakes are what makes it so tough and fun.

If it were easy, there would be no challenge; resulting in little pride when it does all come together.

I'm getting soooooo ready to play the game again that I can't stand it. And this weather isn't helping !

 

[TNReb]

Thinking turkeys wouldn't see me trying to move to a better position. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong.

 

[REN]

Staying put to long and getting up to move to soon. Confusing sentence I know but you can do both.

Biggest thing I still struggle with sometimes is indecisiveness on set up. You kinda need to learn your approach options ahead of time depending on where they might be or make a call quickly and go with it.

Lastly not knowing the land fully. You really need to know every nook and cranny the best you can so you can formulate plans quickly. Lost many a birds to ditches and fences I didn't know where there.


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[RUGER]

1) Being told, and believing, I couldn't swing from right to left or visa versa and get a shot off before the turkey magically disappeared. (I mean like 2 foot swing of the gun, not turning my entire body)
2) Looking for an entire bird instead of just it's head or the top of it's head (especially in rolling terrain)

 

[cowhunter71]

Trying to thread a shot through brush or between saplings.

 

[ridgehunter]

My rookie mistake was not being open minded when comes to calling. All turkeys are not the same, some you can't call to much to but some you need to call a lot to, some you will need to move on some you will need to stay put. The most important part is don't be afraid to try things that someone has told you want work. The more you hunt the more you will learn and sometimes just set and listen to the turkey's when they don't know you are there and if you don't still make mistakes you are probably not getting on many birds.

 

[woodsman04]

I'll also say that running around calling everywhere can or will be a mistake, but maybe not every time. Just like most people I like to walk logging roads or pasture edges listening and looking for gobblers and calling loudly or crow/owl calling to shock gobble. Yes it does work, and yes I've killed many gobblers doing this.
But the more experienced I got, especially on pressures birds, I think it's best to let them gobble first. I believe you shut a lot of birds up by trying to "shock" gobble or locate one. They may not necessarily spook, but they may just shut down because they've been fooled with so much.

I seldomly owl at daybreak any more, and never crow during the day. If I don't hear one at daylight, I either go to work, set around in a good listening spot while I'm comfortable, or drive or walk to another area.

I've been blessed to be able to kill a few turkeys, and blessed with some decent spots, but not so lucky to have suicidal virgin two year olds around every tree. I've come to find out, if I got the time and birds, I'll set around as long as I can waiting on one to begin to gobble on his own. Then and only then will I make a plan and go after him.


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[woodsman04]

It's a really big mistake for the most part to begin to roam and trying to force something to happen. Yes it may happen and it may all work out, but I can compare it to the pass heavy offenses in college football. They may win some games and score a bunch and be fun to watch, but those teams that play defense and can run the ball bring home the trophies. And by the way, I'm not an Alabama fan.


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