run and gun or sit tight

The more I turkey hunt, the more I have been sitting and waitin them out. Not as fun as runnin and gunnin but if you are set in a good spot, where they want to be at some point, a call very sporadically, you can be very successful.

In the early years of Pa.'s spring season I used to run and gun a lot when spring hunting pressure was much lower and birds talked more and weren't so call shy. I prefer to sit tight for long periods of time now because there are more birds and therefore more bird movement. But the bigger reason is that there are so many hunters in the woods (and not all are responsible hunters)that it's just generally safer to bring the birds to you. Unfortunately, other hunters might move in on you so you have to be careful even when hunting in stationary sites. If a bird hangs up, I'll change calls, change calling techniques, shut up, move carefully away from him, or come back later or another day cause chances are he's with a hen for a period of time. If I do move, it's always with fluorescent orange on. No turkey is worth taking a shotgun blast for.

dpms said:

The more I turkey hunt, the more I have been sitting and waitin them out. Not as fun as runnin and gunnin but if you are set in a good spot, where they want to be at some point, a call very sporadically, you can be very successful.

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Very good advice

I love run and gunners..they make it so much easier for the rest of us!!!

30 to 45 minutes

Patience is the most important tool in my turkey vest.
I get just as much satisfaction watching a silent tom come half-strutting into my lap as I do with the loud mouth ones.
I love the challenge of those "un-killable" birds.

Last year was my first year back in the saddle after a decade or longer on the bench. I was calling an area and had a big bird a hundred or so yards out, hung up with some hens. I watched as he moved out of sight to my right. I gave one last call with no answer and decided that he was gone. I stood up and there was a tom coming over a slight knoll, we spotted each other the exact same time, he was quicker.

I am sure that it was a different bird but I was too anxious to get up and move. This year I will treat each stand as I would a bobcat stand. I will be there no less than 45 minutes. What is the worst that can happen, I have a great time enjoying the spring woods?

Last year I started working a gobbler right at daylight. He ended up with some hens and walked off with them. I sat there for 4 hours just calling every half hour, thank goodness I had my gobbler lounger with me, but he never came back.

Run and gun from 8am til he's dead. Theres nothing like firing one up a hundred yards out and diving to the nearest tree with your heart in your throat, i dont care what anyone says

Two years ago, I set up on a bird at daylight and killed him at 10:00. Still sitting at the same spot. Gobbled good from the roost, maybe 4 times throughout the morning then committed at 9:45 and came right in and ran into a arrow.

Its like a poker game....gotta learn when to sit n wait and when to run n gun.....

Usually end up waiting them out. If I'm out at daylight I'll more than likely be sitting tight to the closing bell. If I get out after daybreak, as is always the case when I work night shift and get out of work at 730am, I'll take my time and try to get on them from 10-noon, trying to strike up a hot bird, running and gunning so to speak.

Have had a lot of success using both tactics. Once parked the vehicle at 11:00 and was back by 11:45 with a bird.

mauser06 said:

Its like a poker game....gotta learn when to sit n wait and when to run n gun.....

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Very true. That's the essense of turkey hunting. That being said, I will rarely leave a gobbling bird to MAYBE find another.

I'd love to know how many gobblers I've cost myself or those with me due to lack of patience. Every year I get a little better at it, but it is an ongoing process.

I've had good luck on stubborn birds that hang up after the woods thicken up by walking at them calling all the way like a hen walking to a gobbler. Even birds that shut-up will usually gobble when you get close. Then i immediatly sit or stand behind a tree with my gun resting on the side of the tree for better vision. They always seem to sneak in for a one last peak at that point.

ok- for those of you who sit and wait it out...what do you do to keep your backside from going numb!!

Hittingguru said:

ok- for those of you who sit and wait it out...what do you do to keep your backside from going numb!!

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I'd like some ideas, too. Those low stools don't do it for my knees being folded up under my chin they still get sore pretty quickly. If I could find something that would extend my legs in a more normal fashion I could sit a lot longer. Suggestions would be great.