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While setting over my decoy spread in OH yesterday I found myself nodding off to nap due to lack of action, a few days of early wake ups and too many long steep walks....so I put myself to recalling what things had worked for me over the past over 46 years of spring gobbler hunting. Yes, I got a late start as I never had the opportunity to hunt turkeys until I was 27 years old with no tutors and there were very little information available to gain knowledge from as I had to learn on true try on error.....
Here are some of my statistics based on my memory, only pertain to gobblers harvested and are rounded off to the nearest 5%.
Taken W/O decoys..........................40%
Roosted and called in......................20%
Came with hens visible...................15%
1 Hour + of calling back and forth....10%
Taken 40-45 Yds............................05%
After 10 AM..................................05%
Gobbler did not call on approach.....15%
Fields vs. woods...........................20%
Multi beards.................................05%
Public hunting areas......................35%
Taken with 1 shot fired.................100%
Clarifications that could have effect on my personal experiences vs. the experiences of others.
Most if not all of my spring gobblers were taken the first 7 hunting days or earlier of the season partly due to vacation days, but has carried throughout my 10 years of retirement.
Many of my gobblers were taken before the use of decoys were developed and several of those were run and gun at that time. I have taken all but 4 of my gobblers while hunting alone.
I have done no preseason scouting in the last 18 years....but I have heard gobblers on all most all my hunts that I arrive at or before daylight. I have covered a lot of area over the years, but have 7 hot spots from 10 to 100 acres which have produced several of the birds.
Oh, and I enjoyed every hunting day successful or not and most were not but provided much needed learning experience. I believe some of my biggest mistakes were either not being aggressive enough or on the other hand being too aggressive.
I wonder how those %'s might fit with the success of others.......
Here are some of my statistics based on my memory, only pertain to gobblers harvested and are rounded off to the nearest 5%.
Taken W/O decoys..........................40%
Roosted and called in......................20%
Came with hens visible...................15%
1 Hour + of calling back and forth....10%
Taken 40-45 Yds............................05%
After 10 AM..................................05%
Gobbler did not call on approach.....15%
Fields vs. woods...........................20%
Multi beards.................................05%
Public hunting areas......................35%
Taken with 1 shot fired.................100%
Clarifications that could have effect on my personal experiences vs. the experiences of others.
Most if not all of my spring gobblers were taken the first 7 hunting days or earlier of the season partly due to vacation days, but has carried throughout my 10 years of retirement.
Many of my gobblers were taken before the use of decoys were developed and several of those were run and gun at that time. I have taken all but 4 of my gobblers while hunting alone.
I have done no preseason scouting in the last 18 years....but I have heard gobblers on all most all my hunts that I arrive at or before daylight. I have covered a lot of area over the years, but have 7 hot spots from 10 to 100 acres which have produced several of the birds.
Oh, and I enjoyed every hunting day successful or not and most were not but provided much needed learning experience. I believe some of my biggest mistakes were either not being aggressive enough or on the other hand being too aggressive.
I wonder how those %'s might fit with the success of others.......
