[weemannn]

Is there anything you learned this year that you will think it may help you in coming years that you might share with us.

 

[GermanHillHunter]

Not be so stubborn. I hunted the same bird for 12 days before I killed him. I let it get personal. Yes, I'm proud of the accomplishment but they're we're other birds to be had around.

 

[Kip Feroce]

I learned that jakes breed for sure and are very fertile. I also learned it ain't that easy to catch a jake by hand but ,it can be done. Lol

 

[TurkeyMike]

If he is gobbling away from you, move on him, calling them backwards aint gonna happen.

Don't get hung up on killing a specific bird

Don't put as much emphasis on killing a bird, and just be happy to be out in the woods hunting. I put a lot of pressure on myself this year to harvest one. I think it lead to making more mistakes and moving around too much to other areas.

When all else fails, blame it on a WEIRD SEASON.

 

[mauser06]

Put a fresh flint in the gun prior to a hunt.....click and no boom is a deafening sound when hunting with a flintlock......



Trust yourself and your gut and sit tight even if you get no response but know the bird is close...



Both birds I killed this year were gobbling prior to me setting up and i knew they were close...setup and called and nothing...after a while both hunts nothing...

On the first one I killed I had numerous birds farther away and got up to go after them...i moved 60yds in the initial birds direction that was only about 100yds from where I was last I heard him...the group gobbled and blew my hat off...still where they were...yes...maybe 40yds away! Luckily I moved quietly and found a quick seat...seconds later I killed him.


The other gobbled like a fool as I setup..again around 100yds away...i called and only got response from a hen in 30-45mins...45mins or so...he never gobbled but came in on a string.f from behind me..not down the field edge be SHOULD have walked...he thought he was slick...if he didn't walk like an elephant I'd probably been busted...in all reality i thought he was a hunter walking behind me and I as terrified to move a muscle knowing I have a jake decoy in the field..



Oh.... another...should have bought my Ohio tags...the girlfriend came the week I was gunna hunt Ohio...my PA season lasted 5 hunts...and I am going through withdraw bad already...lol.

Oh...trust yourself and your flintlock...don't make rainy day excuses...lock covers work... flintlock bird was killed in a steady spring rain....i took the 870 when I killed the first bird...don't regret it...but I'd like to have killed both with the flinter...hard to pass a mature bird on heavily pressured public land...it was supposed to rain that day...and did sprinkle prior to the shot and rained steady on my hike it..but I would have hunted with the flintlock..

 

[Pa.Bone]

I learned that I am not very good at killing longbeards with a bow and seem to be getting worse. My encounter to kill ratio is looking pretty grim with 8 encounters with longbeards called in, 2 misses, and 0 killed with a bow.

 

[Uncle Johnny]

If he is gobbling away from you, move on him, calling them backwards aint gonna happen.

This. I worked a bird for more than an hour trying to get him to come in for my brother in law. I even tried retreating behind where by BIL was set up to make it seem like "the hen" was leaving the area, but that did not work. While I was in retreat, the bird ended up working his way to our right and climbing the hill. So we set up on him that way, and my lesson learned there was that I should have set my BIL up closer to where the bird was, and I should have stayed a little bit farther behind, scratching leaves. That bird just would not come any closer, and he ended up losing interest and flying off.

 

[sq32]

Killed my first long beard with a crossbow a mission 400 at 18 yards. Called three in with a boxcall no blind no black hoody and no decoys. What did I learn.... all it takes is a little finer aim than a turkey gun.

Scott

 

[kswiggy]

Do not take anything for granted...lost my hunting buddy and season was not the same since.Season ended with memories of spring seasons in the past. Got one early first week,not the same since.

 

[Uncle Nicky]

I learned it is easier to kill a bird on a farm in New Jersey than it is to kill a bird on public land in Pennsylvania...but I had already suspected it.

 

[BOOTOXEN]

learned that if I wasn't chasing snows so late into April across states I can turkey scout and know where the birds are.
I had birds everyday, tagged out in 2 states.

 

[TurkeyMike]

If he is gobbling away from you, move on him, calling them backwards aint gonna happen.

This. I worked a bird for more than an hour trying to get him to come in for my brother in law. I even tried retreating behind where by BIL was set up to make it seem like "the hen" was leaving the area, but that did not work. While I was in retreat, the bird ended up working his way to our right and climbing the hill. So we set up on him that way, and my lesson learned there was that I should have set my BIL up closer to where the bird was, and I should have stayed a little bit farther behind, scratching leaves. That bird just would not come any closer, and he ended up losing interest and flying off.

What I found out on more than one occasion with this bird is he had a hen with him, and he was not leaving her for anything. Just wondering if the bird would only gobble if you called to him. This kind of gave me a clue that he was somewhat interested but only if I was to come to him. Looking back I know that the best thing I could have did was try and cirle out around him and figure where his hen was wanitng to go and try and cut him off. I wasted at least 3 hours of my season figuring that out.

DOH!!

 

[dce]

The season starts too late lol.

 

[Uncle Johnny]

If he is gobbling away from you, move on him, calling them backwards aint gonna happen.

This. I worked a bird for more than an hour trying to get him to come in for my brother in law. I even tried retreating behind where by BIL was set up to make it seem like "the hen" was leaving the area, but that did not work. While I was in retreat, the bird ended up working his way to our right and climbing the hill. So we set up on him that way, and my lesson learned there was that I should have set my BIL up closer to where the bird was, and I should have stayed a little bit farther behind, scratching leaves. That bird just would not come any closer, and he ended up losing interest and flying off.

What I found out on more than one occasion with this bird is he had a hen with him, and he was not leaving her for anything. Just wondering if the bird would only gobble if you called to him. This kind of gave me a clue that he was somewhat interested but only if I was to come to him. Looking back I know that the best thing I could have did was try and cirle out around him and figure where his hen was wanitng to go and try and cut him off. I wasted at least 3 hours of my season figuring that out.

DOH!!

He would gobble sometimes when I called to him, and he would also gobble when I ignored him for a few minutes. I even ignored him for several minutes a couple of times in hopes that he would come looking for "the hen", and just when I thought he had left the area (because I had not heard him gobble in a while), he would let out another gobble.

It was the funnest and toughest time I ever had dueling with a bird in the spring season. Just wish it would have had a happy ending for my brother in law.

Pretty sure he was by himself though, because I did hear only him fly away.

 

[South872]

"The season starts too late lol."


same thing i hear every year. yet, somehow, thousands of guys silence gobblers in the month of May anyhow.

i chalk this right up there with the deer-rifle guys who say its 'unfair' that bowhunters get the best part of the year....

 

[Davy Crockett]

I learned that despite my namesake, I'm not as good a hunter as I thought I was.....not sure if that is going to help next year, but that's what I learned.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

Killed my first long beard with a crossbow a mission 400 at 18 yards. Called three in with a boxcall no blind no black hoody and no decoys. What did I learn.... all it takes is a little finer aim than a turkey gun.

Scott

Sounds like a great way to hunt. I also hunt without blinds and decoys. Hunting with a crossbow would add that little extra challenge. I may have to invest in a crossbow and give it a try. Congratulations.

 

[Shawnm]

Not to be over confident.The first week was outstanding for me.The 2nd and 3rd weeks were horrible.

 

[51542]

1. Regardless of the weather, get in the woods.
2. Never give up, even if you blow it, 5 minutes later you might be in business.
3. Even when they are with hens, they can still be killed.
4. A gobbler is going to do whatever it wants to do, whenever it wants to.... they don't play by our rules.
5. No matter how many precautions you take, you can still end up with lyme disease. If you get the flu in the spring, go to the doctor.
6. There still isn't a sweeter sound than a gobbler answering your call in the spring.

 

[Ole' Raspy]

Not to take 12ga. shells for a 20ga. gun..