I sat full of anticipation as thunderous gobbles filled the air on the clear crisp morning.  The longbeard was cutting off my calls and working in slowly but surely to my hidden ambush.  The decoys danced in the slight breeze creating the illusion of life.  My arms ached from holding the shotgun in the same position for what seemed like and eternity.  Finally, the gobbler broke into the clearing and immediately hit full strut as he spotted my perfectly placed decoys.  Ever so slowly, I applied pressure to the trigger as the bird came to within twenty yards.  Just at that point, the phone rang and ruined my perfect daydream.

While I was at work today I was doing what I normally do…thinking about hunting.  I was thinking about turkey hunting in particular.  With the season fast approaching, I was reminiscing in my mind about turkeys harvested and the ones that got away.  Today I was focusing on the ones that escaped my shotgun and how they managed to get away.  The harder I thought I came to realize that the majority of the “misses” were not actually misses but hunts where the turkeys made me appear to be a “greenhorn”.  Sure, I have done my share of bad shooting, but I would have to say that I have been skunked way more often than I have made a poor shot.  I have decided to share some of the amateur ways that turkeys have made me look absolutely foolish. 

Impatience

I would have to say that the number one reason for not bagging a turkey would have to be impatience.  Sitting still may not be one of my strong points when I am chasing gobblers.  I love to “run and gun” and cover ground in search of birds.  I find myself asking, "If the turkeys aren’t responding in one hollow, then why not hike over the hill and call some more"?  Another move that can make or break a turkey hunter is moving on a gobbler.  There are so many variables that mistakes can easily be made by the hunter.  Is the turkey closer or farther away than you think?  Sometimes the terrain may fool your ears and you are moving on a turkey that is already close enough to kiss (or shoot for that matter).  Sometimes it just pays to sit tight and wait the bird out (an example of patience).  An example of patience would be an area we hunt that we have nicknamed “The Flat”.  The flat is just as the name implies; a flat area on top of a hill that is intersected by a power line.  It is the only open area of the woods in that area and it makes a great area for gobblers to strut their stuff.  As a bonus, there is a perfect natural blind that conveniently seats two hunters.  As a rule, if things are slow my brother and I head to the flat to hang out, call way too much and have some lunch.  We set out the decoys and basically hang out and try to stir up some action.  This is an example of forced patience.  We head to the flat knowing that we will be sitting still for at least an hour.  This has paid off on several occasions where gobblers have come in to the calls or we stirred up some hens that brought their boyfriends in tow.  It can pay dividends to cast away impatience and sit tight.

Bad Set-Ups

How many times have you been calling and been caught flat-footed by a gobbler that thunders back to your calling?  What do you do?  You immediately search for a place to sit down and start working the bird.  This sometimes can be the beginning of the end.  Even if the bird gobbles close enough to shake you in your camo, try to sit in the best possible spot for a shot.  This may only mean moving an extra foot or two to allow you a better shot or increased visibility.  You could also sit in a spot that offers you better concealment keeping you hidden from the wary eyes of a turkey.  Remember, the gobbler is going to come in looking for a hen.  He is not coming in with his eyes closed or walking backwards.  The bird is intently searching for the source of the sweet sounds that he thinks is a receptive hen, so try your best to be concealed.  The second kind of bad set-up is the most painful.  It is the one that after you have lost your chance at the turkey you say “Why didn’t I sit somewhere else”???  Sometimes as turkey hunters we make poor decisions when we are under no duress to kill a bird.  At these times no snap decision needs to be made, we just plum choose a bad spot.  This spot can be poor because of terrain features, poor positioning or just lack of knowledge of the turkey habits for that area you are hunting.  This leads to the next problem area.

Scouting

What can you say about doing your homework?  If you didn’t pay attention in school, you probably didn’t get very good grades unless you were pretty darn smart.  The same applies to the turkey woods.  Go to school (the woods) and study, study, study.  Learn the terrain of the woods.  Know where the fences, streams, valleys and any other features are located.  Pattern the birds you are hunting.  Where do they roost, feed, strut and spend the majority of their time.  Turkeys are like the earth; they move in one big circular pattern.  The circle may not be the same every single day, but the birds definitely have an agenda that can be learned through vigorous scouting.  You also need to acquire permission on as many different properties as possible.  You can quickly burn out a hunting spot.  If things aren’t happening in one area, it is nice to be able to move quickly to another area and resume hunting.  Sometimes an area a few hundred yards away can make the difference when turkey hunting.  Other times, a spot a half hour away can be paradise compared to the spot you just vacated.  Try your best to get permission, it never hurts to ask.  Do your best to scout the area you intend to hunt; lack of scouting will not give you the chance to sling a longbeard over your shoulder. 

Overall, I would have the say that impatience, bad set-ups and poor scouting have caused me quite a few longbeards over the years.  As the saying goes, “learn from your mistakes”.  For me, hunting has always been one huge learning experience.  Have I made the same mistake twice? Heck yeah.  I have probably made it four or five times.  But over the years, I have learned a thing or two that have put a few gobblers on the ground and hopefully you can learn from my mistakes.

Good Hunting.