GMMAT

1. How long do you think it would take turkeys to cover 2-300 yds on their normal, everyday pattern?

2. What if you're seen? Is it game over for the rest of the day in that area?

3. These turkeys are used to a "liitle" human intervention. The cattle farmer is there every day to feed. If they see me (moving).......might they just think I was there to feed?

Thanks.

SwampCollie

That depends on if they were in travel/search and breed or search and feed mode, or if they were just pecking along minding their scractching. I've seen a turkey cover 300 yards in not much more than a minute when they are motivated by what comes naturally in the spring.

Yes and no. The gobbling is probably over, but turkeys don't just take the ball and go home when they get bumped. The measure of a turkey hunter is how he responds when he gets beat. You just have to change stratigies and try and know where he went to.

Example.... in the spring of 2003, I was hunting on a farm in Sussex Co, VA with my Dad. He and I were having a pow-wow of sorts on an access road just off the field at about 9:30am when a gobbler ran out in the access road about 150 yards distant. There we stood, no facemasks, no nothing. The bird putted and ran down the road and I assumed into the 8 year cutover on the right hand side of the road. I took up arms and went after him. I went down to a spot where if I were a turkey I would have gone into the cutover. I sat and called VERY softly for about 30 minutes. At that point, I decided to get up and move around that block and try to call him through it, rather than back where he had been spooked (thats an important consideration!!!!). When I stood up, I heard a putt about 20 yards BEHIND me.... that bird had gone into the thick undergrowth on the left of the road, not the way I'd of thought he'd gone! For anyone keeping score, thats TWO bumps in less than an hour.

I got back on the road and ran down about 150 yards more where a gas line heads off to the right, dividing the thick stuff he was in. There was a large creek on the far side, the road on the opposite side and the field the bird had already been in behind. So the bird had to either go back to the field he was in earlier, out on the road where he was bumped twice, across the creek, or come out on the gas line (full of food) and to me.

IMPORTANT: I changed calls and calling tactics, and also put out the whore (hard body decoy). I set up and knew where he would come out if he did..... and I committed myself to that spot until 12... but it didn't take that long. I set up and gave it about 20 minutes just to settle down, then gave a very short run of yelps... then committed to clucks and purrs. It was a little warm, no wind. 15 minutes later, the bird showed himself at the end of the gasline about 70 yards to my right (but I was set up to shoot that way). He worked his way down very slowly, very cautiously, but never took his eyes off the decoy. I let him get close.... real close... and shot him at 15 yards (and dang near missed him to boot.... got him right on the back of the head with half the pattern (took most of his head off.... but it was a close call when your pattern is the size of a CD). Bird was at least 4 years old, 19#, 11.5" with matching 1 1/4" spurs. But more importantly I learned that a bird that has been bumped is not invinciable.... you just have to get ahead of him!


Maybe. Ever notice how deer will stand in the wide open when you are just there to horse around or scout or something similar... but when you are hunting its almost like they know why you are there and they can see the bow/gun in your hand? I suspect they pick up on body language and just as soon as humans try to sneak or the game thinks its been spotted, the gig is up and they will bolt.

MOTOWNHONKEY

Hey, what happened to passive, and less is more???? Thats the fun of hunting turkeys, you can be agressive. Just move slow. If they see you and are spooked you will know it. You can easily head off a flock of birds as long as you have some cover to move thru. You have to try stuff to learn if it will work for you. Always remember, Columbus took a chance.[8D]

GMMAT

Chris....I am a turkey hunting STOOGE. I am convinced I killed the dumbest turkey in the world last year.....and the rumor around the woodlot is he was gay.

I can not for the life of me figure out why a young, dumb bird wouldn't come to the sweet woo-ing of an admitted"easy" hen. My hen SCREAMS "I'm over here.....come do me".

And yet they persist in avoiding her.........

I am a stooge.

MC Bowhunter

Jeff,
I hunt Easterns down in southeast Oklahoma and they can flat out cover some ground. That's why I don't go after them with my bow. Just to much of a pain to haul the blind around all day and set it up several times.
They can cover 300 yards in just a couple minutes if they want too.

I have had them see me and spooke but in a while they will start to gobble again. So I wouldn't say game over.

GMMAT

I'm wondering ......if they are on their normal feeding pattern, though......how long it would take them to cover that expanse.

If I go unseen......how long for them to get to the new spot I'm trying to cut them off in?

MN/Kyle

I couldn't tell you. I'm not even sure there IS an average. It depends on the day. But, if you see them moving, can't you gauge how long it will take them to get there?

MC Bowhunter

How far is the spot you want to set up from the roost?

I would say it depends on the competition the gobblers are getting in the area.

Are you running and gunning or just setting up one time and hope they come your way?

GMMAT

Initially......I'm hoping ot get one off the roost. But.....if I'm unsuccessful, there.....I'd like to get to the next spot.....which is 2-300 yds away.

MC Bowhunter

If you canmove in some cover go for it. I have been walking through the woods many times and stop and call and have one answer me less than50 yards away that I didn't know was even in the area. It just depends on the lay of the land.If you are in the open just be careful of them seeing you. I think you would have to be pretty close to them to run them off.