So who else messed up big time today

I really got busted today turkey wise

Went out to my usual blind 10:00 am. See down
The field flock in front of another wood raised blind 400yd down the pasture. Work my way down actually got in the blind 6. Birds out front 3 toms 1 Jake 2 hens I haven’t been in this blind for 4 years buddy uses it for control hunts
Step up to windows safety off picking bird I want. Step on a crumpled up empty water bottle. Well might as well lite fire cracker in each birds butt they took off so fast

Sat there for hour half no activity so go up to house grab sandwich and a coffee go back to same blind 2:30 in afternoon 3:00 o’clock see at least 6 birds in front of my blind that’s 400yd at other end argh

Oh well watched 3 rabbits eating clover. And long season yet

oh man tough luck!

was the water bottle yours? or buddy left it there from the controlled hunt? youll get one, im going out tomorrow morning then heading home to go to bed before work at 10pm haha. should be fun!

Buddy’s. he’s apparently a pig

No hunt is a messed up hunt. Just an oppurtunity to learn what not to do for the next one.
Got out yesturday just as the rain stoped picked a tree in the dark and waited for the show to start. Just my luck the tree I picked was the home of a hawk's nest. At sunrise they thought it was a good time to tell me I wasn't wanted there. Was planning my move when the gobbling started. As it was any move would have me busted more than then the screaming hawk. Watched 10 birds dance on the far hill. Had to wait till they dropped behind it to relocated down the fence where I stopped at the first ridge line stead of creeping down another 30 yards to the second ridge. Let out a few calls and saw a good bird start to make his way to me. Lost sight of him as he got towards the bottom of the valley but fully expected him to pop over the crest of the ridge. Well he only exposed his head as he circled around me just below the crest and crossed the fence. Behind me he struted a nice bird 6-8 inch beard but no shot through the fence. He moved off after a while and when he did I started to get up to stretch my legs. In mid rise caught a glimpse of 3 birds come over the rise behind me. I froze hunched over and watched them come into view. Turned out to be all Jakes. They looked awefully small maybe because I had watched a couple of big toms for most of the morning so gave them a pass.
Wind picked up, ice pellets satarted to fall and movement died. Called it at 1 pm beaten but not defeated will be back friday with a better plan on friday.

I do not see any stories of messed up hunts - only very cool adventures out in the woods that most people would never experience if they were not hunters! Keep 'em coming! These kinds of adventures are a blast to read.

I had a mother porcupine and 2 little ones waddle out in front of me one year during a turkey hunt. I had more fun watching them for an hour than trying to un-successfully call in a gobbler.

Well I wouldn't say I messed up today, just not the best luck i guess haha. Went in at about 545ish, walked the field edge to the fence line where I set my butt pillow up, walked in the field a bit to set my decoy up, I look up, there's 8 deer, walking on the other side of the field edge eating, not even 35 yards from me, one looked up at me, I stopped pushing my decoy into the ground and froze it looked back down and kept eating, as I look down i hear a crash, a fawn comes running out the bush and catches up to the herd. Very cool to see, well I go back to my spot, let out some chirps with my new diaphragm call, hear the slightest gobble in the distance. Okay cool, let out a few more, and out comes 3 hens, walking around chirping back at my calls. One hen decides to walk from the field edge over to my side and into the bush beside me. The other one stays in the middle of the field, then, I hear a loud gobble and I freeze. I see a puffed Jake walk out of the bush on the other side of the field, strutting around, looking like he's floating walking around. I give out a couple more chirps and purrs, dammit it, he's following the other hen back into the bush he came from. I desperately try and give some more chirps to get his attention back to my decoy but I guess he likes making love to the live decoys and not the plastic dead ones haha.

After all of this. I go to check my trail cameras I've left here for a couple weeks and havent had a chance to pull the cards. I pull the cards look on my laptop, I dont wanna look. I have pictures of flocks of turkeys in the bush WHY AM I HUNTING THE FIELD EDGES. Live and learn hahaha. Will be back on one of my days off to hunt the bush this time.

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It's never a messed up hunt, just an opportunity to stay in the field longer....stay at it....

My son took a shot at a Jake with a crossbow yesterday morning, clean miss.....but....if he had of nailed him, he wouldn't have been able to bag the bruiser Tom we took later in the day. So he was quite happy with the miss as it turned out....

TJ

I spooked a decent sized jake at about 40 yard by shifting my weight (slightly). I'm happy I didn't get a chance to pull the trigger because once I got home and checked the cards from my trail cam I realized there are a number of MUCH bigger toms in the same spot most evenings courting a few hens. Plan has now shifted from morning to evening hunts which works better with my work schedule anyways!

I went out this morning for the first time, since the county I hunt doesn't allow Sunday gun hunting.
Unfortunately, didn’t see any birds, just heard 1 gobbler faintly in the distance. Still, a nice morning to be out!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by anfield21

I spooked a decent sized jake at about 40 yard by shifting my weight (slightly). I'm happy I didn't get a chance to pull the trigger because once I got home and checked the cards from my trail cam I realized there are a number of MUCH bigger toms in the same spot most evenings courting a few hens. Plan has now shifted from morning to evening hunts which works better with my work schedule anyways!

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this is the same for me! it seems theyre walking through my cameras at about 430. ill post a picture in a few minutes i need to get it off my laptop !


[COLOR=#FFFFFF]https://i.imgur.com/MiWp54s.jpg

[COLOR=#FFFFFF]https://i.imgur.com/DB8ekoL.jpg

[COLOR=#FFFFFF]i also got a picture of a all white wolf?

[COLOR=#FFFFFF]https://i.imgur.com/HP4cypF.jpg[COLOR=#FFFFFF]

just a fyi, these cameras were left at these spots for a while didnt get to change or pull the cards until today

Thanks for sharing. I have had a few turkey blunders myself... lol

Going to try an afternoon hunt this week. Getting up at 3am on opening day didn't happen... lol

White wolf cool picture.
Wow cold sit this morning. Walking out two toms in front of a different raised box blind. I hate chasing spots

failures is how you learn in all areas. cherish them or be doomed to repeat them. if you experience hurt from the experience, thats a good thing. it'll stick in your memory for next time.

I'm no newbie to turkey hunting but got busted all the same. Decided on a time to pull decoys and head home, allowed an extra 15-20 minutes on top of that time because of course had I picked up at the decided time the birds would spot me... ok , so I have a good look around ( just in case ) and finally sneak out into the field to retrieve my dekes and yes I am totally in cammo/ghillie suit. As I am picking up I see a bird jump up and fly off over the bluffs as I am on Lake Erie. He would be at 100 yards plus from me. That was my Opener. Day Two; I sat in my other blind way over on the West side of the field figuring I would "rest" the East blind and didn't see a thing. Oh well.... season just started !

Yesterday afternoon was my turn to screw up. Had a good feeling about a blind we have set up for afternoon hunts on the ridge they travel to go to the roost. I got in and called off and on for an hour or so and didn't see or hear anything. Impatience got the best of me and I decided to move downhill close to the swamp where there's a cut corn field on the adjacent property. On my way there I spooked 2 hens from the field below the blind ( but not visible from the blind), mistake number one.

I got down in the bush between the swamp and cut corn field and gave a few yelps. While sitting there listening for a response, I saw a spot 20 yards ahead that would be a better shooting position so I figured I still had time to move quickly and quietly. As soon as I stood up I heard "putt, putt" from my right and there was a bird with a nice beard running up the fence line of the cut corn field heading away from me. He must have been right there when I started calling, and he was making for the gap in the fence to come over to the property. He wouldn't have been 50 yards away when I stood up.

I tried a few other tricks before heading home but then the storms rolled in. That's happened so many times (not knowing a gobbler was close until I stood) I'm surprised I haven't learned to be more patient with turkeys, but it sure keeps you coming back.

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I'd like to add that this would be a great thread to continue throughout the season to highlight our blunders.

Success stories are great, but stories that end with the hunter on the losing end are great confidence boosters for those having bad luck or looking to tag their first one. Great entertainment too!

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Turkey hunting involves mistakes, failures, and a "learning curve" that take years. There is absolutely no way around this.
Yes, good tutoring, reading books/articles, watching youtube vids, and forums like this help gaining knowledge to a certain degree; but time in the field, learning "live", and having the patience to develop your own skills is a must.
And, Lady Luck may strike any well seasoned & savvy hunter, at any time!

I got up at 4am..went turkey hunting in my freezer..got a bagged one..and went back to bed..and had a few beers the next day watching it on the rotissierie..