A Heaping Pile of Regret!

So... a couple years ago, my turkey hunting partner (brother) and I shared the biggest screw up of our hunting lives.

We scouted perfectly, we set up perfectly, we called so well that we pissed off a hen who came right to our setup and took over calling for us, eventually drawing in 2 big toms....

The following vid is how we managed to screw it all up. Shared with the world for the first time in 2 years - we've been too embarrassed to tell anyone but our closest friends till now. lol

https://youtu.be/ezcZoZi6vmk

This is what *can* happen when you get caught in the moment and overthink things.
We'd checked out our hunting spot, we stepped out 30 yards, we knew where the birds travelled... and yet once we were settled down in our blind, sitting low to the ground, the little rolls and knolls in the field tricked our eyes into thinking these birds were out at 50 yards.


They were, in fact, sitting at 30-35 yards and begging us to bag a double.


We second guessed ourselves for far too long and then our chance was gone completely.


*facepalm*


It was a hunt we'll never forget!


PS: Sorry about the blue language. When brothers get together, and game species enter their sights... it's only a matter of time until the swears start to fly.

That was brutal, I felt my heart pounding just watching I couldnt imagine what it would have been like in your blind. Live and learn, better you let them go then risk a bad shot. That took nerves of steel though. Great set up and calling though.🖒

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Good video! I wouldn't call that much of a screw up. Just an incorrect yardage estimate. Lots of people screw up on the other side of that all the time. They shoot thinking it's 30 or 40 yards and ot turns out to be 60.

Too bad. That's why I always bring a range finder with me.

Good video,shhhitt happens.

Think you made the right call. From what I saw I wouldn't have taken the shot either. If it wasn't the hen, shrubbery, or the other Tom never had a clean shot.

Great video. In my opinion at about the 14.20 mark I would have stopped calling .thy were cl8se enough to see the decoys and can tell were the call is coming from . once thy see the decoys stop calling and let the decoys work for you.still gets the heart pounding.

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Originally Posted by dutchhunter

Great video. In my opinion at about the 14.20 mark I would have stopped calling .thy were cl8se enough to see the decoys and can tell were the call is coming from . once thy see the decoys stop calling and let the decoys work for you.still gets the heart pounding.

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I don't know. With a hen in play going silent may have let the her slip to the toms and all exit stage left. Think the calling kept the hen from wandering away.

Ya been there done that, still an experience I'll never forget. TFS


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Originally Posted by JMatthews

Too bad. That's why I always bring a range finder with me.

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Range Finders are for pussies.
Or bow hunters.
;-)
I'm neither. No, but seriously, had he come 5ft closer we'd have been "OH! He's right there!" Where he was just tricked both of us.

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Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers

Think you made the right call. From what I saw I wouldn't have taken the shot either. If it wasn't the hen, shrubbery, or the other Tom never had a clean shot.

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Otto11 was on the gun, I was on the camera. The twigs weren't as bad as the camera made them seem. I don't think i'd have been very concerned with them even shooting my 20ga.

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Originally Posted by finsfurfeathers

I don't know. With a hen in play going silent may have let the her slip to the toms and all exit stage left. Think the calling kept the hen from wandering away.

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This was our thoughts. Less about the toms and more about keeping that hen engaged and upset about this mystery hen on her turf. There were other jakes and toms nearby too, so there was always a possibility that keeping her angry would bring in more.

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Originally Posted by Redplaid

Ya been there done that, still an experience I'll never forget. TFS

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But you'd like to forget... wouldn't ya? lol

Haha, yup.


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Weird. Been forever since i uploaded to youtube. It asked if i wanted to apply an auto-stabilizer to my video... i okay'd it. And it condensed the video from 14 mins to 2:30.
LMAO

Didn't think it was THAT shaky! I reverted to the original. Too much great footage of that strutter was lost.

It happens to all of us. Take it as a learning experience, that might make you feel better LOL If I had a quarter for every time a Tom found a way not to die, I would be a rich man LOL. But i know how you feel its hard to swallow doesn't matter how much time goes bye.

Great video. I've had quite a few "blew it" hunts but still enjoyed them and learned a little for next hunt. Hearing that gobbling approaching is a rush like no other.

That brought back extremely vivid memories of my bungle last spring when I had 3 boss toms all within 20 yards. I thought I'd finally put it all behind me, but I guess I'll be phoning my therapist now... ;)

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Originally Posted by ninepointer

That brought back extremely vivid memories of my bungle last spring when I had 3 boss toms all within 20 yards. I thought I'd finally put it all behind me, but I guess I'll be phoning my therapist now... ;)

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Oh that sounds like there's a story there!
Forget the therapist... Best to talk it out.... Here!

Hind sight is 20/20... Been there a few times myself...Good exciting video.

Great video, especially on a -13 day. My heart was doing a little racing just watching.

I followed those 2 damn birds for an entire month and could never call them in again or even get in front to ambush. Oh the memories.

Great video and hunt none the less.

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Originally Posted by Oddmott

Range Finders are for pussies.
Or bow hunters.
;-)
I'm neither. No, but seriously, had he come 5ft closer we'd have been "OH! He's right there!" Where he was just tricked both of us.



Otto11 was on the gun, I was on the camera. The twigs weren't as bad as the camera made them seem. I don't think i'd have been very concerned with them even shooting my 20ga.



This was our thoughts. Less about the toms and more about keeping that hen engaged and upset about this mystery hen on her turf. There were other jakes and toms nearby too, so there was always a possibility that keeping her angry would bring in more.

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It happens, hind sight is 20 / 20.

if I can offer a couple pointers.

place your tom out 20 yards looking back at the blind and the hen deke about 12 yards in between you.

the calling in close was unnessary, sounds like you guys where using a box call.. Learn to master te mouth call, use a slate and softer purrs when birds are inside 100 yards to seal the deal. The tone of your calls was confrontation not reassurance to those birds.

100% when a hen comes into your set up DO NOT CALL. She will lead other birds away everytime.

The best scenario is she gets disinterested and leaves, the Toms follow behind check out your set up. If she's the boss hen there is a 99% chance she would of been first hen bred off the roost in the morn and those 2 looking for w new hen.

I have no idea how many doubles we've pulled off over the last decade, but I do know what works and what doesn't from experience.

Good luck 2017...

Great video, it's what you call a learning experience, we have all been there.
You said you paced out to 30yds but you got caught up in the excitement but it was still a great encounter with the birds it teaches what not to do next time.

I have good luck with setting distance markers pre-season

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Good video for sure.....I would like to say I think the two longbeards would have come close enough for a shot if you would have had just the single hen decoy.....I know that people have success with strutter decoys but I really believe it makes more toms hang up....its kinda like going out to a bar and seeing a beautiful woman that you wanna talk too but then you see her big boyfriend....I think thats what happened in your situation....Just my thoughts....if I was going to use a decoy setup Id use a jake with a hen in the breeding position.....Good luck this spring...

I have found that my Jake decoy has scared off as many Turkeys as it has lured one in. That's with a Jake with a small 1 inch beard. I think your decoy kept those 2 Toms at a distance from you.

Gotta agree with you guys about that motion-tail jake. I'm not sure why toms react that way to it... but it certainly hasn't helped us get any birds in close. We even went to the effort of putting a real jake tail on it, hoping the realism would help... but there's been no noticeable effect.

He's also a pain in the to haul around. lol
I'm probably just going to invest in a top quality hen and even then most likely hunt without decoys.

Great footage

I'll echo what others have said - my rangefinder has saved my behind on more than one turkey hunt. It's very easy to range trees/rocks around your set up (even if you set up quickly on a gobbling bird). I find birds always look closer than they actually are, especially in open areas. My last miss (in 2016) was on a longbeard that was departing the scene - I thought he was 45 meters, more like 60 meters plus and I shot right under him.

I also use the pot calls (usually slate, but have aluminum and crystal too) for the "tight work". Slate excels at quiet purrs and clucks, which is all you really need to get at that range. The vast majority of my birds in recent years have met their demise from my slate call.

Sometimes nothing works. If the hen(s) decide to move on, often the best calling in the world won't make the toms commit.

Great video and any turkey hunter that hasn't made mistakes is either a liar or not done much turkey hunting to start with. The only thing that I do is when I'm staking my decoys, I'll range them and put out no further that 15 yards, but I also try to find brush or sticks that I range out that are further out. And, when I say range, no rangefinder, I just pace it off and "ballpark" the range....

So far so good...

Great video regardless, victory in itself,

TurkeyJohn

I keep watching this vid and it's just ramping my trigger finger itch to all-time high levels.

Unbelievably stoked to get cracking on this season's turkey hunt.

The winter flocks on our land(s) disappeared over a month ago, but there's been the odd sighting of a pair of toms here and there.
On our snowshoe hikes I've seen carcasses from 6 mature birds, just in February... and that's just in a small section of bush that the kids can manage to walk through. I'm sure the coyote carnage has been pretty devastating this winter. Not hopeful that we'll have plentiful flocks, nor vocal toms, again this season.

Oh well, just means a more engaged and educational hunt!

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Originally Posted by Oddmott

Gotta agree with you guys about that motion-tail jake. I'm not sure why toms react that way to it... but it certainly hasn't helped us get any birds in close. We even went to the effort of putting a real jake tail on it, hoping the realism would help... but there's been no noticeable effect.

He's also a pain in the to haul around. lol
I'm probably just going to invest in a top quality hen and even then most likely hunt without decoys.

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Dont give up on your strutter, we've had many Toms come across fields on the dead run and attack it.

My B mobiles got a small Tom fan on it, and a short 5" real beard... I've also painted the head more red and white and use him on select hunts.

He really seems to work best first time a flock of birds see him in a spot where Toms and Strut.

5 jakes once flew off the roost straight into him attacked him, I put an arrow threw one and the other 4 just stood there pecking at him.

i was like how stupid can these birds be !

Ive also got some cool video of a hen coming in and laying down ready to breed inches in front of him laying waiting for him to mount her.

BUT if your calls don't sound real your decoys don't look real either.

Was there a slight rise in front of you? Never give up the high ground and especially so if running decoys. Best of luck this spring

funny how different decoys work differently for folks. I know a very successful hunter that always runs the biggest Strutter decoy I have ever seen and scores consistently. I got to say I like the B Mobile if nothing more than pulling on the string and making the tail go up and down provides me with hours of entertainment.

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Originally Posted by STUBBLE BUM

Was there a slight rise in front of you? Never give up the high ground and especially so if running decoys. Best of luck this spring

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ this

That entire little field slopes down on all sides. There is no high ground to hold there. Birds can and do come from any direction so setting up in the middle of the field is not an option, as we don't use enclosed blinds.

Otto11 has been sending me scouting reports each day this week. Sounds like the birds are settling into the same rhythm they've had on our properties for the last 2 seasons. Which is good to know, but kinda sucks for us considering it means 5 days out of 7 the biggest group roosts over a road, on a neighbour's property we don't always have permission to hunt.

But it's close to this same meadow featured in the video... so i'm sure we'll be spending plenty of time back there again this year. lol

If the main flock roosts across road once hens start to sit on their nests and break up you may find good hunting in your private meadow right in the middle of the day... Turkeys have a routine try pattern where they like to be at different times ( I put trail cams on gates ) and it makes picking a location to call from very successful

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Originally Posted by Monster29/66

If the main flock roosts across road once hens start to sit on their nests and break up you may find good hunting in your private meadow right in the middle of the day... Turkeys have a routine try pattern where they like to be at different times ( I put trail cams on gates ) and it makes picking a location to call from very successful

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In past years I haven't had time (or much interest in suffering the bugs) for later season hunts.
This year, with all I've learned, I aim to change that and put in at least 4-6 days of mid-late season hunting.

I've had great success in the late season as well. Not necessarily as much gobbling, but male birds are moving pretty much all day looking for hens. Best part is that you don't usually have to defeat multiple pairs of eyes as often they are on their own.

The bugs definitely suck, but if you can find an open field edge with a nice breeze it is manageable. I know folks rave about the Thermocell, but I haven't tried one yet - a little leery of breathing those fumes for hours on end, perhaps I am just paranoid.

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Originally Posted by Oddmott

In past years I haven't had time (or much interest in suffering the bugs) for later season hunts.
This year, with all I've learned, I aim to change that and put in at least 4-6 days of mid-late season hunting.

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Grab a Thermacell and set up a blind and bugs will never be an issue for you in turkey season again. At least not while you're sitting and it's calm out.

Last year I went into one of my spots in the late season. Walking through a pre-dawn field full of wet knee high grass, the bugs were like something out of a horror movie. I didn't bother with bug spray at all. When I got to where I wanted to be, I tucked in under a cedar branch and set the Thermacell beside me and never saw a bug again until I got up to change spots. They really do work.

As mentioned above about the fumes... I would be more worried about what you can catch from mosquitoes than Thermacell fumes.

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I have a thermocell. They do work, but man just more crap to haul around and potentially break/lose.

Anyone know if they work vs mites?

I don't believe so OddMott. I soak all my clothing in Permethrin for the crawling beasts