Trying anything new/different this season?

[TurkeyRookie]

New deekes, and bringing the compound for tag #2 if opportunity presents itself.

[pmannat]

I'm going back to basics. Last year was my rookie year where i had great success with locating and calling in toms. Opening day i hesitated and missed a golden opportunity. Closing day i took a very careful 12 yrd shot and missed.

This year i plan on leaving the extended choke tube and 3" shells at home. Going with an old full choke single shot and 2 3/4 #5.

I fell into the marketing of 50 yrd shots etc. And found i have no trouble getting em in less than 25 yrds.

I patterned my load after missing last year at the 12 yrd mark and had a pattern no bigger than 4-5 " .
And of course lots of work at the range to come.

[KMG Canada]

Just purchased some new land we are planning to build on. Saw a lot of turkeys and deer on the land when we checked it out for purchase. Deal closes next week and can't wait to get out and scout it in depth! Also had a new hunter with me last year, who was successful, which has led to the opportunity for a new hunter to come out again this year with me. Very much looking forward to hopefully putting him on his first bird.

[pmannat]

You missed a target with a 4 inch wide projectile at12 yards and blaming marketing and the gun? Lol. I think you'll find the first time things dont go as planned and that birds hangs up at 40 yds you'll rethink that. (It will happen).Worse is if you decide to pull the trigger and knowing you hit him you watch him run or fly away. Keep a proper turkey set up and hit that range to practice shooting. A guy with a single shot set up like you're talking about wouldn't hit the woods with me. Even the scenario where he's close if there are other birds you now have to worry about bigger separation so flyers dont hit the other ones. A tight controlled pattern gives you more than just range.

You can have your opinion. A 4" pattern is only 2" on each side of center and need only be off a degree from center to be a miss. With my setup i have only single bead which allows for even more guessing. Ill be putting on a better sight system this year. And yes lots of range time as already said.

[pmannat]

Grumpy my goodness!

[punkrockerpj]

^i think this year, i'm not going to talk any failure on this board so i don't get attacked! yeesh.

[terrierman41]

Lol. Nothng wrong with a good ole miss punker. Sometimes those are the best tales. Problem is when guys learn from the internet instead of their Dad and grandpa like the old days. Their "mentor" is a computer screen and sometimes there is nothing wrong with calling some of that out. Tell it like it is and dont be sensitive. Straight words on a screen. Assess the words instead of trying to infer the emotion of the poster. Guess I could throw more of those emoticons in there (okay where's the one with the rolling eyes)

What does this and your other replies have to do with the title of this thread? Just sharing your profound wisdom?

[pmannat]

Sorry, this off track to the OP.
Wouldn't this board classify as learning online?

Anyway, water under the bridge.

I am first Gen. Don't have family or friends into the sport. I have done a lot of leg work getting in.

The one thing i wont change up this season is the leg work. Payed off big last year with scouting and patterning the birds behavior. I believe that's why i had good luck in getting em close. I didnt rely on the just them just being present on the property and calling. I got to where they liked to be already, before they did and just called to encourage sparingly.

I do appreciate the fact that people will blurt out anything that's on their mind on here, cuz in person they just scoff behind your back. At least hearing it is helpful. whether i listen or not is another story

[GW11]

Sorry, this off track to the OP.
Wouldn't this board classify as learning online?

Anyway, water under the bridge.

I am first Gen. Don't have family or friends into the sport. I have done a lot of leg work getting in.

The one thing i wont change up this season is the leg work. Payed off big last year with scouting and patterning the birds behavior. I believe that's why i had good luck in getting em close. I didnt rely on the just them just being present on the property and calling. I got to where they liked to be already, before they did and just called to encourage sparingly.

I do appreciate the fact that people will blurt out anything that's on their mind on here, cuz in person they just scoff behind your back. At least hearing it is helpful. whether i listen or not is another story

Sometimes things don't go as planned and none of us would learn anything if we didn't make mistakes along the way. It's easier to miss at 12 yards than it is at 25 with a shotgun. As a newer hunter and learning it on your own, you should consider last year a success for just having had a couple of close calls and opportunities. There is no shortage of success stories on here but the more humble and honest ones like yours are fewer and farther between and usually make for the best reading.

Try out your old single shot and see how it hits compared to your other gun. Take the one that ends up patterning the best.

[Oddmott]

Sorry, this off track to the OP.
Wouldn't this board classify as learning online?

Anyway, water under the bridge.

I am first Gen. Don't have family or friends into the sport. I have done a lot of leg work getting in.

The one thing i wont change up this season is the leg work. Payed off big last year with scouting and patterning the birds behavior. I believe that's why i had good luck in getting em close. I didnt rely on the just them just being present on the property and calling. I got to where they liked to be already, before they did and just called to encourage sparingly.

I do appreciate the fact that people will blurt out anything that's on their mind on here, cuz in person they just scoff behind your back. At least hearing it is helpful. whether i listen or not is another story

Pretty good outlook. Never let the negs get you down. If anyone ever claims they're without fault or mistakes when hunting... they've never made it off their front porch.

The hi-viz and double bead shotgun sights were born specifically because misses at closer ranges were "a thing". I don't think most people bother to pattern their shotgun at less than 20 yards... until they miss that bird at 10 yards. lol