# run and gun or sit and wait?



## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

Sit and wait. Preferrably in a tree stand since they have not been educated to look up yet.


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## FireDoc66 (Oct 9, 2005)

:lol::lol::lol:

This is quickly becoming a favorite thread of mine.


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## triple-e (Nov 2, 2010)

I usually sit and wait at first light. If nothing happens in the morning i run and gun. Majority of the properties i hunt are already being hunted hard. So run and gun works best for me no decoys

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## michhutr (Jan 16, 2009)

Don't forget to wear your high top boots while turkey hunting or talking to a turkey hunter.


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## woodsman52 (Apr 29, 2012)

a bunch of thought provoking responses that i think makes us all better hunters.of course,i have bumped birds on the move but thats all part of it.i like to move slow,a couple yelps every 75-100 yards and follow a treeline if possible.i also take a quick look before i call for available cover,i case i have to sight down right now.i carry one hen decoy,but i will not risk planting it if i feel there is any chance of getting busted.its fun to talk to the birds,but there is no dought in my mind that after sparking their interest,the quiet eats em up and will put more birds on the ground and you will have less hangups.dont get me wrong,to have the shelter,freedom of movement,comfy chair etc of a blind is nice.also great for the folks that dont get around to good for whatever reason.just a personell choice.thanks fellas and good hunting.


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## hawkeman20 (Jan 11, 2013)

I always roost birds in the evening and set up on them first thing in the morning. After the birds are on the grounds and decided not to come in, I run and gun, have had great luck both ways. I normally check fields I can hunt after 11 or so, a lot of times they are out there without the hens, and are much easier to convince in.


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## ezcaller (Feb 21, 2009)

Dedgoose, I dont know what you mean by fancy contest calling. The object is to sound as close to a real turkey as possible. Which some of the contest callers have perfected. This question has been going on since the beginning of turkey hunting and will continue. My tendency to be aggressive is strictly based on what I enjoy about turkey hunting and that is hearing birds gobble and being able to move .


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

ezcaller said:


> Dedgoose, I dont know what you mean by fancy contest calling. The object is to sound as close to a real turkey as possible. Which some of the contest callers have perfected. This question has been going on since the beginning of turkey hunting and will continue. My tendency to be aggressive is strictly based on what I enjoy about turkey hunting and that is hearing birds gobble and being able to move .


C'mon man.. Who on here recommends Rays books to every new hunter asking for advice.. Everything I posted was the arguments in the book Eye gets whereever he goes..


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## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

have only hunted turkey once before , about ten years ago. i will say i am going to sit and wait.
my reason,,,i'm in my 60's,,,if i was in my 40's i'd run and gun. something about a nice comfy tree to sit and lean up against that has become more important the last few years,,,lol:lol:


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## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

DEDGOOSE said:


> Totally agree.. A few days of calling and they will not gobble.. But either know they know its a human making the sounds, they will continue to strut and taunt us hunters, very arrogant birds..
> 
> That 60 yard barrier is very common.. They most likely have been shot at a few times and just hold that distance knowing they are safe and very few guns can take them at that range..


 lol doesn;t that sugjest they came in too close at least once and got killed?:SHOCKED:


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## woodsman52 (Apr 29, 2012)

john,my take on dedgoose,s statement is if they are pressured,have listened to heavy calling,heard the big boom having been shot at,and possibly had some shot bounce off em or have been wounded they will of course be very wary.they will keep that experience in their turkey roladex and tend to hang up at 60-80 yards.


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

:lol:

Nothing I have stated in this thread is of my opinion


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## pirate959 (Mar 23, 2011)

When I am confident in the homework I do, I like to call in the morning then try to get a head of movement using decoys and pop ups. Little work, but ideal. Dedgoose's calling is perfect. I feel that calls are where hunters screw up. I did it for years.

New area and not a lot of private land, I always move and only use ground blind in rain. Once I think I finally figured things out, see above. If lots of private, I find patterns are easy to figure out in one day. Sign is easy to come by.


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## pirate959 (Mar 23, 2011)

woodsman52 said:


> john,my take on dedgoose,s statement is if they are pressured,have listened to heavy calling,heard the big boom having been shot at,and possibly had some shot bounce off em or have been wounded they will of course be very wary.they will keep that experience in their turkey roladex and tend to hang up at 60-80 yards.


I find birds by private land just hate calls, hunting pressure is not needed. They are feed, people common. When far from people calls work and hunting pressure an applies.

Any thoughts? Sorry to open this can of worms.


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

I think Tom's quote is "there are no call shy birds, just people shy birds".

I believe this to be true. It's not like once they have a bad experience with a call that they will now stay away from real birds and go into seclusion for the remainder of their days.

I think too many people equate "I called and they didn't come" to a call shy bird.


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## EdB (Feb 28, 2002)

When turkey hunting, there is always the right time to get up and move and the right time to keep your butt planted and be patient. Hunters who are consistently successful have a knack for making the right decision. 

But even the most experienced turkey hunters have made the wrong decision at times. You get up and bust a bird silently headed your way or sit there patiently as the birds leave the immediate area. I like to cover a lot of ground turkey hunting but knowing when to be patient is one of the most important skills for turkey hunting.

If you made the right decision everytime and the turkeys never won, it would not be that fun hunting them.


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## michhutr (Jan 16, 2009)

EdB said:


> When turkey hunting, there is always the right time to get up and move and the right time to keep your butt planted and be patient. Hunters who are consistently successful have a knack for making the right decision.
> 
> But even the most experienced turkey hunters have made the wrong decision at times. You get up and bust a bird silently headed your way or sit there patiently as the birds leave the immediate area. I like to cover a lot of ground turkey hunting but knowing when to be patient is one of the most important skills for turkey hunting.
> 
> If you made the right decision everytime and the turkeys never won, it would not be that fun hunting them.


That's what make's turkey hunting so exciting. Just when you think you have it figured out the birds pull a fast one on you. Sometimes covering ground and hammering the heck out of them gets the response you want. Other times it's the give them less that will bring them in. Sometimes nothing seems to work and other times you sit down call once and they can't run in fast enough.

Every year a new adventure awaits me. Nothing like it. I remember when you could only hunt until noon so the rest of the day we would fish. I rarely hunt later than 2 pm. Ambushing them from a blind as they go to roost just doesn't do it for me. Everyone hunt as you wish as long as it's legal. But if you want to get the thrill of your life try walking and talking and let the fun begin.


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## brownitsdown84 (Jan 19, 2009)

I usually sit where i spotted them the night before. Go out an hour before first light and set up my decoys. Wait until they're in sight or i hear them to start calling. I've never walked around in fear of being spotted.. If i see them in the other field and i know i can make a stalk without giving myself away i might try it only if the conditions are right but The last thing i need is for my birds to see me and then call the next woodlot over home... I want them in my spot therefore i let the guys that hunt he next woods over do all of the walking


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## TheLionsFan (Dec 20, 2011)

I prefer sitting, waiting, being patient.


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