1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, presented by first Light, 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. 4 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: First Light Go farther, stay Longer, and now your host 5 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,240 Speaker 2: Hey everyone, welcome to the wire to Hunt Foundations podcast, 7 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 2: which is brought to you by first Light. I'm your host, 8 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 2: Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all about how to 9 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:40,880 Speaker 2: hunt turkeys that have already been hunted real hard. All right. 10 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 2: It is the last of the bonus turkey content that 11 00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:46,239 Speaker 2: I'm going to give you this week. Now, if you're 12 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 2: feeling a strong desire to go out and shoot a 13 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:50,480 Speaker 2: tom in the face of your twelve gage, or maybe 14 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 2: try to run an arrow through his midsection, feel free 15 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 2: to head on over to the meteater dot com to 16 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 2: check out a bunch of other turkey hunting content, or 17 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 2: take advantage of our Turkey Week sale that is going on. 18 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:05,840 Speaker 2: You're gonna find steep discounts on a ton of good stuff. 19 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 2: But also see that that's going to end real soon, 20 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 2: so if you want some new gear, you better get 21 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 2: over there now, all right. This podcast is a fun 22 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 2: one for me, and I hope you enjoy it too. 23 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 2: I think that there is such a variability and the 24 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 2: difficulty of hunting different creatures that it pays to seek 25 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 2: out something that is closely related to your reality, if 26 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 2: that makes any sense at all. Well, when it comes 27 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 2: to spring turkeys, the whole thing often looks so easy 28 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 2: because it often is. Turkeys are dumb and unpressured turkeys 29 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 2: are dumber than dumb. They're wonderful to hunt because they 30 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 2: act like we hope turkeys will act. But there are 31 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 2: also birds that just know how to survive due to 32 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 2: hunting pressure, and while they don't act like dumb birds, 33 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 2: they do have plenty of weaknesses you can exploit. That's 34 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 2: what this episode is all about. So here we go. 35 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 2: The weirdest thing that exists, at least in my opinion, 36 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 2: in hunting, is the general belief that most of us 37 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 2: are good at this stuff, or I guess you know, 38 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 2: to put it in another way, there doesn't seem to 39 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 2: be a general understanding of the talent differential in hunting 40 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 2: that there are in so many other pursuits. I'm sure 41 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 2: you have all met someone who is naturally athletically gifted 42 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:28,040 Speaker 2: Some people just are, and they excel through their careers 43 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 2: until they start to meet more and more people who 44 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 2: share their gift. Then it boils down to discipline, to 45 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 2: have hard work ethic that you know it's going to 46 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 2: help you outshine the rest of the talent pool. We 47 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 2: accept that in football and baseball and hockey and basketball 48 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 2: and cricket and probably golf and a whole bunch of 49 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 2: other sports. We accept it in academics too. Some people 50 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 2: have a brain for maths and some people have, you know, 51 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 2: a brain for not math, like me. Some people have 52 00:02:56,560 --> 00:03:00,399 Speaker 2: a gift with words, others it's music. I've been playing 53 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 2: guitar for like thirty years at this point in my life, 54 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 2: and I can watch ten year olds on YouTube who 55 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 2: are way better than me. Life isn't fair in this way, 56 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 2: but I guess since there is always someone better than 57 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 2: us at everything, maybe it is fair. Since almost every 58 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,640 Speaker 2: one of us isn't all that exceptional at any one task. 59 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 2: But that's okay. Though. We don't need to be Tom 60 00:03:20,919 --> 00:03:24,079 Speaker 2: Brady level good at something like hunting. We just need 61 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 2: to recognize what we're dealing with, and if it bothers us, 62 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 2: try to figure out how to get better. It doesn't 63 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:32,399 Speaker 2: do us any good to focus on someone else's success 64 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 2: when all that brain power could go toward elevating ourselves. Now, 65 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 2: this is going to make me sound real cringey, as 66 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 2: my daughters would say, but it's true. For some reason, 67 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 2: I just gotta have a natural gift for killing turkeys. 68 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 2: I always have, and I promise you it is not genetic. 69 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 2: Because my father probably holds the record for the most 70 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 2: unfilled turkey tags. Ever. He started applying for tags in 71 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 2: Minnesota when the seasons first opened up, like back in 72 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 2: the eighties I think late eighties anyway, and he hunted 73 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 2: them pretty hard for a lot of years. He traveled 74 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 2: to Missouri to hunt them, too, and he almost never 75 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 2: ever killed one. Part of his problem is a lot 76 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:13,840 Speaker 2: of hearing damage and the reality that he can't tell 77 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:18,360 Speaker 2: where a bird gobbles. Ever, as a counterpoint, my hearing 78 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:20,280 Speaker 2: sucks too, But I still managed to kill a lot 79 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,599 Speaker 2: of toms anyway. Ever since I drew my first tag 80 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:27,919 Speaker 2: at fourteen, I've pretty consistently stacked up turkeys, spring birds 81 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 2: with a shotgun, no problem. When I figured out the 82 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 2: archery thing, no problem, fall birds, ah, no problem. And 83 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 2: now that you know how awesome I am. Let me 84 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 2: tell you something, I kind of believed I was truly 85 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 2: gifted at turkey hunting for a long time. The more 86 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 2: time I spent hunting really pressured birds, which came from 87 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 2: a lot of public land hunting and from hunting places 88 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:53,159 Speaker 2: where generational pressure stacked up over years as hunting spring 89 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 2: birds exploded in popularity, it made me realize that I 90 00:04:56,839 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 2: can be humbled pretty quickly out there in the spring woods. 91 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:02,599 Speaker 2: The more I traveled and the more ways I try 92 00:05:02,640 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 2: to challenge myself at turkey hunting, the more I realized, oh, 93 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 2: this is just like deer hunting. The more pressure on 94 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,919 Speaker 2: the birds, the harder they are to kill. It's just 95 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 2: a simple equation, and it dominates hunting throughout our country 96 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 2: and i'd guess probably the world. Now. I don't think 97 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:22,600 Speaker 2: turkeys are as smart as deer, but I do think 98 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 2: they can be generally more cautious. They don't have the 99 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 2: curious thing that deer do, even mature bucks, and that 100 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 2: saves a hell of a lot of birds from dying. 101 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 2: They also generally have more predators than deer, which means 102 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 2: they might find themselves a dish on the old menu 103 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 2: at any given point in their lives. Deer experienced this too, 104 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 2: but it's less consistent if you consider a lot of 105 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,600 Speaker 2: mature deer don't have much to fear aside from coyotes 106 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 2: and people in an awful lot of places. Turkeys have 107 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 2: more to fear out there, and it's reflected in their behavior. 108 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 2: This is a good point to parallel this to deer 109 00:05:57,400 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 2: hunting one more time. To drive this whole thing home. 110 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 2: The truth is that if you hunt really pressure turkeys 111 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 2: the way conventional turkey hunting advice tells you to hunt, 112 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 2: you're going to mostly fail, just like you'll fail by 113 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 2: going out on public land in Pennsylvania or Mississippi during 114 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 2: the heart of the rut, rattling every ten minutes. Pressure 115 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 2: turkeys are certainly callable and certainly killable, but they won't 116 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 2: be called in and killed the same way birds on 117 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 2: unpressured ground will be. Well, that's not entirely true, but 118 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 2: it kind of is. While you might just post up 119 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 2: on a pitcornfield on private and call birds into your decoys, 120 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 2: that same kind of open field on public dirt might 121 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 2: be a total loss cause just to the concentration of 122 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 2: pressure around openings that our turkeys might be using Here's 123 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 2: the deal. If you happen to hunt birds that get 124 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 2: hunted a lot, your first and best choice is to 125 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 2: differentiate yourself from the competition. Look at it this way, 126 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 2: what are most people most likely to do, Say, on 127 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,160 Speaker 2: a chunk public land in southern Wisconsin, if they want 128 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 2: to shoot a tom for starters, They're mostly going to 129 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 2: be running and gunning with a shotgun. They'll be out 130 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 2: there at first light when the birds are most likely 131 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 2: to gobble off the roost. Since they're going to be 132 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 2: running and gunning, they might have a decoy or two. 133 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 2: They are very likely to try to get close to 134 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 2: a bird on the roost if they are lucky enough 135 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 2: to hear one, and that is a great way to 136 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 2: spook a certain amount of birds off the roost. They 137 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 2: are also most likely to get antsy if their original 138 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:31,679 Speaker 2: plan doesn't work out. They'll either sit for a short 139 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 2: time and then move, or not sit at all while 140 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 2: they sneak around trying to get a bird to sound off. 141 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 2: They're going to have a big presence in the woods 142 00:07:40,120 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 2: and most likely not kill a bird while letting lots 143 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 2: of birds know they are around. There will be far 144 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 2: more of them on the first day of the season 145 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 2: than the last, and far more of them on a 146 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 2: Saturday than a Tuesday. They'll be there before work and after, 147 00:07:57,280 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 2: but not as much in the middle of the day. 148 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 2: If it's snowy, windy, super rainy, cold, there will be 149 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 2: fewer of them out. I think this would be true 150 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 2: for hunters in every state, and that means the opportunity 151 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 2: to be different and capitalize on what the birds don't 152 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 2: expect you to do is kind of universal when it 153 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 2: comes to pressure turkeys. Now are there differences in this 154 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 2: when it comes to subspecies. Sort of, Easterns seem to 155 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 2: be the most susceptible to changing their behavior due to pressure, 156 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 2: but that just might be my bias. It might also 157 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 2: be because some of the states with Easterns have been 158 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 2: hunting turkeys a hell of a lot longer and with 159 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:37,960 Speaker 2: more intensity than some places with Rios or Miriams. I 160 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 2: can't really speak to Osiola's on that front because I've 161 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:42,559 Speaker 2: never hunted them, so I guess my point is this, 162 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:45,960 Speaker 2: if you hunt where lots of people hunt, don't hunt 163 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 2: in scout like lots of people hunting scout. That's the 164 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 2: secret to whitetails too, but it's still hard enough, where 165 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 2: folks keep looking for a magic bullet they can buy 166 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 2: or some kind of revolutionary strategy they can adopt. I 167 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 2: don't think either exists really, So let's take pressure turkeys 168 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 2: and look at what they are most likely to do. 169 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:19,200 Speaker 2: They are going to be quieter than unpressure turkeys. This 170 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:21,959 Speaker 2: is just like public land over the counter elk. The 171 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:25,319 Speaker 2: more you make noise and predators come running, the less 172 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 2: likely you are to keep making lots of noise. This 173 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 2: goes for bull elk as well as tom turkeys and hens. 174 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:35,960 Speaker 2: There is subtlety to turkey language on pressure properties that 175 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 2: cannot be ignored. This seems to be heightened around times 176 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:41,679 Speaker 2: of mass movement, like during the first two hours of 177 00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 2: the morning and the last two hours of the evening. 178 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 2: The more the birds have to move across the landscape 179 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:48,680 Speaker 2: to get where they plan to feed, the more likely 180 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 2: they are to try to be quiet when they do it. 181 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 2: They are also more likely to approach slowly and quietly. 182 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:58,839 Speaker 2: This is where a lot of hunters fail. On one hand, 183 00:09:59,280 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 2: you have a tom that might go check out a Hennyhear's, 184 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 2: which might be you. But if he takes his time 185 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 2: to get there, say forty five minutes he doesn't gobble 186 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 2: on the way in, how likely are you to be 187 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 2: there and not moving when he shows up? To get 188 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 2: a visual, Pressured birds require patience, and that's really hard 189 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:22,079 Speaker 2: when they don't talk, but it is the truth. They 190 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 2: also often require library voices when you're calling to them. 191 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 2: One of the things I've noticed on public land birds 192 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 2: in multiple states is that I have pretty good success 193 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 2: ratio of calling them in versus blanking on a setup, 194 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 2: but that they almost always end up close without me knowing. 195 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:41,840 Speaker 2: Rarely do you get that bird that gobbles with every 196 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 2: step and just has to commit suicide by running in 197 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 2: with zero caution. They almost always end up really committing 198 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 2: to my decoys when I see them too, and I 199 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 2: think this speaks to good decoys, but also them just 200 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:58,040 Speaker 2: seeing what they expect to see. It can be fun 201 00:10:58,120 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 2: to run a gun without decoys, but if you are 202 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:03,560 Speaker 2: struggling on pressure birds, sometimes more is better when it 203 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:06,520 Speaker 2: comes to decoys. Now, again, I can't prove this, but 204 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 2: I think this has to do with the fact that 205 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,199 Speaker 2: most folks aren't running a big spread when they run 206 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:12,360 Speaker 2: a gun, if they are running any decoys at all. 207 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 2: I think that the other aspect of this is that 208 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 2: it's often far easier to call in birds in the 209 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 2: woods when they are pressured. They like the cover, and 210 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 2: because of the cover, they tend to need to get 211 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:27,400 Speaker 2: closer to see what's going on. If they come in 212 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 2: silent and see a few hens and a jake in 213 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 2: the spot they heard calling, they are seeing what they 214 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 2: expect to see and where they expect to see it. 215 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:37,560 Speaker 2: They are also seeing something that a lot of hunters 216 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:40,319 Speaker 2: won't do because it's kind of a pain in the ass. 217 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:44,240 Speaker 2: What they will see though, if you're not careful, is 218 00:11:44,320 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 2: you This is a big one for hunting pressure birds. 219 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 2: But the truth is got to hide yourself. Simply leaning 220 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 2: up next to the trunk of a tree and hoping 221 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:56,959 Speaker 2: the birds will ignore you is a low pressure turkey 222 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:01,199 Speaker 2: hunting strategy. Can it be done, sure, but mostly you're 223 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:03,480 Speaker 2: going to get picked off enough to convince the birds 224 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:07,840 Speaker 2: to stay out of range. Dead Falls, brush piles, the 225 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 2: depth of shadows, and some cover in front of you 226 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:14,080 Speaker 2: and behind you are the key to the whole thing. 227 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:18,079 Speaker 2: I like to always try to tuck into down trees 228 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 2: somehow so that if I need to reach for my 229 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 2: slate call or make some kind of movement. I can 230 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 2: do it behind the trunk of a dead tree. It 231 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:28,839 Speaker 2: is that simple. It's also important to give yourself the 232 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 2: option to be comfortable. You know, the right cushion goes 233 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:34,600 Speaker 2: a long ways here. Clearing out a little spot to 234 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 2: sit if you can, and then assessing your ability to 235 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:42,760 Speaker 2: sit there still for two hours is really important. Discomfort 236 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:46,160 Speaker 2: amongst hunters saves an awful lot of animals every year. 237 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:50,400 Speaker 2: Really hiding yourself while staying comfortable and then setting decoys 238 00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 2: far enough away to draw attention well away from yourself 239 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 2: just a good idea. When I'm hunting really pressure birds, 240 00:12:57,320 --> 00:12:59,719 Speaker 2: I kind of stick to like the twenty five to 241 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:04,080 Speaker 2: thirty yard range out there, especially if I'm running and gunning. 242 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 2: It feels too far when you're setting those decoys up, 243 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:10,440 Speaker 2: but when a bird does commit, it feels like a 244 00:13:10,559 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 2: really nice distance for having a little leeway with movement 245 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 2: but still being able to harness the full potential of 246 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:19,320 Speaker 2: your turkey loads. So in other words, when they get 247 00:13:19,360 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 2: into the spread, they are almost always dead, dead dead. 248 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:26,959 Speaker 2: It also seems to be consistent that pressure birds are 249 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:29,439 Speaker 2: most likely to respond to calling in the middle of 250 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 2: the day. I have experienced this a lot and it's 251 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 2: almost to the point where I wonder why I bust 252 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:38,240 Speaker 2: my ass to get out there before first light when 253 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 2: I know I probably won't be in the game until lunchtime. 254 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:44,439 Speaker 2: If you don't believe this, give it a real try. 255 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 2: You will hear more birds at sunrise, but you will 256 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,360 Speaker 2: call in more birds at noon. This is often true 257 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,960 Speaker 2: on lightly pressure birds as well. But when you have 258 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 2: a lot of competition, you can take advantage of the 259 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 2: windows of time during the day when most folks bow 260 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:01,800 Speaker 2: out and go eat some pancakes take a nap. Sounds 261 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 2: a little like public deer hunting, doesn't it. Here's another 262 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 2: thing that parallels deer hunting. If you're going to hunt 263 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 2: pressure birds and you have all day to hunt, plan 264 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 2: to hunt all day. That can be tough when the 265 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:17,439 Speaker 2: daylight is like sixteen hours long. But the truth is 266 00:14:17,600 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 2: that when you're out there, you have a chance. If 267 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 2: you plan to go home mid morning, you know it's 268 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 2: easy to call it early. If you don't commit to 269 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 2: the hunt, the odds are sticking around long enough for 270 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 2: something to happen. It's kind of low. This lesson was 271 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:35,480 Speaker 2: drilled home to me over and over and over. When 272 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 2: I really started traveling to hunt public land turkeys in 273 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 2: various states. Since I didn't have anything else to do 274 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:43,440 Speaker 2: but go back to camp and sit around, and since 275 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:46,080 Speaker 2: you're always in the game with turkeys even when it 276 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 2: feels like you're not, it was easy ish to stay 277 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 2: out all day. The birds that I had killed often 278 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 2: were the first birds I heard or saw, you know, 279 00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 2: hours into the day already, But they eventually worked into 280 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 2: the calls and ended up getting slung over my shoulder 281 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 2: for the walk home, which in heavily transfers you know, 282 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:09,840 Speaker 2: a few ticks from them to me and almost always 283 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 2: covers my camel pants and blood from the bird's head 284 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 2: wapping into my ass in the back of my legs 285 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 2: the whole way back to the truck. Being out there 286 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 2: for more hours also does something else. It clues you 287 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 2: into the birds that aren't coming into your calling. Some 288 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 2: birds have a very specific strutting zone, and they keep 289 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 2: you know, pretty tight hours of operation. Even pressured toms 290 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 2: might end up on a specific ridge at midday to 291 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 2: flaunt their stuff. And while it might seem random to 292 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 2: watch one you know or hear one in a specific spot, 293 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 2: it's probably not random. If you can hear a bird, 294 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 2: you have something to work with. If you can see 295 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:49,480 Speaker 2: a bird, even hens, you really have something to work with. 296 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 2: Turkeys often do the same thing day after day until 297 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:55,320 Speaker 2: the weather or the predators convince them to alter their routine. 298 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 2: Watching a silent tom follow hens through a wood lot 299 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 2: today means you might want to get out there tomorrow 300 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 2: at about noon and just sit tight. Now. There are 301 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 2: no guarantees, of course, kind of like when you see 302 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 2: a buck do something during the rut, but that intel matters, 303 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 2: even if it doesn't immediately help you fill a tag. 304 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 2: Turkeys are the same way, and the best way I 305 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 2: found to get clued into them when they've been pressured 306 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 2: is by getting out there and spending as much time 307 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 2: as possible with them while trying to keep my presence 308 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 2: or my felt presence to an absolute minimum. Keep that 309 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:31,840 Speaker 2: in mind the spring come back next week because I'm 310 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 2: going to get back into the world of white tails. Now. 311 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 2: That really is it for this week. That was a 312 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 2: lot of episodes, a lot of stuff to drop on you. 313 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 2: But I hope you learned something about turkeys. You know, 314 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 2: maybe you went over to the mediater dot com and you, 315 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 2: you know, listen to a few podcasts checked out some articles, 316 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 2: maybe bought yourself some new calls or something. Whatever, This 317 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 2: Turkey Week campaign is almost over, so if you want 318 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 2: to take advantage of those discounts going on over there, 319 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 2: you better get over there now. And as always, thank 320 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 2: you so much for listening and for all your support. 321 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 2: Can't tell you how much it means to us here 322 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 2: at Meat Eater. We are nothing without you guys, so 323 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:08,360 Speaker 2: thank you so much for that. We truly appreciate it.