Jim Spencer once said...

[PA Boxcall]

"Sit down wrong, and you're beat."

 

How much consideration do you give to a set up (outside of the "gonna sit here along this field edge for a few hours and yelp every now and then" style of hunting.)

Myself, I constantly fight panic when I am moving in on a gobbling bird, or a bird on the roost first thing in the morning.  Several years ago, I blew a chance at a great bird I struck mid morning across one of the big hollows, spending 90 minutes and three different set ups to bring him 600 yards across that bowl.

When I clucked to get his most recent position, he was easily within 60 yards, right below me.  I picked a tree half the width of my torso and when the bird came in, he easily picked me out, putted and turned to leave.  A quick shot and miss, that bird survived the day.  I went over to where he was, got on the ground looking back at my set up, and it dawned on me how I rushed my set up decision process.

So how much time do you give yourselves?  Is it careful deliberation or blind panic?  I try to never make a turkey sound without surveying where I am standing to ensure that if a bird is close, I have a decent place to dive to.

[West Augusta]

I find a big tree and sit down.  I make them come to me.  Never had any luck going after them.  I really don't pay that much attention to cover.

[Shadetree Callers]

  Always have your spot picked out before you call . I like to stand close to a tree that I feel is appropriate BEFORE I make that call . Sometimes a bird will answer back and all you have time to do is drop and prop your gun . There's not much worse than having the gobbler walk up to you while you are scrambling for a place to sit that will be comfortable and free of sticks , briars and poison ivy ! Good post John !

[AlabamaDave]

If im hunting my lease that ive had for about 25 years,i kinda already know where im gonna sit...but I still think about it hard the night before and on the way there. Sometimes I make the right choice and sometimes I dont.
Whenever im in the woods,I try to make A mental note of where I see turkeys and turkey sign,and where to set up...Then the next time im in the area,ill remember this info and use it to my advantage.
Thinking about where to sit is something I do before every hunt.
If im just walkin and tryin to locate one,I never call standing in the wide open...Always try to stand or squat by A tree or bush...A horney old gobbler will run or even fly in on ya and catch ya with your pants down!LOL
Field turkeys to me are so hard headed...They gobble and gobble but wont get any closer...But you can kill them if you can hunt them A couple days, and they stay on the same pattern.
If im at A place for the first time,I try to think about it as im walking...I keep thinking every 100 yds or so...Where would I set up if I heard one right now!

[PA Boxcall]

If im hunting my lease that ive had for about 25 years,i kinda already know where im gonna sit...but I still think about it hard the night before and on the way there. Sometimes I make the right choice and sometimes I dont.
Whenever im in the woods,I try to make A mental note of where I see turkeys and turkey sign,and where to set up...Then the next time im in the area,ill remember this info and use it to my advantage.
Thinking about where to sit is something I do before every hunt.
If im just walkin and tryin to locate one,I never call standing in the wide open...Always try to stand or squat by A tree or bush...A horney old gobbler will run or even fly in on ya and catch ya with your pants down!LOL
Field turkeys to me are so hard headed...They gobble and gobble but wont get any closer...But you can kill them if you can hunt them A couple days, and they stay on the same pattern.
If im at A place for the first time,I try to think about it as im walking...I keep thinking every 100 yds or so...Where would I set up if I heard one right now!

Taking mental notes and learning the ground from a tactical standpoint, I couldn't agree more with you.

Seems like when I get whooped by a gobbler, it more often than not comes down to one simple conclusion....When you don't know the ground, they'll beat you every time.

That said, knowing the ground tactically is far easier to accomplish on small woodlots or small parcels of private ground.  But when you are hunting literally tens and hundreds of thousands of acres of wooded public ground, knowing the ground can be one of the hardest hurdles to overcome on your way to punching a tag.

Something as simple as a blow down, unseen below you on the next bench can turn a bird left, right or even around.  Gulvas talks about set up too in his Pressured Spring Gobblers DVD, shows a clip where a bird was coming in across a wide open bench, then disappeared as he hit the bottom of the bench he set up on.  Been there, done that.

[3CB]

I try to set up with ground cover. Tree size makes no difference if there is background to break your outline. My favorite set up is find a ridge or elevation change and to set up on the backside of it. I never want to set up where I can see more than 35 yards if at all possible. I want a gobbler in range when I see him. Now this isn't always possible but that is what I try for!!

[Zumer]

SCOUTING.......

     It pays big time, when you know which direction a gobbler is usually going to go off the roost......They don't always do what you think they are going to, but remember, it's turkeys, being turkeys.....Never say never, when dealing w/ a turkey....

     I try to find strut zones to visit on those quiet mornings.....

     Set ups are to me the most important consideration you have to execute a plan of action for dealing with a gobbler and his hens, if that would be the case....I do not rush anymore to a hurried set up, flop down and begin calling......I listen to how hot, how far, and for hens before I consider a set up....Knowing the lay of the land and having a good idea where the birds are headed is paramont for killing a long beard......

      Once I have a set up picked out, I ALWAYS shoulder my gun and swing to check to the left and to the right..... Trim branches as needed....I also check the ground cover from a seated level for visability.....

      I also try to be as quiet as I can......The ole fella, that taugh me, would give me the dirtiest looks, when I would break a stick or make a noise, he thought, didn't need to be made....Sound familiar, John...??         LOL!

     Learn as ya go, pay attention to details, and listen to the woods......Calling is a whole other subject to be dealt with at a later time....

[trb136]

I bought a turkey hunting chair a few years ago  it is small comfortable and light...Best move I ever made....I can sit in the thick cover whether or not there is a tree there or not...Takes the worry out of the "Perfect tree"..I believe set up is crucial...Knowing the ground is always key but you may not always have that advantage like you said....I set up wrong on 3 birds last year and the pitched in my lap but my position was off and I couldnt turn to shoot...I knew I should have been down about 20 yards further...but thats why its hunting..If it were easy everyone would do it..Right?? 

[AlabamaDave]

...I knew I should have been down about 20 yards further...but thats why its hunting..If it were easy everyone would do it..Right?? 

I struggle with this more than anything....Once I sit down, there always seems to be A better lookin tree A little farther down,or over to my left or right... or I need to move over to the edge so I can watch the road behind me,or I need to get where I can see down there... Seems like im always second guessing my set up.
Every once in A while,ill set down and know imediately that im in the right spot,and sometimes when I feel that way,I get to tote one out!
To me...Turkey Huntin is A brain game...And I love it!

[boxcaller]

I always tell people at the seminars to worry about what the turkey sees, more than what you see.  Try to put yourselves out in his tracks and think what "he" will see when he comes over the hill or around that tree,..what is his angle of view,..where is the sun shining the brightest,.etc. etc.   The best set up's aren't decided by what the hunter sees or how comfortable it is,....It's what the bird sees ,"or doesn't see" as he approaches.


Pat

[Zumer]

I always tell people at the seminars to worry about what the turkey sees, more than what you see.  Try to put yourselves out in his tracks and think what "he" will see when he comes over the hill or around that tree,..what is his angle of view,..where is the sun shining the brightest,.etc. etc.   The best set up's aren't decided by what the hunter sees or how comfortable it is,....It's what the bird sees ,"or doesn't see" as he approaches.


Pat

Excellent point, Pat.......

[AlabamaDave]

I always tell people at the seminars to worry about what the turkey sees, more than what you see.  Try to put yourselves out in his tracks and think what "he" will see when he comes over the hill or around that tree,..what is his angle of view,..where is the sun shining the brightest,.etc. etc.   The best set up's aren't decided by what the hunter sees or how comfortable it is,....It's what the bird sees ,"or doesn't see" as he approaches.


Pat

Now that is good advice!...Excellent!

[neal]

Who says you have to sit down? I've had hunters stand in slightly behind a big tree, depending on terain sitting down may take the gobbler an extra 5 yds + before you can see him and that maybe to late. Of course every situation is different but sitting isn't always the best option. Either way if I'm going to call I want a close option to sit or stand.

[ncturkey]

Well said

[PA Boxcall]

I also try to be as quiet as I can......The ole fella, that taugh me, would give me the dirtiest looks, when I would break a stick or make a noise, he thought, didn't need to be made....Sound familiar, John...??      LOL! 

Oh, yea.  I know that look.  That face shows up just fine even at 5:00am in the dark without a flashlight on....


   

 Learn as ya go, pay attention to details, and listen to the woods......Calling is a whole other subject to be dealt with at a later time....

Calling does add a dimension to the complexity of a good set up.  Calling can, and often does, dictate which direction the gobbler may approach.  Throwing your call from one side to another may add realism, but it doesn't seem to change that turkey's ability to triangulate your exact position to +/- 0.00025".