The old gobbler snuck in and is now staring at you from 23 yards. What do you do now?

[charlie elk]

Charlie Elk, we should not let the Texan who calls himself The Captain get away with suggesting you and I ( guilt by association as he knows we are of a similar age) are getting too infirm to make the quick shots. What these younger fellow do not understand is we are miles ahead of them in years and in the ability to make quick decisions. We are swinging the firearm and pulling the trigger while the younger guys are still thinking, "Should I, or shouldn't I"? I am not just talking turkey here, cause that is the moment of indecision that lets the girl of your dreams get away. It takes years to get past the 'wonder' years and arrive at points of certainty that only age and experience can deliver When you are young your impulses are random and hit and miss in terms of being right or wrong. It is the burden of youth and the school of hard knocks. It sure is comforting to know with age those impulses are usually on target

You got that right Kody, those youngsters are always more talk than action. Just sitting there wide eyed mouth agape...

[charlie elk]

I try to wait for a bit to see if he relaxes, but if he doesn't and he is clear, I mount my gun and shoot him. He'll try to duck his head and run, but if he's at 23 yards, he will still be within 30 by the time I'm on him.

Posted by an experienced turkey hunter, sounds good to me as long as the gun is on the lap to start with. A friend assures me as you raise gun, yelp, this causes the tom to hesitate. A turkey expects to see movement when they hear a nearby turkey.

[huntfishtrap]

Swing around and shoot him... although at your age that much physical rigor may cause you to strain something. Please act within your own physical limits.
Turkey hunters, jeez, overcomplicating shooting a big, ugly bird.

Count me in too. The Captain may be able to shoot turkeys at 500 yards with a rifle, but can he call them in close?

[huntfishtrap]

I have flushed out The Captain, his disdain of turkeys is legendary. He thinks they're an easy bag with a rifle at 500 yards; not worthy of any more time than a trigger squeeze. This disdain likely comes from fear that an ugly bird with no memory capabilities and a brain smaller than a walnut may beat him in the up close game. Typical of Texans that watch the western movies with the tough dude who squints and spits before he shoots. Well let me lay that myth to rest once and for all- In Texas you have to squint and spit to get the sand out your eyes and mouth. It's such a dust bowl there even Texas turkeys are constantly drumming and spitting to get the dust out of their eyes.

In case it wasn't clear, my comment was meant to be humorous. I never know how my humor comes across. I agree with the other serious comments here - if you don't have to move too much to get on target, swing and shoot him, otherwise wait him out.

[charlie elk]

Shoot him of course - duh!

Not to worry, I got the humor. When turkeys enter my zone whether sneaking or charging- the plan is to shoot em.

[4everAutumn]

I try to wait for a bit to see if he relaxes, but if he doesn't and he is clear, I mount my gun and shoot him. He'll try to duck his head and run, but if he's at 23 yards, he will still be within 30 by the time I'm on him.

I keep a gooey old diaphragm call in my mouth at all times. It's always nice to be able to have the ability to call hands free when the bird is in close. What your friend says makes a lot of sense. I have just never thought to try it.

[huntfishtrap]

I try to wait for a bit to see if he relaxes, but if he doesn't and he is clear, I mount my gun and shoot him. He'll try to duck his head and run, but if he's at 23 yards, he will still be within 30 by the time I'm on him.

I can't use a diaphragm call (too strong of a gag reflex), so that tactic is out for me. Sounds like it could work though.

[jhjimbo]

At 23yds you should be able to get a shot off.

[pineywoods]

I'll never figure out how they can all of a sudden be RIGHT THERE. You don't see them coming. Usually, for me, they just step out from behind a tree that I didn't think was big enough to hide a bobwhite. What usually happens with me is, that he has appeared to my right side (I'm right handed) so I can't really swing on him and one of my legs is asleep from being in the same position for so long. Even if he is where I can try him, he is always a fraction of a second quicker than I am and steps back behind his tree and disappears. I might hope that he goes into a strut and turns his back so I can get on him, but that close, he's probably going to not only make me out, but know what I was thinking before I went to bed last night.

There have been a few times when there wasn't any cover close by that I was able to drop a gobbler going away, but he usually gets away without a shot fired.

Kody, comparing barnyard turkeys with wild ones is like comparing Holsteins with whitetails. Wild turkeys aren't necessarily smart, but they are suspicious, paranoid and capricious beyond belief, and when you couple that with extraordinarily sharp eyesight and hearing, then you have the bird that challenges us and our abilities to fool them.

Some folks have their minds made up about turkeys and hold them in low esteem and that's fine with me---one less hunter to get in my way in the spring turkey woods.

[charlie elk]

I try to wait for a bit to see if he relaxes, but if he doesn't and he is clear, I mount my gun and shoot him. He'll try to duck his head and run, but if he's at 23 yards, he will still be within 30 by the time I'm on him.

Same problem here with an excellent gag reflex. It's challenging to say least trying to do that with friction call and gun in the same hands. Suppose it could be done with a wing bone but I be afraid it would get sucked clear back to the tonsils without holding it place. Heck I gagged at 4ever's description "gooey old diaphragm"

[charlie elk]

I'll never figure out how they can all of a sudden be RIGHT THERE. You don't see them coming. Usually, for me, they just step out from behind a tree that I didn't think was big enough to hide a bobwhite. What usually happens with me is, that he has appeared to my right side (I'm right handed) so I can't really swing on him and one of my legs is asleep from being in the same position for so long. Even if he is where I can try him, he is always a fraction of a second quicker than I am and steps back behind his tree and disappears. I might hope that he goes into a strut and turns his back so I can get on him, but that close, he's probably going to not only make me out, but know what I was thinking before I went to bed last night.

There have been a few times when there wasn't any cover close by that I was able to drop a gobbler going away, but he usually gets away without a shot fired.

Kody, comparing barnyard turkeys with wild ones is like comparing Holsteins with whitetails. Wild turkeys aren't necessarily smart, but they are suspicious, paranoid and capricious beyond belief, and when you couple that with extraordinarily sharp eyesight and hearing, then you have the bird that challenges us and our abilities to fool them.

Some folks have their minds made up about turkeys and hold them in low esteem and that's fine with me---one less hunter to get in my way in the spring turkey woods.

"be RIGHT THERE" Do you use the tactical nap strategy? I tried that on recommendation of Steve Hickoff, you know the guy who wears Packer cheese hat while turkey hunting. The turkey was right at the end of my boots! Never saw him come in. Surely bad advice.

[pineywoods]

I'll never figure out how they can all of a sudden be RIGHT THERE. You don't see them coming. Usually, for me, they just step out from behind a tree that I didn't think was big enough to hide a bobwhite. What usually happens with me is, that he has appeared to my right side (I'm right handed) so I can't really swing on him and one of my legs is asleep from being in the same position for so long. Even if he is where I can try him, he is always a fraction of a second quicker than I am and steps back behind his tree and disappears. I might hope that he goes into a strut and turns his back so I can get on him, but that close, he's probably going to not only make me out, but know what I was thinking before I went to bed last night.

There have been a few times when there wasn't any cover close by that I was able to drop a gobbler going away, but he usually gets away without a shot fired.

Kody, comparing barnyard turkeys with wild ones is like comparing Holsteins with whitetails. Wild turkeys aren't necessarily smart, but they are suspicious, paranoid and capricious beyond belief, and when you couple that with extraordinarily sharp eyesight and hearing, then you have the bird that challenges us and our abilities to fool them.

Some folks have their minds made up about turkeys and hold them in low esteem and that's fine with me---one less hunter to get in my way in the spring turkey woods.

I can't afford to do those tactical naps, as much as I need to from time to time. Many people have said many unkind things about the decibel level of my naps, and on a number of occasions, I've awakened myself, dead certain that a bear is charging me with an alligator on its back---both of them angry.
PW

[Pathfinder1]

Hi...


If he's in the 'right' area (no other hunters in your line of fire, good backstop, etc.), just pull up and fire...!! He's within range...so go for it...!!

[charlie elk]

I'll never figure out how they can all of a sudden be RIGHT THERE. You don't see them coming. Usually, for me, they just step out from behind a tree that I didn't think was big enough to hide a bobwhite. What usually happens with me is, that he has appeared to my right side (I'm right handed) so I can't really swing on him and one of my legs is asleep from being in the same position for so long. Even if he is where I can try him, he is always a fraction of a second quicker than I am and steps back behind his tree and disappears. I might hope that he goes into a strut and turns his back so I can get on him, but that close, he's probably going to not only make me out, but know what I was thinking before I went to bed last night.

There have been a few times when there wasn't any cover close by that I was able to drop a gobbler going away, but he usually gets away without a shot fired.

Kody, comparing barnyard turkeys with wild ones is like comparing Holsteins with whitetails. Wild turkeys aren't necessarily smart, but they are suspicious, paranoid and capricious beyond belief, and when you couple that with extraordinarily sharp eyesight and hearing, then you have the bird that challenges us and our abilities to fool them.

Some folks have their minds made up about turkeys and hold them in low esteem and that's fine with me---one less hunter to get in my way in the spring turkey woods.

LOL piney, LOL Wish there was a video of you awakening. I'd pay good money to see it. Btw, have you been out turkey hunting yet? Thought I read AL was open now.