Decision Time: Thy Buddy's Scouting

[Brian Lovett]

In "Decision Time," Editor Brian Lovett will share a scenario from his 20-plus years hunting turkeys. Each hinges on a critical decision. Post what choice you would have made, and then see how things actually turned out.

Thy Buddy's Scouting

Stop me if you’ve heard this one: “That turkey is out there every day.”

Sure he is. Well, maybe every other. Or maybe several days before the season. Or perhaps someone saw a turkey there once during winter. If you’ve hunted long enough, you’ll realize that second-hand turkey info isn’t the most reliable. However, it’s put enough gobblers in front of me that I never discount it.

That’s where I was one April morning. A good friend had reported hearing loads of turkeys at a field edge in the northwestern corner of a large farm we hunted. When I had scouted the place, I’d heard only one bird, and he’d been in the southeastern corner.

“I’m telling you, go to the northwestern corner,” my buddy said. “It is a sure thing. I’m not kidding.”

I trusted my friend, so I went to the field edge the next morning. And I sat in the rain for two hours, never seeing or hearing a turkey. When the downpour stopped, I did a brief walkabout on the property but never struck or bumped a bird. That wasn’t surprising considering the weather, but it didn’t give me anything to go on for the next day.

That was the problem: I only had one more morning to hunt before driving to Missouri. The weather was supposed to clear, and I wanted to get on a bird quickly.

My friend remained adamant that the northwestern field edge held the key to success. However, the only bird I knew about held court on the opposite edge of the property. Did I listen to the advice of a trusted pal or go with my limited scouting?

What would you have done? Post your decision below.

Click here for Lovett's decision.

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[TurkeyJohn]

Trust your buddy. Seems like he's trying to steer you in the right direction. And one wet day isn't indicative of a normal day's events.

TJ

[ticklishtompro]

My first time hunting a property I will usually follow the advice of someone who has hunted it or the farmer, may even try it 2 days in a row, but if I hear birds somewhere else the next time it will be off of my observations. Farmers can usually tell you where they hang out the most, even if they are not roosted right there.

Randy

[Bobbyparks]

Brian

We tell all our buddies the same thing so we don't have to worry about them killing our birds

Just joking of course........If its someone I had reason to have confidence in...and he's insisting that he sees birds regularly in that spot...I'd have to gamble on his direction...at least give it a chance the first part of the morning and if I didn't hear anything...then maybe I'd move

But yes...go with what he says because the first morning was under bad conditions and may have changed up what they do

[Cut N Run]

Yeah, I'd probably start where your buddy suggested too. Worst case is you might have to pick up and haul butt to a hot bird on the other side of the property and risk getting busted on the way in. It is amazing how fast a person can cover ground when there's a gobbling bird involved. Plus, if it was raining the day before, the woods should be quieter and easier for you to slip through. We've had rainy days where the birds didn't say a thing, but they made up for it the next morning.

Jim

[bamabirdbuster13]

id go with the mri. thats about the best.i always try to think of all reasons thing can play out as i hunt.as long as your in the woods its 70 percent of the way there.if u hear a bird elsewhere b ready to move and whack him