Decision Time: There and Back Again

[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.

There and Back Again

The approach had been flawless. I'd slipped quietly across a field long before daylight and eased about 100 yards into a prime roosting area. Then I'd found a great setup and prepared to work the turkey I was certain would be there.

One problem, though. As dawn arrived and gobbling echoed through the woods, it became apparent that I'd walked under the gobbler in the dark, and he was about 100 yards behind me. No matter. I spun around the pine and prepared to start calling.

That's when I saw a familiar blob above me. Straining to see through limbs and needles, I made out the silhouette and realized the turkey was a jake. No biggie. I wasn't going to shoot him anyway. But then I saw three other dark forms in the trees.

By then, the gobbler had flown down the other way and was in a cut cornfield. There was a swamp between us, so I knew I had to move if I wanted to kill the bird. I didn't care if I spooked a jake out of the tree, but I wasn't sure if the other turkeys were jakes, hens or gobblers. The jake had probably seen me, but there was at least a chance the other turkeys might fly down within range.

Were the other birds jakes? That seemed likely, but I couldn't be sure. Did I wait for the turkeys to fly down and hope there was a longbeard there, or did I bust them out of the trees and head to the gobbling bird?

What would you have done? Post your decision below.

Click here for Lovett's decision.

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[stankyolgobbler]

Being pinned is probably your best bet in the situation. Now you have a chance to wait and see if one of those blobs is a gobbler and at the same time, your bird in the cut corn field has heard no calling...which, in most cases,is better than calling. so assuming there is no gobbler above then you can wait them out and make a fresh move on the big bird in the corn field. but if there is a gobbler above you....well aren't you just lucky!

[Bobbyparks]

I'm thinking I'd stay put until I could identify what's in the tree or let them get on the ground.....probalBy is jakes..but maybe not?

Could hopefully still make move the other bird if it didn't pan out

[Cut N Run]

I don't want to risk getting busted and sending birds off different directions in a panic. It seems to me if a more dominant gobbler was in the mix, he wouldn't let the jakes do the talking.

Jim

[WillowRidgeCalls]

If the birds above you aren't talking, your already busted, and they are just hanging around because of that gobbler being in the area. Give it a few and see if they start talking? If not, bust them and go after that gobbler in the corn field before he gets a bunch of hens around him.