Been busted? Join the club. Every turkey hunter will find himself in that situation at some point. We asked world-champion caller Steve Stoltz what he does when a gobbler catches him by surprise. Here’s his response.
“If a turkey comes in and catches you with your gun down, don’t panic. Turkeys don’t see slow, gradual, easy movement. I’ve drawn my bow with them looking right at me, but I’ve done so at a slow, steady pace. Of course, I’d rather see the turkey go into strut or walk behind a tree so I could draw or move. However, you can still kill a bird that catches you by surprise.
“Keeping an eye on the turkey, start moving your gun slowly and gradually toward him. Make sure it’s at a steady, super-slow-motion pace, because if they see quick movement, they’re going to take off. As long as it’s not sharp movement, they’ll tolerate it a bit. Even if they see you move slowly, it puts them on soft alert as opposed to full-bore alert. And then, at least your chances are better if your shotgun is three-fourths of the way to a turkey and he does take off for some reason. Really, you can get the gun up on them nine out of 10 times.
“Always watch where they’re going. You can move your gun a hair quicker if they go behind a tree. But remember, from their angle, they can see better around that tree than you can. If the tree is closer to them, it obscures their vision more. If it’s closer to you, they can see you better.
“You’re better off trying to move on the turkey and kill him while he’s in range. If the turkey moves off, you have to get him fired up again. Further, you have to get him worked up when he’s in cool-down vs. red-hot mode. It can be done, but it’s the exception rather than the rule.”
Just read a piece in another magazine that said exactly the opposite. I think the answer is yes, no, maybe. Yes, you can move vveeerrrrryyyyy slowly on some birds. But no, others will putt and run at even small slow movement; maybe not your first one either, it may be your first move that puts him on alert. so, maybe you can and maybe you can’t. You have to take the bird’s temperature, note where your hands are and your gun is, how much cover you have, how much the bird has, how far away he is, and a whole host of other factors, and make that decision on the fly. Once you make it, stick to it and stick it to him.
MC
First, a Turkey can see 270 degrees because their eyes on the side of their head. The Tree factor is simple once you understand what he can see is related to his field of view. With a moving turkey, timing is everything.
A Turkeys reaction to danger is measured in fractions of a second. For example, if a bobcat lunges quickly he may or may not catch it. More often the Turkey wins. There is no debate the turkey is programed by nature to react instantly to quick movements to survive. Quick movements, quick reaction, is often determined by distance if a turkey runs or takes flight. Their eye sight is their best defense.
Moving very slow and fluid works because a slow fluid movement often may alert and Not Alarm. Here is when you learn the difference between the “alert” and “alarm putt”. The alert put is always locked in and followed by a body posture prepared to run or fly.
Slow movements often work best when there are other turkeys in sight ( sometimes decoys) of the one you want to shoot. The turkey is wired to be on alert but also what the other turkeys are doing. The critical part of the “slow draw” is determined by your set up. That is one thing a lot of hunters choose to quickly. One thing I learned was to get at eye level ( on one knee ) and look Backwards to what tree or object seems to blend in the best. Too often after one of my defeats I went to where the turkey was at and saw what HE saw.
That’s non sense…..
Turkeys will spook from slow movement just like they will from quick movement….
A tactic that’s worked for me on more than one occasion is to call aggressively while you move your gun on the turkey.
It will confuse him long enough for you to get your gun on him.