Woodmanship or Calling

[Nut]

What is more important for you in regards to hunting turkeys. For me I say it is more woodmanship. Knowing the lay of the land and how to set up properly. Calling is needed but I feel that the set up is more important.
But I still practice my calling since it is so awful anyways.

 

[Doug]

The most important thing to me is knowing where the turkeys are and where they will be at different times of the day. I guess thats part of woodsmanship.
Doug

 

[snite66]

I would have to agree with you Nut. Turkeys have a "comfort" zone that you can really work them in. Without woodsmanship you will never be inside that zone. (I have found it to be under 100yds) It is not easy to get within 100 yds of a roosted Tom without him knowing it.

That is not to say you can't call them further than that. The one I called in for my buddy last year came from the opposite corner of an eighty acre field, so it does happen, but it is much less likely when they are over 100 yds away.

I don't do a whole lot of calling unless the Tom is really fired up and wanting to gobble his head off. Even then I will shut up at 50 yds or so and make him look for the decoys, possibly giving him a very light peep now and then to drive him crazy.

There just ain't much better than hearing that thunder getting closer and closer on a spring morning.

 

[Ithaca 37]

Ya gotta know how to call 'em to get them in and it's a lot easier if you know how to pick the right spot to call from. You can pick the best calling spot in the woods and blow your chances with bad calling. But even a bad caller has a pretty good chance if he's in the right spot and just makes one cluck that doesn't sound too terrible.

How's that for a non answer? For me it's 60% woodsmanship and hunting ability and 40% calling.