Catch up with Jason Cruise as he delves into his experience hunting birds on private land. From the importance of patience to avoiding excessive calls, whether you're a seasoned hunter or a novice, these insights will help improve your chances of a successful hunt.
Transcription:
Boy, that 940 Pro has been the thing this spring. Let me tell you something, I learned a long time ago—everything I've learned is by mistakes. I've said that many times—but I saw four strutters out in this field. I love hunting after rain. I literally was waiting on it to stop raining and I slipped in here and killed this bird at about 10:00.
I'll tell you, one thing I've learned is don't freak out if something happens. I hadn't called to these birds—that's one of the first things I would tell you—don't just walk through your farm calling.
I kind of knew where I thought they'd be when I got here. Sure enough, they were in a field a long way away, strutting.
Within five minutes, here comes the farmer, and he was just checking on his cows, and they ran off.
A lot of times when I was younger, I thought, "Oh, the hunt's over. He scared them."
No! They live here, man. They don't go far. They just get in cover.
I waited an hour. I set up in this area. I knew that's where they wanted to be. I set up, I waited an hour, and when I called, about 45 minutes later, he gobbled and then he gobbled again.
Then I started working him, brought him right in, and sealed the deal.
I think the key is don't call them if you can help it. If you spot them and something happens or you bump them—I've even bumped turkeys before and just I hadn't been saying anything—so I was just another person.
Sometimes if you go silent for about an hour or an hour and a half, they'll come back around. Just treat that quietly and go from there.
