References for Guided Turkey, Deer, Hog, Hunting
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Craig King, Widowmaker Calls 2009
John Coit has been a guide, teacher and trusted friend to me during many trips to the turkey woods. It is difficult to capture in words, the impact he has had on me and the way I hunt turkey today, but it is HUGE! His generosity, his willingness to share knowledge and his good nature have made him the only man to go to the woods with when I want to put meat on the lodge pole in South Carolina. Our hunts together over the years have yielded many birds, but more than that, they have served as classes where I learned when to be aggressive and when to be coy, when to call and when to be quiet, when to scout and when to hunt.
John is a true woodsman and with out a doubt an expert in the South Carolina turkey woods. Spend some time with john, let him guide and teach you for a few days and I have no doubt that you will gain more experience than you could learn in a half dozen seasons a field on your own.
 
Greg Epperson Charleston South Carolina
When I met John Coit the spring of 2000 I thought I had a pretty good idea about how to turkey hunt. I had been a member of an exclusive hunting club for the better part of three years and had downed a few birds on my own, but my success rate was spotty at best. I booked a three day hunt with John during the middle of the season. In spite of hunting on property that had already seen considerable pressure, he was able to put a 20+ pound boss in front of my gun within 15 minutes of my backside hitting the tree. I didnít get to kill that bird, but over the next three days I received a crash course in extreme turkey hunting. Extreme meaning you donít sit down against a tree hoping something will happen, you sit down knowing something will happen. It may or may not result in a kill, but something is going to happen. His innate ability to read the woods, interpret the sign, and devise a strategy based upon his observations led to me harvesting a 11" bearded 1&1/4 spurred five plus year old eastern warrior the second day of my hunt. The third day I harvested another 3 year old boss before lunch. In three days I had experienced more solid, successful turkey hunting than I had seen in the previous years in my "exclusive" hunting club. I harvested two bosses in three days, and made a life long friend and hunting companion to boot.
Mike Hood
Columbia, South Carolina
I heard about John through some seasoned veteran turkey hunters, and I recognized his name from SC Wildlife Magazine and some hunting videos I watched online. Once I started talking with John, I realized that he was a true ambassador for the sport of hunting. John was as ethical, knowledgeable, and down to Earth as any hunter I'd ever met. I was a young hunter pursuing the Eastern Wild Turkey, and each ten minute conversation I'd have with John would teach me more than hours of talking with the majority of hunters I know. When I finally did meet up with John for our first turkey hunt, he was accomodating, friendly, professional, patient, and explained every move we made. He made sure that I did more than stumble upon the action because I was following him around. He made sure I understood how we got from point A to point B. He made sure I learned that being on turkeys and getting them in gun range was very rarely an accident, but required attention to every detail, much planning, perfect execution, and a little luck from time to time as well. By lunch, I was in gun range of more turkeys than I had seen all season prior to my hunt with John. More importantly, I learned why. Did I mention that John can flat out speak the language?! Using the principles that John taught me, I was able to go out a couple weeks after our trip and get my first longbeard. The only regret that I have after hunting with John is that I can't hunt with him more often. He left me with a greater appreciation and respect for the sport of hunting and the men and women that strive to perfect the craft. I strongly recommend that anyone who is given a chance to hunt with John take it.
 
Brad Besancon Central Arkansas
I have had the pleasure of hunting with John several times in different states. No matter the area, weather, or terrain, he made use of his expert knowledge of turkey habits and vocalizations to have successful hunts. He is tireless in his pursuit of a bird for whatever client he is guiding. One of John's attributes is his superior woodsmanship skill. In a time where gadgets rule it is refreshing to hunt with a person that is in tune with the environment that he is hunting in. John is a fellow that is on the top of my list when it comes to picking a hunting partner.
 
Rod Luke Florida
Awesomeantlers.com
John Coit is a first class individual and the best guide I’ve had the pleasure of hunting with in my 36 years in the sport. His woodsman ship skills are second to none and his knowledge of the game he’s hunting is simply unmatched. I have personally never heard a better turkey caller in the woods, and he has a unique ability to get ole “Tom” fired up to the point of reckless abandon, which usually leads to a gobbler doing the “flop”, so long as the shooter can perform his duties. To anyone considering hunting with John, I would recommend him highly and advise you, as his client, to be prepared for action. Hone your shooting skills prior to your arrival, because your only obstacle will be your own ability to close the deal with a lethal shot. Having hunted with John on numerous occasions, I am happy to say I have never been disappointed in John, or the hunt he’s provided.
Article :Patience is the number one technique for turkey success
by Terry Madewel
article first appeared at huntnetwork.net
Even the best turkey call won’t help if you can’t be patient and wait for the gobbler to find you.
Regardless of how skillful you are at turkey hunting you can always learn something from a seasoned pro. John Coit guides for turkey at Paradise Valley Hunting Club in Ehrhardt, S.C. Coit also goes to several other states out west to guide for gobblers and to film for turkey hunting. With upwards of 60 days or more in the turkey woods each year, Coit has learned a lot about chasing gobblers.
He put it to very good use during our hunting trip at Bang Collins’ Paradise Valley Hunting Club in Ehrhardt this spring.
In addition to the gobbler Coit called off the roost the morning described last week, he also demonstrated techniques for working turkeys to food plots, working a gobbler with hens in tow and how to be ready for and take advantage of a “flash hunt.”
First we’ll examine how he sets up to hunt food plots, such as chufa or other food sources that will attract turkeys.
Coit uses one overriding philosophy that embraces all of his turkey hunting techniques.
“Patience is my number one asset for killing turkeys,” Coit said.
“The things most turkey hunters can do that will help them see and harvest more longbeards, is to liberally add patience to their arsenal of turkey hunting techniques,” Coit said. “Far too many times when I was just learning about hunting turkeys, I’d call, a bird would answer then get quiet. I’d wait what I felt was ample time, and then get up to move on him. Many times as soon as I moved, there he was close to me and looking for a hen. Most of the time the gobblers were in shotgun range but I had no chance to make a play on them. Of course, he’d putt and be gone.”
Now Coit has added a great amount of patience to his waiting game.
“If I’m sitting on a good food plot, which is a place a gobbler may want to come anyway, I’ll give them a long time to get there, especially if he gobbles at my calling,” Coit said. “A chufa patch, like the many we have here at Paradise Valley, is a place he wants to come to anyway. It’s a place for hens as well. So he’ll come here not only to eat, but to get with other turkeys. Many times you’ll see strut marks in the fields as well as scratching for food.
“If a bird gobbles at me, I’ll wait an hour, maybe two. This is particularly effective during the mid-morning or mid-afternoon time period,” Coit said.
Coit said you can stay too long, but generally if a bird gobbles he’ll give him over an hour to filter in before even considering leaving.
“Sometimes the birds will not gobble coming in, they’ll just show up,” Coit said. “If you’ve got your decoys set right, they’ll focus on the decoys and come to them in a manner where you can get a good shot.”
In fact, decoy management is another strong point of Coit’s game plan.
“I don’t always use decoys, but many times I do,” Coit said. “Just seeing another turkey can often help a gobbler feel at ease and come on in. I think decoys are very helpful in a food plot situation. I’ll set my decoys in a manner such that they will be facing the woods, trees or other cover, as if they’re leaving the field. I’ll set one of my hen decoys right at the edge of the food plot, as if she is actually leaving the field right then. A jake decoy will be facing her but slightly behind. I’ve watched gobblers sneaking in being very cautious and then see this decoy setup. Typically, they will come right on in thinking the hen is leaving and the jake is following.”
Another method for taking a gobbler in quick fashion is the “flash hunt” as Coit calls it.
This is the situation where most hunters get too aggressive and spook the bird when it is really very killable.
“If I make a call in an area that’s fairly open and a gobbler cuts my calling off with a hard, aggressive gobble, I have to make a quick choice,” Coit said.
“One is to try to get closer to the gobbler, which is usually a good thing, to cut the distance,” Coit said. “However, if the ground is open and a gobbler can see a long distance, many times I’ll simply have to find cover right where I’m located. For that reason, I usually look around before I make a call at all in that situation. If I do strike a bird that’s too close to move on, I can at least quickly set up and have a chance.
“Often, when I strike a bird like this and call back to him he may answer one more time then get quiet or sometimes not answer again at all,” Coit said. “Typically when he doesn’t answer and there’s no way he’s seen you, he’s probably coming and coming fast. Sit down, get the gun up and watch closely. Odds are very good you’ll get a shot within a minute or two.”
A final technique is to work a gobbler with hens. This is one of the most difficult tasks in turkey hunting but it can be done. Coit’s advice is again use a heavy dose of patience.
“To me, the key is not messing up the bird by being seen,” Coit said. “As long as he doesn’t know you are a threat, you still have a play you can make on him. Sometimes you may have to set up two or three times. Sometimes you just may have to be pinned down and wait until the hens leave him. Also, you can sometimes get into a calling “fight” with the dominate hen with him.
“When this happens you can sometimes call the hen to you and the gobbler will tag along for the show,” Coit said. “My clients have taken many gobblers through the year using these techniques.
Coit added that if the hens drag the gobbler away, that’s the time you need to move and try to get in front of them. Otherwise, being patient is typically the key to success.
“Most turkey hunters are simply over anxious,” Coit said. “Turkey hunters need to have patience and try to figure out each gobbler as an individual bird. Each gobbler wants to be treated in a different way it seems. Some like aggressive and loud calling. Many prefer soft and subtle. That’s why I use several different calls.”
 
David Bryan Florence South Carolina
Having known John for over a decade has been my pleasure. Hunting with him as a as a friend and fellow outfitter has honed my turkey skills greatly. We've hunted from Maine to Miami and laid many a Tom down. I know of his success in the Western States also. He seems to have been born with that innate ability to talk "Sweet Talk" and lure the girls in.........with Toms in tow. Not only is his skill at calling excellent ( friction & diaphragm ), his woodsman ship is superior.
With such skills, his ability at hunting other game is great. My freezer remains full of deer and wild hog thanks to his help. I would recommend him to any one as a professional class guide.
Story first appeared at Widowmaker Calls
Jeff Lee jr. Sumter South Carolina
I called John Coit of America's Outdoorsman in the middle of the month to see if we could hunt together. I am very timid in my turkey calling and know that John had good places to hunt and the proper calls to bring them in. He said he would be happy to take me but he had used all of his tags and I would have to do all of the shooting. (imagine that - reached a five bird limit in less that half the season).
Sounded good to me so we went. I had to leave my home in Sumter at 3:15am in order to reach him at 4:15 am so we could be hunting by 5:00am. I was very excited at the prospect of hunting with John after the tales he had shared. Something like a "Gobbler in every tree ; we all have seen birds here; this is the best time of the season to hunt ; and the weather is perfect" I had already counted this day a success before the sun came up.
When we reached the woods, John said we need to be very quiet and walk in with no lights because we may be right under the birds. Huh? we walked into their roost ? What kind of plan is this ? I am a novice and I know better than to bump them. OK lets do it! The decoy spread set up beautifully in the corner of a green field. Cool morning air was fresh and damp. We were hidden 10 yards in the woods on an Oak big as the hood of my truck. John said sit still and since you have never taken a true "longbeard" I'll call him in , you shoot him and we will be out of here before the dew dries. By the way, how far can you shoot with that thing? Well, John my 28" Gold Hunter with Mad Max choke and 2oz HV Winchester Supreme 4's killed a jake at 45 yards. You can bring him in that close can't you. OH Yeah !
The morning started out really slow, no gobbles, no crows - only a blanket of fog. John says we'll have to be attentive he may slip in on us in this fog. John started with very soft clucks and purrs to insure we were not parked underneath the roost of our quarry. As the day progressed we became slightly more aggressive with the calls. Finally a response. John says here comes your bird and he's running in. I assumed a shooting posture and readied for the shot. When the bird came into view it appeared to be a jake headed straight for the dekes(keep in mind the fog). I took aim when John says it's a hen. Hold up. OK lets watch this ! She's purring and rubbing against the decoy. She's a lesbian! I never saw anything like this on the discovery channel.
Not getting any response, she came into the woods with us. Now we were busted for sure the only bird within 100 miles was a 10 yards from us scratching and digging.
When I was nearly convinced that we were testing how gullible Jeff is , we heard a short weak gobble. Wow a live bird! Our hen left us beating a trail to him. Should we call her back John? No! we want her where she can't bust us. Things cooled down. We never saw the jake and she finally drifted out of sight. Must be the fog we thought or it could be the hunting pressure. About that time, we broke out the Widow Maker a few strong calls will have every tom in the neighborhood running in. Well John said I am going to take a smoke break while we wait for the results of the Widow Maker. OK I thought. He removed his mask and gloves when over the crest of the hill comes the whole squad of long beards marching straight for us. OK man get dressed I told him. They're only jakes he said don't get excited. No! one has a big rope on him. Lets do it. We brought the whole crew to about 60 yards when they just stopped. We're toasted I thought. Hold on don't get excited John told me we are gonna have turkey for supper. He reached into his magic bag and pulled out the scratcher- the leaf scratcher that is. When the longbeards heard what they were sure was hens scratching in the woods. The death march was on.
At 20 yards, I sealed the deal 2 big ole nasty longbeards with one shot. All we had left to do was shoot a roll of film.
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