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Posted

Number 1 tip for a new turkey hunter?

Posted

Scout your area so you know the topography.

Posted

They can see a whole lot better than deer! They will pinpoint your exact position when you call. Get in position when they are coming because you can't move at all when they are in sight.

I learned this the hard way 1 hour into my first turkey season when a Tom popped out at 30 yards and found me with my slate call in my hand and gun in my lap. Needless to say he lived to gobble another day.

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators
Posted

Someone touched on scouting already...

But you want to set up where the turkeys are already spending time. Easier to call them to a spot when they already want to be there. I also like to set up so that when I see the bird, they are already in range. A bend in the road, a little dip or rise works well.

Posted

Call way less than you think is necessary.....unless they like more.

Patience has killed far more turkeys than anything else in my playbook.

Shoot your gun, know where it shoots and how far it holds a good pattern. Every gun shoots different loads differently.

Posted

Thanks for the tips, I hope to put as many of them into play this spring in Mn and across the river as I can!

Posted

Patience has killed far more turkeys than anything else in my playbook.

Scouting... You can't shoot a turkey if they aren't there

Patience... You can't shoot a turkey if you can't sit still

Combine those two and you'll kill a bird.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Scouting--HUGE, get out and roost birds. Do not use any type of turkey call to roost your birds prior to your season. Get as close as possible to those roosts!! Just don't bump them! Practice, practice and practice your calling. And just because you can't hear them coming hot does not mean they aren't responding to those calls. Your going to make mistakes and no two birds are going to act the same. This is why spring time is amazing!!

Posted

How long before I hunt should I get my blind in place?

Is it good to brush in the blind to make it blend in?

Thanks for all the tips!

Minky

Posted

How long before I hunt should I get my blind in place?

Is it good to brush in the blind to make it blend in?

Thanks for all the tips!

Minky

Put it up and hunt. Turkeys pay little if any attention to pop-up blinds. No need to brush them in. You can even place them in the middle of a field, if that's where you're seeing the most activity.

Posted

Donbo is spot on about blinds. Turkeys do not care one bit about blinds. Unless I have a rock solid place to set up, I carry my blind on my back and setup as soon as I feel confident I'm ready to hunt.

Scouting is important. I've always been told if you have 5 days to hunt, you should scout the first two days. Turkeys are creatures of habit and area fairly predictable once you know their pattern. They will change it up if they get pressured, but if you know their plan, you can set up on them without them knowing. I've tagged birds out of state in places I've never been.

Get some binoculars. Turkeys have AMAZING eyesight and they will spot you before you spot them.

and most importantly, prepare to be hooked. It truly is my most favorite hunting and I just started about 6 yrs ago. Last year I tagged two birds in the spring, one of them out of state and the out of state bird was my first with a bow. The basics are easy to learn and there are birds everywhere. Have fun!!

Posted

get some nice decoys. money worth spent!

Posted

++1 on the Good Decoy's. I have DSD decoys and they pretty much look like the real deal.You get the turkeys attention and the decoys pretty much bring them in themselves! Especially with the Jakes flocked back. WOW! And they stand behind them to. I cracked the head on my 4 year old Jake last year in the cold and snow. Got ahold of DSD in Oregon and they said to send it in and they will fix it free of charge and ship it back. They couldnt fix the old style one I had and sent me a new jake WITH the case and the new DVD. Paid the shipping to!! If you can afford it you get what you pay for. GOOD DECOYS ARE WORTH their weight in gold.

Posted

Decoys will work at times but do not think they will always work is something you will need to know also.

I leave them in the truck, my decoys might get used once during my spring in 4 or 5 states. Scouting and woodsman ship will harvest more birds then the toys you buy.

Get out and pattern the birds find the strut zones and roost spots. Also make sure your gun or bow is sighted or patterened in. Try and make sure you cover all that you can control for the most part.

Posted

Hoyt's right, they don't always work, but they do work well enough, often enough, that I always start with the decoys and let the birds tell me if they want to see them or not. Often just a lone hen, or the lone jake will be enough. If bowhunting, decoys may be the only way to get them close enough for a slam dunk shot.

I have the Dakota X-Treme Jake

P4180110.jpg

and an Avian-X Breeded Hen.

full-20096-41981-722127.jpg

They work SO much better than the old "rubber chicken" looking decoys of yesterday.

Posted

Great looking decoys!

I only have the more basic hen and a jake decoy.

How should I set them up, jake facing the blind?

Posted

Yep, jake facing you. Seems most often when a tom commits to the decoys, he'll go straight to the jake and get in his face. I usually have the hen facing me also, with the jake slightly behind her, as he's following her.

  • 'we have more fun' FishingMN Creators
Posted

I don't use decoys a lot, burt when I do..... wink

I usually use a lone jake decoy. Sometimes strutting with a real fan attached sometimes alert stance. When hunting public land I generally do not use decoys and if I do I leave the jake decoys in the truck. I don't like taking chances getting shot.

Posted

Scout, scout, scout and practice your calling. Knowing where the birds want to be makes things a lot easier, especially if you're new to calling.

Get some books on turkey behavior and learn as much as you can. I went to the local library last year and checked our 4 or 5 of them and learned a lot about their behavior that I had no clue about.

Practice shooting your gun from a sitting position, a kneeling position, and a laying position if you're going to hunt from outside a blind. The last 3 years I've had birds tie me in knots and require every type of shot besides a behind the back one so I was glad I'd practiced different shooting angles.

Practice your patience. Just when you think you can't sit any longer... sit another half hour.

But the #1 tip - enjoy listening to the woods come alive in the morning!!!

Posted

Get out to a few turkey seminars also. Hearing a few different ones will help you out and also might answer some questions you are having. I have been hunting them for years but still love to go and see a couple seminars. Last years at A-1 actually was one of the best I've been too and learned a lot and I hunt with 5 seminar speakers it's just what they covered last year.

Posted

#1: Pattern Gun

#2: what he said

Scout your area so you know the topography.

........... and where the birds are

#3: Don't overcall.

Real hens often sound "worse" than a guy who can really work a call, but real hens typically do not talk much.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

I dont think it was mentioned yet but I like to keep my decoy set up within 5 yards of where Im sitting. Turkeys can pinpoint exact location of calling.

Posted

practice shooting both right and left handed Ive shot many deer and turkeys left handed I'm a right handed shooter.

Posted

Great tips everyone!

I hope to get my first spring turkey this season!

Posted

I use my trail cameras for scouting most of the time. I have a pretty good idea where the birds will be where I hunt as long as they have split up and made it to my area. Although some years they come and go which makes it real difficult when hunting with kids.

Knowing they are in the area is the most important thing for me. Once they are around the spot on the spot so to speak has already been picked from experience.

Posted

Helps to live with the birds year round, scout everyday on the way to work, yearly patterns have developed, their routes haven't changed much where I'm at, so I will have 3 blinds ready to go for season C and whether or not I can call him in I'm on their travel routes regardless, then scout the couple days before the hunt and pick the best blind according to where the toms are. Can actually watch at dusk now and see which trees they're roosting in and a month from now or less they'll already be fluffing themselves up on our gravel road like usual, so right place right time should be a done deal. 1 thing I'm noticing is they are at my bird feeders way before sun up so they're leaving the roost and flying in yet asap in the AM, so get in that blind early maybe.

Posted

Kinda missed best tip, well I say forgo your blind if it isn't happening, you have 5 days to close the deal, it isn't all like u call him in and bang. The only bird I've taken was because I left my blind, for 2 days we talked to each other, the gig was up so I got ahead of him on the fenceline route he walked alone each day and cut him off and made a lengthy 10 yard shot, this bird was not going to decoy and if you sit still enough and know your terrain you're gold. Was funny he was on one side of the creek walking along and me on the other and he gobbled everytime I clucked the call, finally I sped up and got 200 yards ahead, jumped the creek, slid into the fence line on the other side and here he came, was quite cool really all fluffed up etc, 11" beard, 1 1/4 spurs really a nice bird I thought anyway. That old Tom was too smart or me too dumb to get into range.

Posted

Great tip!

Keep my options open while having a solid game plan.

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  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • SkunkedAgain
      If you fished with me more often, you'd never have to make this statement...   38" of ice - love it. I'm really going to have to dig around for my auger extension. I don't think that I've needed it in over a decade.   Too bad nobody has a locomotive chugging across the ice to do some logging, like the good old days.
    • LakeofthewoodsMN
      On the South Shore...  Ice fishing remains strong across the south shore of Lake of the Woods out on Big Traverse Bay.  Resorts and outfitters on some parts of the lake have ice roads extending over 16 miles staying on nice schools of walleyes and saugers.  Many fish houses are over deep mud.  Some are on structure.  It is always fishing of course, but overall, February has been very productive for most anglers.   Extensions are being used on ice augers as the ice continues to thicken.  The thick ice this year will be good for the extended ice fishing season Lake of the Woods enjoys with fish houses out through March 31st, walleyes and saugers open through April 14th and a pike season that never closes. Most fishing activity is taking place in 26-32 feet of water.  Anglers are finding a healthy mix of walleyes and saugers, with a good number of jumbo perch in the mix this year.  Some big eelpout are also showing up.  Anglers are reporting plenty of fish for fresh fish frys and usually extra fish to bring home.   The one-two punch of a jigging line and deadstick is the way to go.  On the jigging line, jigging spoons with rattles tipped with a minnow head have been consistent.  Lipless crankbaits and jigging rap style lures also doing well.     Lures with a light have been working well in the stained water.  Please remember, in MN, lures with a light or water activated light can be used as long as the battery is mercury free and the hook is attached directly to the lure and not as a dropper line.     On the deadstick, a plain hook or a small jig with a live minnow 6 inches to a foot off of the bottom.    Some days, mornings are better, other days, it's the afternoons.  There is no distinct pattern, they could come through at any time. On the Rainy River...  The start of the day and end of the day have been best for those targeting walleyes on the river. A jig and minnow or a jigging spoon tipped with a minnow head is also producing some fish. Some big sturgeon being iced by ice anglers targeting them.  It is a catch-and-release sturgeon season currently.   Although ice conditions on the river are good, they can vary significantly due to the current, so anglers should always consult local resorts or outfitters for the most up-to-date safety information and fishing advice. Up at the NW Angle...  Ice fishing has been strong in the islands area of Lake of the Woods. Resorts continue to move their fish houses around, staying on the best schools of walleyes.     Anglers are catching a nice mix of walleyes, saugers, and jumbo perch with an occasional pike or tullibee as well.     Big crappies are still being caught just over the border.  Fish houses are available, check with a NW Angle resort for info on crappie fishing.   Lake of the Woods enjoys an extended ice fishing season with fish houses on the ice through March 31st and walleye and sauger seasons open through April 14th. Perch, crappie, and pike seasons remain open year-round.    
    • leech~~
      Maybe you should put rattle wheels down, if your going to sleep for 6hrs! 🤭 😆
    • JerkinLips
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    • leech~~
      A good start for never picking up a bow!   IMG_1910.mp4
    • leech~~
      Um, #metoo   leech~~ Author 'we have more fun' FishingMN Builders Posted January 26 My whole goal for the rest of this season.  Is to watch KC lose and Taylor cry!  🥳
    • smurfy
    • Wanderer
      Smurfy is happy.
    • Dash 1
      Great looking food. So far not much of a game and I thought the halftime show was worse I've seen. 
    • leech~~
      Oh is there a Superbowl game? 😋😋
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