turkey hunting ?'s/tips

[BRULEDRIFTER]

so here is few of many questions im sure to post from now till season opens. i am a rookie turkey hunter that need a lot of advice. any help and advice is greatly apreciated....

so i know they have killer eye sight, how is their sence of smell?

is there a "must have" book or video that ya'll know about that i should purchase to help me along?

i already have a CD with calls and tips, it came with a few mouth calls too, so i have been practicing those. what calls are "must haves"?

i know its still a little early, but then again, is it ever too early. thanX a ton everyone.

[bigbucks]

Well with one year under my belt I'm far from really knowledgeable, but I can answer some of your questions. They have no sense of smell or a very, very poor one, not an issue, kind of nice. They have great eyesight, but I had birds that were honed in on my call that I eventually had to move a lot while they were looking right at me in the shadow, to spook them off at 10-15 yards.

Buy a box call, regular style or I was very happy with my push button, gun mount style. You don't have to be very good to have it work for you. The mouth calls are very difficult in my opinion. I bought a shaker call which I had some success with & they're fun to use.

[riverrat56]

I would invest in a good slate call, they are easy to use, more versitle than a box call, and require less movement to operate. Also with the slates if you want to change tones slightly all you have to do is carry a differnt striker with you.

-Another thing to remeber is to be totally camoflauged, including hands and face.

-If it is possible do lots of scouting before the season so you have a general idea of the area and the birds habits.

-In the morning if the toms are gobbling on the roost, call a few times to get a sense of where they are at and then be quite till you hear them fly down, if you are close enough you can hear the wings and they will usually gobble on the way down, otherwise listen for a gobble and if it sounds farther away but in the same direction they have probally hit the ground, now you can start calling more.

- Dont call to often, if you are working a tom dont call every time he gobbles, many times this will cause the bird to hang up and wait for the hen to come to him, if you arent working a tom every 20 mins to 30 mins is enough calling and even then only call for a little while. Turkeys in the wild arent as vocal as you think and when they are most of there tones are very mellow.

-If it is possible go out the night before your season opens, right at sun down or right before it, go to the edge of the feild or woods you plan to hunt and yelp sharply a few times or use a shock gobble call ( crow or coyote would be good ) this will often get a bird to gobble out of shock. After they gobble once though dont make any more noise than is necissary. Take note of the location of the gobble and try to set up with in 100 yards the next morning. This is usually refered to as Roosting a bird

-Make sure you know the area you are hunting well and dont roost a bird and then set up on the opposite side of a creek or fence line as the birds will often not want to cross the creek or fence to come to a call.

-If you do use a decoy i would recomend placing it 15-25 yards past you in the opposite direction you expect the birds to come from....the reason for this is that if the bird hangs up out from the decoy it will often be in range of your scatter gun.

-Make sure to pattern your gun and know its effective range.

also make sure that you can support your gun in a sitting postition for a long enough time that the bird will be in range ( you will want to get your gun into postition as the bird is approaching )

-Wear bug spray, the turkeys cant smell ( thank god or you'd never get close to one ) and it helps to minimize movement from insects

-When you have a bird in range or almost in range dont move unless the birds vision of you is obscured either by its fan when it is strutting or by some type of vegetation, also When the bird is approaching dont call to much ( only call when the bird has stopped his approach or otherwise give a soft cluck or purr every 10 yards or so that the bird comes in ) and tone down the volume of the calling so that the bird doesnt pin point your location.

Im no expert on this but this is stuff i have read and learned from experience

RR56

[BRULEDRIFTER]

NICE INFO!!!! thats what im lookin for. thank you a million. i have studied a little. last fall i got pumped and did some research, but now that its a reality, i have to get back on it. scouting i know is going to be the biggest thing i need to do. i just have 1 major problem..... TIME! school'n\work'n\fish'n\scout'n. looks like sleep'n will have to wait.

keep the tips coming. lets get a refresher coarse rollin for everyone out there getting ready for spring hunt'n

[Nova]

I agree, that is some awesome info. I use a slate call and mouth calls to sound like more than one bird. I also have had great luck with the owl hooter as a locator call. Hunted 3 years now and got 2 toms. Still have a ton to learn, but it's a great kind of school. I have to warn you...turkey hunting is incredibly addicting. When people say don't call too much they mean it. It's very difficult to refrain, but you will stop a tom in his tracks if you over call. Good luck to all.

[Munk]

I would "strongly" suggest using decoy's, especially if there has been a couple seasons before yours. Tom's become call shy very easy. If you have a Tom approaching that is very vocal and then suddenly gets quiet "do not" call anymore but get ready. Most Tom's will come in quiet the last few yards, and they also have a habit of trying to circle behind the area the calls are coming from so make sure you pick a spot where you'll be able to shoot in more than one direction... If he hangs up and refuses to come in, wait until he leaves and return to that same area the next morning, but this time add a "Jake" to your decoys, this tends to "P" off the old boys thinking that someone's horning in on their action, and a lot of times they'll run right in to pick a fight with the stranger. DO NOT use a gobble call if you're hunting public land. There's too many guys out there that think they're Daniel Boone, and will try to sneak up on a gobbler, causing a dangerous situation for both of you..

Lastly if you have one that moves off from the roosting area without being spooked, "stay put"!! A lot of Tom's will take care of their morning chores elsewhere, then come back looking for that sweet talkin hen they heard earlier. As others have stated do not call overly loud. They have very good hearing and know you're there.

[TomBow]

Slate style call is the easiest to learn IMHO. Get a call and a good audio or CD on turkey calling and mimic the calls you hear. I have an aluminum slate call that the birds seem to really like. I also have the Freak and a crystal call. If they don't answer to one call, I switch and try another. If you are hunting and you hear a hen, copy everything she says in the way she says it. We were able to bring in a lone hen this way and four gobblers came from different directions while we were "talking" to her.

Safety tip: Don't wear anything Blue, Red, White or Black that might get you mistaken for a turkey by some poor-sighted or careless individual. Talk loudly to another hunter if you see one coming in to where you are set-up, in order to make sure they know you are a human and not a turkey.

You may have luck with dekes but I never have in the G-seasons that I have hunted (4 of them so far). If a bird sees the deke and shys away, I pull that deke or dekes ASAP as soon as the bird is out of sight.

#1 tip that's worked for me--know where the birds like to go. they can be patterned if undisturbed and will often run on a schedule. Example: last year saw a bird come out of the woods and walk a field edge at about 4:45 PM. He was right on schedule a few days after in the same location. You'll be hooked like a walleye on opening day once you hunt and a gobbler answers your call! Best of Luck!

[Munk]

Quote:

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You may have luck with dekes but I never have in the G-seasons that I have hunted (4 of them so far). If a bird sees the deke and shys away, I pull that deke or dekes ASAP as soon as the bird is out of sight.

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I think a lot of this has to do with where you hunt. (I only hunt private land and always in the G or H season) Heavily hunted areas are sure to produce a bunch of "decoy shy" birds, and NOT using one may be in your best interest. If you do decide to use them however, I've found the lighter ones that move with the wind have worked best for me. As far as calls go, I use slate, and box calls early in the a.m., then switch to diaphragms exclusively after sun up to minimize movement. It took me a long time to learn the diaphragm, but it was well worth it (and yes, I CAN gobble with a diaphragm). I've chased longbeards for a couple years now (this spring season will be my 26th year) and can honestly tell you that NO advice given is necessarily bad advice, every bird I've come across acts totally different than the last, except for a few similarities like patterns, etc. I'm not real sure you'll ever find someone who is truly an expert on turkey hunting. Some may have all the advice you need, gleened from years of trial and error, but as soon as they think they've got it mastered, a different bird will come along and put them right back at the greenhorn stage of the game. Best of luck to all this spring. The best advice to a novice turkey to me would be; try different things until you find something that works on that particular bird, then "remember" it. When a different bird comes along, use some of those learned tricks and add or subtract according to how the bird acts. And yet with other birds, "forget everything you've learned because there's some that won't do anything you want them to no matter what you try... (kinda like some kids)

[bigbucks]

I shot my first turkey last year the same way. We patterned where a gobbler had been coming out mid to late afternoon & setup there to ambush him. As it turned out he didn't come out, but at about 2 minutes before 5:00 a jake did. Tasted pretty good to me...

We had bad experiences with decoys last year, but maybe we overcalled too, & that's why the birds stopped. It's hard to remember everything we did now.

I know that after I'd got my bird I was out calling for my partners & the birds came from a different way than expected & were closer to me, so I shut up. Three jakes strutted & puffed for a half an hour a 100 yards from me & when the little lady wouldn't come out or answer they just about climbed into a deadfall jumble with me looking for her.

[Captain B.R.K]

I'd like to add my two cents.

Calls (listed in order of use on a days hunt) Box call is an excellent locator call to use. Especially if it is windy day or just a calm day that you are trying to REACH out. The smaller the box call, the weaker a REACH signal you send out. A larger size call and you should reach your audience.

A slate call will definately be advantageous because you can reach a number of tones with the different strikes (wood, steel, plastic). Slates are made with a glass or stone top. If you get the stone top wet, normally you are out of business. The glass tops are a little more weather resistant. I personally like the stone tops as I'm able to achieve a better tone with the different strikers I've listed. I'm able to get those life like clucks, purrs and hen yaps need to seal a deal.

When I know a turkey is getting closer, I will pop in a mouth call as it frees up both your hands. There are many different calls out on the market from a a single reed to double to triple. The single reeds is what I recommend for those starting out with mouth calling.

Good Luck in your shopping!

There are a few other calls on the market (ex. push button caller). The ones I've mentioned are the ones I have tried and tested & have gotten me into birds

[TomBow]

Tip on mouth calls: Check out the Primos "Hook" series of mouth calls. They have a plate above the reed which helps position the call in your mouth for the proper reed angle and helps eliminate the gag reflex that some of us have.

[wingnutken]

The best advice I could give you would be to take the wild turkey hunting seminar given by the DNR. I feel it is a must if you are a first time turkey hunter. You will learn more there than anyone could tell you here. Buy a copy of Lets cool down a turkey by Dick Alford and bring it with you when you hunt to read when nothing is happening. Also go to ammo craft in Hopkins, Don will set you straight on turkey calls. You can't beat his selection or his years of experience. Turkeys will run at the slightest noise or movement and they do not stop and look back like a deer will. They will run for a mile and stop and completly forget why they were running. Bring at least 3 different calls with you, if you spook a tom with one call you will need a different one to try again. Good luck, Ken

[Fall Morning Fanatic]

I did not read all of the other replies yet, so if this was already mentioned, I'm sorry.

Antway in reference to using a jake decoy.If you use one. Make absolutely sure that you face it directly at YOU.A tom has to make eye contact with it to cause intimidation and if he cannot see his eyes he should keep coming until he does.

With the decoy facing you the tom must come between you and the jake to make eye contact and if your decoy is within 30-40 yards you should have your shot.

If you face the jake away from you the tom will hang up almost everytime. Because in their world, the jake should be gettin the heck out of Dodge when he sees that tom.

Also If it's real windy, stake your decoys so that they don't get the highspeed wobbles. Turkeys aren't like us men, They won't try to pick-up a drunk or dizzy girl.

Good luck

FMF

[GoodToGo]

All good tips. I use a mouth call. It was difficult to learn without a teacher, but I have been able to teach others pretty easily, so if you have an experienced person available I'd ask for help. One thing I learned the hard way was moving too much. I hunt in SE MN on the edges of farm fields which are on the edges of ravines. It seemed like every time I moved I spooked a turkey, either because it was moving in and was quiet, or it saw me cause it was in the woods and I was in the field. Now I pick my best spot and pretty much stay there all morning. Like stated earlier, they have incredible eyesight, and don't stop running until they are long gone. I had a flock take off running when I stopped the truck to glass them. They were across a ravine 800 yards away when I stopped!

[Captain B.R.K]

Quote:

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I did not read all of the other replies yet, so if this was already mentioned, I'm sorry.

Antway in reference to using a jake decoy.If you use one. Make absolutely sure that you face it directly at YOU.A tom has to make eye contact with it to cause intimidation and if he cannot see his eyes he should keep coming until he does.

With the decoy facing you the tom must come between you and the jake to make eye contact and if your decoy is within 30-40 yards you should have your shot.

If you face the jake away from you the tom will hang up almost everytime. Because in their world, the jake should be gettin the heck out of Dodge when he sees that tom.

Also If it's real windy, stake your decoys so that they don't get the highspeed wobbles. Turkeys aren't like us men, They won't try to pick-up a drunk or dizzy girl.

Good luck

FMF

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Ummm, I have read the opposite about how you want to position a decoy. IF you position a decoy to face you, that could give a false alarm to an incoming tom that something is coming. Plus that TOM will eye any movement you make because the decoy will be staring at you and alerting the incoming TOM.

IF anything, have that decoy face the opposite direction that the tom might be coming in at. That way it will have to come around to face the tom and setting it up this way, you should have a great shot.

[Borch]

The jake decoy facing towards you is often refered to as the bowhunters setup. Usually a dominate tom will face off with the Jake decoy while in strut. This leaves him blind to as movement caused by drawing your bow. Plus a arrow placed at the base of the fan will anchor them every time.

Personally I don't use decoys unless I hunt the early season or if I use a breeding setup for a dominate field tom. Otherwise decoys have cost me more birds then they've got me. Those mature birds generally hang up short and strut and gobble until the real hens start to respond, Then the game is usually over.

[30 inch eyes]

I don' think I read this tip. setup with the sun coming up at your back,because then you will be in the shadow, and set up using a tree for a background and backrest. I prefer to keep my decoys only about 10 yards out and off to one side a little, so if you get one hung up it still might be in range instead of just out of range.(it's worked for me more than once). don't give up too early either, just because they aren't gobbling doesn't mean they have left, they could be coming in silently. Also just enjoy the hunt even if you don't get one it still beats the heck out of working!

[lookin4fish]

my best advice is just when you are about ready to leave, stay 5 more minutes. most every time i had turkeys come into view was just before i was going to leave, or when i was actually leaving. it is amazing, you are sitting there and there is noise all ove in the woods and later on it seems as dead and still as a ghost town. then you dont know how but there on is no more tha 20 feet from you. it is amazing how they can move in without any sound. also i think they can throw thier voice! you think ther are yelps in the distance but then again he is 20 feet from you. one more tip, if you bother to take a snooze when you are waiting for one to come in, dont be an (Contact US Regarding This Word) and lay your gun off to the side! i awoke to 5 jakes walking around my decoys with my gun leaning against a tree. dont think for a moment i was going to be able to grad it with 10 eyeballs looking for movement. i watched them wal away and 5 minutes later (i still hadnt grabbed my gun because i was too busy kicking myself) the same 5 jakes walked behind me only 3 feet away. what a rush! i give those birds all the credit they deserve, and i give myself no credit for missing those ones. each time out brings new stories! my latest (this past fall) was sitting in the middle of about 35 turkeys on the ground and in roost after an eagle spooked them all right around and on top of me. i watched them all as i sat motionless for 25 minutes until they decied to gather back up at a river below me. ok i am done rambling! but an actual tip, if you can find any areas were you are hunting with berries or crab apples or something like that, i suggest hunting over it and you would a decoy. see if you can pattern the birds to when they feed there. this fall i set up under a crab apple tree. i didnt see the bird feeding under it, but after i go him, his crop had 12 fresh crab apples in it. best of luck to all!

[brittman]

Agree. When you decide to leave. Look around slowly and carefully.

I have had jakes, hens, pheasants, a deer, and a coyote all walk within 10-15 yards of my position before I heard or sensed their presence. All came from behind or over my left shoulder.

Not real excited about the possibility of a bear deciding to sneak that talk'n hen turkey.

Each time the ground was damp from dew or night rain.

The Gobblers Spitt'n and Drumm'n have always given them away as they approach even if they chose not to gobble.

I suppose I am a candidate for a "game ear"