First time turkey hunter

[Magungo1066]

I won"t use a decoy on public land. Too many idiots shooting whatever they see

Luckily this will be private land

 

[Robby]

Lot's of good advise here, one more that I have experienced, take more than one call. Some times it is the call itself, you may not be doing anything wrong calling, but many times, knowing they are around and quiet, I will switch calls, they light right up!!!! If they didn't talk back, I probably wouldn't pursue them so ardently, when they do, it ratchets things up to a whole other level!!!!

Best of luck to you!!!!!
Robby

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

Do you know how to clean and butcher a turkey? Might sound like a dumb question but I know guys who hunt turkey and never learned how to dress one out. They just hack out the breast meat and leave the rest to the coyotes. If you want to mount the tail and wings, learn how to remove them properly. There is a lot of good meat on a turkey, you just have to know how to utilize it. There is a ton of good information on Youtube about that too. You can also trade or sell the wing feathers to traditional archers if you go on their forums.

 

[stank]

If you know that there are turkeys in the area you are hunting stay put. Don’t go walking all over the place. You will spook the birds. Take a comfortable chair and stay put. Turkey can hear a lot better than most people think. You don’t need to call very loud. Stay as still as possible at all times. I live in Pa and our birds know the calling game and might come in silent.

 

[Curley 50 cal]

Study Elmer Thudd films!

Be vewwy, vewwy quiet!

 

[anthonycrocker25]

All good advice but don't forget the tick and bug spray.

 

[SDSmlf]

You can stalk a turkey but it’s more fun, safer and more productive to call them in.

Stalking turkeys makes you a target for other hunters...... Not a good idea and actually illegal in some states (PA comes to mind).

 

[renegadehunter]

Lot's of good advise here, one more that I have experienced, take more than one call. Some times it is the call itself, you may not be doing anything wrong calling, but many times, knowing they are around and quiet, I will switch calls, they light right up!!!! If they didn't talk back, I probably wouldn't pursue them so ardently, when they do, it ratchets things up to a whole other level!!!!
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Best of luck to you!!!!!
Robby

I will second this. Sometimes they won't answer one call at all but another one with a different pitch will light them up.
One time I was calling to two Toms after they came off the roost. I had a single reed that made a very crisp, clear sounding yelp. They would respond to it, but I watched as the went by about 75 yards out and kept going. I quickly switched to a double reed that was very raspy sounding and those two birds turned around and came right in after hearing it. I have no idea why, but a different call can make all the difference sometimes.
I very commonly have better response with a very raspy sounding call. I prefer mouth reeds and like to use doubles or even triples that are very raspy sounding.
For how much to call, I call according to their mood. If they hot and being vocal frequently, then I am to. If they only call sparingly, then I do so as well. Later in the breeding season it is wise to call very sparingly, and using more hen "feeding" calls is more effective for me. Subtle clucks and purrs with some leaf scratching thrown in like a hen just feeding contently. As soon as I can see them coming I stop calling altogether. I let them hunt for the "hen" they heard and the decoy does the rest of the job.
I shot mine last year with a .410 ga. at 20 yards (unmentionable style though). Pattern the gun and know your effective range for a good pattern and most any gauge will do the job.
I've shot them without a decoy but very much prefer one to take their attention off of me. A hen decoy will often make them strut, and when they are fanned and their tail is blocking their entire head you have the chance to get away with some movement, if needed, to take the shot. I often hunt them with a bow and this is the only way I can draw undetected if I'm not using a blind. It also helps to make them go to where you want them. I put the decoy 90° to my left, this gives me the most "swing" range for getting off a shot as a right handed shooter. A bird that comes in on your extreme right offers no shot in many cases, you can't get away with the movement to swing your entire body so you can take a shot. Being able to either shoot from your other shoulder accurately, or a decoy to move them to where you want them, helps increase your success in this scenario.

 

[Ponderosaman]

Stalking turkeys makes you a target for other hunters...... Not a good idea and actually illegal in some states (PA comes to mind).

Stalking deer would I suppose would make you a target for other hunters, yet it isn't discouraged. While I wouldn't like to get shot by a shotgun, I would like much less to get shot by a rifle. I think it's the stalkers who pose the greatest danger by shooting at sounds. Here in AZ or NM where I hunt, stalking a turkey isn't markedly more dangerous (or illegal), but wouldn't be productive or much fun.

 

[SDSmlf]

Stalking deer would I suppose would make you a target for other hunters, yet it isn't discouraged. While I wouldn't like to get shot by a shotgun, I would like much less to get shot by a rifle. I think it's the stalkers who pose the greatest danger by shooting at sounds. Here in AZ or NM where I hunt, stalking a turkey isn't markedly more dangerous (or illegal), but wouldn't be productive or much fun.

Guess you never took a hunter’s safety course? When I taught hunter safety, not stalking turkeys and dangers of stalking them was preached. The numbers we had showed that more than 50% of hunting accidents occurring among spring turkey hunters involved someone stalking turkeys. Think about it. Very well camouflaged and concealed hunters, using calls and decoys. And here you or your kid comes stalking in on that turkey call until they see the decoy...... with a 3-1/2” load of #2 shot in a 12 gauge. Yep, no more dangerous than hunting or stalking deer dressed in blaze orange.

In the four eastern states I hunt in regularly if you came into camp and declared you were going to stalk turkeys or got caught stalking them, you would be told to leave immediately.

 

[Ponderosaman]

I have taken several hunter safety courses. No offense, but I’ve not been impressed and safety is a big part of job at work. Perhaps the class you taught was better than the ones I’ve gone to. It does seem odd to me that they preach things like never bring red, white or blue into the field because they can be mistaken for turkey’s, but are ok with decoys. It’s also very rare for people to wear blaze orange while hunting anything here. Though I do when hunting deer or quail. My hunting camp, which consisted of me and maybe my dad would probably have a talk with a hunter that wanted to do something that I/we didn’t agree with, you know suggest a different way, offer a cup of coffee, have some bacon, sit down by the fire, play a little banjo.

 

[deermanok]

If it's raining, use a pop up blind on the edge of a field. Turkeys don't like the woods on a rainy day. They'll be out in the open.

 

[Marrowback]

Don't move !

 

[XVIIc Wheelock]

Don't have to use a decoy in our backyard in Central Texas; it's called cold turkey, every morning 0700 30-40 come walking by; every evening 1700hrs opposite direction, then they roost high in the trees away from the varmints...have at it! By the way, Benjamin Franklin was right...they are magnificent in flight..he wanted the turkey as our national bird!

The Toms are magnificent in the spring gobbler season....most beautiful birds ever!

 

[Snydly]

Just before Thanksgiving. NE Wy. 80gr. FFg, 1 3/4 oz. of #5 All the shot in the head and neck.