I am gonna have Questions
How do you locate gobblers
What call do you use
Once you locate then set up I know camo plays an important roll in hunting turkey
Lets start there
Feel free to add what I might forget to ask
Thanks
How big of a Turkey do you want?
I'm telling you right now, if you walk into the bathroom and look into the mirror, you'll be staring into the eyes of one about 180-190 pounds.
:shrug: :eyebrow: :biggrin:
I was kinda thinking of a 20 pounder with a 10 inch beard and 3 inch spurs
No wonder Chris has been looking at me with a little twinkle in her eye I have slimmed down some :roflmao: :roflmao:
I didn't think anybody noticed :laf:
Yep, camo plays a vital rioll in turkey hunting. Those birds have some awesome eye sight. I would recommend a camouflage pattern that matches the surroundings you plan to hunt in :biggrin: and then sit still. The slightest movement - even a blink or your butt cheeks flapping wildly around while you flatualte will alert them to your presence. :nofgr: Let me know if I can help ya some more. :biggrin:
Seriously though - are ya looking for information that is a bit more specific?
Yes
I need to know how to locate once I locate then lets talk set up.How do I know the direction he is gonna come from.Will he come straight to the call?Will he circle way out then come to the call? Will he take the easiest rout to the call :shrug: :confused:
I can guarantee you that you'll find the CHEAPEST turkey at your local grocery store. :biggrin:
Here some random thoughts:
Scout and hunt where the birds are :doh2:
Wear full camo, hat, mask, gloves, etc.
Get a tape or CD and practice hen yelps and cutting, purrs and clucks. I use these most of the time
I use a diaphram call and box call mostly
Do not use the gobble call in the woods. It attracts hunters :biggrin:
Do not hunt hen calls. You might get shot :biggrin: Hens aren't legal anyways in the spring
Sit still......do not move.
I use an owl call early in the morning to get them to gobble if they don't do it on their own.
Get in the woods WAY before daylight
Turkeys see and hear everything.....set up no less than 100 yards unless terrain or foilage allows you to get closer.
Set up so when you see the turkey he is in range
Pattern your shotgun
Get a comfortable seat! Set with your back to a big tree that covers your shoulders if at possible.
Keep your gun up! You never know when the bird will show and you can't raise the gun if he can see you. Wait till he walks behind a tree to make any movements
If you wear glasses, fog proof them.
There are a million other things but those should help some. :wink:
Good luck!
Semp
Quote from: bnccont on March 31, 2008, 04:16:50 PM
Yes
I need to know how to locate once I locate then lets talk set up.How do I know the direction he is gonna come from.Will he come straight to the call?Will he circle way out then come to the call? Will he take the easiest rout to the call :shrug: :confused:
Sometimes they come in on a string. Sometimes they circle. Sometimes they hang up and thumb their waddles at ya. :biggrin:
They are easier to call up hill than down hill I think. Try to get on the same level with the bird or at least get above him.
Semp
There are a couple of methods used for locating...some guys go out the night before and put a bird to bed so to speak. They basically just find the roost tree and a good spot to set up by it in the AM. I don't usually have time to do this, but I would try it if I had more time the night before.
The method I use is knowing there are turkeys in the general area and go in early in the am, before first light. If there are turkeys in the area there's a good chance they will be gobbling on their own. If you think some are around but the woods are quiet - give a couple hoots on an owl hooter or a couple of soft yelps on a turkey call. They should gobble at this point if they are in hearing range. Once you have them located and have found a good spot to set up - sit tight and take a nap until first light. There are numerous schools of thought on what to do prior to the tom flying down - some guys call normally, some guys will call softly once or twice and shut up, and some guys will not call until the bird flies down.
Once the bird is down, there is no telling where he might go. I have had them gobble back to me once they hit the ground and shut right up not to be seen again for a few hours, and I have had them not make a peep once they hit the ground. They aren't like coyotes with using wind to their advantage, they utilize the terrain more. The best thing I can tell you is know the area you are hunting intimately. You should know every creek, ditch, fence or other obstacle that may keep them out of your shotguns range. If they do cross one of these - I would consider it nothing more than sheer luck. There is no real way of knowing which way a bird will come in - this goes back to using the terrain to your advantage as well. Try to guess which way he will come and then set up in the opposite direction. :confused: Well, not really. But it does seem like that at times.
When is your season anyway? I might be due for a road trip sometime in May, if I have all my tags filled :eyebrow:
Steve
Now we are talking
OHIO
Youth-- April 19th-20th.
April 21st-May 18th. 1/2hr before sunrise til noon.
Thanks fellers
I'll help you too Bill. You just gotta let me know when you're going out & I'll be there. :thumb2:
All the advice given so far is top notch, not much I can add.
QuoteThey are easier to call up hill than down hill I think. Try to get on the same level with the bird or at least get above him.
:yoyo: Not many people know this :eyebrow:
What about a decoy? Is it better to have one,or take a chance without :shrug: more then one
How far away do I set the decoy from my stand?Do I set the decoy in open sight or hidden some so the tom has to look a little bit?
Thanks guys
If I have time in the morning before daylight on a pre-planed hunt where I've scouted and know where they're headed I'll set up a lone hen about 20-25yds out where I want to shoot.
Afterward if that fails I run n gun for em and usually dont have the time to set one up.
Bill, just go out a few evenings and sit up on a high point and listen......just listen. Until it is so dark you think I am out hunting coyotes. If the gobblers are not calling at all, you will hear their wings flapping as they fly up to roost. if you are not sure if they are gobblers wait until O dark thirty- ish and hit the loudest coyote howl you have and they should shock gobble. This only works if there are turkeys present of course but when you find them kind of keep track of them from time to time to see if they moved just by sneaking in and listening. LEAVE YOUR TURKEY CALLS HOME you do not want to educate them.
The night before you go hunting put em to roost. By just listening you should already know about where they are so listening is all you need at this point. Then you move to within 75 to 100 yds. of them the next mourning and see what you can do with them. Do not get to where they can see you from the roost :nono: Stay just around the corner or ideally up hill from them, they are easier to call up a hill.
There is a lot more to it than this but I think this should keep you busy for a while.
Did you know this little trick?... If he hangs up and you can see him wait till he is facing strait at you and SHOOT! he will fly the direction he is facing and you can get him on the second shot. :eyebrownod:
http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html (http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html)
Good thread Bill ! You guys are helping me at the same time. Thanks! Dave
The NWTF website has turkey sounds on it to help with practice.
I'm with nailbender, this thread is very helpful to me too. Thanks fellas :biggrin:
Lots of good info so far. I've also heard that when they fly down from the roost, they prefer to fly towards an uphill slope than downhill. Coulter is also correct - know the terrain very well. They don't like crossing creeks and fences at all. They ones that I have had cross fences, ended up being jakes. I use decoys, especially early in the season when there isn't any underbrush grown up on the ground. Later in the season, they have to search harder through the foliage to find the hens, and are less prone to hang up out there about 50+ yards and just strut around.
I like to hunt later in the season because of the foliage. You can get away with more movement as you are walking through the woods. It's hard to walk in the wide open without being seen especially if there isn't any foliage around.
I set up on the edge of the open fields along the timber. When they are out patrolling for hens, they walk the edges of the fields next to the cover. They can cover some pretty good ground in a day. And I've had them travel about 3/8th of a mile to a call before. Don't try to get too close. If you do, the chances are really high that you will bump them and they'll head the other direction. I do this at least twice a season before I realize that I don't need to get that close. :doh2: And I keep telling myself that I won't do it again. :madd:
Don't worry about smell and wind direction. If they could smell, we would never kill em.
I use a hawk scream to try to get them to shock gobble. I don't have an owl hooter. I don't use a coyote howl in the morning to locate. I found that they tend to go the other direction when they hear a howl.
If the toms are with hens, good luck. You may be able to call the hens to you easier than to call a tom away from the hens to you. A lost hen yelp is a good call for those times. Call the hens to you and the toms will follow.
I rarely use binoculars when hunting, but turkey time I always have them on. If you can see the turkeys before they see you, that is a huge bonus. If they do see you and they are more than 100 yards away. FREEZE!! They will check you out for about 30 seconds. If you don't move, they will keep doing their thing. Slow movements are a must, especially when there are multiple eyes on the lookout.
I like a box call for a breezy day, and a slate call otherwise. The very first turkey I called in was with the pump action yelper (12 years ago). That goes to show that about any type of call will call them in. A diaphragm gets used every once in a while. The yelp will be more than adequate to kill a tom, and the other vocalizations are an added bonus if used at the right time.
Good luck Bill.
Brian
I'll throw my pennies worth in here too. If somebody disagrees with somethin, feel free to jump in, we can all learn from each other.
Like everybody else was sayin if ya know where there roosted and your goin to set up on em, this is where knowin the terrain helps,
you want to try and set up close, but don't get busted and kick em off the roost. Then your hunt's kinda done before it started.
I hate to admit the number of times I thought I was far enough away, and still got busted. :doh2: When I'm set up with em on the roost,
( this is where Steve was talkin about different opinions) as it gets closer to light usually ya hear em start talkin, right before I think there gonna
fly down I like to call softly to em. Most of the time I just mimic what there doin. Sometimes you can get that old boss hen irritated with ya.
Sometimes I'll do the fly down cackle first before they fly down. Part of the reason I do this is because I'm bow huntin and I have my blind
and decoys all set up, and I hunt ground with a few other bow hunters so because of those two reasons I don't have the mobility to go
after em once they fly down if they head off in the other directions. It seems like more then not, if I don't get em to come in fairly quick after
fly down, if I'm limited to stayin put in the same spot, I just as well take a nap in the blind cause I'm not gettin any action until the Toms get done
with the hens they left with, and are lookin for more action. If you can move around and they go the other direction from fly down, try and circle
around em and get in front of the direction there goin.
Once you're at the point that you got one gobblin and you know he's comin to ya I usually stop calling, if he stops gobblin after a while, or he gobbles
several times from same spot I may give him a couple more calls. Basically don't go nuts callin and think ya gotta answer him for every gobble he does.
If he gobbles several times from same spot and he's still out a ways where you can, get up and move so he thinks the hen is movin.
I do like to use decoys. Sometimes I'll use a single hen, some times I'll use a hen or two and a jake. I set them up within shooting distance.
I like to change up my calls and sounds. Sometimes because I'm bored, sometimes because a different sound gets em goin when one didn't.
There's some of my "vast knowledge" I've learned (most of it the hard way) over the past several years, and the many, many (one) birds
I've harvested over the years. :biggrin: :laf: I'd hate to say how many birds I've had within, or close to shootin range without bein able to seal the deal
for one reason or another. I can tell ya if your bow huntin your chances are increased greatly with usin a blind. :eyebrownod: I tried it for several years
with out, and would get busted or not even be able to draw on em. I'm not sayin it's impossible or anything, I just think your odds are way better usin one.
I hope a few of the pros join in so we can hear what they have to say. If I think of somethin else good I forgot I'll add it later.
Scott
- couple other things I just thought of, when they were talkin about callin a bird easier up hill then down, that's another reason why I like to set up on ridge lines.
I also like to set up on field edges like Brian was sayin. The other one was don't think your hunt is blown if ya mess up and do a little "crappy" callin.
I've had it before where I had some of the worst callin coming towards me and I wondered what the heck somebody was doin coming towards me when
they weren't supposed to be over there :mad2:, and out pops a hen. :laf: So ya don't have to be perfect all the time. :laf:
I think calling is maybe 10% and setup is 90% of the hunt. A one note cluck will bring a turkey in if he wants to come. If you're calling and hit a sour note just blended it in and keep going. Rhythm is most important. Heck, if you got him roosted in a tree there's a 50% chance he will fly down on your side of the tree without you even calling at all! Setup is critical.
Another thing, if its raining they like to go to the fields. For those days, I set up in a Double Bull blind with a decoy or two out front and wait them out while staying dry.
Semp
Bill: When I was serious about hunting turkeys, I found you could shock gobble them with about any loud, high pitched sound. Your coyote howler is about as good as you can get. Somebody put out a call that sounded just like a screaming peacock, pretty easy to master. On the other hand, an owl hooter like the Knight & Hale will sometimes make them gobble right on the roost. Same for crow calls. All that being said, you can hear them without all that when they have love on their mind. In my opinion, they are not a very smart creature. They are naturally sneaky and have a damned neck that they can stick up like a periscope. They have excellent hearing and excellent eyesight. If they had a good sense of smell, you may never see one. When they are gobbling a lot and really in love with love, they are relatively easy to hunt. When they have a harem of hens, and clam up, it gets considerably more difficult for you to stay focused. If you get set up on a good strut zone, like an open hay ridge or field with cover all around, those big old toms will remember where they heard that anxious, hot hen, when their harem slips off to head to the nest and sit her eggs. He'll come back to check that other promising girlfriend out if you have the patience to wait them out. They are likely to come any number of sneaky ways to get back to her, and that is where a motion hen is dandy. I always liked to use a jake decoy and a hen on the nest nearby to further piss him off. I hate ticks and hot, humid weather, and I'd rather hunt coyotes. Coyote hunting never gets old to me. Good luck on getting a big tom.
Some excellent advice has already been given. In my opinion, it is very important that a person be able to hear a gobbler when he drums. It is hard to explain, but it is a low frequency sound that they give on the roost and on the ground. Usually just after they strut. On a good morning, you can hear this at 75 yards or maybe a little more. When a gobbler is not gobbling, this is the sound he is giving. I call it a short range gobble. Most of the time, the gobbler is in sight of hens and he uses drumming to attract them and others. If you can hear this and it is an acquired sound so to speak, you will be able to locate more gobblers and also prepare for a shot on an incoming gobbler.
Gobblers are a front heavy bird. Because of this, it is easier for them to walk uphill versus downhill.
Hope this made sense. LOL
Randy
A rule of thumb I use is to call then wait until he gobbles twice then call again. I never call to him after each gobble.
However sometimes they are not vocal at all times like this I call very little and softly.
I use a box call when they are far out from me and a mouth call to call em in when I can.
http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html (http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html)
As long as you know they are in the area, don't over call them and
PATIENCE
PATIENCE
PATIENCE
That is some of the best advice ever given to me when I was trying to figure it out. It is so easy to over call, cause it is fun to hear them gobble. RESIST THE TEMPTATION! Call sparingly and let them come to you.
Amen!
http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html (http://www.geocities.com/alscalls/coyote.html)
Bill: You haven't lived fully until you hear one of those big rascals spitting and drumming right behind you. It sounds like he is breathing right down your neck, kind of makes your hair stand on edge. Another eye opener is when you are concentrating on one you see at the other end of a hay field or hollow, and you are yelping, cutting, and all that good female talk, trying to get him to come to you, and a big one slips in behind you and hits one of those thunder gobbles right behind you. If you can sit motionless when that happens, with your scivvies still clean, you have ice water for blood. He might be 30 yds behind, but you could swear he could peck you in the back of the head. Hell, if I keep this advice to you up, I'm liable to talk myself into going again this year. :madd:
possumal said it best right there^^^^!! :wink:
I had one double gobble to one quick tap on a slate call & he was MAYBE 20 FEET from me & I couldn't see him!! :biggrin:
Hey you guys are doing great looks like a lot of good info in here
Damn now if I could only read :roflmao:
Really guys Thanks for all the input
If he is roosting with his harem nearby an you bust them off the roost, find a spot near by and set up. Wiat for about thirty minutes and give the lone hen yelps. He will come back looking for his ladies. Jimmie
Looks like you have a wealth of knowledeg here Bill...now you need to get out there and apply it. The best teacher is experience, heck you might even learn something about the birds we haven't shared with ya yet. You season runs about the same as ours in PA. I think ours closes a week later though. I'll have to see if I can fill some tags and sneak down there before your season ends. I'm always up for exploring new areas. Good luck
Steve
Quote from: possumal on April 01, 2008, 09:19:46 PM
Bill: You haven't lived fully until you hear one of those big rascals spitting and drumming right behind you. It sounds like he is breathing right down your neck, kind of makes your hair stand on edge. Another eye opener is when you are concentrating on one you see at the other end of a hay field or hollow, and you are yelping, cutting, and all that good female talk, trying to get him to come to you, and a big one slips in behind you and hits one of those thunder gobbles right behind you. If you can sit motionless when that happens, with your scivvies still clean, you have ice water for blood. He might be 30 yds behind, but you could swear he could peck you in the back of the head. Hell, if I keep this advice to you up, I'm liable to talk myself into going again this year. :madd:
I had two of them get behind me last year and had to sit through that. My buddy and his son were back there, so I figured he would take a shot. They crossed the fence and creek to get there. They're not supposed to do that! Needless to say I'm hooked!! And yes, my drawers stayed clean! :laf:
Patience and sitting motionless are definitely two keys to a successful hunt.
At the LBL a few years ago I was sitting by a huge tree (you couldn't see my shoulders on the other side) for at least two hours occasionally doing a few yelps and had a big tom walk up behind me. He never gobbled or made a sound. He walked to the left of the tree and was so close I could of reached out and slapped him! When I saw him, he saw me and we both about crapped! He turned and ran back the way he came in a straight line. A big mistake! I rolled to the left and proved to him that he couldn't out run my 12 ga. :biggrin:
Gawd I luv turkey hunting!
Semp
Quote from: iahntr on March 31, 2008, 09:13:10 PM
The other one was don't think your hunt is blown if ya mess up and do a little "crappy" callin.
I agree with this 100%. On my very first turkey outing, my father called me over to the farm that he was drilling alfalfa on. He said that about 30 minutes before, there was a tom turkey that crossed the field and it went to the other side of the farm. So I grabbed my gear and headed that way. I got set up, and pulled out a call. Called for a while and nothing. So I tried another call. Nothing. Yet another call. Nothing. After a while, all of my calls were laying there in front of me and I was a bit depressed since there just was a tom that went in that direction. So, I decided to play with the calls, and to try to see what bad sounds that I could produce with the calls. This was to see what I shouldn't do when I actually had a tom working. I would make all sort of gawd awful sounds from all of my calls. And then out of the blue, GOOBBBBBLLLLLE, GOBBBBLLLLE. I wasn't even making turkey sounds, but I had one coming in!!! So, I started calling turkey again, and pulled the tom to about 70 yards from me, but on the other side of the creek. :doh2: He stayed there for about 10 minutes, and then finally left. So I went down the creek and set up on the other side, and called him right back to me. It felt great to get my first one. 10 inch beard and 7/8" spurs. Probably a two year old bird.
It was probably just beginner luck. I've never had one that easy since.
Brian
How do I remember all this good info here
I will do my best,and I thank all of you for the responses
Here's some more help, Bill. Kinda basic but good info none the less. Its from the TV show Kentucky Afield.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-oU8v966ls&sdig=1
Semp
Quote from: bnccont on April 02, 2008, 07:59:04 PM
How do I remember all this good info here
I will do my best,and I thank all of you for the responses
Bill-- I'm gonna try to help you here.
Scouting-- You gotta have birds to call birds. Know your land as well as possible.
Approach-- You really don't want to spook them on the roost but if you do all may not be lost.
Setup-- This comes after your approach obviously. You need to get hidden preferrably with the sun to your back & with plenty of swing options. Remember,, if you shoot right handed you want your left shoulder facing the intended approach. This will allow you maximum swing. Take a VERY comfy seat.
Calling-- I prefer a few,, 2-3,, soft clucks just as the crows start calling. I don't call alot usually unless they hit the ground & are gobbling away from me. Be prepared to move quickly or wait for their return. Play this by gut feeling.
You can get away with a little movement if you have a blind of some type in front of you.
Last but not least would be keeping us informed in detail so we can continue to help you. You have my number as well. I hope we can get together for a turkey hunt!! :biggrin:
Thanks guys
Glen I will probably do some scouting on the 12th or 13th of this month and see if my grandson can find
a turkey or 2
Cool deal!! Good Luck to Curtis!! :biggrin:
Will Turkey's roost in the same tree every night
The reason I ask is this morning I was on stand about 5:45 am
I know there are turkey's in this area because I seen them and was told by others that they are here.
At about 6:10 it really starts getting light out and I start calling softly along with the crows,and a hawk or 2
screaching,no answers,and no movement.around 6:30 I move to get a little better cover I only moved about 15 ft
break a few limbs out of the way and get nestled in and watch the other way.At 7am about 100 yards to my left I hear a turkey come off roost I catch a climps of movement as it flutters down then never shows itself,and never makes a sound.I am thinking this bird has been watching me the whole time since I set up and wasn't gonna let me even have a peek.
Quote from: bnccont on April 30, 2008, 06:24:55 PM
Will Turkey's roost in the same tree every night
Nope. That would make it too easy! :nono: I think they just move around all day and when it gets dark they find a good tree and up they go. That doesn't mean they won't roost in the same tree twice but it sure ain't guaranteed! :biggrin:
Quote from: bnccont on April 30, 2008, 06:24:55 PM
At about 6:10 it really starts getting light out and I start calling softly along with the crows,and a hawk or 2
screaching,no answers,and no movement.around 6:30 I move to get a little better cover I only moved about 15 ft
break a few limbs out of the way and get nestled in and watch the other way.
I think you need to sit still a lot longer. Especially right after light. The birds are still in the trees and can see a country mile!
If you move they will see ya and then...bye, bye. Also, if the bird is close there is a 50/50 chance he will fly down on your side of the tree with out even calling. Patience and no movement are extremely important in turkey hunting.
Once the birds are on the ground you can move if you can use terrain features to hide your movement.
Hang in there Bill. You'll nail one yet! :biggrin:
Semp
The only way to know for sure bill is to put them to bed in the evining by going out and sitting close to where you want to hunt and just listen dont call to him and if he flys up you will hear him and more than likely he will gobble some. Then pick your plan for him.
Right now you dont even know if he is a gobbler for sure but if you can not get out this eveining the gobblers will be looking for a hen. If you are sure he /she was even roosted.
Sometimes a call shy bird will fly in, land on a tree look for you/ the hen he hears, and see you move then fly off.
If you are sure the bird was roosted I would try and get uphill from that location before daylight and just listen for a good while and if nothing happens yelp softly a few times wait five min. , do it again then do a fly down cackle while beating your hat against the ground. Then see what happens no one can get it right even most of the time bill just learn from it and go for it. I hope this helps some. :eyebrownod:
Thanks fellers I can't get out there tonight can't hunt in the morning and won't get home till after 9pm tomorrow
night :noway: this work thing is really getting in the way of hunting
I think Semp nailed it for you Bill. Busted. I went out last Sunday & never heard a gobble. They will use the same tree to roost in for a couple nights straight if the food & hens stay around there. Once the hens are all laid out tho it's anybodys guess where they will roost. But I think they will chack back to their most productive zones at some time tho. These are just a 5 year rookies thoughts. :wink:
Keep going Bill......I agree with all these fellas. Being patient is the key. I have sat many a numb hours sitting. :Maddi:
I have a few weeks to try and get this turkey hunting down I will keep trying and ya'll will know when
I get one
Thanks
Don't forget about this fall Bill. It's a great time to set out & listen to the sounds they make in groups. It'll help you tweak your calling some. Plus you get 2 weeks to bust anything in front of the shotgun!! :yoyo: Maybe we can get together on the 10th or 11th. It would be fun to try & call you up a bird. :eyebrow:
Just let me know what day you want to hook up I will have the grandkids that weekend Kurtis just might want to
go along
Thanks
DIng Ding DIng...........Sounds like a good plan in the works, I wish I could go with ya! Huning with friends.........Awsome you guys should get at least one. :wink:
Sure will!! :biggrin: