Hunting turkeys in fields

53Izzy744

53Izzy744

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Will be going out for the first time this spring and am now eternally endebted to my hunting buddy because he managed to land a great parcel of land to go to via a family friend. Its farmers fields (as of now i only know it has corn but may have other things).

The land is set up like this

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My question is where would be a good spot to set up? I am thinking those spots that are northern tip of the diamond (in the pic) of the main large fields would offer an easier ambush since those fields are both about 100yrds by 50 yrds as opposed to trying to call a turkey from one end of the giant corn fields behind the houses.

Looking for some ideas to make the most out of our limited time to be out there.
 
Try to find were they roost, dont call them, go 2 days in a row to confirm their roosting site, making sure you roost them the day just before opening day morning...
Then opening day just set yourself 10 feet in the wood max 100 metres from the roosting site, if you have a decoy set it at 25 meters from you in the field...

When you ear them talk before they fly dow just tenderly cluck and purr, should be an easy hunt, if you are not sure of your calling dont yelp because your rythm calling could be not good for you...

Good hunt... JP.:)
 
Yes turkeys in it lol

I guess a better question would be. If they are down once we arrive will we be able to move along the tree lines to the other sections and set up to call them in or will they be alerted enough not to go over to those sections after seeing people head over there. Im guessing they wont be too alerted since they must see people all the time.

Sorry for the silly questions, new to this and not many turkey enthusiasts in my circle lol
 
stampede said:
Keep the wind in your face if possible.
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Turkeys can't smell so you don't need to play the wind.

53Izzy744 said:
I guess a better question would be. If they are down once we arrive will we be able to move along the tree lines to the other sections and set up to call them in or will they be alerted enough not to go over to those sections after seeing people head over there. Im guessing they wont be too alerted since they must see people all the time.

Sorry for the silly questions, new to this and not many turkey enthusiasts in my circle lol
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I would be there before they leave the roost. I like to get setup and in place at least 30 mins prior to legal shooting light. That isn't to say you can't go in any time and call birds in but I would not count on them not being alerted to you entering the area. They may see people all the time but they have a funny way of knowing the difference between a farmer riding a tractor and a camo'd guy toting a shotgun :). That's what makes turkey hunting so exciting...one minute they can fall prey to your antics like they are the dumbest bird on the planet and the next day they can seem to know your plan before you do.

It looks like you've got a good spot to hunt. Without knowing what the surrounding land looks like or what the elevations are like, I would probably set up in the tree line that comes out of the bush (if we look at your picture as a ball field, the tree line that runs between 2nd and 3rd base); that way if a tom comes off the roost into one of those two fields on either side of you, you've got a chance to get his attention. Be patient, don't move, enjoy the excitement! Good luck and keep us posted on how you make out!
 
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53Izzy744 said:
Yes turkeys in it lol

I guess a better question would be. If they are down once we arrive will we be able to move along the tree lines to the other sections and set up to call them in or will they be alerted enough not to go over to those sections after seeing people head over there. Im guessing they wont be too alerted since they must see people all the time.

Sorry for the silly questions, new to this and not many turkey enthusiasts in my circle lol
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Turkeys have the eyes of a hawk, so even if you have cover it had better be thick or they will bust you... sometimes I've gotten closer by crawling on hands and knees when cover is lacking.
 
Thanks for the tips guys just trying to get a sense of how easy these things are to spook when trying to get from the house to the bush passed the fields since we dont want to set up close to the houses.

Freezerfiller: the whole property is about 600 meters wide with a bit of a tree line running down the center and some more tree lines splitting in to 4. Would it be safe to walk along the center tree line if the turkeys happened to be off to either side of the property line? So 300 meters with probably less than thick bush for cover.
 
53Izzy744 said:
Thanks for the tips guys just trying to get a sense of how easy these things are to spook when trying to get from the house to the bush passed the fields since we dont want to set up close to the houses.
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Best thing to do is as Caramel said, put them to bed and get there early, quietly set up close to where they roosted.
 
That seems to be the best way to do it but the location is pretty far out of town so we arent able to do it that way. So we are at a disadvantage. I will try to find out of the land owner can help us out by maybe saying where they tend to be throughout the day (best case scenario!)
 
53Izzy744 said:
That seems to be the best way to do it but the location is pretty far out of town so we arent able to do it that way. So we are at a disadvantage. I will try to find out of the land owner can help us out by maybe saying where they tend to be throughout the day (best case scenario!)
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Morning is your best bet, before they regroup with the hens, anywere in the day, they are harder to bring to the gun except maybe jake... JP.
 
53Izzy744 said:
Thanks for the tips guys just trying to get a sense of how easy these things are to spook when trying to get from the house to the bush passed the fields since we dont want to set up close to the houses.

Freezerfiller: the whole property is about 600 meters wide with a bit of a tree line running down the center and some more tree lines splitting in to 4. Would it be safe to walk along the center tree line if the turkeys happened to be off to either side of the property line? So 300 meters with probably less than thick bush for cover.
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They will see and hear you for sure. This will put them on alert and that reduces the odds that they will come into range for you, especially if you're relatively new to calling.

If you can't get in while they are still on the roost here is what I would do: show up and carefully scan for birds with your binos...if you see them, plan your route so there is some sort of cover (hills, trees, crawl, etc.), set up and wait 30 mins before doing any calling, more if you think they may have seen you. If you don't see any birds then get to your spot as quickly and low and quietly as possible. Set up and wait 45 mins before making a sound.
 
The first Tom i will kill this year will be my 50th bird...
Your tread remind me of my first tom in Mooers NY in 1991, a 17 pounds jake... JP.
 
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Hope we are able to bag at least one between the two of us our first time out. If we get skunked im hoping we can go back sunday (that would allow us to try to find their roosting spots and employ the better strategies lol)
 
I would arrive very early (an hour before shooting light) and get yourself into a "listening post" position near the main woods on the northern end (where they will likely be roosting). If (when) you hear birds sound off, sneak as close as you reasonably can for a morning setup. If you "strike out" with the morning hunt I would relocate into the woods at the northern end of the property. I find that turkeys are far more responsive in the timber during the day.
 
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