Turkey Hunting Basics?

jlovie

jlovie

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Dashwood, ON. But some day on Manitoulin
So I was back checking out one of my deer stands and found a ton of sign, as well as saw some actual turkeys. So I figured I'd get my license and give turkey hunting a whirl. I've checked out some youtube vids, but I'm looking for some actual insight as to what the basics for turkey hunting are. I'm assuming a call (or 2 or 3?) and camo. Are decoys a necessity? Basically I have the firearm and that's it. Any help would be great, thanks everyone.
 
1- boxcall
2- crow or owl call
3- good camo
4- 3 decoy set (optional)

here is a site with all of the various turkey sounds.....

http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/sounds_of_turkeys.html

Learn how to make them with your boxcall.... and read about them and what they are used for.....

Take a nice slow walk through the woods at last light the night before you want to turkey hunt.... every 100 yards or slow honk on the crow call.... eventually with any luck a gobbler will respond from his roost....

Mark the spot and come back before sunrise... and anchor down (put out your decoys if you have some usually a jake and two hens).... the idea is to try to use your boxcall to entice the gobbler to you and draw him to the dekes for a shot..... don't worry if you don't have decoys... I have been very succesful without them... I just find it makes the hunt more enjoyable... and have had big toms peck my jake deke so bad I had to sew up the holes with fishing line!....
 
I use a small blind and a few decoys. I use slate callers, reed callers and box callers.

I havent gotten a turkey yet.
 
I love the box call myself but I do use a few mouth calls. If you decoys be careful you don't fall asleep as I do sometimes. :) I've awakened a few times and drew down on my Jake decoy. Damn sun puts me to sleep.
 
Winchester-1897 said:
I love the box call myself but I do use a few mouth calls. If you decoys be careful you don't fall asleep as I do sometimes. :) I've awakened a few times and drew down on my Jake decoy. Damn sun puts me to sleep.
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LOL.... that's funny....

I never could get comfortable enough with mouth calls... I do have a couple of slate and glass calls with strikers I take out sometimes....

I will admit my mind does wander at times and have been "spooked" by my own dekes blowing in the wind....
 
I use 3 decoys... a jake positioned behind 2 hens in a field and I sit inside the treeline covered with camo netting and use a box call... I get a Turkey every year. Last year I had 2 Toms see my setup 400 yards away... they put their heads down and sprinted the distance to my Jake... I was chuckling to myself for the minute or so it took for them to get to me... funny as heck.
 
cdncowboy said:
I use 3 decoys... a jake positioned behind 2 hens in a field and I sit inside the treeline covered with camo netting and use a box call... I get a Turkey every year. Last year I had 2 Toms see my setup 400 yards away... they put their heads down and sprinted the distance to my Jake... I was chuckling to myself for the minute or so it took for them to get to me... funny as heck.
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You want to see something even funnier try mounting the jake atop one of the hens and mix a juvenile jake gobbler call into your set.... pure gold
 
I would suggest an easy yelper push type box call, full camo especially your face and take your time getting into the bush and set up. I have taken afew birds and have every type of call there is but my favorite and most productive call is still the quaker boy easy yelper.
 
Scout all winter, all spring and roost them the night before! I'll use an owl call just before the sun sets. Go back in the morning and stay about 200 ft or so off the place you roosted them. Learn to cal. Most exciting and frustrating hunting out there. You'll light up the bush with a hen purr and hear toms gobbling everywhere. They get closer and closer and a coyote sticks it's head out and that bastards run! Then you shoot the coyote as a warning to all his friends!
 
marlin said:
I would suggest an easy yelper push type box call, full camo especially your face and take your time getting into the bush and set up. I have taken afew birds and have every type of call there is but my favorite and most productive call is still the quaker boy easy yelper.
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A good box cal will put an easy yelper to shame any day as far as tone, depth and versstility.... BUT.... I also own an esy yelper as it is very easy to use, requires little motion and when put inside a ziploc bag is completely waterproof.... good little call
 
wanteddeadoralive said:
Scout all winter, all spring and roost them the night before! I'll use an owl call just before the sun sets. Go back in the morning and stay about 200 ft or so off the place you roosted them. Learn to cal. Most exciting and frustrating hunting out there. You'll light up the bush with a hen purr and hear toms gobbling everywhere. They get closer and closer and a coyote sticks it's head out and that bastards run! Then you shoot the coyote as a warning to all his friends!
Click to expand...

LOL.... you ever try a crow call instead of the owl?.... I find the crow works better as the sound is more "shocking".....
 
wanteddeadoralive said:
I use crow calls during the day after the "morning rush" to locate Tom's looking for round 5 or 6 or 7 (horny bastards! lol)...then I get a good shock on them.
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I am going to try that for ####s and grins.... during the day I only use the box call.... they always respond to that... but a quick run and gun with a crow call blast sounds cool.......
 
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