Let's talk turkey!

Oh yeah... They will hang around... Once a flock adopts an area that is where they hang out... They aren't very nomadic...

I find they kind of "yard up" for lack of a better word. My brothers place in spring they are all across the road.

In winter they change sides and are closer to the house. Not a big differences unless you don't have pemission across the road.
 
You can use a fighting purr, most hunters have never heard it, I like to know I'm the only person hunting a particular property before gobbling.

That's why I don't gobble, my property line goes right through the bush so there could be someone else hunting close enough for me to get shot at:eek:.

I just stick with what works for me, that is a Mini Jenny.
 
That's why I don't gobble, my property line goes right through the bush so there could be someone else hunting close enough for me to get shot at:eek:.

I just stick with what works for me, that is a Mini Jenny.

Knight and Hale Mini Jenny is a great box call... I have one...

Safety first, no fun being in the bush if you are afraid to get shot.... I own my own land and the section I am in is far away from any other hunters....
 
I think I need to get out to Superbrad's place this year, sounds like a GREAT place to hunt :)

Lol... I don't know about great... But I fill my tags for deer and turkey every year and I have taken 4 yotes off of the property...

I actually have turkey permission on many spots around here.. 400 acres behind my house and several local farms... Come on down... Lol... Also, I have calls and will travel... :)... Wouldn't bother me a bit to not be a trigger man... I love the bush...
 
For purring on a mouth call a split V is the best, but any mouth call with a cut will work.

Having a number of different calls like a pot call and a box call is also a good idea as sometimes it takes a different tone to get that bird your after. Learning tools concist of more on hands training or a good Learning DVD like the one that I marketed a couple years back "Learning the Ropes of Wild Turkey Hunting" this dvd shows you the in woods experence that one needs to be successful. Purners , Binoculers, a small pocket saw, condisioning stone for pot calls and even a number of different wood strikers are important to change the tone of your pot calls. Carbon striker is a water proof item for your pot calls too. Box calls I like a Boat Paddle for volume as every now and then you need to strike up birds way off the area your hunting and you can call them to you with volume type calls. Tube calls are another call that can reach out and all the type of turkey languge can be done on them too. Sitting is a large issue and the seat is very important. Afternoon hunters that want to be successful need to sit and wait out moving and feeding birds. As said a small intertube is a great seat as I've used one for about 10 years or maybe more and when your back side feels good you will sit longer. A turkey gun is very important and with the presure of turkey hunters in your area it won't be long til the birds hang out away from setups and wait for the hens to come to them. One of the best chokes I've used is the " Pure Gold" from the USA and it has turned my turkey hunting 20 gauge into a true 45 -50 yard turkey killer with a load of Hevi shot. Yes Hevi shot is exspenceive but for a hunter to use only 2 shells a year , its not hardly worth waisting a shot at a large gobblers at that max range now is it ? To many new turkey hunters chance shoot at gobblers that their guns can not just make that max range and then you have a wounded gobbler or one that will not come back into you in that season, so you'll have to count on other properties to use a tag.

Optic's and sights are another option, and a turkey hunter can makes things a lot easyier to aim on a bird by just lining up crosshairs or fiber optics on the head to take down your prize.

One of the most important things I have learned is to understand what the calls mean and what your saying to a bird in the field. When you talk right it makes the game easyier....
 
For purring on a mouth call a split V is the best, but any mouth call with a cut will work.

Having a number of different calls like a pot call and a box call is also a good idea as sometimes it takes a different tone to get that bird your after. Learning tools concist of more on hands training or a good Learning DVD like the one that I marketed a couple years back "Learning the Ropes of Wild Turkey Hunting" this dvd shows you the in woods experence that one needs to be successful. Purners , Binoculers, a small pocket saw, condisioning stone for pot calls and even a number of different wood strikers are important to change the tone of your pot calls. Carbon striker is a water proof item for your pot calls too. Box calls I like a Boat Paddle for volume as every now and then you need to strike up birds way off the area your hunting and you can call them to you with volume type calls. Tube calls are another call that can reach out and all the type of turkey languge can be done on them too. Sitting is a large issue and the seat is very important. Afternoon hunters that want to be successful need to sit and wait out moving and feeding birds. As said a small intertube is a great seat as I've used one for about 10 years or maybe more and when your back side feels good you will sit longer. A turkey gun is very important and with the presure of turkey hunters in your area it won't be long til the birds hang out away from setups and wait for the hens to come to them. One of the best chokes I've used is the " Pure Gold" from the USA and it has turned my turkey hunting 20 gauge into a true 45 -50 yard turkey killer with a load of Hevi shot. Yes Hevi shot is exspenceive but for a hunter to use only 2 shells a year , its not hardly worth waisting a shot at a large gobblers at that max range now is it ? To many new turkey hunters chance shoot at gobblers that their guns can not just make that max range and then you have a wounded gobbler or one that will not come back into you in that season, so you'll have to count on other properties to use a tag.

Optic's and sights are another option, and a turkey hunter can makes things a lot easyier to aim on a bird by just lining up crosshairs or fiber optics on the head to take down your prize.

One of the most important things I have learned is to understand what the calls mean and what your saying to a bird in the field. When you talk right it makes the game easyier....



Very very true... thanks for chiming in.... I collect box calls and so far I don't have one of teh larger boat paddle types... I have seen these used in calling competitions... any reccomendations?
 
Very very true... thanks for chiming in.... I collect box calls and so far I don't have one of teh larger boat paddle types... I have seen these used in calling competitions... any reccomendations?

One of the best I have used is the QB Mini Boat but the company only takes orders on that call. The curve is a good one also. Brad the boat paddle is very high pitched and would be to high for comp's, you must have it mixup with another call...
 
One of the best I have used is the QB Mini Boat but the company only takes orders on that call. The curve is a good one also. Brad the boat paddle is very high pitched and would be to high for comp's, you must have it mixup with another call...

That is kind of my intention as a hunter... Like both you and I mentioned, pitch is important...

Box calls are my favorites and I like to use them to reach as many frequencies as possible...

As such, a big paddle call would add to the fleet...
 
The diaphram call is very hard to master... but once you got it right, nothing is more exciting then turkey talk to a big one your eye on the bead of your shotgun on the incoming gobbler completely motionless, every call work but a mouth call make you a ghost... JP

Very true. I Usually start practising with my calls in the car on the way to school and work so when the time comes to hit the woods I'm good to go. I found that the Hunters Specialities dvd is a good one to start learning how to use the mouth calls.

I know I'm Still young and new to this but I have a 50% kill rate on all my turkey hunts.

I usually do not hunt past 9 all of my successful hunts have been over before 7 am

Also don't be afraid of rain last year both my birds were taken in rain, the first one in sideways rain lol

here are some pics of past birds

My first bird ever

28827_611190892618_122703670_35664074_7334075_n.jpg


Last years takes (both taken on miserably rainy mornings)

1 a bearded hen had a 7 inch beard on her lol

216399_700897534788_122703670_37018714_783841_n.jpg


2 decent Tom 8.5 inch beard and 7/8 spurs

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Nice pics.... good shootin'..... I also find early to be best but I usually don't pack it in until lunch..... my trail cam pics have suggested that my birds are active right through to 4 pm with feeding etc.... so I head out at 5 and try putting one to bed....
 
I have not read this whole thread so excuse me if this has been said before but in my opinion the most critical factor in harvesting a turkey is keeping still. Two years ago I was hunting deer wearing full blaze orange and 50 to 60 turkeys walk out of the bush just in front of me. They walked towards and around me, some close enough I could have reached out and grabbed it by the throat. I have hunted turkeys for some years now and will still use camo but I believe movement is what they hone in on no matter what you wear.


LOL

Same thing happened to me in reverse. I was hunting turkey. Had left where I had set up in the morning and was following a game trail. Stopped to listen and next thing I know 5 deer walk past me within 1 1/2 feet. Took forever as each one had to stop right beside me and give me the once over. When it came time for the fifth, I reached out and gave him a poke.
 
I do both.... imitate a hen with the call doing yelps, cuts and purrs..... if I get a response from a gobbler and he hangs up I will do some hen yelp and then throw in a jake gobble (call is shown in post 1)..... the purpose of this is to make the Tom think a jake is tryong to breed one of his hens.... If he comes to investigate he see my two hen and jake decoys and that usually puts him off the deep end....

How do you tell the difference between a jake and a tom gobble??
 
Usually the small length beard. A good sized Tom can have a very long beard. If you can see their tail feathers when they fan out a Jake will have the centre feathers longer than the others. Some Jakes I have taken were close to the 20lb mark though so I was assuming they were approaching the adulthood stage.
 
It might be a bit early yet but I am trying to locate flocks so I can try to get permission to hunt come the season. Is there are better time of day to see them in the fields. Have found 4 flocks so far, all between 3:00 pm and 5:30 pm.

Tactics will change as we get close to April 25 but I was wondering about late winter behavior.
 
It might be a bit early yet but I am trying to locate flocks so I can try to get permission to hunt come the season. Is there are better time of day to see them in the fields. Have found 4 flocks so far, all between 3:00 pm and 5:30 pm.

Tactics will change as we get close to April 25 but I was wondering about late winter behavior.

Typically best results during season are in the morning.... but when locating flocks any time of day is good... if you see them that means teh area harbors birds....
 
Typically best results during season are in the morning.... but when locating flocks any time of day is good... if you see them that means teh area harbors birds....

Thanks Brad. I know what my plan is come the season. I just wanted to maximize my flock locating right now. Very little public land around where I am and I don't expect everyone to say "sure, no problem...hunt all you want" .
 
I'm starting to see them group up on fields maybe 4-15 at a time, looked like the larger groups were smaller birds. Approx 8-9 am.
 
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