Beginner (sort of)

[Challynger]

I've been out turkey hunting numerous times the past 3 years and I've never seen/heard a single turkey. The landowner where I hunt says he sees turkeys once in a while, but they're never there when I hunt. I get all camo'd up and cover a good chunk of land. I try different "spots" sittingand calling with a slate call. I alsohike around with my owl calltrying to get a shock gobble, but I getnothing. What could I be doing wrong? Am I just not covering enough ground?

[huntnma]

well unless i was there with ya, i just dont know.you could be moving too much, calling too much, i just dont know, i'd get out there as much as possible and find out where the birds are , ask the farmer, where he's seen them and go from there.....you dont have to be hunting to see or not see them.....knowing your terrain is key to being a successful turkey hunter in my book....scout , scout amd scout some more......

[JW]

Sonds like that piece of property has the occasioanl turkey.

I would look for antoerh area and scout. Check fields during the day and liley feeding areas. When you have walked the ground look for dust bowls, poop, feathers and tracks.

Take a look at big ines or oaks or other trees for potential roost sites.

It just sounds like there ain't a very big population there.


Yes you can call a turkey from point A to point B but you need to be in an area tha has birds and get int eh middle of point A & point B to be really successful. In short ya gotta go where you see the most birds. And that does change from year to year.

JW

[huntnma]

JW, you said that it changes year to year where the birds are....but i have to tell ya, they have been in the same areas every year after year.....not for the whole year, but each spring i know where to go because of the past sightings and i take it from there....it seems that if i see em in one spot during a certain time of year, they are there again at that time of year....love ya lots , but i have to disagree.

[tkycaller]

Just because you dont hear them doesnt mean they are not there.
Are you completly still when you are sitting making the calls, Are you moving to much and making to much noise when walking?
Owl calls will generaly work only in early morning after that try a crow call. Learn as much as you can about the animal and it will become easier to find them.
Stay on this site and read everything that you can cause a lot of the people on here know what they are doing when it comes to killing gobblers.

[gator123]

Turkey hunting is like real estate. Location Location Location. The thing you can do is SCOUT. Get out there in the morning and listen for gobblers if you don't hear any move and keep moving until you find them. This isn't deer hunting. You have 45 minutes or so every morning to locate birds to hunt. Find them , determine the fly down direction, listen to the local hen calls and meaning. Don't hunt sightings that are weeks or months old, I have always said turkeys are like gypsies constantly moving and not knowing why. This is especially true in low population areas. Keep an open mind, stay mobile, and when you get there use an unbeliveable amount of patience. Just when you think that ol tom isn't going to show up there he is peeking his head around that tree. If you can master this technique of "run and gun" and "sit and wait" you will be one of the few and on your way to a true turkey killer.

[TEmbry]

sounds like u may be moving where the birds can see you. If you are for sure there are birds in the area, do some glassing with a spotting scope if at all possible form a distance. You need to find the birds before you can pattern them and move in. If it was me, id try and find another farm to hunt. Ive went out where i hunt many times and just sat there, and ive either seen or heard turkey nerly every time. Maybe the farmer saw vultures and there are no turkey in yur area. Im not being a smartarse because ive mistaken vultures for turkeys manytimes.

[camelcluch]

IMHO, sounds like a simple lack of birds in the area. Time to try a new spot.