First Turkey Hunt down! Unsuccessful, of course ;)
10-08-2015, 11:22 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 3
First Turkey Hunt down! Unsuccessful, of course ;)
OK, so I posted a thread earlier in the year asking what I needed to start turkey hunting. I got the camo, got the box call, patterned the gun, and I finally said "forget work" and got out there. I managed to get to the conservation area at about 6AM, but because I had never scouted the area (because of work) it took me a while to feel the place out.
I managed to spot 2 turkeys in a little sparsely wooded valley while it was still kind of dark, but of course I got excited and charged down the hill, scaring them away. I managed to surprise another one a little later, but it also got away.
I'm excited. I'm going back to the same area next week. Some notes:
1. I really don't think my box call was doing anything. I think I've got a good yelp down via practice, and I know that the calls are way more important during the spring season, but I really felt like I was just calling out to nothing. The turkeys certainly weren't attracted to the call, I felt. Is there something I should do differently?
2. I made a ton of noise. I'm usually used to blind hunting, so walking around stalking after turkeys was probably not a good idea. When I spotted the first turkeys I should have just dropped into a crouch, tossed myself against a tree and try to call them in. Instead I tried to get closer, and I think my crashing through the bush / not hiding probably scared them off.
3. Getting to my spot early. I don't know where the turkeys are roosting, so should I just beeline it to where I first saw the turkeys today, post up on a tree, and wait? Or is stalking to different areas like I did today a valid strategy? Today I basically hung out in each spot for about 45 minutes and then moved on. I had a lot of trouble telling the bird calls I was hearing apart- I feel like I wasn't hearing any turkeys at all, so I would move to a new spot. How long should I stay in an area calling and waiting? I watch turkey hunts and it feels like those guys are moving around a lot.
4. Terrain. Is there an ideal terrain that turkeys hang out in? There was this dry riverbed that I was following, but I was out in the open so I think it was probably hurting my chances. Can I just wait anywhere in the woods and call?
Anyway, thanks to everyone from my first thread who volunteered what stuff and needed and advice. It was a great first hunt. Now, if there's anyone in the St. Louis, MO area who already got their turkey and wants to show a loud, dumb newbie the ropes, hit me up! Otherwise it's back into the trenches alone, me vs the birds. Here's a post-hunt photo!
I managed to spot 2 turkeys in a little sparsely wooded valley while it was still kind of dark, but of course I got excited and charged down the hill, scaring them away. I managed to surprise another one a little later, but it also got away.
I'm excited. I'm going back to the same area next week. Some notes:
1. I really don't think my box call was doing anything. I think I've got a good yelp down via practice, and I know that the calls are way more important during the spring season, but I really felt like I was just calling out to nothing. The turkeys certainly weren't attracted to the call, I felt. Is there something I should do differently?
2. I made a ton of noise. I'm usually used to blind hunting, so walking around stalking after turkeys was probably not a good idea. When I spotted the first turkeys I should have just dropped into a crouch, tossed myself against a tree and try to call them in. Instead I tried to get closer, and I think my crashing through the bush / not hiding probably scared them off.
3. Getting to my spot early. I don't know where the turkeys are roosting, so should I just beeline it to where I first saw the turkeys today, post up on a tree, and wait? Or is stalking to different areas like I did today a valid strategy? Today I basically hung out in each spot for about 45 minutes and then moved on. I had a lot of trouble telling the bird calls I was hearing apart- I feel like I wasn't hearing any turkeys at all, so I would move to a new spot. How long should I stay in an area calling and waiting? I watch turkey hunts and it feels like those guys are moving around a lot.
4. Terrain. Is there an ideal terrain that turkeys hang out in? There was this dry riverbed that I was following, but I was out in the open so I think it was probably hurting my chances. Can I just wait anywhere in the woods and call?
Anyway, thanks to everyone from my first thread who volunteered what stuff and needed and advice. It was a great first hunt. Now, if there's anyone in the St. Louis, MO area who already got their turkey and wants to show a loud, dumb newbie the ropes, hit me up! Otherwise it's back into the trenches alone, me vs the birds. Here's a post-hunt photo!
10-08-2015, 11:54 AM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: south eastern PA
Posts: 15,436
I assure you, you will never run down a turkey, that would be like a coyote trying to run down a roadrunner . You cannot go crashing through the brush, turkeys have very good hearing and even better eyesight. In fall season one method is to sneak, emphasis on sneak, still hunt would be another description, if you come upon a flock don't try to sneak on them, they will see you, if there are 10 in the flock, there will be 10 pair of binoculars watching you. Some hunters rush them yelling at the top of their lungs and some shoot into the air, I do not prefer the shooting into the air. The trick is to get the flock to scatter in all directions, then sit down and call assembly. If you listen, you will hear the turkeys talking to each other trying to get back together, you want to sound like those turkeys. If you don't know how to call assembly, buy a CD or tape and learn it, it is important for fall turkey season. I know successful hunters who do no more in the fall than do some good preseason scouting, find where the birds are feeding and then go in early in the morning before dark and sit down and be quiet., look for scratching showing they are feeding in the area, learn to tell fresh scratching from old. Hunt near spring seeps, they use the water and the small greens that grow around them. If you just go busting brush blind, without scouting ahead of time, you will eat more chicken than turkey.
10-11-2015, 01:56 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,186
Your number 2 point makes sense for spring hunting however scattering them is the common fall strategy. Oldtimr laid out the groundwork for you.
Turkeys are typically more vocal in the spring. I do know fall hens will be vocal in the mornings but I have never heard a tom gobble that I can remember. You can count on hearing them flying to and from the roost. You will likely hear hens calling in the morning as they gather up on the ground after roosting. 6-10 turkeys roosted within 50-70 yards of my deerstand last night. I am going to bring a slate call this morning and try to get them to fly down in front of my stand or get them to walk there if they land out of bow range. Treestands offer no protection of turkeys seeing you but it does give you an visual advantage. Movement is what will get you busted with turkeys, even more so than deer. Good luck.
Turkeys are typically more vocal in the spring. I do know fall hens will be vocal in the mornings but I have never heard a tom gobble that I can remember. You can count on hearing them flying to and from the roost. You will likely hear hens calling in the morning as they gather up on the ground after roosting. 6-10 turkeys roosted within 50-70 yards of my deerstand last night. I am going to bring a slate call this morning and try to get them to fly down in front of my stand or get them to walk there if they land out of bow range. Treestands offer no protection of turkeys seeing you but it does give you an visual advantage. Movement is what will get you busted with turkeys, even more so than deer. Good luck.
