Glad I found this website. Been exploring a bit. Ton's of info, and friendly, knowledgeable members. We are lucky to have such a place to learn and share.
I hunt mostly in central upstate NY. I am far from proficient, but I do have a few birds to my credit. I've turkey hunted sporadically over the past 8 years, but this spring I am looking to dedicate more time to the feathers, and less to the fins.
Ok, now a question...
In the area's in which I hunt, for the most part after 9:00am the turkeys sure quiet down. In the past, if my tag wasn't full by 9:00am, I would switch over to a "trolling" technique, of covering A LOT of ground, calling blind, hoping for a taker. I have had limited success doing so. I don"™t know if it is my calling techniques, maybe I am moving too fast thru the woods, not hitting the right areas, I just don't know!
Wondering what techniques you all use, after the early morning is over, as late morning approaches, and the birds aint talkin? How should my calling change?
first off ; welcome to the board.
what I do ; I walk slowly and use a crow call and then a quackle or two then a lost call and move another 50 to 100 yards.I do this till about noon.
I have taken quite a few birds this way.the main thing is don't give up to early.
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I am not a hunter ; I am a whitetail population reduction specialest
remember keep your back to the sun, your knife sharp, and your powder dry.
Charlie is right, strut zones are great places to be. Another thing to do at times is to go back to an area later in the morning in which you had a bird answer you from earlier. Sometimes a bird will be henned up early, but answer you (courtesy gobble) and keep moving with his hen. If his hen leaves him, at times, he will work back to the area he heard you call from earlier.
welcome i agree wiith the above posts if you can scout out your hunting territory and locate any strut zones dusting areas and areas where you observe hens feeding late in the aa.m. go back to these places setup and do some soft calling ona slate and be patient get to know the birds you hunt your calling can be dictated by the amount of hunting pressure there is and the time of spring i also like to try and find a hot bird by moving from ridge to ridge cutting aggressively hoping to find a tom that has lost his hens there are allot of things you can do dont be afraid to try different things frm day to day have fun and remember PATIENCE
Patience, finally learned last year after reading it from so many. I have this one spot where I can here birds from along way.There are two ridges that drop down into a creek bed and it makes like a V it's such a sharp drop off. That's one of the main spots I head to when things calm down. I sit there and call a little eat a sandwich have some coffee,call a little more. Tom I killed after 11am last year I heard from all most a mile away from this spot. My buddie kept saying you want to move,you want to move. I knew if there was a Tom anywhere in the area he'd could hear me from where I was sitting and birds came to the field mid-day to feed so I was going to be patient. I worked my slate and he gobbled got him to go again and moved on him. I told my buddie I know right where he is "he's got a strut zone on logging road on top of that other ridge." Shot the Tom at 11:45 20 lbs 10 inch beard 1 inch spurs.
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patience is the key, it is funny that no matter how many times you read people telling you to be patient, it won't really set in until you have messed up a couple of times, at least for me. Then it is like one day it clicked, and I have been a turkey killing machine since then! Just ask Froman!! Once he learns this, he might do a little better!!![8D][&:]
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"A man with a gun is a citizen, A man without a gun is a subject."
Welcome to the boards... You might wanna try moving to water in the late afternoon. I have had a lot of success with that. I set up next to a good source of water such as a pond and call sparingly, mostly clucks and purrs. Give that a try and good luck this spring!!
Like others have said I basically try ot head to an area where I think the birds willl want to head to and hang out later on. Give a few soft calls and wait. I am limited on space in my hunting area so I can't really move around too much.
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Just a regular guy who likes to hunt
Late morning
Once he learns this, he might do a little better!!![8D][&:]
