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now that the season's getting close how about we put out our best turkey tips. that doesn't mean we have to leave it to one apiece.
i suppose i'll start...

take the sling off of your gun once you get to your spot. if you don't when you pull you gun up to shoot the sling will swing and you're more likely to get spotted by a bird because of the excess movement.

its easier to call turkeys to where they want to go SCOUT hunter i am still trying to get those pictures sent

Don't over call, take the gobblers temperature and give him only what he wants to hear.....if he shuts up, slow down, he might be coming in silent.

If a gobbler hangs up or hens up, you can gobble at him a time or two, sometimes that'll bring him in.

However, be very careful and make sure no other hunters are in the area,becausethey willHUNT you!!!

Start practicing your call NOW, no matter how much it annoys your wife/sister/mother/etc...

and COMPLETE CAMOFLAUGE. Those puppy's have sharp eyes!

Quote:

ORIGINAL: wineguy

Start practicing your call NOW, no matter how much it annoys your wife/sister/mother/etc...

and COMPLETE CAMOFLAUGE. Those puppy's have sharp eyes!

i'm with you , but it should be husband , kids, and neighbors for me, lol....

SIT STILL....if you think there's nothing coming, SIT STILL some more. don't move, don't overcall and don't give up...DO HUNT TIL LEGAL SHOOTING HOURS ARE OVER

for you bow hunters, do some practicing in full hunting gear and shooting out of your blind.

This is a take-off from Ultimags reply.....Scout now...knowing where that birds going from doing your homework can save the day from a more frusterating experience.You can have all the best gear in the world but having a place to go with birds to work is where all starts and wherethat gear is going to work!!;)

Get a hunting partner that looks like this:

Don't shoot until you absolutely have to...like if he looks like he's gettin ready to leave. It is always a more enjoyable experience. You rarely get a chance to be so close to wild animals, enjoy it while you can. Also, the big boy may not have shown up yet and a responsible hunter would take the 3 year old rather than a 1 or 2 if possible.

on rainy and foggy days..hunt on the edge of woods overlooking fields and meadows..even though its a good spot anytime..it prooves better on rainy and foggy days....always keep in mind that when you are turkey hunting, you are reversing nature..you are making the tom come to the hen instead of the hen going to the tom...but if the tom stops or gets hened up and will not come to you even if you have been silent for a while..you can go to him..but do not approach directly from behind him..circle out and come back up to him cutting him off.

Fullback 24

Is that a model, or did she put her makup un just to go hunting? lol

load shells into your gun!!!!(no i don't know about this from experience)

make sure your shoulder or back isn't against the tree your sitting against when you shoot. you may not feel it immediately but a few minutes later you will(this i do know from experience)

Don't chase after and call at a gobbler that's headed away from you gobbling. You just about have to get in front ofhim to have a solid chance.Hoof it and circle around, as posted before. Scratching leaves to simulate hens scratchingis something I like to do that works wonders. Keep you head down on the barrel.
WM

Also, the big boy may not have shown up yet and a responsible hunter would take the 3 year old rather than a 1 or 2 if possible.

Posted... I don't mean to start a cotroversy here, but reading through several posts, this type of statement is really getting on my nerves. If the bird, deer, hog, etc is what you're after, the shot is safe, etc take the bird you want. I personally have never shot a jake, but I've never seen one while hunting either. Here's my tip...........enjoy the spring and all the sight's and sounds of it. If the bird outsmarts you, learn from it and learn to laugh about it. Leave the ego at home or work and take in God's beautiful creation. Sorry for the ranting.

This isnt really a 'tip'...not one that gets the boss gobbler all the time anyway..more like an idea you can try.
I use dekes alot, two hens with a jake, they're designed to be simple standing dekes but with a little ingenuity i've made a shorter stake for one hen and set her lower in the grass with the jake directly behind the laying hen (right behind the hen).
Any dominant tom (or any adult bird for that matter) who busts out into the set-up will see the adolescent bird trying to breed the hen...that old boy wont like that, or the young gobbler, he'll try to run him off.
Thats when the safety comes off and i nestle the true-glo dots on his double chin...lol

Quote:

ORIGINAL: Gobbling Buck

Also, the big boy may not have shown up yet and a responsible hunter would take the 3 year old rather than a 1 or 2 if possible.

Posted... I don't mean to start a cotroversy here, but reading through several posts, this type of statement is really getting on my nerves. If the bird, deer, hog, etc is what you're after, the shot is safe, etc take the bird you want. I personally have never shot a jake, but I've never seen one while hunting either. Here's my tip...........enjoy the spring and all the sight's and sounds of it. If the bird outsmarts you, learn from it and learn to laugh about it. Leave the ego at home or work and take in God's beautiful creation. Sorry for the ranting.

No problem, everyone has their own opinion. What I meant was: From a conservation standpoint, you want to take the oldest bird since he will not live much longer anyway. This way you are having a less detrimental effect on the population. Also, you can enjoythe hunt a little more by waiting as long as possible...or as you put it "take in God's beautiful creation." because you rarely get a chance to just watch a turkey from that close.

you can't kill 'em if you aren't in the woods!!!

hunt as much as possible and don't call too much....be careful when using jake decoys on public land.

Always make sure your decoys are at least 20 yards away from you while hunting. If you dont use a blind, make sure you have a tree bigger than your shoulders if possible. Limit your movements

Never call at a gobbler when his line of sight allows him to see you. He will pinpoint the sound and could spook if he doesn't see a hen standing where the sound is coming from. Wait until he goes behind some obstruction before calling inside 100yards.

if you call in a hen try and keep her there. it's likely a gobbler has heard that hen before and you know it's the real thing. plus you get a live decoy and all natural calling.

thats a mighty nice looking shotgun fullback

Sounds Made by Wild Turkeys

From gathering poults to finding a mate, wild turkeys make a vast array of sounds. Below are common calls you can hear in the turkey woods.
CLUCK
The cluck consists of one or more short, staccato notes. The plain cluck, many times, includes two or three single note clucks. It's generally used by one bird to get the attention of another. It's a good call to reasure an approaching gobbler that a hen is waiting for him.

PUTT
The putt is a single note, generally associated as an alarm, could be several notes sharp or rapid fashion, usually means they have seen or heard something, means danger.

TREE CALL
The tree call is usually a series of soft muffled yelps given by a roosted bird. Sometimes it picks up in volume as fly down time nears. Maybe accompanied by soft clucking. Generally acknowledged as a call to communicate with others in a flock.

PLAIN YELP OF HEN
The yelp is a basic turkey sound. It is often delivered in a series of single note vocalizations and can have different meanings depending on how the hen uses it.

CUTTING OF EXCITED HEN
A series of fast, loud, erratic single notes is referred to as cutting. It's a modified cluck and is a distinct abrupt call with a somewhat questioning nature. It can be heard at a great distance and is often used by a single turkey looking for companionship.

ADULT HEN ASSEMBLY CALL
The adult hen assembly call is a series of loud yelps in order to assemble her flock or young poults.

FLY DOWN CACKLE
The cackle is generally associated with movement. It can be heard when a bird is flying up or down from a roost, flying off a ridge, or flying across a creek. A cackle usually consist of three to 10 irregularly spaced notes. It's a movement call, so use it sparingly.

KEE KEE RUN
The kee kee is the lost call of young turkeys and variations made by adult birds. It's often associated with fall hunting, but can be used successfully in the spring. This is what it sounds like. A variation of the call, the kee kee run is merely a kee kee with a yelp.

PURR
Purring is a soft, rolling call turkeys make when content. It can usually be heard by feeding birds. This is not a loud call, but is good for reassuring turkeys as they get in close to your position.

CLUCK AND PURR
The cluck and purr is single note or notes often associated with flock talk or the feeling of contentment. Sometimes amplified. It is a cluck followed by a rolling, almost staccato call.

OWL HOOTING
The eight-note hoot of the barred owl is often used as a call to locate gobblers in the early morning or late evening hours.

GOBBLING
The gobble is one of the principal vocalizations of the male wild turkey and is used primarily in the spring to let hens know he is in the area.

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