Ok guys i need your help on this one. I just started turkey hunting last year. Im REALLY getting into it this year. Its adicting i mean to tell ya. Can you guys give me any tips or tricks to it. I want to get as good as i can at hunting these suckers. My family used to only hunt whitetails, last year my one friend took me turkey hunting and called in a big one for me. Now im hooked. Anything will help. Whats your favorite call? Is there any tricks to making it sound the best it possibly can? Whats the best way to scout?
I dont know much at all about turkey hunting, but i sure do want to learn as much as i can.

Man that is a broad question. I would recomend tagging along with your buddy as often as you can, and pay attention to see how he reacts to certain situations. I would try to read up on it as much as you can and watch some videos. As far as a call goes I started off with a box call and a slate you do what you think is eaisest for you. This is one of those things where on job training works best. Once you get more time in the woods under your belt you will be able to ask more specific questions. Other than that man, just get in the woods and start listening for them to gobble so you will know where they are.

oh and loose the green

Well, where do I start? For calls, I'd recommend at least one box call. This will get you up and running right from the get-go. They're fairly easy to run and they do work. I have a Primos Box Cutter and I really like the way it sounds. There's definitely a ton of "old school" inthis call.I'd also get a slate call. There are more options out there when it comes to "pot style" calls such as glass, ceramic, aluminum, crystal, and corian, but to me slate is the easiest and most common type of surface to make work. Once you get proficient with it then you should wade into deeper waters with other surfaces.

Mouthcalls...mmmmmm. These are definitely the ones that will give you fits, as well as anyone that may be within 2 city blocks of you while you practice. But get a couple anyway. I'd get at least one that has 2 reeds with no cuts in them. There are plenty of posts here that explains how to correctly work a mouthcall.

As far as working these calls while turkey hunting...Well, everyone is different and has different styles of hunting, but I really like playing "hard to get" with those toms. I'll let him know I'm there with some aggressive yelping and cutting on a box call (here's where the Box Cutter comes in!) and then I'll lay low with some very soft yelps and some purrs with some leaf scratching mixed in. They may not be doing the 40 in 4 flat coming to you, but they know you're there and chances are eitherhim or the hens will come to see who the "new girl" isthat's talking $h!t.

As far as getting a call to sound its best...In my experience, mouthcalls are pretty much what they are right out of the package. Can't really tune them. Box calls are a different story though. Here is where getting a call from a reputable company will pay off for you. Like I mentioned before, I have a Primos Double Sided Box Cutter and I really like it. It came out of the box talking turkey and I won't touch it unless it starts acting up on me. All I do is chalk it when it tells me to and keep it in a safe place. It tells me it needs chalk when I start hearing very sharply pitched notes during the first note of the yelp or it sort of just "slides" a little at the start of the yelp without making a sound. If it does this then I'll chalk it up.

Slate calls are basically the same. they need to be "sanded" with a green scratch pad. When prepping a slate surface only rub in one direction and also buff the striker tip as well. I don't like to start fresh with a slate call while I'm hunting. I like to prep it the night before and start working it so I'll get a little spot sounding nice and the striker tip will get conditioned to that spot as well so when it's crunch time I know my striker and slate will work well together.

Finally, spend time in the woods as often as possible! You'll learn something new every time you go out. Go out to have fun. If a bird gives you the slip learn from it and try to get him the next time. Turkey hunting is a big chess match. The board can be as big as the property you hunt or as small as an acre.He's the King and you're the pawn.He lives on the board 24/7 while you only intrude a few hours a day, if that. The odds are definitely not in your favor of killing him but when it happens it's definitely one of the best feelings in the world. Good luck! Simp

patience patience patience

I have no sympathy for your plight at all, because I learned it myself, before the internet existed, and it took me ten years to kill a turkey. The way I learned it.... I just did it a lot, and made a hell of a lot of mistakes.

So, my advice to you.... don't be afraid to make mistakes.... just learn from them. Keep your eyes and ears open... instead of trying to figure out WHAT the turkeys are doing... ask yourself WHY they are doing it.... when you start to look at the big picture, you'll find that its not as big a mystery as it looks.

As to calling, my best advice is don't do it too much. Get a box, get a slate and hunt. Buy a mouth call... start messing with it. All I had was mouth calls when I was a kid, and thats what I had to learn on... and I learned just by practicing and being familiar with it.

Read all you can here!

There are many many good turkey hunters here much better than me!

There are amny grat threads in all the pages beyond the front page - read and learn - then try to apply what is taught here!

JW