First time hunter.
01-22-2010, 04:40 AM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Damascus MD
Posts: 2,751
Stick with basic stuff at first.
1) Location that has birds, use locals knowledge if possible
2) Get your weapon dialed in and know what the pattern will do at different distances
3) Learn to make a few basic calls, get a CD to listen to it driving to work
4) Get a hen and jake decoy
Find some locals that can help you find places that have birds you can hunt. Most choke tubes and turkey loads will kill birds, nothing exotic needed. Do some practicing at different distances so you know what your gun and pattern will do. Get a hen and jake decoy, again, nothing fancy needed. Learn to make some calls. A box call is pretty easy to learn, but I think diaphrams work best and are much more versatile especially when birds are closing in. Get a CD that you can listen to when driving to work etc and learn to use a diaphram so you dont drive any one crazy lol. Turkey hunting is a BLAST!!
1) Location that has birds, use locals knowledge if possible
2) Get your weapon dialed in and know what the pattern will do at different distances
3) Learn to make a few basic calls, get a CD to listen to it driving to work
4) Get a hen and jake decoy
Find some locals that can help you find places that have birds you can hunt. Most choke tubes and turkey loads will kill birds, nothing exotic needed. Do some practicing at different distances so you know what your gun and pattern will do. Get a hen and jake decoy, again, nothing fancy needed. Learn to make some calls. A box call is pretty easy to learn, but I think diaphrams work best and are much more versatile especially when birds are closing in. Get a CD that you can listen to when driving to work etc and learn to use a diaphram so you dont drive any one crazy lol. Turkey hunting is a BLAST!!
01-22-2010, 07:30 PM
#12
Super Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Indiana
Posts: 7,182
Welcome to the awesome world of turkey hunting and welcome to the forum. Here you will find answers to your questions and we are a community made up of avid turkey hunters with tons of advise. Fell free to as any question and check out our archives for awesome advise. This is the place to be and join our spring turkey hunting contest. Its the biggest and best on the net. Welcome
01-22-2010, 08:32 PM
#13
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location:
Posts: 5,130
Brian Warner, North American Hunting Club, lifetime member
Now, start scouting....NOW. Get to know the birds in several areas. Don't be surprised if they change up ythey're habits a bit as the season approaches and more hunters start scouting or get hunting. Watch now for what they do when they get a bit sppoked. Where they go and how they get there. This way, when the pressure gets on them You'll be able to have some sort of idea what to expect until they get figured out a bit by the rest of the hunters out there. They'll only make as much of a change as they need to so they feel secure. The longer and the more pressure they feel the more they will vary from the norm. Be careful and don't spook them too bad as well as give them a break between scouting tris to an area. Also, LEAVE THE CALLS AT THE HOUSE. Just watch and listen, especially early mornings and in the evening. Try to locate roosting areas and the direction they travel to feed and water. Keep in mind, turkeys don't nessacarily eat grass, but they DO drink the dew from the grass as they feed instead of hitting a puddle or creek for water. Look for dusting places and areas where the grass hoppers like to hang. Another good spot is near pastures where the cow patties are near the wood line. They like to come out, flip over dry patties and catch the bugs underneath. They also like to pitch down out of the roost but land at or above the same level they flew down from. In other words, if they are roosted on a hillside, they will tend to fly down towards the bottom of the hill but turn back towards it to land.
Finally, get yourself a GOOD call and practice with it. OUTSIDE and away from the hunting area.
The last thing you want to do is get the birds your going to hunt to get used to hearing a call, any call that is not the real thing. Kinda like we can tell the difference between a real person talking and one on the TV even though the sound system is great.
OWLS don't hoot in the daytime and when they do, the turkeys don't care. Crows are daytime worries for turkeys, Owls are nighttime trouble. Hoot in the dark or fist light and then switch to a crow call. Nothing is more help than to get a murder of crows helping you out. Blow your crow call and get the other crows answering you all around and listen for the gobbles in between. They'll help you find gobblers twice the distance from where you normally would. Practice and get good at your crow calling.
Most of all, have fun and be safe. A small orange ribbon (3 ft) nearby you is a good thing. Gives other hunters an idea tht you maight be there. If you see one, look around for a hunter or decoy. It won't bother the turkeys but it might keep you from ducking a load of #4s.
GOOD LUCK!!!
Now, start scouting....NOW. Get to know the birds in several areas. Don't be surprised if they change up ythey're habits a bit as the season approaches and more hunters start scouting or get hunting. Watch now for what they do when they get a bit sppoked. Where they go and how they get there. This way, when the pressure gets on them You'll be able to have some sort of idea what to expect until they get figured out a bit by the rest of the hunters out there. They'll only make as much of a change as they need to so they feel secure. The longer and the more pressure they feel the more they will vary from the norm. Be careful and don't spook them too bad as well as give them a break between scouting tris to an area. Also, LEAVE THE CALLS AT THE HOUSE. Just watch and listen, especially early mornings and in the evening. Try to locate roosting areas and the direction they travel to feed and water. Keep in mind, turkeys don't nessacarily eat grass, but they DO drink the dew from the grass as they feed instead of hitting a puddle or creek for water. Look for dusting places and areas where the grass hoppers like to hang. Another good spot is near pastures where the cow patties are near the wood line. They like to come out, flip over dry patties and catch the bugs underneath. They also like to pitch down out of the roost but land at or above the same level they flew down from. In other words, if they are roosted on a hillside, they will tend to fly down towards the bottom of the hill but turn back towards it to land.
Finally, get yourself a GOOD call and practice with it. OUTSIDE and away from the hunting area.
The last thing you want to do is get the birds your going to hunt to get used to hearing a call, any call that is not the real thing. Kinda like we can tell the difference between a real person talking and one on the TV even though the sound system is great.
OWLS don't hoot in the daytime and when they do, the turkeys don't care. Crows are daytime worries for turkeys, Owls are nighttime trouble. Hoot in the dark or fist light and then switch to a crow call. Nothing is more help than to get a murder of crows helping you out. Blow your crow call and get the other crows answering you all around and listen for the gobbles in between. They'll help you find gobblers twice the distance from where you normally would. Practice and get good at your crow calling.
Most of all, have fun and be safe. A small orange ribbon (3 ft) nearby you is a good thing. Gives other hunters an idea tht you maight be there. If you see one, look around for a hunter or decoy. It won't bother the turkeys but it might keep you from ducking a load of #4s.
GOOD LUCK!!!
01-22-2010, 08:36 PM
#14
Welcome to one of the most addictive sports on the planet! I went to a seminar many years ago hosted by Ray Eye, one of the things he told us that stuck in my head was "just try to sound like the noisiest b**** in the woods, and something will come in eventually and take a look".
But that definitely doesn't apply when you approach roosted birds in the morning. Usually, we do not call at all until we hear them hit the ground, and then, it's on!!
Do some good pre-season scouting, locate some birds, and you will have the time of your life!
Best of Luck,
Jeff
But that definitely doesn't apply when you approach roosted birds in the morning. Usually, we do not call at all until we hear them hit the ground, and then, it's on!!
Do some good pre-season scouting, locate some birds, and you will have the time of your life!
Best of Luck,
Jeff
01-23-2010, 05:21 AM
#15
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Jackson, TN
Posts: 836
I strongly recommend going with another experienced hunter for the first few times, even if it means not taking a gun. You will learn more in 2-3 trips out with a good hunter than you will hunting by yourself all season. That was a big mistake that I made my first couple of seasons 30 years ago. My best friend was a great hunter and terrific caller (made the Grand National Finals several years) but I was stubborn and determined to do it myself. I didn't kill a turkey the first two seasons because I kept screwing up opportunities by not setting up correctly, calling too frequently or infrequently, being too aggressive at times and not others, etc, etc.
Read the tips and tactics section on this site, join the NWTF, and spend time talking with good experienced hunters. Videos can be helpful as well.
Read the tips and tactics section on this site, join the NWTF, and spend time talking with good experienced hunters. Videos can be helpful as well.
