Frank Castle

Hey guys,

Great forum here!

This is going to be my first Turkey season and I'm really looking forward to it.

I grew up hunting Ducks and geese but got out of it in my middle 20's (I'm now in my middle 30's). I have been feeling that pull to get back out and start hunting again and I've decided to give Turkey hunting a try. It strikes me as something that looks like a lot of fun especially given how much I like the excitement of calling in birds.

I don't have any buddies who are into turkey hunting so I'm doing this on my own and don't really have any resources to learn about it from other than reading stuff online and watching youtube videos. So any practical advice given would truly be appreciated.

At this point I've secured a good piece of land that holds turkeys to hunt on. (My wife's grandmother has an 120 acre patch with a creek and two fair size ponds on them. Most of it is pasteur but a good 40 acres or so of it is timber. I have been going out in the mornings and scouting the area in my truck before work and I regularly see a flock of about a dozen or so turkeys that seem to like run the tree line that edges the pasteur and the timber... So I know there are turkey there.

I am trying to make a few choices but not sure what to do yet on these so I thought I'd ask.

I am considering building a permanant blind in the proximity of where I see the birds but I read that their behavior changes from late winter to spring and they may move to different areas. So I don't know if this would be a waste of time or not. I wondered if it might be better then to just completely camo myself out sit under a tree with some underbrush or go ahead and try the blind idea.

Another thing I was wondering about is the use of decoys. I have read some good reviews on some inflatable decoys at bassproshops and was thinking of going that route. But I have read too where people have good luck by just sitting tight and calling birds into range and have implied that you don't need the decoys to get them to come in.

I have been practicing with a box call and I feel like I'm getting a couple of basic calls down but was wondering if a slate call and a gobble bellows would be a better way to go? I can't use a mouth call because I have a full upper bridge on titanium implants from a bouth with mouth cancer (15 years of chewing skoal and then coppenhagen to thank for that) so I can't hold the call in my mouth right to make it sound proper.

I am hunting with a Mossberg 535 turkey thug with a set of fiber optic sights. Which is new for me too as I've shot skeet for years but I've just used a front bead only. It has a picatinny rail for a red dot scope and was considering picking up a cheap one for around $50 online that's got some great reviews at amazon. But again, I've never shot a red dot I've only shot front bead with shotguns.

Thanks in advance for any advice you experienced guys might care to share!!!

doetrain

Welcome to a truly enjoyable new bird for you to hunt this season,I think you will find it exciting and challenging as well. The combination of the spring weather and seeing these love sick birds do their thing is a great combination for a hunter. You don't need a blind and chances are they will move on you by spring to where food and cover are better for them.These birds in my opinion are like nomads always on the move. A blind is a great help when Bow hunting or bad weather,if it's raining I put up my Dog House blind the night before in an area I have seen them consistantly. But being mobile and getting in the brush is more enjoyable to me,the blind with a gun is in my opinion not needed or as enjoyable as finding good cover and being out where you can here and see better. Sometimes you must get agressive and go to them if they are hung up. Last year me and a buddy did this and he knocked down a stud of a bird which was 500 yards from us. We got to within 50 yards using good cover and got the drop on him, he was 22lbs. with a 10" beard and 1 1/2 spurrs. If you can't use mouth calls I would have a decent slate call and a box call so you can mix it up and make them think there are multiple hens calling. Both of these calls are easy to use after some serious practice. Keep watching the Youtube and various hunting videos and you will get a feel for when to use certain calls and how to work them. Good hunting to ya and I'm confident you will enjoy Turkey hunting greatly. Remember to treat your hunting gear for ticks and be careful to check yourself after each outing for these little nasty suckers. I use the Sawyer pump bottle in the yellow and black bottle it keeps them dead and off of me.The spray cans clog up and you waist a lot of it trying to get it on your gear,follow the directions it's a good product. I have some good picks in my photo albums for the past two seaons I've been hunting so you will see even new hunters can have success. Later

UncleNorby

You have a good gun, just be sure to pattern it and keep shots within your effective range. There are good threads on the forum that provide patterning guidance.

I would not construct a permanent blind just yet. You really need to learn how the turkeys move in the spring season before you do that. Honestly though, camo and sitting still will get you in range of turkeys.

The 40 wooded acres is an obvious roost. The birds will likley be there in the AM before light. The real question is, where will they fly down to once it gets light. Generally they will fly to a field, but sometimes they have a small opening in the woods that they like to land in before moving toward a field. An old road or log landing can be good, or just a spot in the woods that has an open understory compared to the surrounding woods. Toms will be looking to stay in contact with hens, and they like to be where a hen can see them. So, thicker woods are generally out as far as a good spot to set up in the AM. Hens do nest in thicker cover, and Toms will be within calling range of nesting cover later in the AM waiting for hens coming off the nest. If a Tom gobbles but heads away from you, he's likley headed back to that opening in the woods where he can strut while he calls his "hen" to him. Many times you can circle around such a bird and call him. Don't follow him to the strut zone though.

If you have the time, get in the woods before the season opens and try to pattern what the birds do when they fly down. DON'T CALL to them. Plan your hunt according to the pattern you see. If you miss them at flydown don't worry. Some of the best hunting is later in the AM, particularly once a good number of hens have a full nest.

Don't get discouraged if the birds don't gobble. A good % of mine have come in silent. Also, give each calling spot a fair chance. I generally sit for up to 3 hours first thing in the AM, and for about an hour per spot after that.

If you can hunt all day, getting to a spot where you can intercept birds coming back to the roost at dusk is a good bet.

Good luck.

Frank Castle

Thank you for your input and suggestions fellas!.

Do you guys recommend going with decoys or just rely on calling them in?

swampbuster

You should at least get a hen decoy, you can also get a full strut or jake decoy as well. Good luck

Gamblinman

Since you see them on a regular basis...forget the blind and decoy and just set-up in their travel corridor. With some light calling, you should have no problem harvesting your first gobbler. Get in early and be waiting for them. Keep it Simple.


Gman

jmedenf

Permanent blinds are usually not a very good idea for turkey hunting, but I have taken multiple birds from the same spot. Pattern them first. I have seen some hunters use one of those pop-up blinds. Normally, you want to be able to change locations and/or setup on the fly depending on the situation. If you use decoys, make sure you are using them where they can be seen from a distance. As for your gun, I have the same gun. It works just fine for turkey.

Other than roost areas and travel routes, I also try to find strut zones. This is sometimes on a point or corner of a wood edge in a field where a tom can strut and be seen by possible hens in multiple directions at large distances. He wants to be seen from as much wood edge as possible. This is where you sit with decoys. Good luck.

Murdy

In my experience, decoys can spook pressured birds, so I use them less as the seaon goes on.

kamoking

Dont call too much know that is a broad statement but listen to the birds you are hunting at the time and mimic them. I like one or two decoys if hunting field edges, dont waste ur money on cheapies, one quality real lookingdecoy will outperform a dozen of the cheaper ones best one Ive seen yet is the Zinks AvianX, and portable blinds seem to work great and turkeys generally dont spook off them like deer. Good luck and keep digging for hunting tips, watch a few quality dvds, ect. hope this helps.

Arrowmaster

Welcome to the forum and to your new addiction. You are right a lot of times turkeys have winter areas and move to spring areas. In my experience thru the years, I have learned to sit and be patient. I use to be a run and gunner and be as mobile as I could be. Dont get me wrong I can still be mobile, but generally Im not. Sometimes a person will spook more birds being on the move, than sitting and being patient. As for a permenant blind. Thats not a bad idea. You can still be mobile if need be. Just make sure you are always camoed out, have your vest with a seat on it and you will be fine to move if need be. Or get a pop up blind, which is easy to pop up, carry a fold up cloth chair with you to sit in. As for decoys, I always use them in my set ups. Im not big on the jakes decoys and have only had success 1 time with a strutting decoy. I will be using a strutting decoy more though since I saw the results on the last day of the season here in Indiana. I always have 2 hen decoys I put out and sometimes I use 3. Now make sure you place your decoys about 20 yards out from your set up. If you use a bow bring them in closer. Now if your using a strutting decoy turn it to where the decoy is facing your set up. As for calling. Im pretty much different than most hunters. Im loud and aggressive most of the time. I will tone it down when the tom is coming and getting closer. I agree with Ridge Runner on using clucks. They work well, also get the purr down. If ya have any questions feel free to ask. Most of all be safe and have a great time.