New to turkey hunting
 

Hi this is my first year hunting turkey. And I need some tips on this up comin hunt I know what gun I am using a side by side savage 12gauge but I have no calls and no experience with calling or hunting a turkey anny suggestions on the calls please no (mouth calls)

Pattern your gun. Find your comfortable kill range.
Friction calls are easy and inexpensive. Stay away from custom calls. H.S. Strut, Knight and Hale, Madd, will all get the job done.
Get DVD's, read as much as you can, talk to veteran hunters if you can. Even better, go with a verteran Turkey hunter if you can. That's just scratchin' the surface.

How long have you been hunting all other game? I ask because you just don't "go" turkey hunting. I suggest you start by checking out the safety thread listed at the top of the main turkey hunting forums page.

Just start reading this forum. It is loaded with the info you're looking for.

thanks I normally hunt deer

Baldeagle,

You can just "GO" turkey hunting. It may not yield the best results, but you can get turkeys that way! Deer toe, I posted a call question last week and got some great responses and help. Look that thread up!
-Jake

Hardest part of calling. Is not calling.
Putting that slate down and waiting.
Watching videos help to hear what the different calls sound like,
But remember its a video, so they may be calling every 5 mins on the video, and not showing the pauses in between. but in reality, they are waiting 15-30 mins between calls.
If a turkey is 1/2 - 1 mile away, it may take him a while to get within calling range, then its another type of call to lure him close.
And do brush up on turkey hunting safety.
Lots of stupid accidents with hunters shooting other hunters.
How one mistakens a 6' +200 lb guy in a giley suit for a 2' 20 lb turkey I don't know. But happens

try to get a mentor.....my friend and i started hunting together a few years ago but we never had anyone to teach us, we had to learn everything ourselves...so best advice tag along with someone who knows what their doing.

My advice, don't worry about calls at first ( maybe cause i suck at it), to me a call or decoy is a backup plan or a tool for closing the distance. Scout, scout scout!!! Know where they are and where they will be at what time. If you can be in the right spot when they want to be there, a 5 yr old scratchin a couple yelps on a 10 dollar box call can look like a pro. The best caller with the best call in the wrong spot will come up empty most of the time.

Just "going" is what gets people shot. You can just hit the woods and learn but you better be on private land doing so. Spend more time learning what NOT to do rather than how to call or patterning your gun.

Woodsmanship is a large part of turkey hunting (unless you like to sit next to a feeder in a blind......blah).

Here's more advice from an old turkey hunter (been at it 50 +/- years). And worth every $.02 !!

As far as shot gun ? Your Savage SBS will do fine. I hunted with a Savage Model B SBS from about 1970 until about 2000. Killed a boat load of gobblers with this shotgun. Most of the Savage SBS's were Modified/Full. If yours is a 2 3/4" chamber as was mine, out to about 30-35 yards is a good rule of thumb as far as max effective distance. Again this will depend a great deal upon your pattern. Shot #4, #5 and #6 are all a good choice.

As far as clothing? Turkeys use their eyesight more than their hearing, but they will bust at a suspicious noise too. So I suggest a full cammo get-up, including covering your hands and face as much as is practical. And hide well.

Calls ? As a beginner, I suggest two ... a slate friction call and a box call. No need to spend a bunch of $$$ on calls. If you get into it like I have, that crazyness will come later !!! Some of the manufacturers offer a call "kit" at a reasonable price. Most contain a friction call, a box call and a "locator" call ... usually a "crow call". Gobblers on roost or on the ground will often "shock gobble" at about any loud noise. Imitating an owl at about day break is a great shock call technique to locate where a gobbler is roosting. A crow will work too. Once you have him located, no need to shock call again.

As already mentioned, usually both experienced and inexperienced turkey hunters tend to over call. Once a gobbler reacts to your call, he knows where you are. So take it easy.

As far as what hen sounds to learn? Three basics will do .... and can be made relatively easily with a friction or box call. They are the yelp, purr and cluck. Some of the makers will provide a instructional CD or DVD. Also tons of You-Tube stuff is out there to help you learn how to make these calls and what they sound like.

Finding turkey can be tricky. If you can locate a roost area, that is a great place to start. After the birds have gone to roost, and before dark ... be at the roost area and shock call. If they are there the Tom will gobble. Now you know where to start the next a.m. If that doesn't pan out, as is usually the case for me, head to where you have seen scratching, or poop, or feeding, or strutting signs or lots of tracks.

Good luck and let us know how your season goes.

That pretty much covered it up!

skeeters
 

invest in a thermacell, if you're squirming and slapping tom will bust you. good camo and face mask can't be stressed enough, good luck, you'll probably get hooked like the rest of us.
Dan