stratomaster18

Hey guys I'm going turkey hunting in a couple of days and it'll be my first time hunting ever. I've read countless threads and articles of research to the point where I think my head will explode. Im very excited just to be out there for the experience, and I don't even really care if I get to fire a shot or not (p.s. im not trigger happy or anything). The only place I could get to hunt on is public land that does not allow scouting before hand (though they claim that people still harvest a large of amount of toms every year), and the sign in is at 4:30am.

So my question is, what process would you go through upon arrival and signing in? If you could, take me step by step through locating a good spot while staying in my zone, things to look for, proper etiquette, etc. ANYTHING would be considered valuable info by me, so please tell all.

Thanks in advance.

AESOutdoors

Well i've never had to "sign in" before so other than be respectful and careful if there are lots of other hunters out there. Don't carry your decoy out and if you have a vest with an orange flag, it might not be a bad idea to have it out as you walk in.

As far as hunting goes however...

When you are walking around keep your eyes wide open for anything like turkey tracks, scat or strut zones. Check trees for any sleeping birds and what not. If you have an owl call and can use it, then use it in the early hours to try to get a gobbler to gobble. As the day goes on try switching to a crow call or a call of the sort. If you do get one to gobble and he's close, set up your decoys and find a nice tree to sit under and throw out a yelp and maybe a cluck or two. If he gobbles back then wait to call about ten minutes then maybe throw out another call. Keep your eyes and ears sharp because he might come out of nowhere. And have your gun up incase he does.

stratomaster18

Hey thanks a lot. I don't have a turkey vest yet but was planning on just bringing my blaze orange vest and wearing it in and out of the land and then just sticking it in my pocket when not wearing it. If I'm fortunate enough to get a bird, is it necessary to field dress it? To what extent and where do I dispose of the inners. I live about an hour away from the land.

Thanks for your help!

AESOutdoors

I have always carried my bird out and dressed him at home and breasted him instead of gutting the bird.

RIStrutStopper

Some solid advice there from AESOutdoors. Not being able to scout is tough, but I intend to hunt some new areas I haven't scouted yet too. The best thing to do is to listen just before sun-up. If they aren't gobbling on their own, try an owl call. A crow call as the day wears on. If that doesn't work for me, I generally try moving and yelp loudly on a box call. One thing though, when using locators, keep the call short enough so you don't drown out the sound of a Tom's response. Loud and obnoxious will get him to gobble, but if you're making so much noise that you drown out his response, you might not even realize your call has been answered! Good luck, there's no amount of reading that can teach you more than getting out and doing it!

stratomaster18

No turkey for me this year. Didn't even hear any gobbling. It would have definitely of help if I had been able to scout the lab before hand. When I got back to the trailer, several other hunters had already come back and they said that they didnt hear any gobbling either. Makes me feel betting knowing that it probably wasn't just me.

Until next year!

Topgun 3006

Only one time out and you're done for the year?

stratomaster18

I'm a full time student still. I could only get out one day due to schedule conflicts. Otherwise I'd have gone out multiple times.