New Turkey Hunter Questions
04-09-2014, 07:37 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 6
New Turkey Hunter Questions
Hi Guys,
I am a new turkey hunter, and plan to go out this year! I am going to be hunting in SW Ontario (Norfolk County). I have all the calls / equipment, camo, license etc! I am pretty much ready to go.
Yesterday I wandered around where I plan to go to see if I can find any tracks/poop etc. I first went into the bush and seen all kinds of deer tracks/poop then I wandered around the edge of the bush and field and then found some turkey tracks. I followed them around kinda seemed like they went back and forth (sounds like the path they take). As the sun was coming down I started to walk back and I brought a mouth call, did a few yelps and kept walking, I then heard a gobble in the bush, got all excited at this point! I kept walking and did a few more yelps, some low ones some loud some aggressive... and heard more gobbles. I was able to hear where they where coming from for at least a good idea. (same location where I walked into the bush earlier or very close to that)
After doing some research I found they they can gobble from crow or owl calls so I am wondering if they are gobbling from me making a turkey call but not maybe sounding like a turkey... ? lol or would they gobble if I am maybe being a loud aggressive yelp which may tick them off?
Also please see the image attached, id like advice on where to set up and set decoys!! the red line is approx 150 yards to give an idea of distance as well as the decoys are approx 40 yards away from where im proposed set up.
Thanks
Nick
I am a new turkey hunter, and plan to go out this year! I am going to be hunting in SW Ontario (Norfolk County). I have all the calls / equipment, camo, license etc! I am pretty much ready to go.
Yesterday I wandered around where I plan to go to see if I can find any tracks/poop etc. I first went into the bush and seen all kinds of deer tracks/poop then I wandered around the edge of the bush and field and then found some turkey tracks. I followed them around kinda seemed like they went back and forth (sounds like the path they take). As the sun was coming down I started to walk back and I brought a mouth call, did a few yelps and kept walking, I then heard a gobble in the bush, got all excited at this point! I kept walking and did a few more yelps, some low ones some loud some aggressive... and heard more gobbles. I was able to hear where they where coming from for at least a good idea. (same location where I walked into the bush earlier or very close to that)
After doing some research I found they they can gobble from crow or owl calls so I am wondering if they are gobbling from me making a turkey call but not maybe sounding like a turkey... ? lol or would they gobble if I am maybe being a loud aggressive yelp which may tick them off?
Also please see the image attached, id like advice on where to set up and set decoys!! the red line is approx 150 yards to give an idea of distance as well as the decoys are approx 40 yards away from where im proposed set up.
Thanks
Nick
04-09-2014, 08:12 AM
#2
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 7,436
Frist thing stop the Hen calling pronto! You don't want to train these birds or make them call shy.
It is fun to hear gobbles ~ we all do it but stop that. You know there are birds there.
Now the picture of the field
Look for an East facing edge because as the sun comes up it is the most likely spot for the birds to be at 1st light. Why? Sun warms it quicker and the birds are cold.
I'd spend some time just sitting and watching at various times. You have located some toms and surely both hens and toms will use that field. the more scouting at various times during the day and then seeing birds will help you determine the high traffic areas.
Finding tracks or a highly tracked area in the mud is a sure sign of good use.
Also if you can roost by just sitting in an area with no calling what so ever and listen for fly ups. I find a tree for me to sit against - sit back and watch nature go by. Fly-ups happen anywhere from 30 minutes to the last 5 minutes of daylight to dark. My rule of thumb - the last 10 minutes of daylight is best. Open field edges will be later and in dense woods slightly early and it is all due to the light levels.
Look for tall white pines at this time of the year. Usually a good roost tree. Broken branches, feathers, droppings, etc. If you find one try to figure out from where they fly up from and then fly down to - most times it is an small opening in the woods or a field edge. I have seen them drop straight down from the tree branch, but they need a flying angle start to get up there.
But most of all spend your time scouting. More walking and watching and very very little calling.
If you feel the need to shock gobble. Use a duck, crow, woodpecker, coyote howl, whistle, pressurized air horn. Even a slammed car door works at times. But I ask why? You know they are there. Now do your homework and try not to let them know you are there and you will kill one!
Hey Keep us posted - you will also get more responses I am sure......
Like you I use Google earth now as that tablet picture is worth a 1000 scouting trips.
Dave...JW
Ps - placing decoys out 40 yards is way too far. Stay between 10 and 20. You place them at 40 and the bird hangs up or stops at 60 then what. Place at 20 and the birds stops at 40 - well it might be in your range.
If you are sitting against a tree and are a right hand shooter place decoys to your left as you want the bird to concentrate on the decoy and walk past you.
If you use a blind you can place decoys at less than 20 easy.
No need to brush in blind go to the Reference section and read about it.
Pss
And lastly learn to use the natural shadows for any setup - keep the sun to your back if you can.
It is fun to hear gobbles ~ we all do it but stop that. You know there are birds there.
Now the picture of the field
Look for an East facing edge because as the sun comes up it is the most likely spot for the birds to be at 1st light. Why? Sun warms it quicker and the birds are cold.
I'd spend some time just sitting and watching at various times. You have located some toms and surely both hens and toms will use that field. the more scouting at various times during the day and then seeing birds will help you determine the high traffic areas.
Finding tracks or a highly tracked area in the mud is a sure sign of good use.
Also if you can roost by just sitting in an area with no calling what so ever and listen for fly ups. I find a tree for me to sit against - sit back and watch nature go by. Fly-ups happen anywhere from 30 minutes to the last 5 minutes of daylight to dark. My rule of thumb - the last 10 minutes of daylight is best. Open field edges will be later and in dense woods slightly early and it is all due to the light levels.
Look for tall white pines at this time of the year. Usually a good roost tree. Broken branches, feathers, droppings, etc. If you find one try to figure out from where they fly up from and then fly down to - most times it is an small opening in the woods or a field edge. I have seen them drop straight down from the tree branch, but they need a flying angle start to get up there.
But most of all spend your time scouting. More walking and watching and very very little calling.
If you feel the need to shock gobble. Use a duck, crow, woodpecker, coyote howl, whistle, pressurized air horn. Even a slammed car door works at times. But I ask why? You know they are there. Now do your homework and try not to let them know you are there and you will kill one!
Hey Keep us posted - you will also get more responses I am sure......
Like you I use Google earth now as that tablet picture is worth a 1000 scouting trips.
Dave...JW
Ps - placing decoys out 40 yards is way too far. Stay between 10 and 20. You place them at 40 and the bird hangs up or stops at 60 then what. Place at 20 and the birds stops at 40 - well it might be in your range.
If you are sitting against a tree and are a right hand shooter place decoys to your left as you want the bird to concentrate on the decoy and walk past you.
If you use a blind you can place decoys at less than 20 easy.
No need to brush in blind go to the Reference section and read about it.
Pss
And lastly learn to use the natural shadows for any setup - keep the sun to your back if you can.
Last edited by JW; 04-09-2014 at 08:16 AM.
04-09-2014, 08:42 AM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
I had most of what JW stated in a reply, so went back in and did this edit so as not to be redundant. Make sure you can get to your setup well before daylight and approach it from the opposite direction as much as possible from where you think the birds will be roosted. About the only thing I might add if you're a newbie is make sure you have your gun sighted in with the shells you'll be using for your hunt and make sure it patterns well at about 40 yards and know what that distance is when you set up so you can make a clean kill in the head/neck of that big gobbler that you'll be putting a picture up of for us to see!
Last edited by Topgun 3006; 04-09-2014 at 08:51 AM.
04-10-2014, 04:20 AM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 270
Yes, you have received some excellent advice. The
two things I would add are, you might go out with
bino's some morning and sit at a distance and see
where the birds fly down into the field or walk into
the field before deciding a spot to set up. There is
nothing better than setting up where they want to be.
Second be careful about how much you walk around
near the roost site as roosting time approaches, that's
the time to be sitting or standing still and just listening.
Good Luck
two things I would add are, you might go out with
bino's some morning and sit at a distance and see
where the birds fly down into the field or walk into
the field before deciding a spot to set up. There is
nothing better than setting up where they want to be.
Second be careful about how much you walk around
near the roost site as roosting time approaches, that's
the time to be sitting or standing still and just listening.
Good Luck
04-28-2014, 06:10 AM
#7
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 6
Update:
Saturday Morning: got there a little to late 6am, was starting to get light out already. Got set up, set 2 hen decoys out 1 feeding, 1 looking into bush area (towards where Id guess turkeys would come from to kinda say hey come over here..). We did not hear or see anything. Later in the morning (10-11am) we walked around to the other side of the field, sat down by a tree, made a few calls heard 1 or 2 gobbles. But didn't see anything after.. that was it for the day, unfortunately couldn't make it back out in the afternoon.
Sunday: got out at 5am, was still pitch black and stars where out. We went into a different location (where we heard gobbles sat) heard 1 gobble at 5:50 am as it was light out and sun was just starting to show. But then did not hear anything else after. Went out in the afternoon 3pm-7pm. didn't hear/see anything. I think the past hour we heard hens purring but did not see anything. unless it wasnt a hen purring? lol
Any advice???
Thanks!
Saturday Morning: got there a little to late 6am, was starting to get light out already. Got set up, set 2 hen decoys out 1 feeding, 1 looking into bush area (towards where Id guess turkeys would come from to kinda say hey come over here..). We did not hear or see anything. Later in the morning (10-11am) we walked around to the other side of the field, sat down by a tree, made a few calls heard 1 or 2 gobbles. But didn't see anything after.. that was it for the day, unfortunately couldn't make it back out in the afternoon.
Sunday: got out at 5am, was still pitch black and stars where out. We went into a different location (where we heard gobbles sat) heard 1 gobble at 5:50 am as it was light out and sun was just starting to show. But then did not hear anything else after. Went out in the afternoon 3pm-7pm. didn't hear/see anything. I think the past hour we heard hens purring but did not see anything. unless it wasnt a hen purring? lol
Any advice???
Thanks!
05-01-2014, 07:42 AM
#9
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 6
I drove past the spot where I have been going twice and seen 4 hens and 1 big tom!! Seen the tom strutting around, and the hens feeding. I then seen the one hen fly up to a tree located beside a pond. I am assuming that is the location where they are roosting!
I went out early this morning set up along the field about 100 Yards away with two hen decoys. I did a little calling when it started to get light out, 5:45am he started gobbling! then around 6:15 I see the hens come out to start feeding and in the distance I see a big white/blue/red noggin! the tom comes out all puffed up and strutting around. Im in a blind, but sat still and he was just strutting back and forth for 30min. The hens wondered somewhere else, the top stayed around for abut 15min after strutting back and forth, I tried to call him in closer but he wouldn't come. he was about 100 yards away, then he slowly wondered back into the tall grass then into the bush.. at this point it was around 7:15 and I start work at 8:30 so assumed he wasnt coming out again... I left for work, I left my blind and plan to go back around 4pm If i can scout out a little early!
I believe he was henned up, any tips to get him to leave the hens or maybe to call the hens over? I dont want to set up to close and spook them!
Thanks,
Nick
I went out early this morning set up along the field about 100 Yards away with two hen decoys. I did a little calling when it started to get light out, 5:45am he started gobbling! then around 6:15 I see the hens come out to start feeding and in the distance I see a big white/blue/red noggin! the tom comes out all puffed up and strutting around. Im in a blind, but sat still and he was just strutting back and forth for 30min. The hens wondered somewhere else, the top stayed around for abut 15min after strutting back and forth, I tried to call him in closer but he wouldn't come. he was about 100 yards away, then he slowly wondered back into the tall grass then into the bush.. at this point it was around 7:15 and I start work at 8:30 so assumed he wasnt coming out again... I left for work, I left my blind and plan to go back around 4pm If i can scout out a little early!
I believe he was henned up, any tips to get him to leave the hens or maybe to call the hens over? I dont want to set up to close and spook them!
Thanks,
Nick
05-01-2014, 08:57 AM
#10
Fork Horn
Join Date: May 2011
Location: SouthWest Ohio Somewhere
Posts: 255
They love roosting close to water. That is why they are by the pond. Move your blind closer by about half the distance if you can or even closer. Then just wait for him to show back up and he should walk back in to roost right before dark, that is if he makes it past you. The hens usually walk in and fly up first, and he may stay out in the field until the last few minutes of daylight to give himself as much visibility possible to attract any hens in the area. Just be there before he shows back up and be patient. A small jake decoy in one of his strut areas may be helpful too if you have one. My jake decoy got beat up last weekend. Be patient and good luck.
