NYlongbeards

I've gotten everything ready for this turkey season (most of it anyway) but need your experience on somthings,

What decoys set up is best 2 hens (feeding and standing) with a jake or jake behind a hen about to be mated and a feeding hen of the side?

And if you haven't scouted and don't know where the roost is and didn't get to see where the turkeys roosted the night before hunting where would be best to find the turkeys,

Would it be better to locate them and call them in?
Or try to get ahead of them and wait for them to come to you, call or don't call in this case?
Go to where you usually see turkeys?

I appreciate your help,
Happy Huntin'

Wingbone

I usually stay away from 2-hens-and-a-jake because everybody does it and it doesn't take long for the toms to be wary of any arrangement. Early in the season I might set a jake with a hen, but separate them by 5 or 10 yards, having the jake be the first decoy the tom sees or encounters. If I use just a hen, I'll set her up so the tom has to come past me to get to her and make her a little hard to find. I've found that if she's visible from a long way off, many times the tom will hang up expecting her to come to him. Late in the season, when the leaves have popped out, I don't use a decoy. The birds are in range by the time they see the decoy anyway.
There is no substitute for scouting. Not only do you have to know where the birds are, you have to know the landscape. You need to know the travel routes the birds will use to get to you and any obstacles such as fencelines or ditches that will hang them up. The gobbling in the morning will tell you their location.

muzzlestuffer

is it safe to say your in new york ? you can wing it "pun intended" you'll just have to do some scouting and calling on the move. i very rarely had time to scout when i was living back east due to work so if you deer hunt you can pick up where the turkey's are hanging out or just walk listen and call as you go you can't kill em off the couch so your odds go way up just being out there!! also call the dec and ask a biologist for some tips they are usually always willing to give you some tips.

NYlongbeards

Ok thanks for the advise, I do live in New York muzzlestuffer

I wont have much time to scout will try to make a few trips a week before opening season, but I do know the land I'm hunting at fairly well from deer hunting, Turkeys usually hang out or near the muckfarm, so I will check out there first.

Wingbone

That's all you need. If you already know the land, just spend a couple of mornings out by the road listening for gobbling. If you have a big enough area, there may be more than one roosting spot. The gobbling will tell you which one they're using.

muzzlestuffer

yep just get out there and do some very light calling if your not good at it and try to invoke a response and it takes a long time to nail down all your spots for deer and turkey. good luck man i wish i was back there to hunt !!

NYlongbeards

Ok thanks guys,
The Turkey fever is raising

Wingbone

You can try an owl hoot or two, but I wouldn't recommend calling at all. Let them talk. they will. No use educating them. They have the ability to pinpoint where a call is coming from within a few feet. When I call to a turkey for the first time and get a response I want to have a gun in my hand and be set up.