New Turkey Hunter Here
11-20-2003, 08:25 PM
#11
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 16
RE: Thanks Caller
Good avice. Thank you. Problem is, I haven' t even been out on my first hunt yet and I am already addicted. Likewise, I got involved with NWTF as well. I don' t know how I will make it to Spring. As I sit here, I am wearing the ole Mossy " Break up" and workin on a hooter call. ha ha ha
11-24-2003, 10:48 AM
#13
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 125
RE: New Turkey Hunter Here
you sound just like me last year,read and watched every tape i could find and above all paid attention to all the excellent advice given by the men and women on this message board.the tip i heard over and over was not give up and hunt every legal minute.i was on a four day hunt and when i wanted to quit i kept hunting even in driving rainstorms and on my last day bagged a beautifull gobbler and was it worth it.pattern your gun,if your lucky you might only get one shot.stay calm,when that bird walked in full strut my knees were knocking and i was as anxious more than i ever have been,lucky it was windy and my movement went unoticed.good luck and welcome.
11-25-2003, 07:19 AM
#14
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Marysville WA USA
Posts: 760
RE: New Turkey Hunter Here
WOW are you in for an addiction! Here are some tips for you -
1) DO YOUR SCOUTING:
[ul][*] Better off to find roosting, feeding, strutting, and/or dusting areas so you can minimize the need to call. Try to pattern the birds and then be there before he is during the season.[*] Knowing the area will allow you to maneuver through the terrain to get ahead of the turkeys if they are moving away from you toward roosting/feeding/strutting/dusting areas.[*] Knowing the area will also let you get into position without spooking the birds and allow you to accessing an area from a direction that most other hunters don’t use (call them a new direction that they aren’t use to).[*] Wear your camo just like you were going out hunting, use woodsmanship (slow, quiet, peeking around/calling before going around a bend in the road), and using only your locator calls prior to season so you don’t “educate” the birds. Be aggressive when using you locators to shock him into giving up his location. He usually won’t answer passive locator calling. Get your partner off to the side about 20-30 yards so he can hear any replies or break it up a little so you can hear when he responds.
[/ul]
2) KNOW THE BIRDS:
[ul][*] In nature the hens come to the gobblers when they gobble/spit and drum and we are trying to reverse nature. If he thinks you want him more than he wants you, he’ll expect you to come to him. Don’t over call by answering each of his gobbles. Use his curiosity and natural sex drive against him. Be patient and wait him out. Stay a minimum of 1-2 hours at each calling location. [*] Let the turkey dictate how you call. If the birds are not calling a lot or loudly, you shouldn’t either. Best to start soft/sweet. You can always get loud/aggressive.[*] Easterns don’t travel as much, are a little lower pitched, less talkative, and call softer. (at least here in Washington - That might be different if all you have to hunt are easterns)[*] Know and recognize the transition the birds are in (see Knight and Hale Gobbler Guide). If they are flocked up, try to fire up the boss hen with aggressive yelps/clucks/cuts … she may want to come and kick your tail feathers, dragging the toms with her. If they are in smaller breeding groups don’t leave for home after just a few hours … you can call in subordinate toms and boss toms later in the morning into the afternoon after the hen goes to lay her eggs (around 9 am to 3 pm) …. almost guaranteed if he answers you at that time, he’s coming in. Heading up to higher ground is good at this time, because they will want to call out to get the hens back or attract more hens. Try to get on the same level or a little above the birds when trying to call them in. [*] Weather and hunting pressure can also dictate how and where you call. If windy, head down into the hollows where he’ll go to hear and be heard. If there is more hunting pressure, you’re better with less calling (maybe 15-20 minutes in between series of 3-4 calling runs) and do it softly/sweetly. [*] Listen and look intently. Anyone can hear gobbling up close. Listen for gobblers at further distances. Listen for the spit and drumming … they do this as much or more than they will gobble to attract the hens. They may come in silent without making a sound, so watch carefully for them moving from bush to bush and periscope up over the bush, or over the rise of a hill. If you have a partner, have him setup 20-30 yards behind you to call, so you can drag the birds into range instead of having him hang up at 50 yards.
[/ul]
1) OTHER TIPS FOR CALLING THE BIRDS:
[ul][*] Practice before you go to the woods. Practice. Practice. Practice!!!!! Video tapes (and shows) are your best friends. Watch them over and over ….. rewind a lot …. take a 10 minute break after each 20-30 minutes of viewing.[*] Sometimes the best call is not to call. If you’ve got him fired up and coming, don’t call .. additional calling may cause him to go the other direction, stop to strut or just stop to look for you, and just helps him to pin point your location. Again … let his natural curiosity and sex drive work for you. Let him come looking for you, and just call enough to keep him coming or when you need him to pop up his head for the shot.[*] Don’t call a lot to a gobbler on the roost. Just let him know you’re there, until he’s on the ground and ready to come to you. Work him, don’t let him work you …. Or he’ll stay up there longer waiting for you to come to him. [*] Change things up occasionally and try to add realism. Use your hat to simulate the sound of a hen flying down after some soft tree yelps. Rake your hand in the leaves like a feeding hen along with your clucks/ purrs/ and soft yelps. Try a turkey fight with some aggressive purrs/ clucks/ cuts …. they like to come to a fight just like dogs. Use the fall hunt immature turkey call (kee kee run) especially later in the season. Try calling in perfect unison with a partner on two different calls ... the difference in pitches will drive him nuts. [*] You can be louder/aggressive earlier in the season, but usually not later in the season. Plus calling loud/aggressive at anytime (and getting multiple gobbles) usually attracts a lot of other hunters.[*] Think before you call especially if you’re running and gunning …. think about where you’re going to setup …. have your camo ready … you may not have time if he is close and comes in hot.[*] Again …. Get to the area he wants to be at before he gets there, call soft, call sparingly, be patient and wait him out.
[/ul]
Good luck !!!!!!
1) DO YOUR SCOUTING:
[ul][*] Better off to find roosting, feeding, strutting, and/or dusting areas so you can minimize the need to call. Try to pattern the birds and then be there before he is during the season.[*] Knowing the area will allow you to maneuver through the terrain to get ahead of the turkeys if they are moving away from you toward roosting/feeding/strutting/dusting areas.[*] Knowing the area will also let you get into position without spooking the birds and allow you to accessing an area from a direction that most other hunters don’t use (call them a new direction that they aren’t use to).[*] Wear your camo just like you were going out hunting, use woodsmanship (slow, quiet, peeking around/calling before going around a bend in the road), and using only your locator calls prior to season so you don’t “educate” the birds. Be aggressive when using you locators to shock him into giving up his location. He usually won’t answer passive locator calling. Get your partner off to the side about 20-30 yards so he can hear any replies or break it up a little so you can hear when he responds.
[/ul]
2) KNOW THE BIRDS:
[ul][*] In nature the hens come to the gobblers when they gobble/spit and drum and we are trying to reverse nature. If he thinks you want him more than he wants you, he’ll expect you to come to him. Don’t over call by answering each of his gobbles. Use his curiosity and natural sex drive against him. Be patient and wait him out. Stay a minimum of 1-2 hours at each calling location. [*] Let the turkey dictate how you call. If the birds are not calling a lot or loudly, you shouldn’t either. Best to start soft/sweet. You can always get loud/aggressive.[*] Easterns don’t travel as much, are a little lower pitched, less talkative, and call softer. (at least here in Washington - That might be different if all you have to hunt are easterns)[*] Know and recognize the transition the birds are in (see Knight and Hale Gobbler Guide). If they are flocked up, try to fire up the boss hen with aggressive yelps/clucks/cuts … she may want to come and kick your tail feathers, dragging the toms with her. If they are in smaller breeding groups don’t leave for home after just a few hours … you can call in subordinate toms and boss toms later in the morning into the afternoon after the hen goes to lay her eggs (around 9 am to 3 pm) …. almost guaranteed if he answers you at that time, he’s coming in. Heading up to higher ground is good at this time, because they will want to call out to get the hens back or attract more hens. Try to get on the same level or a little above the birds when trying to call them in. [*] Weather and hunting pressure can also dictate how and where you call. If windy, head down into the hollows where he’ll go to hear and be heard. If there is more hunting pressure, you’re better with less calling (maybe 15-20 minutes in between series of 3-4 calling runs) and do it softly/sweetly. [*] Listen and look intently. Anyone can hear gobbling up close. Listen for gobblers at further distances. Listen for the spit and drumming … they do this as much or more than they will gobble to attract the hens. They may come in silent without making a sound, so watch carefully for them moving from bush to bush and periscope up over the bush, or over the rise of a hill. If you have a partner, have him setup 20-30 yards behind you to call, so you can drag the birds into range instead of having him hang up at 50 yards.
[/ul]
1) OTHER TIPS FOR CALLING THE BIRDS:
[ul][*] Practice before you go to the woods. Practice. Practice. Practice!!!!! Video tapes (and shows) are your best friends. Watch them over and over ….. rewind a lot …. take a 10 minute break after each 20-30 minutes of viewing.[*] Sometimes the best call is not to call. If you’ve got him fired up and coming, don’t call .. additional calling may cause him to go the other direction, stop to strut or just stop to look for you, and just helps him to pin point your location. Again … let his natural curiosity and sex drive work for you. Let him come looking for you, and just call enough to keep him coming or when you need him to pop up his head for the shot.[*] Don’t call a lot to a gobbler on the roost. Just let him know you’re there, until he’s on the ground and ready to come to you. Work him, don’t let him work you …. Or he’ll stay up there longer waiting for you to come to him. [*] Change things up occasionally and try to add realism. Use your hat to simulate the sound of a hen flying down after some soft tree yelps. Rake your hand in the leaves like a feeding hen along with your clucks/ purrs/ and soft yelps. Try a turkey fight with some aggressive purrs/ clucks/ cuts …. they like to come to a fight just like dogs. Use the fall hunt immature turkey call (kee kee run) especially later in the season. Try calling in perfect unison with a partner on two different calls ... the difference in pitches will drive him nuts. [*] You can be louder/aggressive earlier in the season, but usually not later in the season. Plus calling loud/aggressive at anytime (and getting multiple gobbles) usually attracts a lot of other hunters.[*] Think before you call especially if you’re running and gunning …. think about where you’re going to setup …. have your camo ready … you may not have time if he is close and comes in hot.[*] Again …. Get to the area he wants to be at before he gets there, call soft, call sparingly, be patient and wait him out.
[/ul]
Good luck !!!!!!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
deerkiller123
Turkey Hunting
11
02-03-2006 06:04 PM
BuckSlayer101
Turkey Hunting
5
04-23-2004 06:15 AM
