Sc0rp10n

hi all. i have absolutely no idea how to get started here. i've been deer hunting for many many years and i know we have alot of turkey on our lease. once i saw 22 turkey walk through a food plot i was hunting. problem is, i'm hardly ever in the woods in march-may. i don't really know how to get started...

is there any scouting i can do now (late january - early february) that will help me out?

what types of areas should i plan to hunt? cutover? deep woods?

are there any good turkey hunting books aimed to the beginner?

i have no idea how to call. i would need an instructional video or CD. any good ones for beginners?

thanks for any help you can give a beginner here. thanks.

.308 Swar

hello, I too was new to turkey hunting this year. Here is what i have been doing. I have ordered 4 books on it , i now have 7 calls ( 3 mouth, 3 friction, 1 box) You need to find what call you like and what you can do best with, you will also learn that not one call will get that big tom, it can take several. i am askig alot of questions about it on here as well. The guys on here will help you out. I also have 3 videos. One on mouth calls the others on just hunting. YOu need to learn the sonds to make on your calls and the only way to do this is by listening to them on videos since you have never hunted them befor how will you know what sounds to make. I keep my mouth calls in my truck and when ever i am on the road i am cluckin, yelpin and cuttin a way. I also practice with my friction and other calls i have. Practice now and start reading now so you are ahead of the game . GO to amazon.com and type in "turkey hunting" many books will come up read the reviews people have left to find out what ones others like.


Again read, get videos, and ask questions...that is how i started and i am learning a hell of a lot. The true test wil be when you get into the woods and try it all out. I cant wait. Also, see if there is anyone on this board that lives near you. I am sure someone would love to come show you how to call in that big tom.
I hope i have helped.

.308

p.s use the search section as well on this board

turkeyhunter_15

Ok, Books, Ik To Of, The Complete Hunter Wild Turkey An The Complete Hunter
Advanced Turkey Hunting, Good Books, Good Starter call i say is Primos Lil Hart Breaker, Ummmm, If Cabelas,Gander Mt,Bass Pro, Near By, They have videos on how to use, mouth,box,slate (pot peg) About March Drive around look for them, Stop here and there and call,Walk In woods look for scrathing and feathers,
Go out early before light maybey even hear putts, yelps, fly downs.
Good Luck. p.s Can Never have TO many calls

jepcho

Hi. I have been hunting for 5 years now and have learned ALOT!!! in those years. I still have much more to learn as well. First off. I would start with 2 calls. One, a box call, and secondly get a friction call of some sort. H.S. Strut sells them with videos. Learn how to yelp, cluck, and purr for now. Hopefully the hens will be talking and you can try to mimic them. Like me in my first year, the first year will be all about learning and trust me, you'll get hooked. Then next off season you'll learn to mouth call and pretty soon you will have dozens of calls and know how to use them all. At least thats how it went with me. I didn't know anything my first year, It was all about learning, and maybe if you get lucky like I did, You'll get a big Tom to within 30 yards........Maybe you will get even luckier and hit it!!!! If you have any questions and would like to know more or just get to know another hunter, just Email me.

MOTurkeyTamer

Hi Sc0rp10n!
Just hang around this place for about the next 3 months and you'll learn more about turkey hunting than you can imagine. Welcome to the board and good luck this spring!

6pt125lbs

hey scorp same here first year but have learnd alot from the internet o turkey hunting try this site out www.turkeyhuntingsecrets.com they have all kindas of great info but right now look for scratches if ur a deer hunter look for what looks like a scrape but not as deep as a scrape me myself i think turkeys are found of the pine/hardwoods kinda woods kinda thick but not to brushy b/c they have to move around in it so think about that and just get out there and listen early in the mornings bout sunrise listen for hens or some gobbling maybe that should kick ouff here in not to long but definatly check out that site make for sure u enter in our turkey hunting contest just make a post that says i wanna enter or something like that good luck to ya

Gobbling Buck

First off, welcome to the board and to turkey hunting. You'll find that is truely addictive.[:-] This will be my third year turkey hunting, but I have hunted for deer and small game for 25 years or so. My advise would be to watch some turkey hunting videos, get a few calls (box, slate, push button, mouth calls), continue to read the posts on this board, try to find some old timers in your area that have turkey hunted, scout your land for sign and open areas where birds will like to strut, feed, dust, etc, then practice.

On the calls, start out with the basics. Learn to yelp, purr, and cluck. I recomend to get comfortable with one or two calls and then practice some more. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A CHAMPION CALLER. Hope that relieves some of the pre season stress. Get a good locater call. I like my primos hammerin' crow. I rely on knowing where most of the birds I hunt are roosting and if they're not there, its too late in the morning for an owl hoot anyway, so I'll use the crow call. The most important thing I rely on is good woodmanship. If you know your terrain, when to move, how to move quietly, and how to make yourself invisible, these things will more than make up for a lack of calling knowledge. Another thing, don't over call. Turkey hunting is like picking up chicks......your the hen play hard to get, the tome will respond better if you don't over call to him. Call enough to keep his attention and he's more likely to come to your call. Call too much and he expects the hen to show up. Most of all, have fun and learn from your mistakes.

RIStrutStopper

Welcome to the boards. First off, since there is so much to learn, you should invite me to come hunt on your lease and I'll show you what you need to do... Seriously, I wish I had this board and the internet when I first started. There is a wealth of information available, and then you have the boards to ask questions on.
There's no substitute for experience though, and I'm still kind of new at this, learning all the time.

Sorry RIStrut ,This is not aimed toward you,,, Your link was removed because the Guy is banned from this site. Any spam aim toward him will be removed...BT

wholelottagobble

My best advice is to never go to the woods, because after that first gobble your gonna be hooked for life. You may think I am kidding but just wait, you'll be spending countless hours in the woods and dollars in the stores like the rest of us. I am just kidding of course because you just picked the greastest sport in the world to start. If at all possible, find someone who could and is willing to go with you and maybe call some so you can hear him. I hunted 4 years without much help before I called in my first bird. But once you learn how and when to call it's not that hard. I called in 2 more that week of my first one for friends. You'll learn but it always helps to find a sort of mentor.

wholelottagobble

Also, I forgot to say that no matter what books anyone tells you to get, Tom Foolery 2000 by Earl Groves is the greatest turkey hunting book ever. Its not only informative but interesting. He has killed over 300 mature gobblers and has the beards to prove it. He is one of the oldtimers that started the NWTF and is truly a legend in turkey hunting. FIND THIS BOOK AND GET IT!!!