suggestion's and tips
 

im going out turkey hunting april 28-may16 and the place that im going i dont think have very many turkeys but i saw some a few years ago and just this november we found a pile of turkey feathers and i was wondering if anyone had any good tips on what to do when im out there...is there anything i can do to help draw turkeys to where im gonna hunt???? any suggestions would be great thanks!!

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

I'd get out there now and start scouting.

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

I don't have the "in field" experince that all the others have but this is what I have done to change to odds in my favor. Now with that said it could have just been luck.

I hunt (WMA'S) that are heavily used. I figure that everybody out there knows more, has hunted more, can call better than me, and know all the best spots.

Knowing this going in, I choose places that look good to me, (not the ones that everybody will be going to), based on information that I seen on sites like this and out of magazines. I also, if possible look or hear the calls that others will use out in the field and use something else.

Using this "rookie" aproach in just two seasons I've gotten two birds to my credit. And had opportunities for many others.

Hope it helps.

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

you definatly need to scout that out. there isnt much you can do unless you have an idea where the birds are... if you cant scout...i would start the morning really early with some locator owl calls...even if it means driving the roads and giving them until you get a response...then get out and set up close to where the birds are....this will be your best chance i believe. GOOD LUCK!

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

well im going scouting saturday and sunday morning and i was wondering if you guys would help me out here...i dont really know what to do or look for when scouting since there is not very many turkeys here...i was thinking about taking a crow locator call...would that work and what are some things to look for when scouting???

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

ALESN87 I would get out there early while its still dark and get on the top of a ridge or high point on the propery and listen for gobbling at daybreak. This will help you pinpoint where they're roosting and give you a good idea on where to set up on opening morning. As for walking the property and looking for turkey sign. I would look for scratching in the leaves in the woods and turkey tracks in fields and along dirt roads through the property. Feathers and droppings are also a good sign that turkeys are using your property.

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

guys i am pumped i got out there before 7:30 went walking and using my crow locator call and i got no response but as i was walking across a field i dicided to use my locator call and i got a response and it sounded like it was really close by...but then i kept walking closer and i used the crow call right away again and i think i scared it a little bit...do u think he will come back soon??? should i go out earlier tommorow???

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

depends on how bad you spooked him, by the sounds of it , he didnt freak out and fly away, if anything i would set up close by to where he was or even better , go near there while it's still dark and try to get him to gobble and go to it, just not too close:) my second bird was gobblin' in the roost, we were right on top of him before we knew it, he must of turned and gobbled when we got close becasue he did sound farther than what he actually was.......good luck;):D:)

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

i scared a hen when i went out scouting for a second time earlier today...i was thinking instead of a crow locator call i would take my box call and see if i can get a response for next weekend...is this a good idea or not???

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

I would say get out there and scout it for the first couple of days. Find out where the birds are there. Then try to set up close to where you think they may be roosting. Let us know how you do! Good Luck!!

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

This is really sage advice. Like you I hunt public land. I work hard to stay away from where everyone else is headed. Scouting, Scouting, Scouting is the key.

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

i have a quick question about calling...how often do u call...lets say ur just sitting in the woods and u have decoys out and you dont know if a gobbler is around how often would you call...every few seconds, minutes??? and would you have better sucess if you had a few hens out and you and one other buddy of yours were both calling???

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

That depends if I get a reply to my initial calls or not. If I KNOW there are gobblers close I stick with cuts & purrs. I try to wait 15-20 minutes between calls. Also I use these:

http://www.casscreek.com/prod_turkey.html

http://www.casscreek.com/prod_gobbler.html

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

i spooked a gobbler today when i went hunting...he was at the bottom of a reivine and wouldnt come up so i went down and i saw him fly away...it didnt look like he flew very far...i plan on taking 2 hen decoys down to where i saw him fly away at...do u think he will be there tommorow???

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

Depends...maybe yes, maybe no...

Did you hear him on the roost, or find him later in the morning?

If he roosts near there, then by all means set-up closer.

Hard to give much advice without more info...

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

If he is serviceing a Hen in this area - he will be back!

Been there done that! :(

To answer a few of your other questions each bird is different. Some you need to call quite a bit to - some require very few calls. You let the bird tell you.

Now if he answers your call. Try one more and shut up. Let him Gobble on his own before you call again. If he is comning he will sound closer or may be going theo ther way. Some birds that go the other way I try to cutt at and really crank them up. If he still continues to sound like he is going away I try to get around him and be in the direction he wants to go.

I have also gone to where they have been and waited for hours for the bird to come back. But they have come back for the most part. Or at least I know the time he was there and then will be there before he gets there the next day.

Be creative but tyr not to over call.

Another thing I don't do is call before season. I will sue a crow or owl or duck or pileated woodpecker but never a turkey call. I may even use a gobble call but that is as close as I get.
Why? - I don't like training the biords I am trying to hunt.

JW

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

do hens and jakes/toms have the same fan??? the reason i asked this is i was walking down a hill and turkey flew up but i didnt shoot it because it appeared to be brown but the fan looked like a toms fan should be... i got a good look to cuz it flew up like 8 feet from me...

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

A tom's fan will be full, or all the feathers will be the same size. a Jake's fan will have the middle of the fan sticking up, taller than the rest of it.

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

yesterday i came across some turkey poo and some of it was straight and some was curly i heard that a hen's poo is different from a toms...anyone know which is which??? and i also saw that to get where i found the poo they had to cross a open feild and a fence but there was a path that they were walking on...do u think that they made that path and are comming back and fourth every day?? i also found scrachings where the poo was....

RE: suggestion's and tips
 

The gobbler droppings tend to be shaped like a "J" or hook. The hens just a pile.