Question: Turkey Hunters - How long 'til you got good?

[Catfishsteve]

I'm curious.

Turkey licenses went on sale yesterday.

You guys/gals that have called in and killed a tom turkey...


How long was it from the time you first obtained your first call until you actually called in a bird?

What did you do to practice and get better? Practicewise,

use CD's or tapes? DVD's, or practice or take lessons from more experienced hunters?

What kind of call do you recommend for a beginner for Spring Turkey?

Any specific recommendations you might have would be appreciated!

Thanks!

[RedefiningFate]

This info will be great as I am going to do my first spring turkey hunt this year.

[Catfishsteve]

Yeah, you can buy 3 tags now. There must be a ton of birds out there, I want to give it a try, too. Haven't got a clue!!

I think turkeys have to be about the most challenging thing to take consistently in NE, other than mature whitetail bucks.

[Mooneyes]

Actually they are much easier to call in and hunt than you might think. I have been hunting them strictly with my bow for 15 yrs now and killed birds pretty consistently after the first two years. Even more important than calling is learning two things: 1) Be patient when calling, sit down, set up, call, and don't move. Most people, especially if gun hunting get up and move around too much. When we are bow hunting with the blind, decoys, video camera, bow, chairs, etc. it is not easy to move around. We typically get in an area we know has birds and set up for hours at a time just calling every so often. 2) Don't move. The turkeys #1 defense is there sight, if they see you blink they will be gone in a heart beat. This is where the blind helps so much when bow hunting.

Good Luck.

[sqwidbrain]

Try and set up near an area where they are roosting. On the edge of the field. I have shot all my birds in the field. Not one in the timber. I don't have a blind, but I will use a cedar tree for cover or sit up next to a tree trunk. I like to use a slate call, or a cedar box call. I haven't had much luck with a mouth call, probably not enough practice. It is very important to be still, or they will spot you and bolt. When I'm calling I will use 2 decoys, a hen and a jake. Don't know if it helps or not. But they say to put the jake where your optimum shot would be. If you do use a decoy, don't be afraid to keep'em close.

I actually have had better luck stalking them. Give me a nice windy day during season and call me a happy guy! But there is nothing like the excitment you'll feel hearing the leaves crunching nearby as a bird comes your way! Quite a thrill!

Good luck! Gooble Gooble Gooble!!

[obert]

I called one in right away, bad thing is I never seen him. I got out of the blind only to see a big tom running away from me. The next day I called in a group of jakes and filled my first tag, with a bow. Finger shooting and not really knowing what I was doing. The next year I filled by walking and spotting/stalking.

Now I find the roost. Sit up 150 or so yards from it. The spot I like to go to most is between the roost and water. Seems this particular group awakes and heads to drink in the morning. I call sparingly, thought sometimes it's tough to be patient, especially with a henned up big gobbler 100 yards in front of you that won't move! It can be frustrating, but a ton of fun.

I've always done well with a slate call, from the beginning. Glass was a little harder for me to learn. I have a Henny and Penny glass and a Penn Ole Betsy by Primos that is really easy to work. I can't use mouth calls anymore, but liked them when I could. Do have a box call as well, but I just can't get good sound out of it like my slate.

[obert]

A great way to learn too is to find someone who has experience and tag along.

[BPbowhunter]

One of the biggest things I would have to say is patience! I've had times where it has took the turkey over an hour to work into shooting range. Movement would be the next key thing, a turkey can pick out even just a twitch of your finger, and they will bolt after seeing you.

Using a blind helps a ton, even if its just a bunch of cedar trees piled up in front of you it will help you get away with more movement.

Also, try not to over call, I know its tempting when you have that tom gobbling to call alot to make him gobble so you know for sure he is still coming, but it usually does more harm than good.

I would start out using a box call, in my opinion they are the easiest turkey call to use, and one of the most effective also.

Hope, some of this helps.

[Goosegunner]

I personnally like to sit under a cedar tree, but I have killed tom's sitting in the open next to any tree. The biggest key to success is good camo and little or no movement, be extremely patient. Alot of times they will sneak in on you, so you want to move slowly with your head when you are looking around and listen intently.

I like to use mouth calls, although I have a box call, I don't use it much. The mouth call takes some practice, but you can still call when they are right on you, which is nice when hunting with a bow. When they get in close, I like to purr, cluck and whine, maybe a few very soft yelps, seems to drive a tom nuts (so to speak)

Also don't leave to early, seems to me that the hens leave the toms around 10:00ish, which means they are going to start looking for anyone that they may have missed early. Spring turkey hunting is probably my most favorite form of hunting, fun and rewarding, to top it all off they are good on the table as well. Good luck, Gunner

[Goosegunner]

I forgot to mention that right now is a good time to get out and listen to a bunch of birds. Last week when I was deer hunting , there was a good sized flock on the property I was hunting, I don't think they ever shut up until they were in the roost. I would have to say that I probably heard every sound that a turkey makes. Not that we will ever use alot of these, but it is a good way of hearing some of the diff. sounds they make and trying to duplicate them at home later. Gunner

[tc_topshot]

Ive always learned best from first hand experience, go out, find a nice spot and wait. in the spring, i use a coyote howler or a crow call to get the toms to gobble. if they gobble back to you, then try to move closer if possible. personally, i use a cabelas cheap foam turkey decoy ( like $14, something like they, the cheapest ones) and i set it up when they are comming to me. ive tried all kinds of calls and i like my box call the most because ive put more time into it and can manipulate it more. i just always remember never to overcall because turkeys can get suspicious fast if they have been hunted before. I personally find the best times to hunt are from 2-5 in the afternoons, cus the hens are sitting somewhere and the toms are looking for something to do if you know what I mean. you can listen to all these hints, or you can find where they roost and wait till they get out in the morning, saves the hastle or calling (no, i don't encourage it, infact i don't even know if it works like that)

[Catfishsteve]

some more good advice for a beginning turkey hunter:


You thought all I did was fish.

My first turkey call was a primitive diaphragm, my mouth still hurts when I think about that call. But I called turkeys in with that call the first year I ever hunted, the first day.

Did a lot of practice in the pickup while driving.

Listen to real turkey sounds for help, you might check this out, http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkey...f_turkeys.html . Oh, and by the way, the worst "calling" I have ever heard came from the turkeys themselves.

Some kind of friction call would be best for a beginner. There are "push-button" calls that are fool-proof and will work. A box call would be another good one for a beginner. I love diaphragm calls myself, they can make any sound a turkey makes and can be used "hands free", but they will take some practice to master! Get a good friction call, learn to make a reasonable sounding yelp on it, go kill a turkey. Seriously, the best caller in the world cannot call them where they don't want to go, and the worst caller in the world can bring 'em in on a string if he is calling 'em where they want to go.

When it came to turkey hunting, I had an uncle that literally hunted them from the first year they had a season in Nebraska. I always relied on him for advice and still do!

Later,

Daryl B.

P.S. Feel free to share this message with others if you wish.

***

Thanks Daryl!!

[Alex T.]

Well let's see. I got my call(slate) sometime during the week and then my Bro-in-law and me went to hunt on that weekend. Got out of the truck and heard a gobble. Located the bird and worked our way around to its general area. Put up 2 decoys(jake and hen) about 20 yds. out in a meadow and setup along the treeline. Think I made about 4 noises on it and that tom came running in to about 25yds. and then went full strut. He got between the hen and jake decoys. Bang,dead bird. Fun andexciting but pretty easy. Would much rather watch fowl decoy.

Alex

[obert]

Well let's see. I got my call(slate) sometime during the week and then my Bro-in-law and me went to hunt on that weekend. Got out of the truck and heard a gobble. Located the bird and worked our way around to its general area. Put up 2 decoys(jake and hen) about 20 yds. out in a meadow and setup along the treeline. Think I made about 4 noises on it and that tom came running in to about 25yds. and then went full strut. He got between the hen and jake decoys. Bang,dead bird. Fun andexciting but pretty easy. Would much rather watch fowl decoy

.

I've had that happen. I've also almost had that happen many more times when that gobbler will sit out at 75-100 yards and not budge. Helps to be at the right time at the right place. Those dang turkeys seem to more often do what you're not expecting them to do then vice versa. Alex, if you can do that 3 times in a row would you please take me along next time and show me your secrets?

[Alex T.]

If I ever decide to turkey hunt again,sure.

Alex

[obert]

Allright!

I thought the first thing on my first waterfowl hunt. Being a deer hunter we were sitting there talking, birds fly in, we shoot them and go home. I thought hey this is easy. Until the 2nd time I went and we're pulling a decoy bag and gear in berries deep muck and shoot 3 birds the whole day! Thing about turkeys is you can walk out of there wondering what in the heck went wrong, and never figure it out.

That site from Daryl is great. I listen to the turkey sounds off the nwtf and practice with my call. Nice to have a little understanding of what sounds mean what. Thanks Daryl.

[TA2D]

CatfishSteve,
Practice, practice, practice, it doesn't matter what kind of call you have they all have their good and bad points about them. I just started last year, and my first call was an H.S. Strut triple glass slate, excellent call works good even if it is soaking wet, whereas traditonal slate will stop working in slight moisture, I also have a box call which is also a real simple call to learn to use. My favorite call is a mouth/diaphram call they take some getting used to, if they come with an instructional CD get it because there are some good basics that the guys cover and you also get to hear turkey noises. My calling combo is a mouth call and my slate/friction call. Concealment is the key, camo doesn't have to be the greatest but if you can be concealed this helps greatly. Before I got my first gobbler last year, I called in a bird for my father in law 24 1/4 lbs 7/8ths and 15/16ths inch spurs and a 9 5/8ths beard. Steve if you need to get a bird give me a call, I've got some real nice places to go, one of them is on of the re-introduction sites from 20-25 years ago. Lots and lots of birds, I have witnessed many gobblers that have beards 10+ inches and at spring weight will push 23-24 lbs. Not too far from where we went ice fishing.

Aaron

TA2D

[TA2D]

I bet that I could call in a bird for ol' SudDawg to shoot! If he wants to try it!

Aaron

TA2D

[suddawg]

What is this H..U.N..T.I..N...G thing you're trying to get me to do

SudDawg

[Catfishsteve]

Originally Posted by suddawg

What is this H..U.N..T.I..N...G thing you're trying to get me to do

Oh, it's fun!! We'll even let you carry the guns! ... and their are no holes to cut in the ice!! (well, usually, how much does your truck weigh?)