1st Time Group

[dmichaelm]

We are a first time group. Four of us applied for the C season out in Stearns County. We have access to farm land with some friends twice removed who locked in a small tom last year. As well as some other potential land in the area.

Couple questions:

1. Would we all be selected as a group? Or is it possible that some of our group would and others would not?

2. Aside from shotgun and some camo (no orange right?) what do we need? Where can we get it? Best way to learn to use it?

- on this one I have heard Decoy and Box call...

- I have heard 3in Mag #4 shot

3. When do you hunt yours? Dawn? Dusk?

4. What habitat do you look for? I have heard treeline on agricultural fields. Food sources?

Thanks. I always figure passionate hunters are the best resource for the info.

What am I missing? What do I need to know?

[Borch]

We are a first time group. Four of us applied for the C season out in Stearns County. We have access to farm land with some friends twice removed who locked in a small tom last year. As well as some other potential land in the area.

Couple questions:

1. Would we all be selected as a group? Or is it possible that some of our group would and others would not? It'll be all or nothing. Main reason to apply as a group.

2. Aside from shotgun and some camo (no orange right?) what do we need? Where can we get it? Best way to learn to use it? Get a face mask and gloves as well. Also tick and insect spray are a must. Most sports stores will have the stuff. Many will allow you to play with the calls as well. The DNR puts on classes you can sign up for. They can be very helpful.

- on this one I have heard Decoy and Box call... Add a slate and something comfy to sit on.

- I have heard 3in Mag #4 shot Get your group together and have each bring a box or two of different turkey loads. I personally don't own a gun that shots #4 shot well. Some like #5 and ovther #6 shot.

3. When do you hunt yours? Dawn? Dusk? A half hour before sunrise to sunset.

4. What habitat do you look for? I have heard treeline on agricultural fields. Food sources? Scout to see where turkeys are traveling and spent their time.

Thanks. I always figure passionate hunters are the best resource for the info.

What am I missing? What do I need to know?

[123fish]

Using some sort of pop up blind that is set up in an area that you have scouted is a huge plus. Turkeys have extreme eyesight and a blind will allow to you fidget around without being spotted.

[dmichaelm]

Thanks guys. That all helps.

Now hopefully we get selected.

[dukhnt]

If you know someone that hunts a different season, you maybe can borrow their stuff as well. I have borrowed all my gear to a couple different buddies. Good Luck.

[engfish]

Just to give a little clarification about when to hunt--most hunters take to the woods early in the morning, and my guess is that the majority of turkeys are shot in the first few hours of the day. If you can hang in there all day, even better. I've had turkeys show up on a field three hours after I called in the morning. Personally, I've not had a lot of luck late season with afternoon or evening hunting, but I still go out if my schedule allows for it.

Scouting is very important for your first time. Get to the area you are going to hunt at least a couple of times before you actually hunt. Use your locator call--I use an owl call, but you can use a crow call or to try and locate where the gobblers are roosting. Don't be surprised if they move around to different roosting sites. They will. You can practice your calling once they come off the roost to see if they are reacting to your calls. That response gobble will be all you'll need to get hooked. Make sure you're wearing your camo, and back off if they come in hard. Then leave 'em alone. I'd be lying if I said I can "pattern" the birds I hunt, but I know from experience that sooner or later they're going to frequent a couple of the fields that I set up on. I hunt woodlot edges that are adjacent to crop fields because that's what I have on the properties I'm allowed to hunt but that may or may not be the case where you're hunting. If there are four of you hunting, make sure that you know where everyone is at all times, and agree to a designated time before you do any moving. Safety is key. It might be a good idea to work in twos and let one person call from behind the shooter. That along wiht a decoy can increase your odds of the gobbler giving you a close shot. The closer the better. If you're not in a blind, make sure you're still, you have camo gloves, and your face is covered with a mask or a drape. As was also mentioned earlier, go to one of the DNR clinics. Don't be afraid to ask questions there, too. Practice your calling. Listen to some calling tapes or CDs. I've had kids learn how to use a slate call in less than a minute with just a little instruction.

Good luck!

[fsh4trout]

Scout by walking around the property you'll hunt to simply get the lay of land. look for big hardwoods or conifers that could serve as roost trees. Sometimes you can find a roost my the piles of turkey turds laying around the base of the tree. I have never actually done this, but if you put your time in you might get lucky.

I usually go to the areas I'll hunt the weekend before and get out real early to listen for gobbles. If I hear nothing I'll try someplace else.

The traditional method is to get up before the sunrises, get to the woods and listen. Hopefully one will gobble (or you may have roosted one the night before*, in which case you will know exactly where to go) and you can sneak to around 100-150 yards. Then wait a while and start calling. He'll waltz right up to you and you'll shoot him

*Go out in the evening and listen or use an owl or coyote call to elicit a gobble. Make your calling short so you do not miss a gobble, i.e. HOOT and listen.

I've shot my two spring birds at around 9, but you can kill a turkey at any time. He may have company in the morning making him unkillable, but in the afternoon the hens may wander off leaving him lonely and vulnerable to calling. Getting up early makes staying out all day very hard so My dad and I usually go out early take a break and go out again.

Good Luck, there a ton of info on the internet, do some googling and read up.

[Shane Simpson]

There are alot of different tactics for turkey hunting but the top two would be "call and wait" which is staying in one location for long periods and calling periodically and the other is called "run and gun" which means using a turkey call or a locator call such as an owl or crow every 100 yards or so as you walk until you get one to gobble. You can see two example of this here: http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubb...nts#Post2072513

and here: http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubb...con#Post1900155

[dmichaelm]

Wow, great additions guys. Sifting through the info can be tough. We weren't selected for C season so we are going to have to buy otc for the e,f,g, or h.

At this point I am wondering if the distance in time from opener begins to matter in a given area. Do they tend to be highly mobile birds? or will they stick around the ag fields we'll be hunting?

Thanks

DM

[Archerysniper]

Check the 09 spring results on the dnr HSOforum and you will see the harvest %'s drop as the seasons progress. If the birds have been hunted they will get smart in a hurry they will still tend to hang around the same areas and feed in the same fields but can become shy of blinds,decoys and calls wich makes a over the counter tag getting fill a little more special.