Jump to content

  • GUESTS

    If you want access to members only forums on HSO, you will gain access only when you Sign-in or Sign-Up .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member. ?

turkey tips

minky

By minky
in Turkey Hunting

 Share

Recommended Posts

Bowfin Proficient

Bowfin

Posted
Posted

They can see a whole lot better than deer! They will pinpoint your exact position when you call. Get in position when they are coming because you can't move at all when they are in sight.

I learned this the hard way 1 hour into my first turkey season when a Tom popped out at 30 yards and found me with my slate call in my hand and gun in my lap. Needless to say he lived to gobble another day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Borch Grand Master

Borch

Posted
Posted

Someone touched on scouting already...

But you want to set up where the turkeys are already spending time. Easier to call them to a spot when they already want to be there. I also like to set up so that when I see the bird, they are already in range. A bend in the road, a little dip or rise works well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DonBo Grand Master

DonBo

Posted
Posted

Call way less than you think is necessary.....unless they like more.

Patience has killed far more turkeys than anything else in my playbook.

Shoot your gun, know where it shoots and how far it holds a good pattern. Every gun shoots different loads differently.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
benbosh Rising Star

benbosh

Posted
Posted

Patience has killed far more turkeys than anything else in my playbook.

Scouting... You can't shoot a turkey if they aren't there

Patience... You can't shoot a turkey if you can't sit still

Combine those two and you'll kill a bird.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
theghost_03 Collaborator

theghost_03

Posted
Posted

Scouting--HUGE, get out and roost birds. Do not use any type of turkey call to roost your birds prior to your season. Get as close as possible to those roosts!! Just don't bump them! Practice, practice and practice your calling. And just because you can't hear them coming hot does not mean they aren't responding to those calls. Your going to make mistakes and no two birds are going to act the same. This is why spring time is amazing!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DonBo Grand Master

DonBo

Posted
Posted

How long before I hunt should I get my blind in place?

Is it good to brush in the blind to make it blend in?

Thanks for all the tips!

Minky

Put it up and hunt. Turkeys pay little if any attention to pop-up blinds. No need to brush them in. You can even place them in the middle of a field, if that's where you're seeing the most activity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Powerstroke Grand Master

Powerstroke

Posted
Posted

Donbo is spot on about blinds. Turkeys do not care one bit about blinds. Unless I have a rock solid place to set up, I carry my blind on my back and setup as soon as I feel confident I'm ready to hunt.

Scouting is important. I've always been told if you have 5 days to hunt, you should scout the first two days. Turkeys are creatures of habit and area fairly predictable once you know their pattern. They will change it up if they get pressured, but if you know their plan, you can set up on them without them knowing. I've tagged birds out of state in places I've never been.

Get some binoculars. Turkeys have AMAZING eyesight and they will spot you before you spot them.

and most importantly, prepare to be hooked. It truly is my most favorite hunting and I just started about 6 yrs ago. Last year I tagged two birds in the spring, one of them out of state and the out of state bird was my first with a bow. The basics are easy to learn and there are birds everywhere. Have fun!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
x1957x Experienced

x1957x

Posted
Posted

++1 on the Good Decoy's. I have DSD decoys and they pretty much look like the real deal.You get the turkeys attention and the decoys pretty much bring them in themselves! Especially with the Jakes flocked back. WOW! And they stand behind them to. I cracked the head on my 4 year old Jake last year in the cold and snow. Got ahold of DSD in Oregon and they said to send it in and they will fix it free of charge and ship it back. They couldnt fix the old style one I had and sent me a new jake WITH the case and the new DVD. Paid the shipping to!! If you can afford it you get what you pay for. GOOD DECOYS ARE WORTH their weight in gold.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hoyt4 Mentor

Hoyt4

Posted
Posted

Decoys will work at times but do not think they will always work is something you will need to know also.

I leave them in the truck, my decoys might get used once during my spring in 4 or 5 states. Scouting and woodsman ship will harvest more birds then the toys you buy.

Get out and pattern the birds find the strut zones and roost spots. Also make sure your gun or bow is sighted or patterened in. Try and make sure you cover all that you can control for the most part.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DonBo Grand Master

DonBo

Posted
Posted

Hoyt's right, they don't always work, but they do work well enough, often enough, that I always start with the decoys and let the birds tell me if they want to see them or not. Often just a lone hen, or the lone jake will be enough. If bowhunting, decoys may be the only way to get them close enough for a slam dunk shot.

I have the Dakota X-Treme Jake

P4180110.jpg

and an Avian-X Breeded Hen.

full-20096-41981-722127.jpg

They work SO much better than the old "rubber chicken" looking decoys of yesterday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DonBo Grand Master

DonBo

Posted
Posted

Yep, jake facing you. Seems most often when a tom commits to the decoys, he'll go straight to the jake and get in his face. I usually have the hen facing me also, with the jake slightly behind her, as he's following her.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Borch Grand Master

Borch

Posted
Posted

I don't use decoys a lot, burt when I do..... wink

I usually use a lone jake decoy. Sometimes strutting with a real fan attached sometimes alert stance. When hunting public land I generally do not use decoys and if I do I leave the jake decoys in the truck. I don't like taking chances getting shot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
nbadger23 Rising Star

nbadger23

Posted
Posted

Scout, scout, scout and practice your calling. Knowing where the birds want to be makes things a lot easier, especially if you're new to calling.

Get some books on turkey behavior and learn as much as you can. I went to the local library last year and checked our 4 or 5 of them and learned a lot about their behavior that I had no clue about.

Practice shooting your gun from a sitting position, a kneeling position, and a laying position if you're going to hunt from outside a blind. The last 3 years I've had birds tie me in knots and require every type of shot besides a behind the back one so I was glad I'd practiced different shooting angles.

Practice your patience. Just when you think you can't sit any longer... sit another half hour.

But the #1 tip - enjoy listening to the woods come alive in the morning!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hoyt4 Mentor

Hoyt4

Posted
Posted

Get out to a few turkey seminars also. Hearing a few different ones will help you out and also might answer some questions you are having. I have been hunting them for years but still love to go and see a couple seminars. Last years at A-1 actually was one of the best I've been too and learned a lot and I hunt with 5 seminar speakers it's just what they covered last year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
brittman Mentor

brittman

Posted
Posted

#1: Pattern Gun

#2: what he said

Scout your area so you know the topography.

........... and where the birds are

#3: Don't overcall.

Real hens often sound "worse" than a guy who can really work a call, but real hens typically do not talk much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
HNTNBUX Proficient

HNTNBUX

Posted
Posted

I use my trail cameras for scouting most of the time. I have a pretty good idea where the birds will be where I hunt as long as they have split up and made it to my area. Although some years they come and go which makes it real difficult when hunting with kids.

Knowing they are in the area is the most important thing for me. Once they are around the spot on the spot so to speak has already been picked from experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now ↓↓↓ or ask your question and then register. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • smurfy
      Just Food and Drink

      By smurfy · Posted

      By The way that didn't work either!! Screw it I'll just use the cellular. 
    • Wanderer
      Just Food and Drink

      By Wanderer · Posted

      It’s done automatically.  You might need an actual person to clear that log in stuff up.   Trash your laptop history if you haven’t tried that already.
    • smurfy
      Just Food and Drink

      By smurfy · Posted

      😂 yea pretty amazing how b o o b i e s gets flagged, but they can't respond or tell me why I  can't get logged in here on my laptop but I can on my cellular  😪
    • Mike89
      Just Food and Drink

      By Mike89 · Posted

      I grilled some brats yesterday, maybe next weekend will the next round...  
    • Wanderer
      Just Food and Drink

      By Wanderer · Posted

      You got word censored cuz you said        B o o b ies….. haha.   Yeah, no… grilling is on hiatus for a bit.
    • smurfy
      Just Food and Drink

      By smurfy · Posted

      Chicken mine,  melded in Mccormick poultry seasoning for 24 hours.  Grill will get a break till the frigid temps go away!
    • Mike89
      Problems with Yetti

      By Mike89 · Posted

      good luck!!!   
    • rundrave
      Problems with Yetti

      By rundrave · Posted

      we had some nice weather yesterday and this conundrum was driving me crazy  so I drove up to the house to take another look. I got a bunch of goodies via ups yesterday (cables,  winch ratchet parts, handles, leaf springs etc).   I wanted to make sure the new leaf springs I got fit. I got everything laid out and ready to go. Will be busy this weekend with kids stuff and too cold to fish anyway, but I will try to get back up there again next weekend and get it done. I don't think it will be bad once I get it lifted up.    For anyone in the google verse, the leaf springs are 4 leafs and measure 25 1/4" eye  to eye per Yetti. I didnt want to pay their markup so just got something else comparable rated for the same weight.   I am a first time wheel house owner, this is all new to me. My house didn't come with any handles for the rear cables? I was told this week by someone in the industry that cordless drills do not have enough brake to lower it slow enough and it can damage the cables and the ratchets in the winches.  I put on a handle last night and it is 100% better than using a drill, unfortatenly I found out the hard way lol and will only use the ICNutz to raise the house now.
    • Wanderer
      Problems with Yetti

      By Wanderer · Posted

      I haven’t done any leaf springs for a long time and I can’t completely see the connections in your pics BUT I I’d be rounding up: PB Blaster, torch, 3 lb hammer, chisel, cut off tool, breaker bar, Jack stands or blocks.   This kind of stuff usually isn’t the easiest.   I would think you would be able to get at what you need by keeping the house up with Jack stands and getting the pressure off that suspension, then attack the hardware.  But again, I don’t feel like I can see everything going on there.
    • rundrave
      Problems with Yetti

      By rundrave · Posted

      reviving an old thread due to running into the same issue with the same year of house. not expecting anything from yetti and I already have replacement parts ordered and on the way.   I am looking for some input or feedback on how to replace the leaf springs themselves.    If I jack the house up and remove the tire, is it possible to pivot the axel assembly low enough to get to the other end of the leaf spring and remove that one bolt?   Or do I have to remove the entire pivot arm to get to it? Then I also have to factor in brake wire as well then. What a mess   My house is currently an hour away from my home at a relatives, going to go back up and look it over again and try to figure out a game plan.           Above pic is with house lowered on ice, the other end of that leaf is what I need to get to.   above pic is side that middle bolt broke and bottom 2 leafs fell out here is other side that didnt break but you can see bottom half of leaf already did but atleast bolt is still in there here is hub assembly in my garage with house lowered and tires off when I put new tires on it a couple months ago. hopefully I can raise house high enough that it can drop down far enough and not snap brake cable there so I can get to that other end of the leaf spring.

  • Topics

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

  I accept