turkey tips

[minky]

Number 1 tip for a new turkey hunter?

[FishinFools]

Scout your area so you know the topography.

[Bowfin]

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.

[Borch]

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.

[DonBo]

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.

[minky]

Thanks for the tips, I hope to put as many of them into play this spring in Mn and across the river as I can!

[benbosh]

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.

[theghost_03]

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!!

[minky]

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

[DonBo]

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.

[Powerstroke]

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!!

[rkhinrichs]

get some nice decoys. money worth spent!

[x1957x]

++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.

[Hoyt4]

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.

[DonBo]

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

and an Avian-X Breeded Hen.

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

[minky]

Great looking decoys!

I only have the more basic hen and a jake decoy.

How should I set them up, jake facing the blind?

[DonBo]

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.

[Borch]

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

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.

[nbadger23]

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!!!

[Hoyt4]

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.

[brittman]

#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.

[eric29]

I dont think it was mentioned yet but I like to keep my decoy set up within 5 yards of where Im sitting. Turkeys can pinpoint exact location of calling.

[fsnrod]

practice shooting both right and left handed Ive shot many deer and turkeys left handed I'm a right handed shooter.

[minky]

Great tips everyone!

I hope to get my first spring turkey this season!

[HNTNBUX]

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.