Trying to get my daughter a turkey

[Beastmode]

What is a basic easy to learn call out there. Never turkey hunted before and want to get my daughter her first bird this year. Would you recommend a decoy as well?

 

[Mckinnon]

I would PM trkslyr (not sure if thats spelled right) on here. He is a machine on turkeys in CA. I have called a few with a box call, its easy to learn.

 

[cali_hornhunter]

I recommend a decoy or 2 I use slate calls and diaphragm just takes practice like anything else

 

[JNDEER]

You hunting public or private?

It makes a difference.

 

[Beastmode]

Both. My dad is going to let her shoot one on his place but its only 40 acres so if the birds aren't there we have to go to plan B. Which is public, but its about 4 miles back in a low elevation wilderness area I hunt and the birds don't get much pressure back there.

 

[MOcluck]

I wpuld get a push button call easy to use basic 3-5 note yelps,purrs and clucks. Moss Double tone makes the best push button IMO and they are made locally. I'd also get a jake and hen decoys as these will get the attention off of you and gives the birds something to focus on. runnin a jake with a hen will keep most toms from hanging up put of range. I've used feather flex decoys for years with great success there cheap and easy to transport. Any thing else I can help with just PM me.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Box call or slate call are pretty easy to learn. If you use a mouth call for elk you can use a mouth call for turkey too, same concept.
I rarely every use decoys anymore here hunting very pressured public land, but when I do its the DSD's as nothing I have ever purchased comes close......they are expensive, but worth it.

 

[JNDEER]

For the private land (if the land around it is not hunted too much). I would scout it and see what you got running around. If you got a bunch of jakes (on his property or sorroundings) and no toms then get two hen decoys. If there are some toms, jakes and hens then I would use one jake and one/two hen decoys.

for the public land, unless there is a crap ton of birds...I only run with one hen decoy.

For the calls. Get one of each and see which ones sound best. I learned A LOT about turkey hunting by buying the turkey hunting DVD (primos, HS, drury, realtree) etc. I learned about calling, how much, how little, when and what to sound like given their situations. ...(this was when I first started out). You can also go online to find different sounds they make. When you buy the calls (slate, box, push button, etc) see which ones you can get to sound like that. I used that knowledge and applied it and my learned lessons in the field from there on out. I have bagged (at minimum) one bird a year for the past 12 years on public land.

Do not get caught up on worrying about sounded too much like a bird. I have heard some of the most god awful sounding calling in my life on public land and watched him bag a jake. Always remember, less is more with turkey hunting.

I like and have been using Featherlite decoy 3 position hens.

 

[trkyslr]

Beastmode, i usually only offer one hunt to a bowhunter who i have not met from a forum that im on. Me and joehunter usually do thos to meet fellow bowsiters and now roksliders. Another thing is i love to help kids get there first turkey. As of now i dont have any plans for the junior weekend. So if you are interested i would be happy to take you and your daughter here in nor cal. As rock 2.0 mentioned i have ok success and think i could help you out ;-) Pm me if your interested.

 

[trkyslr]

Thats one hunt per season to clarify

 

[Beastmode]

Pm sent

 

[MOcluck]

As far as calling goes tone is'nt as important as cadence get that down and you got something, a live turkey hen would lose most calling contest. I've heard some odd sounds coming out of young hens and jakes.

 

[stuckinohio]

I like slate and diaphragm calls. I have had alot of success using a strutting decoy and 2 hens on heavily pressured public land but ive had just as many totally ignore me to. I would also consider using a ground blind. Its easy to start fidgeting when they stop gobbling and thats when i usually get busted!

 

[trkyslr]

8 more days grant, its looking good so far!

 

[Evan Williams]

Box calls are in my opinion the best way to go UNLESS you are an elk hunter and can use a mouth call (less movement). I decoy in my opinion is a must. It gives them something to fix on as they work their way in rather than coming in blind and on the alert looking for movement because they are looking for a bird that is calling.

Primos Box Cutter call
Decoy: I personally run a Strutter gets more aggressive birds and thats what I am looking for. But they are a little more to pack around. PRIMOS KILLER B

 

[vcb]

Nebraska opened today! Gonna wait till next week though....We just got a ton of snow and thought I would wait for a little melt and some warmer weather...

 

[Shoot straight]

Calls and Deeks

In my opinion a mouth call would be the best, not a specific one just a call you can get from the local sporting goods. If you practice for a couple days you'll have it down. In the case of deeks it depends on where you are hunting, on public you might want a deek to distract the turkey from looking at the hunter.