Turkey hunting 101

[Warren1726]

Hey y'all, this will be my first season turkey hunting. I have a public land spot picked out its 6000 acre Yellowbank WMA here in KY. Plenty of turkey killed on it the past few years. Here's a pic:

I'm planning on going the weekend before and scouting the area in the lower left, the corner of the river and Yellowbank creek. Obviously I'll be looking for sign and roosting trees. Then what? Help!

 

[Bulldawg]

Get there early listen to them gobble. I don't pay much attention to "roosting trees" because that'll be most every tree in Kentucky especially on public land when they are going to get public. If you can roost one the night before and know where he is that's perfect so you can be there the next morning. Get as close as you can with out him being able to see you and sit down and hunt.
As far as scouting I would be there early and late and listen for birds to figure out about how many are in the area and you may be able to figure out where they go in the mornings but I would use it more to figure out the land so you don't try to call a turkey across a fence or over a creek cause they don't do that.

 

[dble07]

Dont move!! An old timer once told me that if a turkey could smell as good as a deer you would never be able to kill one
Seriously though, find the video "So you want to be a turkey hunter" by Hunters Specialties. It goes through everything from calling, to where to find them, to set-up, etc. Really helped me out when i started.

 

[Warren1726]

So, is it worth it to really scout before hand? for example, if I find sign or turkeys in that bend of the creek and river corner, the weekend before will they be in that area the next weekend?

 

[dble07]

Its definitely a good idea to scout before hand, if for no other reason just to get to know the area. IME you will find them frequently in the same areas. Bulldawgs last sentence pretty well sums it up. Turkeys will "hang up" on obstacles pretty easy. You could have a bird responding to every call but wont come closer because of a fence, creek or anything other thing that they would be capable of maneuvering around anything other time. Weird, I know.

 

[StrutNut]

Get the book Tom Foolery 2000. Its informative and a quick read. You will enjoy it! Yes, go scout and get to know the land. Dont profile yourself. Be as stealthy as you can. Bring good optics but leave your calls in the truck. No use educating them on it yet. Scout all day if you can. See where the birds are hanging out at different parts of the day. Do it at a distance and start making mental notes of creeks, fences, things that birds dont like to cross. Start your scouting early, really early. When I hunt turkeys I am in the woods before the first song bird chirps. Nothing like a cup of hot coffee with your back against a tree waiting for the woods to come alive! You want to make note as to how vocal birds are when they hit the ground. Just try to blend in to your surroundings and treat it like a hunting trip without a gun or bow. From personal experience hunting heavily hunted WMA in Mo I can say find a great location and stay there. There will be all sorts of "run n gun" hunters chasing the birds around. Often the best spot is in the hardest place to get to. Hunters, in general, are quite lazy.

 

[MOcluck]

If you can roost a bird the night before this will help out alot, because you will know there is a bird in the area. I'd use my scouting the week before to gain more knowledge about where the birds are. I try to keep tabs on them off and on threw out the week before I hunt, putting more effort into locating a bird and putting him to bed the night before I plan to hunt. Just remember your hunting public land so someone else might be watching the same bird and the closer to parking areas you hunt you risk someone showing up at day break and slipping in on you, this happens alot if the bird you set up on gobbles alot drawing unwanted attention to himself from other hunters. My advise is to scout hard, go in a little deeper, cross a creek or some where not so easy to access, and get in early. I like to be set up a full hour before I can start to see and I get as close as I can to the roost without alerting the birds, this is why I go in so early.

 

[Bulldawg]

Its definitely a good idea to scout before hand, if for no other reason just to get to know the area. IME you will find them frequently in the same areas. Bulldawgs last sentence pretty well sums it up. Turkeys will "hang up" on obstacles pretty easy. You could have a bird responding to every call but wont come closer because of a fence, creek or anything other thing that they would be capable of maneuvering around anything other time. Weird, I know.

I've had birds cross a fence daily on there own then when you start callin they won't budge, or a bird that won't cross a 1 foot wide 5 inch deep puddle.. Strange bird indeed

 

[Nogunjoe]

Lot of good advice above. Scout ahead of time. Learn the land and the bird movement patterns. Helps you get position on them to avoid hang ups and know where they like to move. Do not pressure the birds. Pressured/hunted birds are much harder to call up.

Get into position in the dark, especially early season when leaves are thin. If the birds see you, they aren't coming to you. If you can sneak into a roosting area and hold still until fly down, life gets really good for you. Tips: Wear wool clothing as I don't think they pick up on it like other materials; map out a quiet path and tree to sit the afternoon before. This will help you sneak into position in the dark. If you pull off the sneak, don't shame yourself and shoot one off the roost. Enjoy the show and shoot a big tom!

 

[Warren1726]

Thanks for all the advice! I don't have any decoys, is it something I can get away with out using for now? I have a mouth and pot call, I've gotten decent at putts with the pot and yelps with the mouth call.

 

[MOcluck]

Decoys are nice for feild edges and open areas, if your in the woods you can get by without them. That being said many a turkey has fallin to a guy with just a mouth call and a gun!

 

[Poser]

Thanks for all the advice! I don't have any decoys, is it something I can get away with out using for now? I have a mouth and pot call, I've gotten decent at putts with the pot and yelps with the mouth call.

Hunting in the woods, you won't need decoys, especially after the green up. For that matter, not having decoys can draw turkeys in closer because they are trying to make a visual confirmation and, with the obstructed view of undergrowth, can put them right on top of you. I hunt both public land (hardwoods and swamps bottoms) and private land (farms with fields & woods) in Tennessee and, though I have carried and deployed decoys in the past, I have never actually killed a bird over a decoy so I stopped carry them them altogether. I feel like they are very overrated for turkey hunting in general (though have application for hunting areas that are predominantly open). Decoys and turkey hunting accessories are a big business so there is a lot of push from the hunting industry to imply that you need them in order to be successful. If you watch hunting shows, you are led to believe that turkey hunting is done exclusively from blinds and over decoys, but its just not the case. You don't need either.

Don't get me wrong, turkey hunting is challenging and frustrating, but, at the end of the day, its a big chicken with a brain the size of a golf ball. -no need to over think it.

 

[Nogunjoe]

I wouldn't use the putt while calling birds, it is an alarm call. I did see it bring a jake to us when all else failed though. Yelps will work fine.

I apologize for being hard core, and I know it is just fun, but I don't like decoys. I think once a bird has seen your decoy you can't really say you called them up. I think Turkeys are more visual than auditory. That is to say, if they see a hen, they are more likely to go to her than one they can only hear. The more realistic the hen, the more likely they are to go to it. The more unrealistic, the less likely they are to come to a decoy, especially where they are hunted. That said, it is still fun to have them come to a decoy and bust them!

A tom will often hang up when he gets to a point that he realizes he should be able to see what he is hearing call. So, I suggest being in woods with scattered obstructions to call them close. Then he won't hang up as quickly as an open woods or field. Your calling should fit as well. Being your first season, I recommend that once he is coming and close to being in range, quit calling, hold still and let him look for you. As soon as in range with good shot, take him.

 

[StrutNut]

I agree with the not using the putt. Learn how to cut and learn how to be aggressive with it. When Toms get henned up, yelping and purring wont get you far. However, boss hens love to fight and I have had excellent luck killing henned upToms by picking fights with the hens. Wherever she goes, he goes. Its that simple. As far as decoys, great advice. You dont need them but its nice to have them when birds are silent. I like to rin a feeding hen and upright hen. Scratch the ground a little and purr softly. It is very effective on call shy birds. Purring is not to hard to do on your pot call.

 

[Ironmerganser]

if this is your first time, remember.......less is more when it comes to calling........
Scouting ahead of time is good, but remember, Turkeys are constantly on the move.....
Like stated above, after scouting, go out the afternoon before the morning you plan to hunt and try to roost a bird.....then.....smack one in the lips!!!!

 

[Nogunjoe]

Heckling a hen is a good way to make her mad and get her to drag in a Tom.
Good point.
I have had good luck at that too. But I do it best with diaphragm, imitating her call with the sarcasm of a smart mouth teenager
Wonder if a beginner can pull it off. Worth a try!