Going turkey hunting for the first time this season.
Does beginners luck work ?
- Thread starter PossumSlayer
- Start date
When all the stars align, that's how I killed my first one. It only took 5 years though
timberghost35
Well-Known Member
Patience kills. All it takes is one gobbler acting stupid to kill him.
However that same gobbler can act normal and lead to a spring of sleepless nights and frustration...
However that same gobbler can act normal and lead to a spring of sleepless nights and frustration...
Setterman
Well-Known Member
Turkeys can be so easy to kill it's almost unfair. Find the right bird who's lost his mind and he will run you over.
turkeys can also be essentially impossible to kill.
good luck and hope you find the first scenario
turkeys can also be essentially impossible to kill.
good luck and hope you find the first scenario
One thing for sure, I'm excited about it.
Gonna watch Catman's videos.
Gonna watch Catman's videos.
Boll Weevil
Well-Known Member
With turkeys? No. That being said, good luck to you.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Just enjoy the experience, and try to figure out what you did wrong or what you could have done differently after every single hunt. That's the fastest way to learn and keep from repeating the same mistakes.
All turkeys have the same general biologic tendencies... however, remember individual birds have different personalities, and even those can change throughout the day. A bird that is unkillable may become the bird that charges in suicidally a few hours later, as long as you don't bump him.... so don't bump birds if at all possible. If you can't get one to work, just remember where he is and come back later, no need to push the envelope if he's not in the mood and spook him to the next county.
All turkeys have the same general biologic tendencies... however, remember individual birds have different personalities, and even those can change throughout the day. A bird that is unkillable may become the bird that charges in suicidally a few hours later, as long as you don't bump him.... so don't bump birds if at all possible. If you can't get one to work, just remember where he is and come back later, no need to push the envelope if he's not in the mood and spook him to the next county.
If you take the time to study their patterns, killing them is much easier. It is a lot easier to kill one if you are in a spot where the turkey wants to be.
philsanchez76
Well-Known Member
I think dumb luck can strike in the turkey woods just as much as it can in the deer woods. However, when we deer hunt we are quiet and that means we tend to stay out of our own way. For turkey, we are moving around and calling and doing all kinds of stuff to get in the way of that luck. Find you spot, commit to hunker down for a while and call very little and that dumb luck can strike.
Rakkin6
Well-Known Member
Honestly I think first time hunters tend to have good luck. The reason I say this is because they usually know the basics and follow those. Not saying experience isn't a great thing. But I killed one my first year with no mentor. Just looked at my wife after deer season and told her I was going to try turkey hunting. That was 10 years ago. First half of the season I was over calling a lot. Then I bumped into a guy and he told me to shut up once they are coming to you. So my advice is this.
KISS (Keep it simple stupid)
1. Patience
2. Unless you have already been practicing with mouth calls it may be to late to learn.
3. Get a pot call and a box call or two and learn the basics. Yelp, cut, purr
4. Make sure you do not have any red, white or blue colors on anything. Some people do not use target identification before pulling the trigger.
5. This could be my personal opinion but I am camo head to toe. Now I sometimes just use my old Army BDU and multiicams. Sometimes a leafy suit No need to spend a fortune.
6. Have fun
I think you will get one, good luck
KISS (Keep it simple stupid)
1. Patience
2. Unless you have already been practicing with mouth calls it may be to late to learn.
3. Get a pot call and a box call or two and learn the basics. Yelp, cut, purr
4. Make sure you do not have any red, white or blue colors on anything. Some people do not use target identification before pulling the trigger.
5. This could be my personal opinion but I am camo head to toe. Now I sometimes just use my old Army BDU and multiicams. Sometimes a leafy suit No need to spend a fortune.
6. Have fun
I think you will get one, good luck
bvoss
Well-Known Member
"The number one thing it takes to kill a turkey, is a turkey". Eddie Salter
If you have access to a place with turkeys, and you want to learn to hunt them, you will figure it out. Learn to make a decent yelp on pretty much any style call that works best for you. Box or Slate sees to be some of the easiest. Dont call too much. Get as close to him as you can before you call to him. If hes headed your way put the call down.
Be patient with the birds and yourself!
If you have access to a place with turkeys, and you want to learn to hunt them, you will figure it out. Learn to make a decent yelp on pretty much any style call that works best for you. Box or Slate sees to be some of the easiest. Dont call too much. Get as close to him as you can before you call to him. If hes headed your way put the call down.
Be patient with the birds and yourself!
The turkeys I scared the poop out of Sunday, will they return to that area in a couple weeks?
woodsman04
Well-Known Member
They probably are already back.
The only absolute thing in turkeys is nothing is absolute. I've seen them avoid areas like the plague after being spooked. I've also seen them be in that are the following day.
I've spooked turkeys before, only to kill them a few hours later in the day. I've spooked turkeys before and never got another good opportunity at him the remainder of the season.
What makes it so fun is just playing the game and messing with them.
most of the times they all have the same tendencies. But you can still never tell
"Does beginners luck work?"
Yeah, but usually for the turkey...
Just enjoy the experience, IMO you are at the most exciting stage of turkey hunting... all those firsts you'll be enjoying are great. You'll have a lot of sleepless nights thinking about turkeys, then you'll have a lot of day dreams thinking about turkeys... you'll wake up on the days you can't hunt wondering if that turkey you're hunting is in there gobbling that morning...
good luck.
Yeah, but usually for the turkey...
Just enjoy the experience, IMO you are at the most exciting stage of turkey hunting... all those firsts you'll be enjoying are great. You'll have a lot of sleepless nights thinking about turkeys, then you'll have a lot of day dreams thinking about turkeys... you'll wake up on the days you can't hunt wondering if that turkey you're hunting is in there gobbling that morning...
good luck.
If that's where they want to be, yes. Turkeys get spooked all the time.
I was shocked they were there, just finished playing with my coyote caller when I jumped them.
Hymie3
Well-Known Member
I would say if you do experience beginners luck, don't think it will be easy every time! Every gobbler is different in the way they react so there is really no substitute for time spent in the woods and learning as much as possible. Good luck, I hope you get one and get hooked on it.
Stayinthewoods
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2020
- Messages
- 53
It sure did for me. I went turkey hunting with my papaw for the first time when I was 13. We drove out to the land and he was reminding me of some of the basics along the way. We park and he eases his door shut. Excited young me slams my door and it strikes a gobble right as he is looking at me like I'd lost my mind. We slip into the woods and I kill my first turkey within ten minutes.
....then I went on a three year dry spell
.Good luck!
Eventually, yes.
On advice I ordered a beginner slate call that is supposed to be good for a beginner, kinda quiet.
I wanna get good at two sounds before I go, which two should I concentrate on? Yelp n purrr?
I wanna get good at two sounds before I go, which two should I concentrate on? Yelp n purrr?
Wow,
Yelp, cluck, and purr in that order for me.
When do the birds usually come off roost?
woodsman04
Well-Known Member
You never know for certain. Sometimes they randomly fly down early, sometimes they randomly stay up in tree late.
In my experience, they will start gobbling about ten minutes after the cardinals, and about fly down about 30 minutes after dawn.
But if you learn anything about turkeys this year, learn that there are no absolutes ever.
This! As the late Lovett Williams said, "Every experience in the woods is full of potentially new discoveries."
So be early!
Rakkin6
Well-Known Member
Yes I start going in the woods 90 minutes before sunrise and find a place to post up at and wait until they start gobbling.
Hiked about a mile and a half... got to where I saw em a couple weeks ago.
About 45 minutes before daylight I heard gobbling back behind where I came from. Sat there till 11, got up and scouted a little then started my way back on the same trail..... found an area where they've been scratching and a tree with quite a bit of poop under it. My hike will be cut in half tomorrow. Never heard a shot or seen a person.
About 45 minutes before daylight I heard gobbling back behind where I came from. Sat there till 11, got up and scouted a little then started my way back on the same trail..... found an area where they've been scratching and a tree with quite a bit of poop under it. My hike will be cut in half tomorrow. Never heard a shot or seen a person.
