Helpful Hints & Tactics.....

[Grizzly Johnson]

Since there might be beginners or some that might benefit from useful information, I will start this post for those who want to share info.

Turkeys hate rain, messes with their hearing in the woods with the rain hitting the leaves, they go to the open areas so they can see danger approaching... they especially like green areas.

Same thing on windy days, swaying limbs and such make them nervous and hinders their hearing.... they head to open areas to see approaching danger.

These situations are also when decoys can be effective. Decoys are something the turkeys can see, incase they can't hear your calls.

I have used that information last spring as a beginner and was successful 2 different times.....

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Re: Helpful Hints & Tactics.....

Instead of running around making all kinds of dadgum noise yelping and whatnot, slow it down, be patient. Sit down in an area turkeys frequent and call very sparingly. Its not often that real hens go around singing like a choir and birds in a pressured areas know this well.

 

[RussellvilleRob]

Re: Helpful Hints & Tactics.....

Scout! Scout! Scout! Know your land and birds.

 

[showmehorns]

Re: Helpful Hints & Tactics.....

It is that time.... :/

KNOW THE TERRAIN YOUR HUNTING. Sometimes, you can outsmart that old bird that has heard and seen it all in your area if you just know where he's going, and how to hide yourself long enough to get there before he does.

 

[kdxdude]

Re: Helpful Hints & Tactics.....

My buddy was hunting a bird opening day, he called & bird would gobble very good, long story short, he kept calling to this bird for the 1st 3 weeks of seson. The turkey had quit gobbling as much. He had told me about all the tricks he tried & nothing worked on this bird, he would gobble & move away. My buddy said why don't you try him today. So I did! I sneaked in as quiet as a bobcat, got close to where the bird usually roosted. About fly down time, I slapped my hat on my thigh about 6 or 7 times trying to imitate a bird flying down then I scratched the leaves. Turkeys have a rhythm when scratching, long short long. Upon doing this the bird went nuts. He was double & triple gobbling & came running in & I killed the bird at 18 steps & never made the 1st vocal sound of a turkey.

When it starts to get hot while I'm turkey hunting, there is a little holler down low on the mtn with a nice little spring running through it & it is cooler in there than it is in the fields. I have taken many a bird by just knowing where they wanted to go.

Like someone already said SCOUT!!! Scout like you are hunting though. Ease around quietly in the woods. Listen for crows aggravating turkeys. More than once I've heard crows raising cain & thought, I bet they're lookin at a turkey. Usually they are. Everytime I hear a crow or owl I will stop & listen closely.

Resist the urge to call everytime that bird gobbles. Take it slow. I mean real slow. I would tell my boys when I was teaching them to turkey hunt, SILENCE IS YOUR FRIEND, just like you are wondering where that gobbler is, he is wondering where is that hen I heard. Don't answer him everytime. Make him look for you. When it's real quiet & you think he ought to gobble & you hear a low cluck, he is looking for you.

It's easy to get hyped up when you're foolin with a gobbler, SO BE DANG WELL SURE OF YOUR TARGET!! Make sure it's a gobbler when you pull the trigger.

Quick story, Old man slipped in before daylight on an old bird. He would sit about all day & might make 10-12 turkey sounds all day. He hunted real slow.
A very experienced turkey hunter got to same spot & heard the big turkey gobbling down the ridge from him. Experience hunter started scratching the leaves & he had no idea that the old man was about 30 yrds down the ridge from him behind big oak tree. Old man thought he had a turkey scratching in leaves back behind him. Turkey still gobbling & gettin closer. Old man has white hair & he leaned out to the side of the oak tree. The little open area that is on back of your hat where your hat snaps together. The old man's white hair could be seen through that opening. Experienced hunter thought it was turkey's white head peeking around tree. Experienced hunter shoots old man in back of head. KNOW YOUR TARGET!!! BE POSITIVE IT IS A GOBBLER!!!!!

 

[buckdead]

Re: Helpful Hints & Tactics.....

best turkey hunting advice i can give is to get out there and chasem. you will not be a successful turkey hunter unless you get out there and learn the ins and outs of turkey hunting. you pretty much have to teach yourself. learn as you go and have fun doin it. it will be fustrating at times, but other times you will go out there and cant do anything wrong they'll come in on string.