Spring wild turkey
- Thread starter gim
- Start date
That1uncle1776
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gim
Well-known member
Basically the complete opposite of how I hunt, but that's OK. There's lots of strategies to turkey hunt.
I like using a portable blind. Its waterproof and the interior is non-reflective black. I put a comfy chair in there too. Gives me some leeway on movement so I can use binoculars or drink coffee. And honestly I do not do much calling at all. I've enountered situations where calling clearly worked against me.
I did some minor scouting a couple weeks ago when I was able to obtain permission at three properties to hunt.
I like using a portable blind. Its waterproof and the interior is non-reflective black. I put a comfy chair in there too. Gives me some leeway on movement so I can use binoculars or drink coffee. And honestly I do not do much calling at all. I've enountered situations where calling clearly worked against me.
I did some minor scouting a couple weeks ago when I was able to obtain permission at three properties to hunt.
birddude
Well-known member
My plan is to shoot one right in the face at 20 yards. My strategies have changed through the years. Labor intense work kept me in in pretty good shape for years. But the toll catches up with a guy. If I hadn't landed a desk job for the last decade or so of my career, I don't think I'd still be hunting. So worn out body, quadruple the number of hunters and dwindling acers have forced me into a creep sit call and nap sort of deal. It works If you're in the right place, but I miss those days of run and gun through the national forest. I've been pretty successful. Not really through any sort of skill, just an ornery streak I got from my dad. Rain or shine I'm hunting them. As far as failures, I don't care how good you are there's going to be a lot more failures than successes. There's absolutely nothing like an old tom gobbling at you at close range! It's an obsession and all who's into it are in this strange cult. You know who you are.
My turkey spots dried up (literally) in the rolling plains TX but we’ve had some hatches last couple of years just waiting on some jakes to grow up…. You know it’s time to give em a break when you have em all named 
Tactics…. Find roost, locate strutting yards between roosts put out a hen decoy yelp and purr early… heat of the day get by a tank ( water) yelp a bit and a thirsty Tom might drop in…. I hunt with my Chesapeake he is my turkey dog and really loves it. He has a really good eye for em and has alerted me to more than one Tom coming in from my 6.
Tactics…. Find roost, locate strutting yards between roosts put out a hen decoy yelp and purr early… heat of the day get by a tank ( water) yelp a bit and a thirsty Tom might drop in…. I hunt with my Chesapeake he is my turkey dog and really loves it. He has a really good eye for em and has alerted me to more than one Tom coming in from my 6.
Labradinger
Well-known member
Almost exactly how we hunt. We will go out earlier but I bet ive shot 80 percent of my birds from 10-2. Not a fan of goin to try to find them henned up on a roost. Like to stay moving and mobile until i find a pumped up bird.
2 nebraska tags, season starts in the morning. 1 SD tag, ill get to that when i get to that.
Hope that my post didn’t read” hunt the roost” really bad idea ….. FIND roost(s) so you don’t have to wait 4 hours for one to walk to you….that tank in the photo where Gus ( the dog and I are sitting is a solid mile and a half from a roost at my 12:00 for example…. There is another roost about 4 miles to my 6 and another small one ( kinda fluid ) about 3 and a half miles on my 9:00.
By the way, if you don’t know where they roost, how do you avoid it?
Labradinger
Well-known member
No. I just mean i never liked hunting them first thing when theyre on the roost. I get a lot more enjoyment being on the move chasing mid-day active birds. My dad was always an up at 4 am guy, in his blind a half hour before any light kind of guy. Never cared for it
That1uncle1776
Well-known member
Same here, Ive been burnt so many times by setting up near the roost and when they hit the ground they go the opposite direction of the set up. I'd rather sleep in, carry less gear and find a lonely fired up bird. Covering ground is the best when you can pick shed antlera and shrooms on the way to the next ridge.
Bob Peters
Well-known member
I mainly been sitting in blinds lately because it's how my spot sets up. But I agree getting on a large piece and covering ground is more fun. And although I use a decoy, you'll notice that a lot of the best hunters do not. No reason to unless you're sitting on a large open field.
Labradinger
Well-known member
My Nebraska areas allow me to be on the move. Theyre 600 acres or so each, and my favorite has some high spots allowing glassing of neighboring areas. Love looking for strutters 3/4 mile away and getting them to cross two fences and a road to come get shot. Doesnt happen all the time but it’s exciting when it does. I love calling loud. The birds in the right mood get fired up. A lot of times when Im reaching out to those distant birds we are glassing im hammering away on the box call and a LOUD response will come from right behind us. We are almost always parked in front of a cedar so we’re covered and then just shut up. They usually work around in front eventually. As dumb as it sounds, I enjoy a mistake or two early on in the season duri g an encounter. I think filling immediately is almost worse than tag soup after several hunts seeing/working multiple birds.
My SE SD hunts are more of a sit there and listen/call periodically. Small tracts of land make me sit still a lot longer
My SE SD hunts are more of a sit there and listen/call periodically. Small tracts of land make me sit still a lot longer
gim
Well-known member
I've had decoys (and calls) completely turn birds off. The very next hunt I completely stopped using both and would just sit there silently waiting for one to walk past within range on a daily travel route. It's like "turkey hunting for deer." Lots of waiting. Kind of boring, but I've got a lot of patience too.
I always try to locate the roost when I'm scouting and asking for permission. Then set up from there. Not super close, but within reasonable distance. If they go the other way when they fly down, oh well, that's how it goes. The next day they might walk your direction.
Bob Peters
Well-known member
There's something magic about a turkey responding to your call. I tend to call a touch more than average, but once you lay eyes on that bird the calls should go away. Unless you're good on a mouth call with soft purrs. I've made a pile of oopsies turkey hunting. And that's how I've learned to become a better hunter. Turkeys are really thick in MN these last few years.
birddude
Well-known member
I had a weird stretch a decade or so ago. 3 out of 4 years in a row, killed my birds between 11 and 12. One-year last day of season of season I worked a bird for hours to no avail. All the time hearing a bird far enough away I wasn't 100 % sure it was a bird. Butt dragging, pissed off, 3:00 in the afternoon and heading to the truck and heard it again. I sat down listened and watched him come from a very long way to exactly where I was calling from hours before. Yelped once and he walked straight to me for an easy shot. Don't give up!!
Labradinger
Well-known member
Nothing wrong with calling a lot imo. Ive thought about shooting hens before just to shut them up. Hey woman, the internet says you call too much!
Bob Peters
Well-known member
Nothing weird about that. Dr. Pepper time, best time to kill one.
BritChaser
Well-known member
Been hunting the same flock in western Kansas for 20+ years. In the beginning I once saw what seemed to be the whole flock, about 140 birds. The farmer of the land said there were about 300. My, how times have changed. Last year we saw 12. Not that many years ago, between the spring and fall seasons the limit was eight, two of which had to be spring toms. Now just one tom in the spring; no fall season.
We know where they roost so we set up our decoys predawn and then hide. Once they start gobbling while still in the trees we start calling. We keep calling and they usually come in to our decoys.
I shoot a no. 5 or 6 lead 2 3/4" 12 gauge shell, same thing I use on pheasants, but thru a .680 choke. That's extra extra full which adds range and big knock down power. Shoot them in the head. The breast usually has no wounds.
Big fun and good eating.
We know where they roost so we set up our decoys predawn and then hide. Once they start gobbling while still in the trees we start calling. We keep calling and they usually come in to our decoys.
I shoot a no. 5 or 6 lead 2 3/4" 12 gauge shell, same thing I use on pheasants, but thru a .680 choke. That's extra extra full which adds range and big knock down power. Shoot them in the head. The breast usually has no wounds.
Big fun and good eating.
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