Turkey

Yesterday I saw three gobblers together on public land. I've hunted that place a lot, and I just can't seem to get on those birds. I've had opportunities at Jake's, but I just can't get on those gobblers. I know where they roost, I also know the strutting areas. There is a certain amount of pressure there from hunters. I probably would have gotten one there last year, but I had my bowl with me.
 
Goosemaster said:
Yesterday I saw three gobblers together on public land. I've hunted that place a lot, and I just can't seem to get on those birds. I've had opportunities at Jake's, but I just can't get on those gobblers. I know where they roost, I also know the strutting areas. There is a certain amount of pressure there from hunters. I probably would have gotten one there last year, but I had my bowl with me.
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Get on em after lunch when hens are on the nest. I rarely morning hunt for easterns any more.
 
birddude said:
I don't roost birds much these days. I used to but my success has been minimal at it the last couple decades. I can't count the times that I've gotten in close, did everything right, then he goes 180 degrees away! Lots of times it's happened with the same bird. I believe that it's not the Tom that decides to go the opposite direction, It's the old hen who he's made passionate love to every morning for days. She hears a voice that's not familiar and jealously pulls him in a different direction. I have had some luck pissing her off until she comes in and chews my ass out. Sometimes Tom will follow, other times he stands just outside my 20 gauges range and struts. It's still a cool experience. It also seems to me that they are evolving. I used to have my birds early and be home for breakfast. Not so much anymore. Maybe it's just me. I've also hunted old Toms who very rarely gobble. Maybe the guys who don' gobble live longer and pass those genes on. I've hunted them a long, long time and all I can say is nothing is a definite! As far as eyesight, many times I've had them come in and either see me or see that something is not right, turn and walk off. Is it because they don't see the hen, or a sixth sense? I don't know. I also believe their hearing is superior to ours. I've seen them respond to a call, walk hundreds of yards with no further calling, walk right up to me and look me right in the eye. They knew within feet exactly where I was. They are a fascinating bird for sure. To me nothing has compared to a big Tom sneaking into 20 yards behind you and gobble!!
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If he hangs up or walks away, you get up and walk the opposite direction and call minimally when you have walked 75 or so yards. If he thinks a hen is leaving, his pride sometimes will get the better of him and he will follow to round her up. Just DO NOT CALL TOO MUCH.
 
dawgs14 said:
Get on em after lunch when hens are on the nest. I rarely morning hunt for easterns any more.
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I was scouting, the season doesn't start until mid April. I like to have all of my ducks in a row before spring turkey season starts. Scouting is important, I also walked into another public place and realized it was too steep for me so I won't hunt that place.
 
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I agree, scouting is very important. Maybe the most important factor. I do it every spring before I go hunting when I am out seeking permission to hunt. The main thing I am looking for is the roost. Once I locate that, then a lot of guess work falls into place. Turkeys are birds of routine; they often roost in the same set of trees every night, sometimes even the same tree...unless something changes that dynamic.

I wouldn't even consider just "going turkey hunting" without doing at least some scouting in an advance. That's a recipe for failure. Sure, you might strike lighting once or twice, but it's not going to work very often.
 
gim said:
I agree, scouting is very important. Maybe the most important factor. I do it every spring before I go hunting when I am out seeking permission to hunt. The main thing I am looking for is the roost. Once I locate that, then a lot of guess work falls into place. Turkeys are birds of routine; they often roost in the same set of trees every night, sometimes even the same tree...unless something changes that dynamic.

I wouldn't even consider just "going turkey hunting" without doing at least some scouting in an advance. That's a recipe for failure. Sure, you might strike lighting once or twice, but it's not going to work very often.
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I think scouting depends on how much ground you have to hunt on. Back in the day when all the turkeys were on public ground, I would start scouting hard a couple weeks before season. Sometimes it worked sometimes they were miles away from where I spent countless hours scouting and scheming. Also, by the time season came in I'd be worn out from labor intense jobs, little sleep and steep rocky hills. Lots of times I'd get my bird in some obscure place I hadn't even scouted. My buddy coined the phrase, scouting with a gun. Referring to hunting somewhere we never scouted before season. Now days I have my little 7 acers a few miles away. The neighbor's 50 acers here where I live. My daughters 40 acers and the National Forrest, an hour away. All have birds around somewhere. So, the only place I scout on foot Is the National Forrest because I think if you keep spooking birds on smaller areas, they might very well start avoiding it. They already get spooked enough by mushroom hunters, farmers, dumb grandsons and such. So, in those places I just sit, enjoy and hope for the best, just like the guys I used to make fun of.:cry:
 
birddude said:
I think scouting depends on how much ground you have to hunt on. Back in the day when all the turkeys were on public ground, I would start scouting hard a couple weeks before season. Sometimes it worked sometimes they were miles away from where I spent countless hours scouting and scheming. Also, by the time season came in I'd be worn out from labor intense jobs, little sleep and steep rocky hills. Lots of times I'd get my bird in some obscure place I hadn't even scouted. My buddy coined the phrase, scouting with a gun. Referring to hunting somewhere we never scouted before season. Now days I have my little 7 acers a few miles away. The neighbor's 50 acers here where I live. My daughters 40 acers and the National Forrest, an hour away. All have birds around somewhere. So, the only place I scout on foot Is the National Forrest because I think if you keep spooking birds on smaller areas, they might very well start avoiding it. They already get spooked enough by mushroom hunters, farmers, dumb grandsons and such. So, in those places I just sit, enjoy and hope for the best, just like the guys I used to make fun of.:cry:
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You never know what will happen on public land. Some guys know what they're doing and some guys don't. I've been using archery the last few years mostly, so it's way way more difficult.
 
BRITTMAN said:
Yes. There is no smarter bird ... no easier bird (notice I refrain from using the words dumb or stupid?) ... each day one does not know what the day will bring.

I like to kill 'em close or let them live to play another day.

Much of my time afield is putting others on a bird ... my last 3 were part of doubles where we had one gun in the blind and a second Tom decided to either not run off or come back in ... that dead Tom laying on the ground - no better decoy. Sometimes my shot was closer than the person who killed the 1st Tom.

Used to run and gun public land and killed quite a few birds that way ... now most of my success is from private land where we tend to stay put in a few locations we have set up.
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I have a few ranches in my pocket, I don't pay them anything, but I do enjoy the challenge of running and gunning on public land, and sometimes I take my dog Jones.
 
Goosemaster said:
I start hunting as soon as I can see. Most of the birds I've gotten, I've gotten before 8:00 a.m..

I can't use a mouth call, never could get the hang of that.I prefer a pot call with a wood scratch thing. I also have different types of camo, woods, and field. I prefer hunting in the woods.
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Striker. Lol
 
BRITTMAN said:
I have killed a couple of birds minutes ... in one case 10 seconds after they hit the ground flying down from the roost. I have watched Toms strut and gobble from limbs that I thought no way could that limb hold a 24-pound bird. The time I shot the Tom 10 seconds after fly down, I never called once. Sat against a tree ... Tom flew down opposite of the hens ... landed 10 feet from my lap. I had to let him scoot out about 15-20 yards before I dropped him.

I have also spent many a morning listening to hens and gobblers talk in the trees a bit. Then watching a hen or two or three fly down 15 - 100 seconds or so before that gobbler. Running about like their head is cut off, but far enough from me that it was likely over. 90% of the time that Tom flies down to that hen(s).

Adrenaline rush of that morning sit when near a treed gobbler is great, but too often now I wait until that 8 - 2 time slot. Easier on the brain, easier if trying to work some too, easier in the sense you do not have to be out there to roost them the night before either.
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Yeah getting up at 3:00 a.m. gets to be a real hassle. Some of my hunting spots, you pretty much have to get in there in the dark or you will be seen.
 
I scored a great place for opening day yesterday, I'm going to use archery, but it's about a $4,000 acre excellent place. Really good dude, I got a tip from a guy in a bar, on where this place is. All sneak in there at Old dark 30 with my PSE...
 
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