Need a Trad Gang Turkey Tutorial

[imhntn]

Go West young men.  The birds in Oklahoma are all stupid.  I have hunted some eastern birds and they are a lot harder to work.  I had to be very subtle and soft with the calling and play the bird.  The Rios we have around here have really not been tough at all.  I got the one with the recurve early in the season and then took 6 different people out and got 5 of them birds and the one that did not get one, missed.  All of the birds were 20 yrds and closing when they shot them and all but one of the 6 were mature birds.  They were shotgun kills but could have easily been bow kills.  I think some of their success was because I was mobile and moving around calling for them and was often walking away and calling.  My bird and 2 others were killed from a blind and the others were all shot on the ground.  I have hunted these flocks for 20+ years and just know where they like to be too.  It did seem that the birds were shy of the blind till it had been out there a couple days.  I just used one lifesize hard plastic hen decoy and the birds really liked it.  That has been my experience this year.  Sorry those Easterns are being so contrary for you guys.

[RC]

I`m no expert but I`ll tell you what works for me. I killed two Gobblers this year with my longbow and missed three.Mostly public land birds and the private land I hunt about a dozen others hunt it so its hunted purty hard.
   I do some pre hunt "listening" . I hear a bird and mark where he goes and when he roost in a particuler place.I try to have several Gobblers scouted.Its much easier to kill a bird if your in the direction hes going to start with. I call very little. I want the day I hunt him to be like the day before when I wasn`t there.I do build a few make shift blinds in the direction he goes.If he flys east I have a blind preset for him . West same thing ,etc.

   If I`m in a new spot I hunt aggressive and if a bird begins to go away I try to get around him.

  I prefer to hunt new places mid morning to evening having spent early morning on a "scouted" bird.Its been my experience a lunch time or later Gobbling Gobbler will come in usually quick.

   I will hunt Swamp Gobblers ahead of Field Gobblers any day.Your kinda tied down hunting a field Turkey but you got "options" on turkeys in the woods.For me Field Turkeys are just harder and more aggravating cause you usaully can see them a lot.

   I`ve only killed two Turkeys with a popup blind and it was fun but I would rather not use one. I hunt aggressive and will move. That don`t mean thats the way to go it just works for me.Kinda like hunting in a closet in a blind.

  Lots of talk about how hard it is to kill an Eastern and from what I`ve seen on TV..lol they are tougher than other birds. I`ve never had the chance to hunt any other kind. Before Internet I killed several Birds with my bow and good camo hunting shadows and quick thrown together brush setups and then I found out how impossible it is without a blind since I got "online". You can kill a bird without one. Check JoeBuck out with his Gobbler getting Rig and if you notice Guru another Turkey mass murderer has thrown together a ghillie for hunting. These fellers may be on something.
  Dekes will often spook birds on public land because everyone uses them. Most folks call to much and will go home by 9:00 if they ain`t shot one.Hunt opposite that and you should do good.

  I just started back hunting Turkeys hard this season just from reading JoeBuck and Guru`s post and seeing their success so thanks fellas Its been fun this season for me and I`m already looking forward to next year and maybe a poke at one of those easier Western "Models".RC

[Overspined]

I would say one other very limiting factor is the size of the properties I can hunt. boundaries are a constant hassle.  it really limits the set-up possibilities as well.

[toddster]

Well, I have turkey hunted for 15 years, 11 successful, thank god.  Last year, one of my new hunting buddies was hunting on public property with the same problem.  Two morning in row had Toms gobbling on roost then flew down past his blind and never seen or heard from them.  So, he called and that afternoon went out and looked at his blind, brushed in nice, but I told him we need to move it, the sun was coming up and shining into it, any movement picked up.  so we moved it and I had the next morning off and we hunted. He had nice spread of hens and jake, looked perfect after we moved it.  That morning we was driving up, and talking.  I asked if he seen any Hens fly down he said no.  Then I asked if he heard any tree yelps and or tried fly down simulation and scratch leaves, he said no.  I then asked how early he got there, he said just light enough to see, bingo!  I told him that this can screw you when hunting close to birds on roost, they may see you approach and/or get in blind, heck walk right under hens and not even know it.  So we got there with about 20 minutes before first light and set up in blind.  Birds started gobbling, and flew down, into the little clearing, about 50 yards from blind then went off in woods.  He was upset, I said why?  didn't you hear those hens, he said no.  So, we was ready to go, had to work afternoon.  I stayed, and waited around for 3 hours, then did some calling and called in two toms to within 15 yards, didn't have permit so just watched them.  Next, morning we got back there, and I told him I want to try something, if he was game.  he got in blind I moved 30 yards into the woods, putting the blind between the toms and me and as soon as they gobbled, I tree yelped, did a fly down and scrathed.  three toms flew down to with in 30 yards of the blind, (I told him not to call just shoot, before hand).  I gave a few soft purrs and two gobblers strutted and came to the decoys.  My buddy shot a 22# with 9" beard and 1" spurs.  Afterward, we was talking another factor I didn't realize was how he had his decoys facing.  Before we moved the blind they faced away from the blind, when I moved it had them face toward it.  Beleive, that the birds seeing him come in.  teh decoys, and believing that the hen was past the blind assisted in harvesting this bird.