Turkey Tactics and Tips?

[Lee Viv]

I got the Jack Brobst book from SASA, and enjoyed reading it!

I'm going out this year with my longbow for the first time.  I figure, even if I don't get a turkey, just taking my longbow for a walk and a little stump shooting is better than going to work!

I recommend the book!

Lee  

[Hooked]

uphill vs downhill has been talked about.  Sounds like some prefer up, some down, but that you can have success either way.

What has been ya'll's experience with getting them to cross creeks?  Hunted right on a creek last year.  Shot a nice tom that came parallel to the creek, so if he crossed it, I did not see him cross.  Same morning, an hour later, had three jakes come right across the creek without hesitation.  Wondering if this typical or not.  

I am beginning to wonder if nothing is typical with these birds.  I hear one guy say you cant call them uphill and another say you cant downhill.  Then another says you can't call enough, while another says do not call too much.  I hear they will not cross creeks, than I watch three do it.

[cjones]

Claudia, My blind has the shoot through net. I killed my bird out of it last year with out any effect on the arrow flight.

[adkmountainken]

for those that hunt with a buddy, this is a must.
have one person do the calling and the other set up about 50-65 yards in front where you expect ( or hear ) the turkey to come. many times as we all know they hang up but with this set up they are usally with in range of the shooter. i only suggest if you know your hunting partner well and have allready gone over hand signals and a game plan on shooting and when to move. i have had them hang up but as i was the shooter they were right in my lap looking for my buddy 60 yards back!

[bishs]

Lots of good advice so far, my-2cents:

I bowhunt turkeys every year in Michigan and Kansas. I have picked up a lot of "little" things that all add up, and make it a lot easier.

Roosted gobblers, this is usually the hardest turkey to call in the woods. Typically gobbling at every sound, because they feel safe up on that limb. Quite often they cast down, and go quiet. Often away from any noise "your calling". I have found it much better to stay quiet, and don't make any calls until he touches down, then a few soft calls.

I don't get too hung up on where they are roosting. I concentrate on where they are going. Set up in good blind and stay all day if possible. I call soft, off and on, or when I hear a gobbler. Once every hour or so, I cut loud on my diagram call. I can't tell you how many times, this lights up a Tom, and he comes within bow range. The gobbler has been hearing your soft calls all morning, and feels relaxed but not enough excitement to get him coming your way. The "cutting" gets him fired up. I use a lot of differents calls, the diagram is my favorite, because nobody sounds like me. I love glass/slate calls, but everyone has them, and they can sound the same.

Decoys, I use them in Kansas, the birds are not as spooky. In Michigan I usually do not. When I use a decoy, its a hen pinned to the ground, like she is dusting or in a breeding position. Decoys have held up too many birds for me. I put the decoy about 5 yards out. I have put them too close a few times, I had 3-4 gobblers up against my blind, too close to shoot in the last two seasons.

Blind, Double Bull Recurve model. Black interior, dark clothing. Keep the windows behind you shut. I lay down a blanket inside the blind, and sit on a folding chair. When a gobbler approaches, fold up the chait and shoot off your knees. You can move around freely on the blanket, and use any window.

Window management, I learned this from trial and error, and from my friend in Kansas. He has taken 52 gobblers with a bow. Open 1-2 windows in the blind, as turkeys approach, open and shut windows as needed, always have the windows behind you shut first! You can open windows very slowly with gobblers close, even easier if you use Double Bull's black window covers. These covers keep the window covers black from the outside when the windows are shut. Opening them, goes unnoticed because the inside of the blind is black also.

I can't stress enough about broadhead size. Good luck to those who stick with their deer set-up. After chasing/loosing 3-4 most change their minds. I shoot Simmons Landsharks, they have a large cutting diameter 2" and fly like darts. Since shooting them, I have taken 4 gobblers and lost one, I just sliced his breast. No comment prior to that with smaller heads.. You can't go wrong with large snuffers either.

Scout, set up where they are going. If I set up in the open, I like to tuck the blind close to cover. If the aproaching Tom can see all around your set up, and there is no hen he may hang up. Setting up with some cover keeps him searching.

I like to shoot just above the drumsticks. If I put my large broadhead through the body cavity, He's mine. The broadhead will not pass through and does tremendous damage. Of the 4, I took with Landsharks, three of them never traveled over 4 yards, one ran 20 yards, then flew 20 yards.

I usually sit until 2:00 in the afternoon. They are out there moving all day. I get quite a bit of action from 11:00 - 2:00, never much after that in Michigan. In Kansas, I can have action all day.

[Scotty E]

i want to run and gun for turkeys and I have a pop up blind but will it cause me trouble you know having to keep setting it up and stuff. I was thingking of leaving it at home and just putting a stick infront of me or something. Can i get a shot off like that at twenty yards with out the turkey seeing me?

[Oogaboogachiefwalkingdeer]

They fly over creeks rivers and even lakes every day. If a turkey wants to get somewhere believe me he can. Now if he makes up his mind not to. There aint much that will make him. Mike Smyth

[Guru]

Scotty, You can get a shot off without a blind.But just remember if you can see the turkeys head,he can see you!!!  I swear they can see thru trees too    :eek:  

So you have to set up where there are big trees,rocks,brush,something for the turkey to go behind and give you the chance to draw quick.  Believe me,it isn't easy!!!

You can also draw on a strutting turkey when he turns away from you....

Turkeys will cross creeks...if ya get them in the right mood.
The biggest thing in basic successful calling is to be where they want to go anyway,or where they feel comfortable.But good calling will draw in the tough birds too...

[Earl E. Nov...mber]

Our season starts in two weeks. I am not hardcore but enjoy it. It just seems between the end of March and the middle of May their daily movements change quite a bit. Any sage advise for hunting the different time frames of the season?

[JC]

Awesome info guys, really appreciate your input. I'm learning a lot just reading and re-reading these posts.  

[Pinelander]

Different seasons... early on, toms have plenty of hens that are willing and ready. Agression is high and territories are defended. Later on, more hens are sitting on nests then aren't. This is the time to be even more patient throughout the morning hours. Not quite as much agression amongst the toms, yelping and gobbling is less frequent... but the dominant ones will carry through until it's all over with. Not all that different than how the whitetail continues on until he's totally sure it's done. Just have to keep on getting out there and never give up.

Years ago, the then Iowa state record turkey was killed during the last season in May, a few minutes before noon.

[Legolas]

My golden rule is to try to be the same latitude as the birds are,especially on the rolling hillsides here in SE Ohio.

If ya feel new to the sport  and need to build confidence find the place the cows/horses eat.   :confused:    Dang turkeys love pickin through manure looking for undigested corn. Now never tell the Mrs. that what she is cooking is manure peckin meat.    :D

Paul

[CFlinn]

Hunt their watering hole, hit the wing on your side and take out the leg on the far side.....

[raghorn]

Some real good stuff here. If I had anything of value I'd add it, however I have missed 2 birds so far so I still have a lot to learn. I had just the jake decoy out and 5 jakes run up to the decoy and asked the new guy if he wanted to join their gang. When they didn't get an answer from the decoy they just started to feed again and that is when I missed my first bird.
Let's not let this topic fade out. I'm sure there is more good info to be had.

[Brian L]

It's a good idea to have one or 2 calls that are not readily available at your local Walmart. I'd be willing to bet that 90% of the calls used on the public tract that I hunt come from Wally World. My reasoning is that it has to be an advantage to sound a little different from the rest of the callers.

And speaking of Walmart, have they quit selling turkey hunting gear? This is the first year that my local Walmart hasn't put out turkey hunting supplies.

[Guru]

I wholeheartedly agree with using a string tracker.Why not use something that will help find a less than perfectly hit bird.Turkey's are tough,with hard bones,and very small kill zones.Depending on the angle of the shot,it goes from small to smaller!!
I will always attach the tracker to my arrow if time permits.This bird from last fall would have never been found without my string tracker.I mean never,it would have been impossible to even have a clue where it was after it ran,then flew off.It was still alive when I found it,but I got it,thanks to the string leading me right to it,and letting me know I had my hands full with a bird that was still alive by the string moving when I got close!!  My shot wasn't one of my better one's,and this bird would have gone unrecovered and died had it not been for the tracker......

 


go to the "how to" forum and look at "string tracker and trad bows"  for more info about how I attach it to my bow and wood arrows.........

[varmint101]

Brian L,  no Walmart in general hasn't stopped selling turkey gear.  They should've had it out already.  All of the wally's here in Indiana have had it out for a month or more.  I'd ask the department manager for sporting goods and see what's up.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

I place one hen decoy 4 yards out in front of my blind. Then I place a jake with a real tail fan at 10 yards.  I want the tom somewhere in between 4 and 10 yards. I am carefull not to place the decoys in a direct line with one another as I dont want to have to shoot over the head of the first decoy. If you off set them slightly you should have no visual obstructions. I hace killed 4 toms with this set up in three years.

[DAGATOR]

It seems all my successful kills are in the mid to late morning. I try to tell myself to sleep late and hunt the mid-mornings, but I love to hear them on the roost and shortly after fly down! In my area of SW GA. the Toms stay hened up in the mornings. If one calls too early, in an attempt to get the lead hen/(the flock)to walk in a certain direction, she will take the flock in the exact other direction (180*). The hens don't want competition! The hens decide the direction the flock will travel. I like to catch the Toms(alone)in the mid-morning. The hens have gone to lay and the Toms are now looking for company.

If I can spot a Tom in a field, I like to hit the woods and gain ground on him, then set up for an ambush. Turkeys will hit the short grass fields after a rain, as they would rather stay as dry as possible. At least one waterproof call is a must.

I hunt public land, so I do not like to use a decoy. I camo-up as good as possible so I would rather not give a gun hunter any excuse to shoot in my direction.

I think it is next to impossible to stick a Tom without a blind or a great ambush spot! I cannot get my bow back without him spoting me. I'm sure it can be done, but not by me!

Good luck,
Clay

[joel smith]

Clay, that invite for you and Chris to come up and hunt some of my spots is still open---after seeing your turkey hunting grounds last spring I have to say that would be some tough hunting. I'll be in the Republic of Texas first week of GA season but you're welcome anytime after that. I'm going to try and get T to join us, too.