[Polishrifleman]

Spring Turkey is just over a month out up here in Wa. and Idaho and I am getting tuned up. This is a great time to get a scouting trip together and also look for sheds if you are into that kind of thing.

How do most of you call them in for a shot?

How long have you been calling?

Where do you practice?

I'll start, I use a reed and a box call but primarily a reed.

I've been calling about 5 yrs.

I practice in the car during my commute. (my wife can stand it only so long):D

[JackOfAllTradesMasterAtNone]

I see them on the TV down south. How long does it really take to call them in?

I live on the west side of the Cascades up near Canada. I've deer hunted in Skamania, Klickitat and over south of Colville. Seen Turkey there during deer seasons, but never in Winthrop areas.

Is there anywhere on the west side that has Turkey? Possibly a same area that has Ferrel Hogs?

-Steve

[Polishrifleman]

Go East Young Man! The area around Colville is great, I've seen them as close as Cle Elum, never hunted them on the West side. The problem with Winthrop, Cle Elum, etc.. that I see is too much ground to cover with cover. They are so smart and tricky that you need to get on them in broken country or find where they are roosting. My best bets are with private land owner farmers on the East side with open fields and wooded draws.

[Lennyjoe]

I have a tag for a May hunt up in the White Mountains.

I use a slate call for the most part and mouth diaphram for close in birds. Have been hunting them since 95 but mostly in Georgia. This will be my 1st turkey hunt here in Az. Buddy I'm going with got his bird the first 30 minutes of the season.

As for practicing, I usually practice in the back yard so I don't drive the wife and the Rottweiler nuts. :D

[Lennyjoe]

Speaking of turkey season, I'm sitting on the couch right now watching Gould's turkey hunting on the Outdoor channel. Tomorrow night is going to be even better. Full night of nothing but turkey hunting.

These shows just get the blood going doesnt it?

[lawson]

lenny, are you hunting the state land, or did you buy a reservation tag?

also, i have never hunted turkey before but i would like to. any pointers?

[Lennyjoe]

State land. Got drawn for area 1.

We are camping up at Big Lake south of Greer. Lots of trout in the lake and plenty of camping areas. Buddy took his bird up there last year 30 minutes after sun up the 1st day of the hunt. Caught trout and drank beer the rest of the weekend.

As for starting out, best thing to do is find a turkey hunter and tag along. Watch alot of videos and read up. Calling takes practice. I usually put the birds to bed the eve before the hunt. That is, I go out the afternoon before, scout and call to see where they are and follow them to the roost. Mark it on my GPS and get close to them before the sun comes up next morning. Set up and try to catch them coming off the roost. That works pretty well. Running and gunning can be effective as well. It's fun stuff for sure and I suggest you give it a try.

We're going up on the Thursday before the hunt (May 4th) and hunting thru the weekend. If your interested in tagging along maybe Saturday would be a better day. If I get a bird on Friday I still plan on staying up there thru the weekend to scout for Elk and fish. We could head out to the field and try to call in some birds for fun. Keep the dates in mind if your interested. PM me around the 3rd week of April if you can make it.

[danurve]

It’s been said wild Turkeys don’t see though solid rocks and trees, only Superman can. Turkeys just see around them.

In NY our spring season starts May 1st., with a youth opener prior to that. We do however have one of the best Eastern populations rolling. I reserve vacation days for gobbler time, well needed after a busy tax season. I enjoy the best part about Spring season, calling them in! Filling a tag is an excellent time absolutely, I get a lot of enjoyment calling one in for someone else as well.
My two favorite calls are a good slate and mouth calls. Mouth calls are the most difficult to learn but motionless calling can be a key to an otherwise dry day. Dual reeds are good to start with and I still use a split dual now and then when I don’t want a raspy hen. Box calls are sweet sounder’s, but I don’t care for the chalk maintenance. Heck if I forget my calls I’ll use a soda can and an old jack knife.
Spring means you will probably get wet, or muddy. I recommend a good pair of rubber boots. Rubber boots don’t have the ankle support hard / regular boots offer, watch your footing. Depending on where you hunt be prepared for mosquitoes and other lawyers, sorry I meant blood sucking and biting insects. Deet rules, unless you have cash to burn and can buy nice ryno undergarments or other such gear.
You don’t need a real fancy scattergun to do the job. In fact these days I use a 1300 12 ga. with flight-control lead shot. Before that it was a M88 with a vent rib off a 500 and the proper choke of course. 20 gauge works just fine btw, perhaps a few less pellets down range. You can spend 2x the money on hevi-shot but remember you’ll need a different choke. You can certainly spend a few extra hundred on the over-bored 3&1/2 mag set-ups, but after years and years of Turkey hunting I’d like to know why all of a sudden I Must need one, I think not. I may need my shoulder later that day. I must admit toying with the idea of getting my Turkey gun camoed, but only as a luxury not a necessity.
Decoys – I believe most states now allow their use. Let me just say that some of the new ones look very real upon first glance, and others even have movement. If you use decoys on public land PLEASE use caution, and an orange tape or flag marker just above your tree / spot. I don’t like the inflatable type. In direct sunlight they stick out like a turd in a punch bowl. Another thing about decoys I would not recommend any that look to alert. The idea is to draw them closer not give them a reason to stop.
New callers will experience a phenomenon we know as the hung up Gobbler. When in doubt don’t overcall I would say. They have excellent vision. Remember; you are going against nature when you call. A gobble is, well aside from it’s just what spring gobblers and jakes do is a mating call to attract hens. If he has some around he may gobble but be expecting you to go to him. If you can spot local hens an old trick I use in the fall often works. I try to mimic the hen and upset her. She will then cluck away and fire up the Tom, sometimes she will drag him out & along.
A lot of hunters will tell you don’t worry about scent while Turkey hunting. Well I don’t agree. True Turkeys don’t smell like other game would, or predators. But deer will. I have had more set-ups busted buy deer then I want to remember. When the wind is in your favor though it’s neat to observe whitetail behavior around Turkey decoys.

[BIGJACK]

Turkey hunting is second only to catching hogs with dogs.

I have been turkey hunting for atleast 50 years but killed my first when I was about 8 year old with a 20 H&R single shot, while squirrel hunting in South Mississippi. Started calling when I was around 10 or 12. For many years I used strickly a Lynch Foolproof box call. Graduated to the daiphram in the '50s.

Now I use several calls, depends on the situation and what the turkey seems to like as to which one I will use on a certain turkey. I Frequently us a diaphram in conjunction with a friction call, works pretty good.

My rules are, set up on a roosting bird at 50 to 75 yards, depending on the vegetation, while he is on the roost us a low volume (soft) friction call, when you hear him fly down cackle and cut with a diaphram or fricion call. If he is comming no need to call. Call no more than every 15 minutes.

There are so many different situations that come up till I could talk all night and not cover um all.

My suggestion is try different calls, us the one that you have the most confidence in. It is best to practice on turkeys but watching videos is good too. Just remember that most of the videos are made using what I call semi tame birds, birds that have been fed and protected on ranches and etc to the point that they tend to tolerate man. You will find that trully wild birds are a considerable different.

Probaly the most improtant thing is to respect the turkeys eyesight. IF you can see him do not move, unlike what you see on the videos you move that gun, turn that head and a real wild turkey is gone.

Do it man, you will enjoy it.

[Hawken50]

i like the run & gun technique. just walk around in the woods and blow on an owl hoot or crow call every so often. if a gobbler hears it, he'll gobble back, but not come to it. so when you hear one talking to your hoot, take your time and find a good place to set up. then call him in at your leasure.

I must admit toying with the idea of getting my Turkey gun camoed, but only as a luxury not a necessity.
i have a beat up 1300 w/ black synthetic stock i got off a friend for $100. i just primed and painted the barrel and reciever with Rustoleum extra flat od green (one of the colors from thier camo line.) it probably won't hold up too long, but it looks pretty good and the stuff was only $3 a can and i've got enough left over to do it again. if you're looking for cheap and functional over perfect and durable, it's a good way to go.

[Lennyjoe]

Just picked up some calls this weekend at the Sportsman's expo in Phoenix.

It's time to start driving the wife crazy practicing my calling. The Rotweiller likes to attack me too when I get on the slate call. :)

[phishisgroovin]

Went up to Clarke Canyon area all day yesterday, wasnt a bird to be found anywhere.
got a wild hair and we motored back down the mountain and headed up Colockum pass rd, went to our usual Elk area and where we always see turkeys foraging in the meadows.
Not one gobble or reply to our calls period all day.

Seems they all moved down the hills to private land.

[jlynch34]

We are three days into the NY turkey season. I had about six gobbling around me on opening day but didn't call any in. I missed one on day two. I still use my old Lynch box call and a slate call. My gun is either black synthetic stock 870, 12 ga or my 16 ga Fulton by Hunter Arms. Didn't get out today but will be out tomorrow morning.

Fun thing to do in the Spring.

[moosehunt]

I envy you guys. I really enjoy turkey hunting, but not available in my state. That makes it a pretty major undertaking to drive 400+ miles to closest out-of-state opertunity, so don't often do it anymore. Maybeso next year. My grandson was supposed to organise us a hunt down Texas way, but too busy with college and didn't get it done. We're shooting for next year--3rd year, he'll probably have less time!

Good Luck!!!

[jlynch34]

Turkey season opening here in New York tomorrow (May 1). I'll be out there with them, I hope, will be using my White Thunder muzzleloader.