Am I REALLY that bad?

[courtgreene]

Turkeys are my concern. I've been hunting them for years. HUNTING, not killing. I know where to find them, I get there before they do, I put out decoys (usually a feeding hen, sometimes a jake), I call (usually with a diaphragm call, I practice and sound like the cds, computer sounds, and bone collector tv show sound), but they just won't come in close enough to make a shot! I've had hens come close, usually while running and gunning, but when a tom shows up he stays away. Can anyone tell me anything that will help?
I live and hunt in western NC (Shelby area, if you're local). I hunt mostly cow pastures as that's what people allow me to hunt and I don't have my own place. The area I'm hunting currently is about 300 acres, so there's plenty of room. I see most of the turkeys between a field that's growing what will become hay and a creek. the field belongs to a neighbor and I can't hunt them in the field itself. Your suggestions are very much appreciated.

 

[jmr40]

Stop calling so much and start hunting. There is too much emphasis placed on calling. Most of it is designed to sell calls. You don't have to sound just like the CD's and videos. Just like people, no 2 turkey sound just alike.

Think like a woman, not a man. I've always said my wife could probably be a better turkey caller than me. You are trying to sound like a female turkey trying to convince a male turkey to approach you. That is not the way it works in the wild. The Gobbler calls, and the hens come to him. You will need to just tease him enough to get him interested, then shut up. He may, or may not investigate a hen that is not responding to him. Too much calling really educates them too.

If you are hunting on private property you'll probably have better luck without a call. Just pattern them, set up and ambush one just like deer hunting. A lot harder to do that on public land.

I also have better luck getting gobblers to respond late in the season. He has a harem of hens with him right now. It is hard to convince him to leave 4-5 hens to go looking for 1 more. Later, after they hens are setting on a nest and he gets lonely he is more likely to respond.

 

[MtnCreek]

I see most of the turkeys between a field that's growing what will become hay and a creek.

I'm not much of a turkey hunter. That said, don't expect him to cross a creek to get to you. They tend to get to a creek, move back and forth a little, then go on about their business.

 

[redneck2]

Gobbler may see your decoy, but not come for a couple of hours. They make rounds to service multiple hens. Usually if you try to sneak up on them, you'll get busted. Their eyesight is beyond incredible. Gotta be a hundred times harder to stalk than a deer.

Probably the most certain way is to find a green field that has multiple hens nesting. You'll see them come out to feed, stay out for maybe 15 minutes, then go back to the nest. Sometime during the day, the gobbler will come around to service the hen.

Most likely, if you're moving around at all the gobblers will see you. My hardest thing is sitting still long enough.

FWIW...if you can get a decoy that moves it helps. And, if your decoy spins in the wind it's over.

 

[courtgreene]

Thanks everyone for the tips. Keep them coming. I'm learning a lot.

 

[toiville2feathers]

When calling turkeys I believe its the rhythm, not the sound. They have excellent hearing, they hear a nite crawler going through wet leaves. When the hen is incubating the eggs, she hears the chick in the egg peeping. When they have hatched the rhythm of that chick is used to identify the chicks in her brood.
Turkeys possess different vocal tones but, their rhythm remains constant. For what it is worth, I have had turkeys fly across some decent size creeks and come to my set up. But it was at the last week or so of the nesting season. All their old girl friends were on the nest.
When your doing the purr, be careful you don't make the putt call. it is an easy mistake to make.

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

http://ramworks.net/blog/turkey-hunting-is-stupid/

 

[osprey176]

Put them to bed at night,hunt them in the morning. Spend more time close to sundown looking and listening for birds. Find where they roost.They stay put in the roost tree overnight,giving you a good starting point at first light.Set up well before light and wait for the first songbirds to start singing. A few soft yelps will get his attention,then stop calling and wait for him to fly down.I answer his first gobbles with an excited cackle,then shut up and wait.If he does not come in,I usually stay put and try to stay alert. Around midday,he will have bred the hens he was roosted with,and they will wander off. Now he is lonely,and vulnerable,and will often go back to where he heard you calling at first light. Hope you are still awake! This strategy has worked for me many times,the trick is staying alert for a long period of time.

 

[herkyguy]

Btw. You're not the only one who does a lot of hunting and not a lot of killing.

 

[courtgreene]

Thanks again. I put your tips to work today... got really close too. Alas, you can't shoot hens and retain your law abiding status. Next week is my week (power of positive thinking, right?). Happy Easter, passover, or nothing depending on your beliefs or lack thereof.

 

[.338Sako]

Turkeys are my concern. I've been hunting them for years. HUNTING, not killing. I know where to find them, I get there before they do, I put out decoys (usually a feeding hen, sometimes a jake), I call (usually with a diaphragm call, I practice and sound like the cds, computer sounds, and bone collector tv show sound), but they just won't come in close enough to make a shot! I've had hens come close, usually while running and gunning, but when a tom shows up he stays away. Can anyone tell me anything that will help?
I live and hunt in western NC (Shelby area, if you're local). I hunt mostly cow pastures as that's what people allow me to hunt and I don't have my own place. The area I'm hunting currently is about 300 acres, so there's plenty of room. I see most of the turkeys between a field that's growing what will become hay and a creek. the field belongs to a neighbor and I can't hunt them in the field itself. Your suggestions are very much appreciated.

Not a turkey hunter, but from what I have been hearing from the guys at work is the turkeys have stopped making much noise in WNC. The theory is the coyote population is thick and noisy turkeys are dead ones. I don't know, just what I have been hearing.

 

[jmorris]

I actually have the answer to this one. If you want to see turkeys and bucks just go to a friends lease where they are thinning does and that's all that you can shoot.

You won't see a doe but everything else will be right there.

 

[Sun Tzu warrior]

What Sako said, in areas where there are many predators, (coyotes and human)
less calling is better. The gobblers will go where the hens are. The "Alpha" hen is very territorial, lure her into a fight, (with another "Alpha" hen) and the gobbler will not be far behind. This should be the focus of your limited calling.

Cutt
Loud, sharp clucks that are often mixed with yelping.
Cutting is a sign that turkeys are excited, not alarmed.
Cutting has several uses in hunting. If a gobbler is henned up, and one of the hens is cutting, you can cutt back in an attempt to bring her to you. You will want to mimic her calls, while cutting off her vocalizations and being a bit more excited. The goal with this tactic is to lure a dominate hen to you for a fight, often times bringing the gobbler with her. You can also cutt when you have tried soft calling to a gobbler that is hung up.
http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/calling_tips.html
Good luck!
STW

 

[H&Hhunter]

Turkeys are horrible beats who respond but do not come in to my calls. Turkey are evil.

 

[courtgreene]

So I tried again today. Two flew down behind me, then went the other way. Then, upon seeing a tom strutting WAY far away (easily 600 yards) I called, he started my way, then noticed the hen to his right (about 100 yards away from him) and chased after her instead. I feel like I'm learning a lot, and appreciate all of your help so far.

 

[redneck2]

Well, if you have permission to hunt the land where you saw that bird, it would be a good start. I'd bet that the hen has a nest somewhere close. They always nest in tall weeds or preferably brush that border a green field. Chicks can't eat hard seeds until they're 6 weeks old. Rely on bugs and worms, hence the green field thing.

It's common for a field like that to have multiple hens on nests. The gobbler will work the field at some point during the day. As you have seen, if he's already with a hen he's usually not gonna leave a sure thing at first. Will later on sometime during the day.

 

[gamestalker]

Over calling is what hangs them up. With few exceptions, I have never had to do more than 2 or 3 calls to get my bird. Let them get curious, this is where making one very, very soft barely audible call, and then waiting a good 10-15 minutes before doing any more calling, will fool just about any weary bird.

I have been hunting and guiding turkey hunts since the early 70's, and most often they will come in on the first or second soft call, usually a soft and barely audible purring tree call, well I call it a tree call. And if I get a stubborn, bird I can usually get him in with some feeding sounds, scratching the leaves, and wing beats if they are hung on the roost.

And if I hear a long distance gobble in mid day, I'll do one short and semi loud cluck to let them know where I am. I then sit completely motionless and quiet until I hear another gobble. Once I hear the gobble, if it sounds like they are now closer than before, I will leave them alone and just keep an ear out and be ready for him to show up. If he sounds off again and doesn't seem to have closed the gap, I will change my position by 50 or 100 yards and then try another cluck or purr, and then listen for an answer, but don't always expect an answer right away. It can often take 4 or 5 minutes for him to answer on his own, and forcing him to gobble will have a very negative effect.

Those hunting shows on TV don't usually reveal all their secrets, and they are often hunting food plots, not public land with true wild birds. In most shows they are set up to ambush birds that have a regular daily routine between the roost, and the food plot / water hole. They just toss in some fancy calling to make things look more realistic and interesting, IMO. It ain't anything like that were I hunt turkey, in which case they are often roosted on very steep slope, also where few hunters are willing to trek.

GS

 

[eastbank]

i have been hunting turkeys for close to 50 years and still make mistakes that have cost me birds, but if i live long enough i may get the mistakes under control and then again maybe not. eastbank.