Turkey Hunting

[JBob77]

I think I would like to try turkey hunting this spring. I have never been, so I have no idea if the spot I have in mind will be good. I have pine trees and probably a soybean crop. I would like some links to articles, or advice on some of the basics. Possibly even someone to go along in the Southern In area.

 

[Mike H]

Here are a couple ways to determine if turkeys are in your area.
Look for turkey scratchings. These are basically 1 foot diameter areas of bare soil where turkeys have scratched the leaf letter down to bare soil to feed on bugs, acorns, or new greens coming up. Toms like to scratch around trees.
Also look for turkey scat if you find scratchings. Toms scat will be in a J shape, hens more round or oval.
Physical sightings are good also!
In mid to late March get out to your spot before daylight. If you are in hilly ground a high spot will afford good listening. If turkeys are in the area you will hear the toms gobbling and maybe hens clucking and yelping.
The secret to turkey hunting is being where turkeys want to go...and being there before they get there. So pattering your turkeys is important. Patience is your friend.
There is a lot of info on the web, you might try NWTF site. Lots of info.
There is a def. learning curve for hunting turkeys.
Don't under estimate their hearing or their eye's.
Be prepared......I'm warning you.....chasin' turkeys is addictive.

 

[irishhunter]

Get some calls and start practicing , if you can get a video or youtube it helps. If you know a really good turkey hunter practice with them it will help your learning curve. I ran more than 1 turkey off when I started by bad calls or inapproprate calls for the situation.

I felt like I dont know what I just said but he sure as heck didnt like it

 

[ratpack]

If you can hear the Toms gobbling in the Spring is a good indicator. The beauty of turkey hunting is that they don't seem to scent you, very much unlike a deer. Turkey's vision is incredible, need camo and a face mask. Get your self a couple of slate type calls and box calls. I feel they are not to hard to learn and then simply try to sound like hen, clucks and whatnot. It is bigtime fun.

 

[geno2k]

Look for a video about turkey hunting basics. Primos and H.S. Strut have made some good ones in the past. Knight and Hale made one some years ago that was all about the sounds of the wild turkey. It was really good at giving examples using recordings made in the wild. Others on here are right about scouting, nothing trumps knowledge of the area. Evenings are good for looking for roost trees to find out where they are at night so you know where to look in the morning. I've been going with my FiL for about ten years and there is little in the way of fancy calling. Purring and clucking are the best weapons for getting them in close. Cutting and cackling are good for getting their attention from a little further out, but prring and clucking are almost always what finishes them. A decent box call for loud calling, a slate or glass pot call for working them in and maybe a mouth call for a final purr or putt to get their head up for a shot. Some good camo and patience,patience, patience!!! Oh, I almost forgot, patience, patience, patience!! I have screwed up several times by thinking the bird was long gone and stood up only to see it hightail to the next county.

 

[Willie]

If you can hear the Toms gobbling in the Spring is a good indicator. The beauty of turkey hunting is that they don't seem to scent you, very much unlike a deer. Turkey's vision is incredible, need camo and a face mask. Get your self a couple of slate type calls and box calls. I feel they are not to hard to learn and then simply try to sound like hen, clucks and whatnot. It is bigtime fun.

Yep...if they had as whietail's sense of smell they would be unkillable..

 

[Money17]

Be prepared to be extremely frustrated yet hooked! Last year was my first time out and almost enjoyed it more than deer hunting. I can't wait for th spring season to start. Turkey hunting is similar to hunting anything else, it takes patience and also learn from those mistakes that you will most likely make.

 

[smspears592]

I have always wanted to go turkey hunting. But just like posted earlier, I think you get hooked. Several friends are hooked. When season comes in, they even start acting like turkeys.

 

[Adrian8]

Calling expertise is not needed, its' nice to be a great caller, but a few simple yelps on a slate call is all you really need as far as calling goes when you are new. An old timer told me years ago..now I am the old timer..Turkey hunting is easy like the ABCs....A..know where the turkeys are....B. know where the turkeys are going...C. get between A and B...this is easier said than done..The easiest and most boring way to kill a turkey is to set up a ground blind in the corner of a field (a pop-up or build one from brush) that turkeys come out in with a few good decoys and stay there. Repeat.. stay there come hell or high water..take food and stay as long as you can stand it from daylight to at least noon. and do not disturb/scare/spook, call to (illegal), turkeys before season..just listen and observe..be stealthy. If the turkeys are not responding don't go running thru the woods blowing every friggen call Walmart sells,,its just one of those days..go home and try again another day.

 

[Lonnie]

You wont even need to call much if you just listen for a gobbler.
find out what direction he is heading and get in front of him well before he gets there.
Letting them gobble on there own is much better and doesn't let them get call shy.
after that a few short calls and he should fire up and come right to you.

remember they can see and eye blink and 100 yards. camo and very little to no movement is highly required.

it sounds easier than it is.

just hearing birds gobble is something thats hard to beat.

once you have one that is answering your call within 50 yards , you will be hooked for life.

Videos are a great way to learn and read as many how to articles as possible

 

[71silverbullet]

If you find a good place or if you want to come to harrison county I'd try to work out a time to take you after opening week. I love calling em, its so much more interactive than deer hunting. This kinda sounds homosexual but there's nothing like getting a big tom aroused. Ok that sounded more than kinda homosexual. But seriously it is the best hunting Indiana has in my opinion

 

[Hookeye]

I try to stay the heck out of my spots until season.
Got some good oak ridges, big roost trees, I've had them fly down by me or come in from hundreds of yards.
Get in early (super sneak in and out) and don't call much, when they see the deke I do no further calling. IMHO they know right where that sound should be coming from!
I'll call a little after daybreak, and then not call for 20 mins. Call again and just lay back and listen.........and take a nap. Call again around 8 am (two spots I hunt, seems to work, either blast them at dawn or around 8:30).
Midday they seem to ridge run looking for hens, will gobble but stay on the ridges and move through- bushwhack time!

 

[Hunter66]

Southern Indiana has alot of birds, if you can go out just before dark owl hoot and see if you get any gobbles to help you locate birds

 

[Lammchop93]

I've already been seeing and hearing gobblers here in Floyd and Washington County. It's finally that time of year again!!

 

[gvsugod]

Turkey hunting is amazing. You will be hooked! My best advice is be comfortable on your set ups. As many people said turkeys vision is incredible, they will spot the slightest movement. They will also hear the slightest sound. I have been busted when I first started by waiting to long to take my safety off.

I am in a a similar boat. I love turkey hunting but have no idea where to go in Indiana. I live in Eastern Indy but have only been here for a month. Not alot of friends with Turkey slaying land yet!

 

[fullauto 45]

Turkey Hunting 101
Class let's begin with this.
Get everything from your head to your toes in the best camouflage you can find. Buy a very expensive camo gun that you have always been wanting. Get up real early in the morning, usually about two to three hours before day break. Go to your favorite spot in the woods and take a nap. When you awake to that sudden noise, don't breath or fart wrong, you'll scare everything that has become acclimated to you. Get out your turkey call kit you just got at Grander Mountain or Ima Dick's. Play with it, try to call in a bird, but after about 30 minutes of nothing but squirrels laughing at you, throw it away. After several hours and many prized bucks walking within spitting distance, and you can't touch them, get up and go back to your truck. Pop open the cooler and have a sliced turkey sandwich and a cold beer. And another. Lay in the back of the truck and take another nice nap. Get up sometime in late afternoon and drive back to the house. Still in all your camo gear and face paint. Tell the wife how many you saw, but just couldn't get that shot you wanted.
Tell all your buddies how much fun it is. Get them to try it. It's a blast.


That's Turkey Hunting.....
not that crap you see on the outdoor channel!