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Field Hunting- Updated

DeerWhisperer

DeerWhisperer

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Hickman County, TN
Just curious on how others approach field birds. The land I hunt is approximately 220 acres with about 75% consisting of fields and pastures and the balance hardwoods. The birds do have plenty of good area available for roosting. They typically roost on field edges and upon fly down immediately hit the fields and stay there most of the day except when it really warms up. It is just frustrating calling to birds that seem to migrate to the center of the fields and stay there all day, especially if the Tom has hens. Short of being patient and calling in an attempt to call the hens to you and using the land to move around the edges does anyone else have special tactics they use on field birds?
 
Just use a strutter decoy or a fan like the rest...well MOST of the rest. There's a few who don't/won't use them.

As far as doing it without decoys it's tough tough tough. Sometimes they can be called in range after hens go nesting, or be close to where they go in and out of the field. I have hunted field birds hundreds of times but very rarely do I kill one in the field as they just won't come to a call in a field as they don't see a hen. I just go hunt elsewhere after giving them a go.
 
Unfortunately, this is my primary hunting spot and really do not have other options unless I tag along with someone else. I admit I have used a hen decoy to in these situations but I really prefer not using decoys. I always seem to guess wrong in setting up, no matter where I go, they seem to know to come out on the other side of field. It is frustrating but it is part of the game.
 
They will go to shade late morning... at least the toms will. There's your chance.

I usually watch them fly up in the eve before, know the exact tree the tom is in, then sneak in pitch black an hour before any light to around 60 to 70 yards. If I can't see the tom, I'm not close enough. Don't call until he gets shifty on the limb and about to pitch down, then give him a few soft yelps. If he turns your way, don't say another word. This works for me about 1 out of 3 hunts IF I have good back cover they can't see through. If the woods are wide open, it works about 1 out of 10 hunts. Once he pitches into the field out of gun range, check the hens temperature by calling to see if one gets fired up enough to bring the flock. This works about 1 out of 50 hunts. If not, hang out till 10am or so when he moves to shade, or sneak out and come back mid day when he's in the woods.

If you have water and it's been dry, the hens will often head there mid morning
 
I've killed a bunch of field turkeys over the years and other than catching them in the woods before they enter the field I've found that works is to learn them and the field. All fields have shady areas and the birds will head to certain ones at certain times. If you get there unseen before them and call softly some terms they'll head your way.

Field turkeys are the epitome of pain in the arse though, and can really test ones patience
 
Let me first state this is a gutsy tactic and I definitely wouldn't try it on smallish properties or in fields close to boundaries.

1) Field birds often spend the last little while of every evening feeding, loafing, preening in the same field they intend to pitch right into the next day right off the limb. Use your binos to find them.
2) If a bird roosts 30, 40, 50 yards into the timber he can just sail right out there off the limb. But if he roosts farther into the timber, he generally pitches down in the timber and then works his way to the field.
3) This is the gutsy part...in the evening ease out into the field far enough away that he doesn't turn inside out leaving but sees you and does indeed leave the field early. When I've done this he almost ALWAYS ends up roosting deeper in the woods than he otherwise would, so he can't just fly right out into the field.
4) Don't setup so you're pinned down. A creek flows thru my big bottom fields so I can easily bail off into it and move if I need to without being seen.

Fields birds, even more so than big woods turkeys are creatures of habit. He's going to that field one way or another because he knows that's either where his hens gonna be are or where he can show off all day and pick up a new girlfriend. Most of my big bottom fields are right in the middle of the farm. I can intentionally bump a bird, watch where he goes into timber, and ease in there in the dark between him and the field.

Being 100% honest here; more often than not that turkey ends up over my shoulder the next day.
 
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Like others said get under them in the pitch black. Set up on the edge of the tree line they pitch too not across. Find their mid day shady hang outs. I have some birds that seem to follow their hens to a dusting area mid day.
 
Boll Weevil said:
Let me first state this is a gutsy tactic and I definitely wouldn't try it on smallish properties or in fields close to boundaries.

1) Field birds often spend the last little while of every evening feeding, loafing, preening in the same field they intend to pitch right into the next day right off the limb. Use your binos to find them.
2) If a bird roosts 30, 40, 50 yards into the timber he can just sail right out there off the limb. But if he roosts farther into the timber, he generally pitches down in the timber and then works his way to the field.
3) This is the gutsy part...in the evening ease out into the field far enough away that he doesn't turn inside out leaving but sees you and does indeed leave the field early. When I've done this he almost ALWAYS ends up roosting deeper in the woods than he otherwise would, so he can't just fly right out into the field.
4) Don't setup so you're pinned down. A creek flows thru my big bottom fields so I can easily bail off into it and move if I need to without being seen.

Fields birds, even more so than big woods turkeys are creatures of habit. He's going to that field one way or another because he knows that's either where his hens gonna be are or where he can show off all day and pick up a new girlfriend. Most of my big bottom fields are right in the middle of the farm. I can intentionally bump a bird, watch where he goes into timber, and ease in there in the dark between him and the field.

Being 100% honest here; more often than not that turkey ends up over my shoulder the next day.
Click to expand...
This sounds like a great plan.
 
Seems like most folks generally despise field birds as they can sometimes be notoriously difficult to call to the gun. I actually enjoy'em, once figuring out ways to leverage their very own quirks and natural inclinations.
 
Boll Weevil said:
Let me first state this is a gutsy tactic and I definitely wouldn't try it on smallish properties or in fields close to boundaries.

1) Field birds often spend the last little while of every evening feeding, loafing, preening in the same field they intend to pitch right into the next day right off the limb. Use your binos to find them.
2) If a bird roosts 30, 40, 50 yards into the timber he can just sail right out there off the limb. But if he roosts farther into the timber, he generally pitches down in the timber and then works his way to the field.
3) This is the gutsy part...in the evening ease out into the field far enough away that he doesn't turn inside out leaving but sees you and does indeed leave the field early. When I've done this he almost ALWAYS ends up roosting deeper in the woods than he otherwise would, so he can't just fly right out into the field.
4) Don't setup so you're pinned down. A creek flows thru my big bottom fields so I can easily bail off into it and move if I need to without being seen.

Fields birds, even more so than big woods turkeys are creatures of habit. He's going to that field one way or another because he knows that's either where his hens gonna be are or where he can show off all day and pick up a new girlfriend. Most of my big bottom fields are right in the middle of the farm. I can intentionally bump a bird, watch where he goes into timber, and ease in there in the dark between him and the field.

Being 100% honest here; more often than not that turkey ends up over my shoulder the next day.
Click to expand...
This works!

And if you are REALLY gutsy, ease in just after flyup and gently bump the flock off their original roost, slip to an advantageous spot at dark, then kee kee yelp as you sneak out. Go back there in the dark the following morn. He will likely pitch down and go right to that spot early off the roost the next morn unless he roosted in the middle of his hens.
 
megalomaniac said:
They will go to shade late morning... at least the toms will. There's your chance.
Click to expand...
And it's a good chance!

megalomaniac said:
I usually watch them fly up in the eve before, know the exact tree the tom is in, then sneak in pitch black an hour before any light to around 60 to 70 yards.
Click to expand...

My opinion: One of the biggest habitual mistakes many turkey hunters are making is in simply not getting in position before it starts getting light. Then giving up to quickly on their starting point.
 
Was able to get off early yesterday for an afternoon hunt. The wind was blowing pretty good yesterday afternoon, made to field about 4:30. I set up just inside woods on the shady side. Blind called every 15-20 minutes and then finally Tom appeared on opposite side of field, came in silent, strutting but would not Gobble, Took him at about 25 yards, typically two year old, slightly over 20 lbs, 9" beard and just over 1/2" spurs. I was glad finally got a field bird to commit. My first bird in over 4 years, being calling for others and just a calamity of misfortune. Thanks for all the advice listed above, definitely some insightful ideas.

By the way when leaving, seen a much larger gobbler with hen on the lower field, so that may explain why he cam in quite. He was was not the main man in the area
 
DeerWhisperer said:
Was able to get off early yesterday for an afternoon hunt. The wind was blowing pretty good yesterday afternoon, made to field about 4:30. I set up just inside woods on the shady side. Blind called every 15-20 minutes and then finally Tom appeared on opposite side of field, came in silent, strutting but would not Gobble, Took him at about 25 yards, typically two year old, slightly over 20 lbs, 9" beard and just over 1/2" spurs. I was glad finally got a field bird to commit. My first bird in over 4 years, being calling for others and just a calamity of misfortune. Thanks for all the advice listed above, definitely some insightful ideas.

By the way when leaving, seen a much larger gobbler with hen on the lower field, so that may explain why he cam in quite. He was was not the main man in the area
Click to expand...
Congrats, way to get it done. In my experience, it is hard to get a gobble in the evenings.
 

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