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First time Turkey hunter

fourwheeler431

fourwheeler431

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I have been convinced to try turkey hunting this year and need all of the advice and help I can get. I have a shotgun lined up to use and of course have all of my camo. I'm looking for advice on any of the other items that I might need to get started. I don't have a really big budget to start with so, I'm just looking for the basic items to get started with. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
 
gun, ammo, camo, and go with someone that knows what they are doing. you will learn more from then then anything. you could get a couple of calls to learn on to. slate call mouth call things like that. and a vest. I wouldn't waste any money on decoys. and when you get some calls watch videos on you tube and practice. but I would highly recommend going with someone that knows what they are doing.
 
BigRod said:
Do you have land to hunt on?
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Yeah that was gonna be my question. If you do then it should be easy to get someone to show you the ropes. Most good turkey hunters would rather call one in vs being the trigger man if he had to choose.
 
fourwheeler431 said:
I have been convinced to try turkey hunting this year and need all of the advice and help I can get. I have a shotgun lined up to use and of course have all of my camo. I'm looking for advice on any of the other items that I might need to get started. I don't have a really big budget to start with so, I'm just looking for the basic items to get started with. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

You are good to go, be sure no exposed shin, face paint or mask of some sort, gloves. One thing ....... carry a good cushion to sit on, and I like knee pads as well. Once I knelt right on a brier and the biggest item "sit still". If you can scout the area you can hunt go check it out a couple of times looking for roost areas. You think an old buck/doe are tough wait until you try these guys. If a turkey had olfactory senses we would never get one (ha).
 
BlountArrow said:
BigRod said:
Do you have land to hunt on?
Click to expand...

Yeah that was gonna be my question. If you do then it should be easy to get someone to show you the ropes. Most good turkey hunters would rather call one in vs being the trigger man if he had to choose.
Click to expand...

Yep, I would offer to call, and show you the ropes if your fairly close to me. I have no problem at all doing this
 
Thanks for the advice guys. I have 2000 acres I'll be hunting on in Morgan county. I have several fields/foodplots to hunt around and most of the property has been logged over the last few years,so it is pretty thick in areas.
 
Im sure with that amount of land to hunt, you shouldnt have a problem with help on the hunt
question is, is it all your land or is it a club you are in?
Im not a turkey hunter, although I have thought about it few times, and, yes, I will get to it, just not do it cold turkey, want to do what most have said above.
 
It is club land,there are not very many turkey hunters though and the few that are really into it hunt during the week.
 
Just go with the basics starting off. Good camo head to toe and a couple of calls. If you can master a diaphram get 1 or 2. If not a slate and/or box call are easier to use. Carry a cushion for sitting unless you get a vest. I like the drop away cushions on them. Pre-scout looking for fresh feeding sign (fresh scratchings) in the timber or watch for birds feeding in the fields. Opening morning return to where you found the most sign and wait for the birds to let you know where they're roosting after sunup. Move closer to where they're gobbling and set down with a big tree at you back to break your outline. When they hit the ground call a few times to see if you get a response. If they come sit tight and have your gun rested across your knees pointed in their general direction of approach ready for a shot. If not get up and follow trying to loop ahead of them getting in their general direction of travel and setup again. A mentor helps but you could very well kill a bird on your first outing alone.
 
Take someone who's been doing it for awhile. All of the advice in the world would't even touch how much you can learn by watching someone who knows what they're doing.
 
deerhunter10 said:
gun, ammo, camo, and go with someone that knows what they are doing. you will learn more from then then anything. you could get a couple of calls to learn on to. slate call mouth call things like that. and a vest. I wouldn't waste any money on decoys. and when you get some calls watch videos on you tube and practice. but I would highly recommend going with someone that knows what they are doing.
Click to expand...

This is really all u need to know... If u have someone that could take u and get u comfortable with it.
 
Camo, good boots, shotgun with choke and good ammo. Ammo will run about 5-7 bucks a shell for HTL. Last year I purchased an SSX choke, mag blends, Ol-Tom vest and a couple of Woodhaven mouth calls. That was plenty for me to get started with. This year I included to my arsenal a couple of Lonnie Sneed pot calls. They are some of the best sounding calls and cheap too.

SSX choke - 40.00
Mag Blends - 60.00 (2 boxes)
Ol Tom vest - 60.00
Woodhaven mouth calls - 20.00

Lonnie Sneed pot calls - 65.50 TYD (Green glass and hot hen slate pot calls)

Total of $245.50

Pot calls are optional as I didn't hunt with them the first year I hunted. This would definitely get you going killing some thunder chickens. Good Luck. You will be hooked.
 
The most important thing IMO is lots of land with lots of turkeys. If you have lots of turkeys to shoot at, obiously you have a better chance of killing one. Also hearing and seeing more turkeys while hunting will keep you interested therefore you hunt more often.
 
Adamjcksn said:
Camo, good boots, shotgun with choke and good ammo. Ammo will run about 5-7 bucks a shell for HTL. Last year I purchased an SSX choke, mag blends, Ol-Tom vest and a couple of Woodhaven mouth calls. That was plenty for me to get started with. This year I included to my arsenal a couple of Lonnie Sneed pot calls. They are some of the best sounding calls and cheap too.

SSX choke - 40.00
Mag Blends - 60.00 (2 boxes)
Ol Tom vest - 60.00
Woodhaven mouth calls - 20.00

Lonnie Sneed pot calls - 65.50 TYD (Green glass and hot hen slate pot calls)

Total of $245.50

Pot calls are optional as I didn't hunt with them the first year I hunted. This would definitely get you going killing some thunder chickens. Good Luck. You will be hooked.
Click to expand...

Or....He could spend $5 on a mouth call, $20 on a slate, $20 on a choke tube, and $20 for a box of shells...$65 total. All the most expensive stuff in the world doesn't mean jack, if you don't know what you're doing. No offense...just sayin
 
Bullfrog said:
Adamjcksn said:
Camo, good boots, shotgun with choke and good ammo. Ammo will run about 5-7 bucks a shell for HTL. Last year I purchased an SSX choke, mag blends, Ol-Tom vest and a couple of Woodhaven mouth calls. That was plenty for me to get started with. This year I included to my arsenal a couple of Lonnie Sneed pot calls. They are some of the best sounding calls and cheap too.

SSX choke - 40.00
Mag Blends - 60.00 (2 boxes)
Ol Tom vest - 60.00
Woodhaven mouth calls - 20.00

Lonnie Sneed pot calls - 65.50 TYD (Green glass and hot hen slate pot calls)

Total of $245.50

Pot calls are optional as I didn't hunt with them the first year I hunted. This would definitely get you going killing some thunder chickens. Good Luck. You will be hooked.
Click to expand...

Or....He could spend $5 on a mouth call, $20 on a slate, $20 on a choke tube, and $20 for a box of shells...$65 total. All the most expensive stuff in the world doesn't mean jack, if you don't know what you're doing. No offense...just sayin
Click to expand...

Agreed. These exact items are not needed to get started. This was a guide to think of that would not kill the bank but would give you a good start. I ended up buying those things throughout the season as it progressed. I started off with a fanny pack, 1 mouth call, the XX full choke that came with the shotgun and one box of Winchester Surpreme lead shells #5's.
Choke - free
Fanny pack - free
Mouth call 8.95 + tax
Shells - 16.49 + tax
Total - 27.79 to get started.
I didn't know what I was doing when I started. I sure did ask a lot of questions and even went hunting with a couple season veterans. Its all about the experience of the outdoors and learning new things.
 
Thanks for all of the responses guys! Like I posted before I have a shotgun that is set up and ready to go and have shells already along with the camo. I have to find myself a call or 2 that I can get practiced up on and a vest/seat of some kind.
 

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