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First Year Turkey Hunting a few questions

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southpaw14

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Well I can't take it take it any longer and I have to give chasing these birds a try. I'm starting the year off by going to the NWTF convention hoping to learn as much as possible. I have a few questions though.

What is the most basic and easy to use call for a beginner?

My next question may start a debate but when is the better time to go after turkey's in general, morning or evening?

I'm going to try it with a bow to start with, what broad heads are you bow hunters using on turkey's?
 
1)Box call, Slate call then learn to use a mouth call.
2)Morning is good if they are not with hens. If they are noon to evening.
3)never bow hunted them but during bow season once shot one with a slick trick killed it dead. Placement is more critical. Right above the leg in the middle of the wing from the side and if they are facing away from you shoot them in the middle of the back. They will not go far.

Good luck
 
CBU93 said:
Box or slate.
Anytime, depends on the bird.
Your deer set up is more than adequate for turkeys.


I would suggest a good blind.
Click to expand...


I've got a double bull that I use during deer season I'm going to use that. I hope I have the same kind of luck with turkey's that it has with the deer.
 
A good friction call is very easy call to learn for the beginner. Invest in a quality box call. Your average turkey hunter does not know how to use a box call, most hunters can make a decent yelp on a box call but their abilities are very limited beyond the yelp on a box call. Find a knowledgeable hunter and call maker to teach you how to properly use a box call. I would also suggest that you have a custom call maker show you how to use a friction call. You listen to the turkeys in the morning and listen to the pattern of their calls and try to replicate the sounds on your friction and box calls. Many mornings it is all about your rhythm of your calling. Custom call makers are by far the most knowledgeable on how to get every noun, verb, and adjective of turkey lingo out of a call. Invest in a good decoy like a Dave Smith hen decoy. You do not need a lot of decoys to start. My personal preference is to hunt early morning, sometimes later in the morning, hardly ever in the evening unless I am using a locator call to find birds for the next morning.

I would getting a couple of gobblers under your belt with a shotgun and get comfortable with the calling before switching over to a bow. Stoner
 
A slate is one of the easiest calls to get started on and probably the quickest to learn in terms of making the three most common hen turkey calls: yelp, cluck, purr.

I like mornings best. Turkeys are more vocal in the mornings, which is why I like it so much, but I've killed a lot of lonesome longbeards between 10 -2. This is an EXCELLENT time for a new turkey hunter to call in his first bird. Longbeards are usually on the hunt for some new company at this time.

Your a brave man for starting out turkey hunting with a bow. I would suggest with the shotgun, just because it's tough enough to get them within 40 yards, much less 15 or 20.
 
box call is FAR AND AWAY the easiest call to learn. Go to youtube if you dont know anybody that hunts to learn from.

Slate or a composite (like an old yeller or aluminum) friction call would be next easiest to learn. On these the striker is just as important as the call itself.

sun up to sun down is the best time to go. I personally have killed most of my birds between 10am-3pm and you will find alot of fellow turkey hunters agree with that. The morning is awesome as you will hear more and the set up can be easier but if you can get a bird gobbling between 10-3 he can die pretty easy.

just remember nobody has the right answer and no one on here has it down to a science so try anything and learn from your mistakes.
 
REN said:
box call is FAR AND AWAY the easiest call to learn. Go to youtube if you dont know anybody that hunts to learn from.

Slate or a composite (like an old yeller or aluminum) friction call would be next easiest to learn. On these the striker is just as important as the call itself.

sun up to sun down is the best time to go. I personally have killed most of my birds between 10am-3pm and you will find alot of fellow turkey hunters agree with that. The morning is awesome as you will hear more and the set up can be easier but if you can get a bird gobbling between 10-3 he can die pretty easy.

just remember nobody has the right answer and no one on here has it down to a science so try anything and learn from your mistakes.
Click to expand...
yep 10 to 3
 
1. I would start with a slate call...Box calls can be louder than you want sometimes...Practice you have time...

2. Morning is the easiest time I think...But it all depends on the Turkeys...I you are having trouble sit them out around noon and ambush them...

3. Lower the poundage on your bow...If you are at 70# go to 55-60# also you can get turkey broadheads...I prefer my arrow to not pass through...I want it to do as much damage as possible...

This is just my opinion...

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agreed on the box call comment DBLAARCHERY said. Personally i dont even carry a box call, I only carry 2 slates (1 slate, 1 glass) and a lanyard for my mouth calls.

I will use the mouth calls 80% of the time just to limit my movement. If you can learn to blow a tube call you will have a good leg up on alot of people. It is a very underused call but very deadly if you can master it. Super hard to master but the rewards will pay off for sure.

"type" of call is not so much the question as how to call. HOW to call is where the truth lies. Calling too much is the #1 mistake people make.
 
Here is a little advise that will really help you.

If you are set up and see a gobbler coming in that is out of range DO NOT move a muscle until his head is behind a tree or some other obstacle. If you can see his head, he can and will see you.
 
if you're new to turkey hunting the best advice i would give you is listen to the best teacher there is, the real turkeys. get in early and listen to what sounds they make as far when they are on the roost, what they sound like when they fly down that type of stuff. to me the slate call was easiest to learn. but practice is the key get out in your yard and call, because the call is going to sound different than it did while practicing in your house. as far as time goes, i think that depends on where you hunt. i've hunted some places where the hen to tom ratio was pretty close and behind my house it's sad what it is. if there is alot of hens mid day, those hens will leave the tom and he will be looking for some loving. don't get discouraged if something goes wrong the first time out. ask anyone on here and they will tell you it's like deer hunting your learn more from mistakes than anything else. i'm by no means an expert i've killed a few i just love the sport, congraduations on taking up the more rewarding and frustrating hunting there is lol that was my attempt at humor
 

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