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Vermin93

Vermin93

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Dallas, TX & Signal Mtn, TN
New to turkey hunting. I've done it a couple of times before but a friend did all the calling. This year I want to do it myself. I deer hunt public land in East TN and the area around my honey hole is swarming with turkeys. They seem to be everywhere. Lots of jakes and toms and a huge group of hens. This spot is off the beaten path and it doesn't get much pressure because it's a pain in the rear to get to it.

My first question is this:

- will the turkeys still be there in the April if the area remains mostly undisturbed?

My second question is this:

- what calls should I buy for my first season? I only have 3 or 4 months to practice, so I don't want to get too many calls. Are there 2 or 3 types that I should get?

My third question is this:

- I need a turkey gun. I can spend up to $750, but I'd rather keep it around $500. I have no clue what to get. Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance for your help. This deer season did not go as well as I had hoped, so I'm hoping to make up for it by getting a nice tom or two.
 
- will the turkeys still be there in the April if the area remains mostly undisturbed?
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Yes

- what calls should I buy for my first season? I only have 3 or 4 months to practice, so I don't want to get too many calls. Are there 2 or 3 types that I should get?
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Box Call and/or slate call. Or any you want to try. Go to www.nwtf.com and on their site is a link to turkey sounds. It will help you learn to use your calls. Remember turkeys really dont sound all that great so dont try to be perfect.

- I need a turkey gun. I can spend up to $750, but I'd rather keep it around $500. I have no clue what to get. Any recommendations?
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I like mossberg
 
Thanks for the feedback. I had to listen to those dadgum hens every morning I was on stand this month, so I had a chance to get a basic feel for how they sound. You are right - they don't sound that great. In fact, they drove me nuts and I started to think they might be scaring the deer away.

This is a very hilly area with a lot of cover. Should I invest in a decoy or forget about it?
 
Go sign up on OldGobbler.com and read all you care to read.... you will see many variations in set-ups for turkey guns.... I'm partial to Remington 870's... you can get a supermag (depending on the make and finish) from $325-$600... all in what you like.

When you get a gun, polish the barrel inside... this process can also be found on OG.

Spend what your comfortable with on a good choke.... Rem. 870's favor the Primos JellyHead .660 or .665 .... ones to try with the Hevi Shot are the (JH .660-.665 as mentioned with #7's) the Pure Gold in .670 with Mag Blends or Hevi #6's, Rhino .660 with #7's, and Indian Creek BDS .665 with Hevi #6's.

For lead, I had good luck with the Kicks GT .665 with the Win. Sup. HV #5's..... All of my testing info was gathered with 3.5/2.25/? loads.
 
Swamphunter said:
Vermin93 said:
Should I invest in a decoy or forget about it?
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If you are hunting fields and pastures a decoy will help. If you are hunting woods all the time you can live without them.
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If you get enough time to set one up after locating a gobbler, it does give him something to focus on instead of you.... IF he sees it.
 
This is good stuff. Thanks for the input. I used an 870 on the 2 hunts I did with my friend and it worked well, so I might keep it simple and go that route.

I have a Thermacell and already have a few sets of camo treated with Permethrin. I am as anti-bug as they come.

Is there a particular window of time during the spring season where it's usually better in East TN? If I recall correctly I think the season is about 6 weeks long. Is there a week or two that's kind of like the rut for turkeys?
 
Well I'm in middle of the state.... seemed like last spring the birds were either henned up early on, or the weather sucked.... seemed to work better toward the middle to late season after some of the hens were nesting or getting ready to.... but if your hunting on public land.. that can be tough because of hunting pressure has the birds tight-lipped or very shy.
 
If your thinking of using ANY type of optics as an aiming point.... I would suggest a model like the 870sm Waterfowl/Turkey in Bottomland camo.... it comes from the factory with a drilled & tapped receiver and 26" barrel.... Richard's Sporting Goods carries the 870sm Bone Collector edition that also has a D&T'ed receiver and 26" barrel... and all camo finish.
 
If you want to get a good turkey gun, follow the recommendations from people here... if you just want a gun that works, I got a NEF pardner for under 200 bucks and have killed my first turkey in the spring and 3 hens with one shot this fall... in other words, it works just fine, only complaint is that it's heavy as all get out.

I'm sure the birds will still be there by the spring, go scout shortly before turkey season and find out where they like to roost.

As for calls, dont start with a mouth call, they take a lot of practice. I started with a tube call because I learned how to make one before I ever learned how to turkey hunt. But a box or slate call is easier to learn and they both sound good.

Best of luck, I killed my first bird on my 3rd hunt this past spring. Only time I had been turkey hunting before then is the year before when a friend took me and did all the calling, but I did not kill one. So last season was technically my first and I did it myself armed with all the knowledge from Tndeer and online research... what you learn online will go a long way but can't take the place of experience. I got busted, missed shots, screwed up in stupid ways last spring that I would not have anticipated and each time taught me a little bit about turkey hunting and I'm sure there are plenty more stupid mistakes to make. Hope you kill one next spring, oh and you will be an addict.
 
- will the turkeys still be there in the April if the area remains mostly undisturbed?


really just depends, most turkey flocks have a winter area and a summer area. they do not always cover the same areas. in the spring turkeys shift to different food sources as well as preferred terrain so if the area they are in now has what they need come spring most will stay in the area, however i assure you some will definitely move out of the area and they will spread out of their winter flocks come spring.



- what calls should I buy for my first season? I only have 3 or 4 months to practice, so I don't want to get too many calls. Are there 2 or 3 types that I should get?


i would start with a box and/or a slate type call. Those are pretty easy to learn how to use enough to kill a bird. You can always look at a push pin type call as well, those are super simple to use. Brand at your point doesnt really matter, just find what you can afford and practice, practice, practice. A great inexpensive call that is good for beginners and seasoned hunters is a Old Yellar by knight and Hale.



- I need a turkey gun. I can spend up to $750, but I'd rather keep it around $500. I have no clue what to get. Any recommendations?

this is really a ford vs chevy type question as in that price range you are going to find a good variety of guns to fit what you are looking for.

in that range an 870 is hard to beat and you can get one pretty cheap and deck it out for $500. You can also look at mossbergs (i personally am not a fan but they are turkey killing machines) as well as Stoegers, benelli nova's, Charles Dalys, used Berettas ect...ect...

when it comes to guns you need to just do some research and figure out what sort of things are a must for you like Auto? 3.5 inch shells? camo stock? ect....you should have no issue finding a gun in your price range. once you find the gun you like then start looking for a choke for it. some guns really like certain chokes and others can like a variety of chokes. As Grizzly said you can get on over at Oldgobbler.com and find a ton of info on guns and chokes as well as ammo combinations.


hope this helps but feel free to ask as many questions as you like, there are a bunch of good folks on here that have a bunch of experience to help
 
just to add another part of the gun, you can still find the Stoeger M2000 auto shotgun with 2 barrels and 2 stocks in camo for around $400-500 which will give you a turkey specific gun as well as a stock and 28" barrel for an all around hunting shotgun. IMO thats a hard combo to beat for the price. Remington 870 or 11-87, Mossberg 835 or 935, Benelli super nova, Stoeger M2000 or M3500 are all great choices in your price range.


as far as decoys i usually recommend most beginners to try and figure out the other parts of turkey hunting before getting into using decoys. IMO decoys can be the #1 reason a hunt is not sucessful in beginning turkey hunters. It takes time and experience to learn how to get them out and were to use them. Unless you are hunting a field that you are setting up in the dark on i would not worry about them this year.
 
I would use a good push button call then graduate up.870 is a good starter gun and would recommend a Comp n Choke XXX Full with 5 shot if shooting Lead.
 
I'm hooked on Mossburg 835 ultra-mag-3 1/2 #5 Win. Supremes. Mossburgs kill on both ends but are hard to beat for a long killing shot.
 
the only thing i dont like about the mossberg is they kick like no other gun i have ever shot and they are a tad heavy. in addition they usually lack quality in machining and overall look and feel.

having said that they are turkey killing machines no doubt! some of the best patterens i have ever seen have come out of 835 guns.
 
Swamphunter said:
Vermin93 said:
- will the turkeys still be there in the April if the area remains mostly undisturbed?
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. In some areas turkeys have different fall/winter ranges than spring/summer due to terrain and food sources. I have one farm where you never, ever see a turkey during deer season, but come spring, they come back like clock work.
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My land is a perfect example of that. Late August-Mid March I have no idea where the turkey's go but they disappear until early spring then they come back in full force!
I would grab a good box call and a good slate call and start there. You can spend all kinds of money on a good shotgun but I bought a Charles Daily 12ga several years ago to carry rabbit hunting, it will shoot 3" shells so I started carrying it turkey hunting as well and have never had a problem out of this much cheaper firearm.
 

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