Tips for a beginner??

T

The ScubaCamper

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2013
Messages
544
Reaction score
0
Location
Chattanooga, TN
Y'all helped me so much preparing for my first deer kill - thank you!

Do y'all have any tips for a beginner turkey hunter?

I have a Weatherby SA-08 Deluxe 12Ga with the 3 chokes that come with the gun and some camo.

I don't have any calls or anything like that.

so, any tips? I'm totally green so it'd be like teaching your son/daughter...

Thanks!!
 
What sort of turkey choke is recommended?

Funny thing - about 4 or 5 years ago we moved into a duplex and found a box call that the last tenant left behind. At the time, I wasn't hunting and had no use for it. Ended up throwing it away - now I wish I hadn't!!
 
I am not familiar with your gun but a .665 turkey choke works for me. Get you some Winchester Longbeards XR #5 shot. To pattern your gun put up a target 12 yards away, put a 1" square in the middle of the target. Using cheap 2 3/4" shells shoot at the 1" square. If you did not shoot out the 1" square, adjust your sights to do so. Put up another target and shoot again. Use as many targets as necessary to shoot out the square. Once you shoot out the 1" square, move your target to 40 yards, use 36 x 36" target with a 1" square in the middle. Shoot your turkey loads now. If your pattern is on the target good. Set up another target and shoot again to verify your pattern. If ok pick out the tightest part of the pattern and adjust your sights or scope to center it over the 1" square. Put up another target and shoot again to verify the tightest part of the pattern is centered over the 1" square. Use as many targets as necessary Your turkey gun is patterned now. This procedure saves you recoil and Turkey loads. If you can't get #5 shot, try #6 Shot in a long beard they will work for this year. I don't like #6 shot.
 
I started turkey hunting last year and the best advice given to me was, only do a 5-7 note yelp call every 10-15 minutes. Even after you here a gobblers coming. I used my factory full choke last year and it worked fine but all my shots were 40 yards or less. Good luck!
 
Be patient and ask questions. Box call is easy to learn and has called many birds in. Best advice is to enjoy it and dont over think it. Youtube has alot of good videos that you can get tips on. Plus on this site alot of good guys to talk to.
 
I wouldn't recommend a box. A friction call is 10x easier to learn on, and offer a much wider range of calls in terms of volume and individual calls. Slate, Crystal, or Aluminum are all good surfaces.

Second tip, try and find some sort of basic how to video or book on how to hunt turkeys. Then go get inthe middle of them. They are mean but are the best instructors around.

Also, hit up any buddies who hunt and be sure to ask plenty of questions. Also, if you have a place with birds I guarantee some on here will be happy to help.

On the shells choke stuff, don't get bogged down in that for now. A simple turkey choke and a 3" load of 5's will do the trick out of most every shotgun, despite what the gun nuts proclaim.
 
Oh and for the love of god learn to sit still and look with your eyes not your head. I can understand while some of my buddies are grown men and can't sit still for more then 10mins
 
REN said:
Oh and for the love of god learn to sit still and look with your eyes not your head. I can understand while some of my buddies are grown men and can't sit still for more then 10mins
Click to expand...

Haha, I literally quit taking a buddy of mine because he constantly boobed up hunts because he could not sit still.
 
As part of the sitting still, I'd suggest you have some type of decent cushion to sit on to keep the wiggles down. I started off using an OD green boat cushion that I bungeed to my belt to carry. A fingernail size pebble will feel like a boulder very quickly without a cushion to help out.

And, even though it is the opposite of the current run and gun style, thousands of turkeys have been killed over the years using a minimum of calling. Before you get "good" on whatever call you buy, try getting him to answer one time and put the call down. Scratch in the leaves a little, and let him come to you. Again, being comfortable enough to sit still and wait him out will make it doable.
 
You can get a Tightwad choke or a Jellyhead for under $30 if you look around. I use a Tightwad myself. just make sure you buy the one that fits your gun. I hate #6 shot, #5 patterns best for me. I recommend a box call, easy to use, not complicated to learn. If you are on private land and don't plan to run and gun, set up a popup blind and hunt from it. The blind covers up a lot of movement, just make sure it is staked down, a good wind will make life interesting if you don't.
 
I just started turkey hunting last year. I'm by no means an expert but I can probably identify with you pretty well. Here are a few thoughts.

1. Find a turkey hunting friend and go with them. (I learned a lot by tagging along)
2. Don't stress about the gun. (I killed one last year with a 20 gauge / no choke / 2
3/4" shell / 5 shot) - some may "call me out" on that but it was what I had.
3. Keep it simple on calling. I am trying to learn to work a diaphragm. I am still
learning on a box which is much more simple. But the easiest is a push button
call. I called one in for a kill last year with that call.
4. Find a place with turkeys...haha. I know that seems obvious but it makes
learning much easier if you are actually interacting with them.
5. Visit this board frequently...there is lots of good advice to be gleaned here.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top