Turkey basics

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El Jagermeister

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This year may be the first year that I try to take a turkey. I deer hunt with a buddy on his family land and every year we see a lot of turkey. Neither one if us has actually turkey hunted, but we have a lot of basic hunting skills/knowledge.
We have seen the turkeys in two areas in the late fall and early winter. They are either up on a ridge where pine trees meet hardwood, or they are down in a bottomland area where it meets a cow pasture at the treeline. I don't know where they are in the spring, since we don't scout the land in springtime or have any cameras up.
I feel comfortable enough with my blind, gun, ammo, and other equipment choices, but have a few questions.
I've never tried to call a turkey. I've heard that slate calls are the easiest to learn on. I've also heard that box calls are easy enough to start out on. What are your opinions? Also is there a worthwhile "starter pack" out there that has a call and Video where I can learn to mimic? I know that calling is a lot of "hands on and trial and error through actual use", I just want to shorten the initial learning curve.
Any beginners help (on calling, locations, or anything) would be appreciated. Thanks !
 
IMO:
You can get away with a little movement with a deer, NOT with turkey. You can�t sit still enough with them. No �0� exposed skin, including face and hands. Don�t over call, too much is worse then none at all. Box and slate are all good, but you need to take a hand off the gun. Try working with a mouth call, there are a number of good ones out there. Good basic deer hunting skills will get you there, but there are no short cuts, they may be �ugly� but are smart critters. No substitute for �boots on the ground� and a bit of luck. Then shoot him right in the nose :D . A deer looks straight at you �got ja� a bird turns his/her head sideways �got ja�. It can be a frustrating :mad: yet rewarding hunt :) .
 
Buzzard Breath said:
Be where they want to be. Then, shoot them in the head
Click to expand...

Haha couldnt have said it better myself, easier said than done though for sure!
 
i think a box call is simple to use. I use a mouth call Lots of videos on you tube to learn how to call.You will hear a lot to not call to much or to loud.I call way to much and to loud and I have taken a lot of turkey by doing this.
 
Box call is easy and sounds good but noisy and bulky to carry. Slate is good and mouth call takes practice but is hands free. I learned to turkey hunt mainly with a tube call.

If you are calling a bird and he is gobbling good, and not getting any farther away, put the call down. The occasional soft call is ok but he is already coming your way and if you keep calling he will soon see there is no hen where he hears the call. So better to make him come looking for what he thinks is a quiet hen. Also I think the hens will often come to the gobbles so if you are getting an answer, shutting up with the call might make him lose patience and come looking. He may come in 5 minutes or 2 hours, patience helps a lot. This is what I have learned in a couple years and I am no expert at all but hope it helps.

If you aren't having luck calling a particular bird because he has hens or something, and you know where he is, you can use terrain and woods and thickets or tall grass or whatever to sneak around ahead of the bird and ambush. Just be sure there isn't another hunter there so you don't get shot at
 
Patience is the key! Do some scouting before the season and find out what they're doing. Always good for a beginner to just be still and quite, you can learn a lot this way. By this I mean listen to the turkeys and learn how they communicate, then try to mimic them. Don't call to loud, and did I mention patience? When I first started out I didn't have enough of it, and it cost me more than once. I'd call and he'd gobble 100 yards out or so, I'd call some more. He'd shut up and I'd think he was leaving. I would get impatient and get up to try and move closer, and about the time I got stood up I'd hear "putt, putt, putt" and catch a glimpse of him as he tore out. Give them time, many times if they shut up they may be slipping in silent. Just watch and listen to them and they'll teach you alot.
 
for calls I personally like custom calls. and I am a slate man that's about all I use is pot calls. I have a few mouth calls to. and also the box call I prefer to be a custom call to. as for the easiest I would recommend a slate a good slate you can use for a long time and make pretty much all calls on them. as final steps said try to stay above the bird. and do not over call! imo that's the biggest mistake people make while turkey hunting. also patience it is not as easy as you would think it would be. as you would for deer hunting sight in or as people call it pattern your gun with the loads you will use and know you limits. also warning! its addictive and will consume your life! good luck and don't be afraid to ask questions or if you know a good turkey hunter try to let them take you. you can learn a whole lot from a season hunter.
 
Typically where a bird is at in the fall/winter is different that the spring....so scouting is a must and if I was home right now I would be out in the woods looking for sign for starters as the flocks will still be grouped up. Knowing where that bird wants to be is key, they will stay where they feel safe, and will fly down where they can see and is safe. Ultimately, they are going where the hens are going, so know where that is at, if they have hens you have to either call em to you....or get ahead of them. I am a firm believer of putting birds to bed....but the property I now hunt has so many yotes that you rarely hear a bird in the evening, so you have to listen to their wingbeats. If I know where one is roosted, I will be as close as I can get the next morning. Someone already said it....patience kills far more birds than you will ever imagine...we have all quit a few seconds to soon to have a silent bird explode when we hadn't seen it. If you have a ground blind, set it up where you see them consistently....it is an addiction...so be prepared to lose some sleep!
 

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