First Time Turkey Hunting Advise

[NLuna]

Good Afternoon GS,

This is going to be my first year turkey hunting and I was looking on advise /pointers on what to take. I hunt in Carta Valley (Edwards County)

Do I hunt out of a pop up blind?
Should I use decoys?
What type of call should I use?
Is scent control very important in turkey hunting?
What is better to use for the first time bow or shot gun?

Thanks in advance for any tips and advise.

Nick

[1369]

I have only hunted turkeys with a bow.

A critical part of your setup (IMHO), would be to install a "liver pick" behind your broadhead.

[Cable]

Use a shotgun to increase your odds. I wouldn't set up a blind at all. See how the turkeys are responding and then come up with a game plan on the spot. If they are coming to you, throw out a hen decoy and hunker down in the nearest brush.

BE STILL when you have a visual on the bird. Their eyesight is their greatest asset. Move slowly when you raise your gun and ideally when the gobbler pecks at the ground or turns around. This is all for running and gunning birds which is my favorite way to hunt.

If you have field with 30 birds coming to it then you can set up a popup and sit and wait.

[Navasot]

Shotgun. aim for the base of the neck. I like #4

You can use a call but if you dnt have a decoy stop calling once you see them... Rios are a little easier to call since you can usualy keep callin at them were the bigger birds you just do a few calls and once they start responding very light calls after that.

Dnt worry about scent control. keep more on background cover and covering yourself up. They can see realy well so be very still.

[JW]

I have only hunted turkeys with a bow.

A critical part of your setup (IMHO), would be to install a "liver pick" behind your broadhead.

That or shoot a Magnus Bull Head. Beyond me why anyone would wanna shoot a corn buzzard with a gun. It's too much fun bowhuntin em.

[Patton]

I'm not an expert by any means.

Scent control is not important. Being camo and completely still is. They have something like 270degree vision field and it is vey good.

I've hunted with a pop up blind. We would call, try to hear some gobblers. Then sneak in and throw it up.
You can hunt without a blind, a lot easier with a shotgun. Just anticipate where the gobbler is coming from and already be facing that way gun up.
Ill get behind some bushes or cover of some sort and sit with my back against a tree and knee up and rest my gun on it.

Definitely have face camo or netting or a mask. And full camo.

Decoys are good. I like a jake and then a hen on the ground in front of him.
Gun and on ground-decoys 20 yards away
Gun in pop up-15-25 yards depending on concealment of popup.
Bow in pop up-decoys 10-20 yards, same as above
Bow on ground-unsure never done it

This is all how I do it, not sayin it's the best way or the right way. Gotta learn as you go and that's the fun.

Less calling is better than lots of bad calling

And for the record I've only killed 1 gobbler and 2 hens. It sure is fun though
Good luck

'Aim small miss small'

[N.DaWoods]

That or shoot a Magnus Bull Head. Beyond me why anyone would wanna shoot a corn buzzard with a gun. It's too much fun bowhuntin em.

I agree, I shot a ton of them before I started bowhunting, now that I am bow only, it is a real challenge. Way to easy to use the smoke pole, but for a first timer, i think he should take what ever weapon he feels most comfortable with. You can do it buddy...Good luck, don't over call the birds.

[HEADHUNTER71]

me to bro ! ive played wit a slate n it surprised the bajesus outta me!! didnt shoot cause i was deer huntin ,but it worked fer me! i hunt in young co.oh and when i go ima use a shotty to better my chances!

[txoutdoorsman24]

If u take your bow, be very patient. Turkeys are smarter than you think!!!

[jerp]

If at all possible, find out where they are roosting the evening before. Likely areas are creek bottoms or anywhere there are big trees. There are a lot of "locator calls" - I use either a crow call or owl hooter. Right at dark, sound off with the call and often they will gobble back at you from the roost. The next morning set up 100-200 yards away before daybreak ,and set out a hen decoy. Once they come down from the roost start calling softly - DON'T OVERCALL! For a beginner I would recommend a "plunger style " call - easy to use. I will usually take one with the shotgun then start trying to take one with the bow. One of the things I like about turkey hunting is not having to go through the scent control ritual - BUT, I once had called two nice gobblers almost within range when a doe right behind me started blowing and scared them off!

[Fiddlefish]

Creeping up on them is a lot of fun and exciting. I shot my first with a 30-06, killed it with a hit where the neck meets the body. It rolled down the bank of the Colorado river and then into the water. Yes, this is a jake and not a buzzard! I was shooting from the prone position after I crept up on them and I got my first battle scar square between the eyes - SCOPED! Don't let this happen to you!

[JW]

I think they ate the second dumbest critter ive ever killed. Behind a Black Buck of course!

[Dave_S]

That or shoot a Magnus Bull Head. Beyond me why anyone would wanna shoot a corn buzzard with a gun. It's too much fun bowhuntin em.

Ditto!

[Playa]

I think they ate the second dumbest critter ive ever killed. Behind a Black Buck of course!

Wow! I guess I wish I had some of your turkey genetics on my place, 2nd smartest and wariest behind bobcats for me.

Lots of good info here, not much I can add.

Study. If you can get out now, identify where they are roosting consistently, where are they going from the roost. Setting up between those two points gives you pretty good odds of getting on a bird.

I prefer to be mobile when I turkey hunt, so I opt for natural cover rather than pop-up blind. I like to find areas that have some fore-cover and alot of back cover. live oak mots are my preferred set up when & where i can find them, but leaned up against a tree trunk works fine.

Keep calling to a minimum, turkeys are good at triangulating your location, it doesn't take too many calling sequences for them to hone into your location.

Keep calling simple. I prefer diaphragm calls because I can make them sound good and they limit movement. FOr a beginner a Quaker Boy push button is about as easy as it gets and can make a good sound and variety of calls.

Shotgun is what I would go with initially, you can always graduate to bow, but get some success in early. A good 12 ga with a tight choke and 4,5 or 6's will give you 40 yd range effectively.

Carry necessary equipment. I like to have a pair of pruning shears to clip away brush so I can make a good hide. I also like a seat of some sort, my vest had a butt pad attached. Locator calls are useful, but don't over play them.

Not a big fan of decoys. I seem to have birds hang up more with decoys than without.

[Tony Pic]

Like a few have said...Camo is very important...Lack of movement is also. Blue jeans will not work! If you use a decoy and a bow...have the deke facing you about 15-20 yards out. The Tom will challenge that deke head on and turn his back to you to face the deke. That is when it gets the arrow up the wazoo(what your aiming for). I have only experience with easterns...But I hear Rios are suckers for calling and the easiest to bag. Have patience and do not over call. Sit tight. In nature the hen comes to the tom...How we hunt them is totally unnatural making the tom come to the lonely hard to get hen. Which is why patience is a big thing. Good luck. Turkeys are one of only 2 game animals that talk back when you hunt 'em. The other is elk. Hunt safe.