Turkey Hunting Question

[Outback]

Still learning how to hunt turkey. I've observed that when they respond to hen calls, they are easy to kill. When they are quiet, it's hard! This past weekend, I setup in a spot near their roost early Sat and Sun. I heard gobblers, far less than in recent year but gobbles nonetheless. I waited until late morning and went mobile. I walked over 3 miles on the ranch Saturday and Sunday hen calling every 10 minutes and one bird responded each day. I think I bumped one setting up and the other would not move closer and I wasn't able to move closer without being spotted.

Should I have mixed in crow calls to try and induce shock gobbles? Or, is that just turkey hunting? I'm heading to New Mexico for Merriam's in a few weeks and Wisconsin in a month and plan to try and locate some roosting birds and setup on them for morning hunts from a tent blind and then run and gun during the day. Thinking maybe I should mix in crow and hen calls.

[texan16]

If they responded to a hen call, I wouldnt follow up with any type of shock call. Once they answer they know exactly where you are. Give em a few minutes and throw another yelp series at em and see how they respond. If they immediately gobble back and sound fairly close, I would get quiet and let em come. If they sound a pretty good ways off you might try to quickly cut the distance and find a place to set up. Once you are good and set up, give em another yelp. Greatest thing about turkey hunting is that it is very seldom the same. Lots of cat/mouse and a little luck.

[Smart]

Still learning how to hunt turkey. I've observed that when they respond to hen calls, they are easy to kill. When they are quiet, it's hard! This past weekend, I setup in a spot near their roost early Sat and Sun. I heard gobblers, far less than in recent year but gobbles nonetheless. I waited until late morning and went mobile. I walked over 3 miles on the ranch Saturday and Sunday hen calling every 10 minutes and one bird responded each day. I think I bumped one setting up and the other would not move closer and I wasn't able to move closer without being spotted.

Should I have mixed in crow calls to try and induce shock gobbles? Or, is that just turkey hunting? I'm heading to New Mexico for Merriam's in a few weeks and Wisconsin in a month and plan to try and locate some roosting birds and setup on them for morning hunts from a tent blind and then run and gun during the day. Thinking maybe I should mix in crow and hen calls.

A good place to start is to find out what direction they are leaving the roost and set up the way they want to go and try to cut one off. Making them come to you is not an easy game if they leave the roost with hens and you aren't in the direction the hens want to go.....unless they are right.

[jay07ag]

Usually this early in the season the gobblers may still be "henned up" and they can be difficult to pull away from the flock in the mornings. I have had lots of success though in the late mornings and early afternoons calling a bird in that has left the flock for the day and broken out to go forage for a bit. Or if you know the general direction of where the birds traveled in the morning, try to intercept them on their way back to the roost area for a late afternoon hunt. Dont set up too close to the roost though, you want to stay at least a couple hundred yards from the roost site so as not to "blow up" that roost area. Do periodic light calling and dont move around much if at all. Turkey hunting is crazy and anything can happen...but I think afternoon hunting is always an under appreciated tactic. But beware, the birds may come in dead silent, so keep your head on a swivel and stay still/quiet! Good luck to you

[Outback]

Thanks guys. Great advice. I'll put it to use in a few weeks in Mew Mexico!

[Lynn21]

Main thing is not to overcall.