Huckleberry Fall Turkey

[wafisherman]

A friend has some land in 121 that has quite a few birds on it.  The land is about 200 acres and nobody hunts it.  We plan to change all that this year 

We are going to try hunt whitetail for the modern opener, and then on the last day or 2, if we have tagged out, switch to turkey.

I have never hunted turkey before.  What are the basics I'll need to know?  My only shotgun is a 20guage.  Should I get my hands on a 12 gauge. 

What ammo should I get?

Basic strategy for turkey?  Find roost, find water, sit and wait at first light to intersect their trip to the water?  If that doesn't work, is it boots on the ground just covering the land to find them, or more of a sit and wait and any sort of calling?  Sorry, really have no clue 

[WaltAlpine]

20 ga will work. They make turkey shells for them.
In the fall they don't respond much to calls. You have to stalk them.
Use the search function on this site for turkeys. There's a lot of good info here.
Also you might be able to invite an experienced turkey hunter to go with you...

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[MHWASH]

Find out where they roost, then sneak in close early the next morning. Often times they'll gobble in the fall on the roost.

Even 20ga grouse loads work on turkeys.

[Pegasus]

Buy turkey loads. No. 5's are my favs. Use turkey choke or full. Remember to shoot them in the face. Body shots, especially with a 20 ga., usually end up with the turkey likely flying or running and dying away from you. Tuff to get them to gobble in the fall once they are off the roost. When roosted they might respond to owl or crow calls. Occasionally I had luck during the day with a peacock call for a locator. They tend to gobble at loud noises like dogs barking or a truck using "Jake" brakes.

[wafisherman]

Great, thanks guys!!  I'll post out results next month

[ctwiggs1]

Since it's hen only... I would just watch and see where you typically see them.  They are fairly consistent creatures - ambush them after you get a feel for where they hang out.

I only use non-toxic turkey loads now so I don't have to search out every lead pellet before I boil the bones for turkey stock.  Each turkey yields about 8 quarts of stock so it's a great haul.

Curtis

[bearpaw]

A 20 gauge will work, I would use turkey loads with #6, you would get even better distance and pattern density with hevi-shot #7, but it costs two or three times more than regular turkey loads.

[Machias]

Fall Turkey hunting is very easy, once you find the flock.  Sneak in close enough and then run and scare them in all of directions.  They are VERY susceptible to calling once the flock is scattered.  Sit down near the break up site and wait about 5 minutes and then start calling with either the Kee Kee Run or the Assembly Yelp.  Get ready to notch your tag.

[NRA4LIFE]

I killed one just road hunting last fall during my moose hunt.  There are a lot of them out there.

[wafisherman]

Fall Turkey hunting is very easy, once you find the flock.  Sneak in close enough and then run and scare them in all of directions.  They are VERY susceptible to calling once the flock is scattered.  Sit down near the break up site and wait about 5 minutes and then start calling with either the Kee Kee Run or the Assembly Yelp.  Get ready to notch your tag.

Boy do I have a lot to learn.  Kee Kee RUn and Assembly Yelp?  As far as I know, I could pick that up with a side of blinker fluid   

Time to get on YouTube and learn a little.  Will be fist time going after them, but quite possibly the start of a new addiction.  Especially if my son catches the bug 

[ctwiggs1]

Fall Turkey hunting is very easy, once you find the flock.  Sneak in close enough and then run and scare them in all of directions.  They are VERY susceptible to calling once the flock is scattered.  Sit down near the break up site and wait about 5 minutes and then start calling with either the Kee Kee Run or the Assembly Yelp.  Get ready to notch your tag.

Boy do I have a lot to learn.  Kee Kee RUn and Assembly Yelp?  As far as I know, I could pick that up with a side of blinker fluid   

Time to get on YouTube and learn a little.  Will be fist time going after them, but quite possibly the start of a new addiction.  Especially if my son catches the bug 

Spring Turkey is even better.  If you're in good turkey land, just keep at it.

[Machias]

I haven't fall hunted in a while because it really is too easy.  Much prefer Spring Gobblers and really enjoy going after a cagey ol long-beard.

[270Shooter]

Turkeys seem to be far less wary in the late summer and fall. You can probably almost walk right up to them.

[kevinlisa06]

20ga be just fine but please pattern your gun.


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