How do I get ready for my first turkey hunt?

[aman]

I've done a little bit of waterfowl hunting but I've never done any turkey hunting or big game hunting. I'd like to get ready for the spring turkey hunt but I have no idea where to start or how to educate my self.

What gear do I need? How do I go about selecting places to scout? I'm in Seattle area but willing to go NE.

Thank so you much in advance for the help. 

[vandeman17]

my advice is to find someone with experience and ask politely to tag along. Offer to drive, split gas, food, room etc and then just be observant, follow their lead and have a great time. 

[Russ McDonald]

Marysville Gun Club in Marysville March 15th or Black Diamond Gun Club in Black Diamond Aplril 7th.  Turkey hunting clinics.   If you go to the WDFW website and the hunter education link it will show the classes.  They also have some big game clinics to.   I am doing the 2 clinics for turkey hunting.

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[aman]

Thanks Russ! I signed up for the Maryville clinic! Are you going to be there?

[aman]

When do they release the 2018 spring turkey regulations?

[nwwanderer]

Pattern your shotgun, shoot it from several angles, practice setting still, get permission and take as many as possible.  They are getting to be a problem.

[police women of America]

Hey aman, welcome to Hunting-Washington! I may not know a whole lot about turkey hunting, but I do know a lot about learning how to hunt. First off I'd suggest making an account with Hunters-ed.com, its free and you can skip to the turkey hunting part of the course and look it over to learn the basics. You could also take look at the event schedule for your local Cabelas. Near springtime they give free turkey hunting seminars, and while you're there you could also ask any questions you might have. Lastly (my favorite option), is using the internet and YouTube. Of course, you always want to double check on any info you get from the internet (and make sure it applies here in Washington) but usually the sources are pretty good.
Here's some basic info for you to reasearch to get you started:
*How to gut/clean a turkey
*Places to hunt turkey in Washington state (which will undoubtably be in Eastern Washington, since we have very few here in the wes part of the state). Also see about DNR land.
*if you don't already know/have your weapon, you'll need to do a lot of specific research on that. Including legal calibers, what caliber you will want, learning about chokes, etc.
*learn about turkeys. How well can they see? What do they like to eat? When is mating season? Do you need to use calls? (This is when YouTube videos come in handy).
I can't offer you much on turkey info in itself, but I do know they see VERY well. You'll need a lot of camo and possibly a hunting blind. It's also going to be hard to be properly prepared for turkey hunting this season considering how much you have to learn, but it's always possible! Just keep learning and it will all be worth it. And if you have any questions about researching or you get stuck trying to figure something out, feel free to message me!

[Russ McDonald]

Thanks Russ! I signed up for the Maryville clinic! Are you going to be there?

I am teaching it.  I may also be doing one at Cabelas in Tulalip too.

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[carvermoe]

Don't start turkey hunting is my advice.
if you do remember this.

1. you will end up buying a turkey specific shotgun
2. you will buy a turkey vest, one with a comfy seat
3. you will buy a box call, diaphragm call, and a huge assortment of others
4. of course new camo everything
5. you will buy a set or 2 of decoys
6. you will also have a bunch of new or old [ friends ] wanting you to take them to the honey hole
7. you will be compelled to go to clinics, read articles , watch hunting shows, etc.
8. you will have to suffer the agony of cooking and eating one
9. most important is the fact that when you call up your first tom, and hear him gobble
and watch him strut in. You will be addicted with no hope of treatment
Other then that have a great time.

[huntnfmly]

Don't start turkey hunting is my advice.
if you do remember this.

1. you will end up buying a turkey specific shotgun
2. you will buy a turkey vest, one with a comfy seat
3. you will buy a box call, diaphragm call, and a huge assortment of others
4. of course new camo everything
5. you will buy a set or 2 of decoys
6. you will also have a bunch of new or old [ friends ] wanting you to take them to the honey hole
7. you will be compelled to go to clinics, read articles , watch hunting shows, etc.
8. you will have to suffer the agony of cooking and eating one
9. most important is the fact that when you call up your first tom, and hear him gobble
and watch him strut in. You will be addicted with no hope of treatment
Other then that have a great time.

That some it up pretty well lol

[Russ McDonald]

Don't start turkey hunting is my advice.
if you do remember this.

1. you will end up buying a turkey specific shotgun
2. you will buy a turkey vest, one with a comfy seat
3. you will buy a box call, diaphragm call, and a huge assortment of others
4. of course new camo everything
5. you will buy a set or 2 of decoys
6. you will also have a bunch of new or old [ friends ] wanting you to take them to the honey hole
7. you will be compelled to go to clinics, read articles , watch hunting shows, etc.
8. you will have to suffer the agony of cooking and eating one
9. most important is the fact that when you call up your first tom, and hear him gobble
and watch him strut in. You will be addicted with no hope of treatment
Other then that have a great time.

That some it up pretty well lol

Yup

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[outdooraddict]

dont forget to add these to your extremely accurate list
- after you buy a few of those calls, you will go buy a few more (because maybe those ones might sound better)
- you will reach down for your striker out hunting and realize it fell out of your pocket last trip or last stand.
- you can practically kick them all year because they are so dumb, but you will feel demoralized between april 15 and may30 when you get outsmarted multiple times by the bird whos brain cant be much bigger than a pea.
- and after all that, you will go buy another call and prob another set of decoys

[NRA4LIFE]

No matter what your call configuration is, buy a bunch of mouth calls and learn how to use them.  I would suggest starting out with a single or double reed.  When by yourself, mouth calls can be the difference between success and failure.  And buy a very comfortable device to sit on.  Most of all, be patient but persistent.  My opinion only, but the camo pattern I found the best was a ground/leaf pattern for your pants and a bark pattern for you top. 

[kevinlisa06]

Camo including a head net. They see color and can see movement from a ways away. They can hear extremely well.
You do not need decoys trust me. I have yet to kill an ol Tom using decoys but I have carried one for the last 14 years.
Box calls are the easiest to learn how to use. Pot style calls are great and I carry a very large assortment. I can’t use mouth calls very good so I have no comment on those.
Pattern your gun and don’t skimp on how much $$ the shells cost cause when you need to shoot you have to be confident in your shot. It’s the most  important piece to the puzzle to get a bird in my opinion.


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[kevinlisa06]

I will also add it is very addicting


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[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Start hiking hills NOW, just like elk hunting you need to be in some sort of shape.
I always curse myself for not being able to walk uphill fast enough, then being too winded when I get where I wanted to be.
If you are after Easterns, scout now lots of miles to locate birds, and the Toms are fighting now near me, pecking order and dominance displays.

[ctwiggs1]

Don't start turkey hunting is my advice.
if you do remember this.

1. you will end up buying a turkey specific shotgun
2. you will buy a turkey vest, one with a comfy seat
3. you will buy a box call, diaphragm call, and a huge assortment of others
4. of course new camo everything
5. you will buy a set or 2 of decoys
6. you will also have a bunch of new or old [ friends ] wanting you to take them to the honey hole
7. you will be compelled to go to clinics, read articles , watch hunting shows, etc.
8. you will have to suffer the agony of cooking and eating one
9. most important is the fact that when you call up your first tom, and hear him gobble
and watch him strut in. You will be addicted with no hope of treatment
Other then that have a great time.

That some it up pretty well lol

Yup

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Pretty much. It’s spring elk honestly.  Gobbling toms are a hoot

[aman]

Thanks Russ! I signed up for the Maryville clinic! Are you going to be there?

I am teaching it.  I may also be doing one at Cabelas in Tulalip too.

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Whoa! I did not expect that!

I'm looking forward to attending your class and meeting you Russ! Look for a young handsome guy 

[gaddy]

And don't forget bug and tick spray !! I know of a turkey that walked away when the hunter had a tick crawl across his neck at that most important time to be still. And watch where you sit !! I know of another missed opportunity that occurred when the hunter realized, just as the tom was clearing the last bush in range, that the stump he was leaning against was home to a million biting red ants. 

[Miles]

Without reading all the responses, learn how to use a diaphragm call.  Watch videos and practice the sounds.   I watched an instructional video about turkey calling  that Glen Berry made and for some reason the way he explained it, it just clicked for me.  Don’t be afraid to move around when locating, but learn to be patient once you locate birds.  They don’t all come running in immediately.


Good luck.

[Yelper Guy]

Camo is important, but movement by the hunter when birds are near is what blows it for many.
I've been scouting before with no camo, and saw a flock heading my way. I just stayed put - slightly crouched, and they walked by at about 5 yards.
They sensed me, but didn't bust - they just kept heading the way they wanted.
Be patient! When you think that gobbler isn't coming and you get up to move, he's standing right behind you.

[Gobble Doc]

Don't just sit in one spot all morning if you aren't hearing gobbles. I spent way too much time sitting in the same spot when I first started. Be flexible and willing to change your plan. If you do some scouting ahead of time you can mentally come up with plans A, B, C, etc. If A isn't working for some reason or someone else shows up in your spot then you have multiple back-ups. I've always had my best luck sometime around 10 am, plus or minus. Definitely spray your gear for ticks. 

[huntnfmly]

Pm sent

[JasonG]

I'm into trying out Turkey's this spring. I'm new to hunting In general. Starting late at 39 years old.I have a shot gun . Anyone recommend a good turkey choke? Also I have a lot of first lite fusion camo. Do you guys think that would work?

[Russ McDonald]

I'm into trying out Turkey's this spring. I'm new to hunting In general. Starting late at 39 years old.I have a shot gun . Anyone recommend a good turkey choke? Also I have a lot of first lite fusion camo. Do you guys think that would work?

Camo will depend on where your hunting but for the most part not moving is the biggest thing when turkey hunting.   If as turkey catches movement they will become very alert.   They will also lock onto that movement.   I would get a super turkey choke.  All chokes are going to work differently with your shot gun.   Best thing to do is pattern your gun.  Reccomended shot size is 4,5,6.  Each *censored* size will pattern differently in your gun to.   If you pattern your gun correctly you will be fine.  I shoot a Stoeger P350 with manufacture super turkey choke.   With 3" 5 shot Federal turkey loads. 

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[BPturkeys]

Good advise by a lot of good turkey hunters, I would only add where to shoot a turkey. Aim for the base of his neck. Most of the time people shoot over the top of the birds because in the excitement of the shot you don't get down on the stock properly. Some guys say "oh, shoot him in the head"  which is great, but I say aim for the base of the neck and you'll put more birds in the pot and watch a lot less run off.

[hunter399]

Don't start turkey hunting is my advice.
if you do remember this.

1. you will end up buying a turkey specific shotgun
2. you will buy a turkey vest, one with a comfy seat
3. you will buy a box call, diaphragm call, and a huge assortment of others
4. of course new camo everything
5. you will buy a set or 2 of decoys
6. you will also have a bunch of new or old [ friends ] wanting you to take them to the honey hole
7. you will be compelled to go to clinics, read articles , watch hunting shows, etc.
8. you will have to suffer the agony of cooking and eating one
9. most important is the fact that when you call up your first tom, and hear him gobble
and watch him strut in. You will be addicted with no hope of treatment
Other then that have a great time.

I don't totally agree.
1). Turkey tag
2).Full choke shotgun ,size 5,or 6 shot.
3).A box call

Everything else is optional,no need to spend a whole roll of money to have a good time.
GOODLUCK!

[Cab]

There is a lot of turkey hunting advice on here and also on youtube so take advantage of it. Here is a few things I've learned.

-Turkey some days are chatty as hell and other wont talk at all. Don't let this get you down, try and figure out where they go in general. They often have a route they like to take daily and it can be surprising how "on schedule" they can be. Had a group of jacks come in at 6:20 one morning silent and bust me while I was packing up to move. Next day sat in the same spot and at 6:30ish they came right in again to the same spot....bagged out and didn't even have to call.

-start with a box call then move to a slate but always have both with you. I love my slate but nothing has the volume of a box call. Study the rhythm of yelps and mimic it, box call is perfect way to start.

-Not needed but is really nice to have is this set up: and this I love this set up because it allows you to be flexible/ run and gun yet comfortable for long sits in the morning. the set up weight nothing. I dont have these exact ones but in general the whole set up cost about $30-40 total.

-Don't worry about expensive decoys, had plenty of birds come into cheap foam birds. Even seen photos of guys using blown up trash bags and having it work.

-Have fun! Enjoy the challenge of turkey hunting! Turkey's can be incredibly frustrating but when it all works out and you have a tom come in on a string it might be the most amazing feeling I've ever experienced while hunting. Side tip, where the turkeys aren't talking and your about ready to give up, do some morel picking if you can. I find mixing the two is a great way to stay out in the woods and still hopefully come home with something. Best of Luck 

[aman]

Thanks so much Russ! Great clinic

[Russ McDonald]

Thanks so much Russ! Great clinic

Glad I could help out.

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[Stein]

If you were the guy at the turkey clinic at MRC with the SealFit coat, shoot me a pm, meant to talk with you but didn't get a chance.