Tips for Turkey Success

[FreezerFiller]

Just finished up my second day of hunting turkey for the first time in my life, safe to say I am frustratingly hooked for life. Nothing can compare to hearing that gobble cut through the trees. Unfortunately, I came up empty-handed aside from a lot of new knowledge of exactly how incredible wild turkeys are. While I was in the field I found I had a decent deal of success in getting gobblers to respond to my calls, my only trouble was getting any to close the distance. 

I have watched a few videos on when to call and when not to call, but is there any specific order of call types, volume, pitch, or really any tips anyone out there has for me on getting those stubborn Tom's in close? Even if it isn't related to calling, I would love some tips and any lessons learned yall have had hunting turkey.

Thanks yall! 

[baldopepper]

Lot of info out there, but I would highly recommend watching Dale Outdoors on you tube. He covers all kinds of situations and isn't trying to sale you anything or make up videos of canned hunts. He just gives good advice and over the years I've found most of it to be very accurate.

[Russ McDonald]

Your calling depends on the situation also what point of the season you are in.   My find right now is we are about 3 weeks early.   It is tough hunting unless you know where the roost is.   I think may is going to be the best time to hunt this year.  Don't go back and forth with a tom.  Call a couple times and if that room seems to be closing the distance play hard to get don't call.  Good thing to remember in nature toms do not come to hens hens come to toms.  That is why they strut and show off.   Your just trying to peak his interest  into some sweet loving.  If he is with hens try and listen to that vocal hen.   She is most likely the boss hen and you can try and piss her off.   That can pull in the flock and the toms will follow.   Also a good thing to remember is that toms normally follow hens.   Jakes will be all over the place but older toms are usually behind.

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[hunter399]

I agree with Russ .......
Will say sometimes the situation comes into play.
If that Tom already has a bunch of hens ,he isn't coming in to you.

If it gobbles ,you have a location,if the area is open enough start working your way there slow. See if you can get a look at him or some hens.
Depending on terrain ,you may be able to put a stalk on.
Example would be like a ridge ,try to work around or up the back side ,road just below or just above you can use the bank of road to slip in.
I've seen toms killed that only gobbled twice,but a hunter was able to slip into the herd ,by means of terrain,stalk,decoy,and continue light cluck call.

I agree with Russ ,that as the season goes on more hens will nest up,leaving toms to active search for hens ,and for that few weeks Tom will close the distance in a hurry.
Tom's that have a whole herd of hens right now are gonna stay with that herd. Sometimes you might get lucky and a herd has multiple toms and Jake's that will gobble and they kinda get each other worked up enough to come to a call.

Other than that keep trying,if you got one gobble ,that's half the battle. Sometimes it may take awhile to get it to come to a call. If it's active respond to your call with a gobble it's interested. If you only get two gobble in 30 min and it's not responding every time you call ,that may be one to consider some kind of stalk or try to get an eyeball on it. So you have a confirmed location,which way they may be headed,all that.
You may be able to close the distance or cut them off somewhere to get a shot.
Not every turkey killed ,is what you see on hunting shows and YouTube.

[birddogdad]

if someone else is working a bird in front of you or you see a car parked and working a bird there, DONT be that guy to wreck someones setup !

[Russ McDonald]

if someone else is working a bird in front of you or you see a car parked and working a bird there, DONT be that guy to wreck someones setup !

Agreed i went pass alot of places that had people on it.

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[hunter399]

if someone else is working a bird in front of you or you see a car parked and working a bird there, DONT be that guy to wreck someones setup !

Agreed i went pass alot of places that had people on it.

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Heck I was going to sight in a rifle yesterday.
And seen a few rigs parked in the area, I moved on and didn't get to shoot the rifle.
But It was the right thing to do.
Oh well maybe today.

[FreezerFiller]

if someone else is working a bird in front of you or you see a car parked and working a bird there, DONT be that guy to wreck someones setup !

Oh yeah, that's just common sense! Had that happen with deer before, wont let myself be that guy.

[FreezerFiller]

I agree with Russ .......
Will say sometimes the situation comes into play.
If that Tom already has a bunch of hens ,he isn't coming in to you.

If it gobbles ,you have a location,if the area is open enough start working your way there slow. See if you can get a look at him or some hens.
Depending on terrain ,you may be able to put a stalk on.
Example would be like a ridge ,try to work around or up the back side ,road just below or just above you can use the bank of road to slip in.
I've seen toms killed that only gobbled twice,but a hunter was able to slip into the herd ,by means of terrain,stalk,decoy,and continue light cluck call.

I agree with Russ ,that as the season goes on more hens will nest up,leaving toms to active search for hens ,and for that few weeks Tom will close the distance in a hurry.
Tom's that have a whole herd of hens right now are gonna stay with that herd. Sometimes you might get lucky and a herd has multiple toms and Jake's that will gobble and they kinda get each other worked up enough to come to a call.

Other than that keep trying,if you got one gobble ,that's half the battle. Sometimes it may take awhile to get it to come to a call. If it's active respond to your call with a gobble it's interested. If you only get two gobble in 30 min and it's not responding every time you call ,that may be one to consider some kind of stalk or try to get an eyeball on it. So you have a confirmed location,which way they may be headed,all that.
You may be able to close the distance or cut them off somewhere to get a shot.
Not every turkey killed ,is what you see on hunting shows and YouTube.

I appreciate the insight man, the more I've chatted with people the more I hear that the further into the season the better your chances can get. My difficulty is the self-control of playing "hard to get". I find myself 5 minutes into waiting convincing myself it's time to sound off again, definitely something I will be working on.

[FreezerFiller]

Lot of info out there, but I would highly recommend watching Dale Outdoors on you tube. He covers all kinds of situations and isn't trying to sale you anything or make up videos of canned hunts. He just gives good advice and over the years I've found most of it to be very accurate.

Thank you for the channel name, I checked Dale out and he has some great videos on there. While I was looking through his videos, I also came across Seek One as well as The Hunting Public! Appreciate it, man.

[Badsmerf]

I'm not an expert turkey hunter, but I've always thought early in the season was best. I'm surprised to hear you all say that we are a few weeks from the best hunting.

[Russ McDonald]

I'm not an expert turkey hunter, but I've always thought early in the season was best. I'm surprised to hear you all say that we are a few weeks from the best hunting.

It is better when hens are nesting which is May.  Tom's will ve in bachelor groups and looking for more love with a hen that hasn't been bred.  You will be that hen then.

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[Tball77]

Bring Deet for Ticks. 

[hughjorgan]

Bring Deet for Ticks.

Sawyers permethrin works 10x better than deet for ticks and doesn’t stink either. Pre treat your clothing prior to hitting the woods.

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/sawyer-permethrin-insect-repellent-for-clothing?ds_e=MICROSOFT&ds_c=Shop%7CCAB%7CTopPerformers%7CHunting&msclkid=70f047de1796157ec77a25b604f8d266&gclid=70f047de1796157ec77a25b604f8d266&gclsrc=3p.ds

[zwickeyman]

I'm not an expert turkey hunter, but I've always thought early in the season was best. I'm surprised to hear you all say that we are a few weeks from the best hunting.

It is better when hens are nesting which is May.  Tom's will ve in bachelor groups and looking for more love with a hen that hasn't been bred.  You will be that hen then.

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[/quote

 

Where I was it will definately be better in 2 or 3 weeks, All Toms still with Hens all day

[Machias]

I don't even hit the woods until 0800 anymore.  Very rarely do you have the perfect scenario of calling to roosted birds and have them fly down and start strutting in front of you.  Certainly happens and happens all the time, but not for me, it's only happened a handful of times with the 50 or 60 birds I've killed in the spring.  I grew up in Missouri and have been chasing birds for 44 years.  But if I get a gobbler to answer anytime after 0900, I have a VERY good chance of calling him in.  One of my favorite birds I killed was a few years ago in Virginia.  Gobbled every time I called.  I could see him strutting in the field, but nothing would get him to budge.  I circled around and was able to get within 200 yards.  Called to him, double and triple gobbled.  Called again with a different call, hoping to sound like two hens.  Boom gobble gobble.  Then I just sat there and never called again.  10 minutes goes by Gobble?  20 minutes, Gobble?  At the 30 minute mark he lowered his fan and started feeding, in my direction.  Shot him about 45 minutes after I had initially set up.  I also took a guy out, first time hunter.  Told him we would be unlikely to call one in early, but things should pick up around 0800 to 0900.  We're walking up a logging trail, I crow called, bird gobbled back.  We moved up to an flat area and I gave him a few yelps and purrs.  Double gobbled.  He was still about 150 or so yards away.  While I was standing there trying to decide if I should move in closer, he double gobbled again but was only about 75 yards away.  I quickly had the guy set up and I moved back about 30 yards.  Once I got set up, called again, double and triple gobbled!!  15 seconds later boom, 24 pound bird, with a 11 inch beard down.  I probably ruined that guy turkey hunting! 

[pickardjw]

We played hard to get with a bird this weekend. Went back and forth with him for 10-15 minutes then shut up. He kept gobbling occasionally and eventually ripped off from the ridge above us 45 minutes later, just on the private side of the fence. He hung up there. Should've been able to see our decoys (feeding hen, breeding hen and jake).

What do you do in that situation calling wise?

[Badsmerf]

Wow really? I'm kinda self taught and only have a handful of seasons. I've never read or watched much Youtube on turkey hunting. It has been about a decade since I've gone (NE Iowa in the past), but now I'm here and love being in the mountains. I called a bird to my 13 year old daughter during youth season and called one in on Saturday from the roost. I had a lot of Toms that just weren't that interested in me, thought it had something to do with my calling or too much calling etc.

[Russ McDonald]

We played hard to get with a bird this weekend. Went back and forth with him for 10-15 minutes then shut up. He kept gobbling occasionally and eventually ripped off from the ridge above us 45 minutes later, just on the private side of the fence. He hung up there. Should've been able to see our decoys (feeding hen, breeding hen and jake).

What do you do in that situation calling wise?

Problem is thay they could see your hen most likely.  I natire the tom struts and gobbles to bring the hen to him.  We are working opposite trying to het them interested.  If he see your hen he is going to strut and gobble.  Try not to give them a good long distance site to your decoy.  You could also try different calls to sound like multiple hens like another striker on your slate or a mouth call and slate call.  Throw in clucks and cuts.  To also answer the question right now the toms have their hens.  During youth season they were still breeding so very suseptible to calls.  Calling off the roost if they fly down and circle back is good but soon the hens will be going to nest.  They are laying eggs now.  Once they nest the tims will be alone and looking foe love.

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[Machias]

I rarely even put a decoy out now, they do have their place.  But when I do set them out, I want him in range when he first sees it.

[Heartsblood]

I don't even hit the woods until 0800 anymore.  Very rarely do you have the perfect scenario of calling to roosted birds and have them fly down and start strutting in front of you.  Certainly happens and happens all the time, but not for me, it's only happened a handful of times with the 50 or 60 birds I've killed in the spring.  I grew up in Missouri and have been chasing birds for 44 years.  But if I get a gobbler to answer anytime after 0900, I have a VERY good chance of calling him in.  One of my favorite birds I killed was a few years ago in Virginia.  Gobbled every time I called.  I could see him strutting in the field, but nothing would get him to budge.  I circled around and was able to get within 200 yards.  Called to him, double and triple gobbled.  Called again with a different call, hoping to sound like two hens.  Boom gobble gobble.  Then I just sat there and never called again.  10 minutes goes by Gobble?  20 minutes, Gobble?  At the 30 minute mark he lowered his fan and started feeding, in my direction.  Shot him about 45 minutes after I had initially set up.  I also took a guy out, first time hunter.  Told him we would be unlikely to call one in early, but things should pick up around 0800 to 0900.  We're walking up a logging trail, I crow called, bird gobbled back.  We moved up to an flat area and I gave him a few yelps and purrs.  Double gobbled.  He was still about 150 or so yards away.  While I was standing there trying to decide if I should move in closer, he double gobbled again but was only about 75 yards away.  I quickly had the guy set up and I moved back about 30 yards.  Once I got set up, called again, double and triple gobbled!!  15 seconds later boom, 24 pound bird, with a 11 inch beard down.  I probably ruined that guy turkey hunting! 

God that sounds familiar... Lol