do you always have to call

[bankwalker]

im just curious if anyone just walks around and hopes to stumble into a turkey/s?

i see them all the time in my elk hunting areas when scouting in august and while hunting in september. 90% of the time it is very easy to get within 20yds of them.

[strutnrut1984]

its way more fun to call one in and get it. u will be hook for life. just like calling in a big bull and sealing he deal

[bankwalker]

yea i dont know the feeling of sealing that deal yet. lol but i have called enough big bulls in to know what it almost feels like.

[fishunt247]

Another thing to consider is that Merriams aren't always in the same spots in the fall as they are in the spring. I don't know if the same thing is true for Rios or not. The birds aren't very intelligent in the fall either, lots of young birds. But like strut said, that isn't the way to do it. It's basically the same concept as calling bulls. Get some calls and go for it.

[NWTFhunter]

I believe in calling them in, but if they are not into coming in with calls you gotta resort to other means.
The second week I had been working birds that would head the other way when they heard a call that came from somewhere other than the flock.  SO I got creative !  I found where they were, and waited them out to return to where they had been.   I wont say it was easy at all !  I was pinned down by 14 hens for 45 min or better before MR Tom gave me a shot.  And I was completely lucky that he traveled towards me, instead of taking the shortest route to his hens.  It was his mistake that got his head popped.

[bearpaw]

Here's a couple tips that work for me that I hope will help you..........

No You Don't Have To Call...But Walking May Not Be The Best Answer In The Spring
When walking around in the fall it is easy to walk up to birds for reasons previously stated here (lots of young birds which are not too wary), but in the spring all the birds are at least 1 year old and very tuned into staying alive or they wouldn't be alive.

The average hunter can not compete against the vision and awareness of an alert wild turkey and in most cases the worst thing you can do is walk around in the spring, especially if the birds have been hunted and extra wary.

Calling
Calling birds, elk, coyotes, ducks, or any wildlife is an absolute hoot. But bad calling by a hunter who is not a good caller is like waving a white flag at your location to tell all turkeys your location so they can avoid you. Remember, calling works well only if you are a good caller.

Sit & Watch
Watch your birds, figure out where they like to feed, their travel routes, areas where they roost, find yourself a good spot and sit...sit...sit. Unless the birds get bumped by someone walking around too much, they may be back and you might notch your tag. Anyone with the patience to sit and watch has a good chance of killing a bird this way.

Decoys
I have a much different opinion of turkey decoys than most people. Turkeys have better eyes than we do, I can't tell you how many times I have driven by a field and spotted a setup with lifeless decoys along the edge. If I can spot them immediately, so can the birds. I have not touched a decoy this season and don't plan to, but I have called in plenty of birds. My advice is to save your decoy money for the gas tank and go hunting more often. If you have a burning desire to use a decoy get the most realistic decoy you can find, like a pretty boy using a real turkey fan.

Spot & Stalk
No one talks about doing this, but it is a very effective method. If you are in open areas, use your optics and spot the birds, identify them for sure, and then very carefully stalk them. Be careful, turkeys have excellent vision and if you are not careful they will see you. Be extra careful: A few years ago a hunter got shot while he was stalking in on some decoys. The stalking hunter thought the decoys were real birds and when the waiting hunter saw the bushes move he thought the stalking hunter was a gobler coming in so he took the shot. That should have never happened but it did, so be careful.

Walk & Call
This is one of my favorite methods. Imitates a hen looking to be bred. Just walk slowly watching carefully and do a basic yelp every 30 to 50 yards. Listen for the gobble. If you are not a good caller, try a push button yelper, they are easiest to learn to use.

Good Luck.........

[boneaddict]

You're probably about to get smucked by the traditional turkey guys.  As its kind of against grain of tradition or fo pa(don't know how to spell it) to do it otherwise.

[bearpaw]

You have a good provacative point....I could aplogize I guess, but that in itself would not be an honest act.

Purists in any sport can be a detriment. So many times the purists think their way is the only way and that school of thought in itself is the wrong way. Purists sometimes try to regulate an activity to suit their own beliefs and the next thing you know, something is being outlawed and people are quitting that activity completely.

My last two hunters asked me why I didn't bring decoys, I told them I thought they are a detriment to the hunt because they don't look or act like real turkeys. After having numerous birds called into easy shooting range they are in agreement and will have more gas money for future hunts....LOL

Hey, I would never tell anyone they can't use decoys, but I also expect them to leave me a alone if I don't want to use them. As far as the stalking comment, even national writers are finally seeing the light of day and writing about other hunting methods.

There are many times during the season when birds simply won't call. While the traditional turkey hunter is sitting under a tree waiting for a gobbler to come to his call, I am out whacking birds by other methods.

I can only wonder how the indians, the original turkey hunters, hunted their birds? I prefer to call them the traditional hunters because they were hunting turkeys before the modern turkey hunters were......my guess is they didn't use decoys or modern calls and that they stalked or waited and arrowed them???

[boneaddict]

I know,  it honestly doesn't bother me one bit how folks harves t their birds, as long as its legal and they had fun doing it.  I do know it does bother some though.

[bankwalker]

my only reason for not calling is cause well its short in the season to "learn" to call. and i planned on going hiking in an area i have seen alot of turkey's over the last few years. so i planned on just buying my small game lisence and turkey tag and just maybe stumble onto some birds.

[bearpaw]

Sounds like a good enough plan, have fun....post a photo if you get one and let us know how it went. If you stumple into an area with a lot of turkey sign, droppings, tracks, etc, you might try just checking back or sitting and wathcing that area at first or last light for an hour or two....Good Luck

[bearpaw]

Hey Boneaddict, ya I know those guys get their feathers ruffled over all kinds of little things.....but your comment is sound....

as long as it is legal and fun, do it

In fact I really like that.......

[Intruder]

Hey Boneaddict, ya I know those guys get their feathers ruffled over all kinds of little things.....but your comment is sound....
as long as it is legal and fun, do it
In fact I really like that.......

The big elements that was left out is "safety" and "not being disruptive to other hunters".  Spot and stock is frowned upon not because of purist roots but because it too often defies these principals.

I consider myself a purist in the sense that I will only kill a turkey that I call in.  That being said I have no issue with guys that use decoys or ambush birds, etc.  I do have a big problems with guys stalking a gobbling bird though.  There's no way to know if someone is setup and working it.  The potential hazards to both the stalker and the guy who is set up are huge.  At the very least the guy setup working the bird for the past 2 hours gets hosed by the guy creeping in.

[Wacenturion]

I agree with Intruder. 

[jackelope]

i know a guy who shot someone turkey hunting and i know 2 guys who got shot by the same person turkey hunting. both accidents happened as a result of someone stalking turkeys. all 3 people on whichever end of the gun they were on were very experienced turkey hunters and woodsmen. neither of the 3 were doing the stalking. they were all set up and calling. *censored* happens, and if you do it enough, the *censored* is bound to happen to even the best of people.

p.s. none of this happened in WA...both instances were back east where the concentration of turkey hunters is very high. turkey hunting is growing in popularity in WA and we need to consider that before developing bad habits that may get you or someone else hurt in the future.

[bankwalker]

Hey Boneaddict, ya I know those guys get their feathers ruffled over all kinds of little things.....but your comment is sound....
as long as it is legal and fun, do it
In fact I really like that.......

The big elements that was left out is "safety" and "not being disruptive to other hunters".  Spot and stock is frowned upon not because of purist roots but because it too often defies these principals.

I consider myself a purist in the sense that I will only kill a turkey that I call in.  That being said I have no issue with guys that use decoys or ambush birds, etc.  I do have a big problems with guys stalking a gobbling bird though.  There's no way to know if someone is setup and working it.  The potential hazards to both the stalker and the guy who is set up are huge.  At the very least the guy setup working the bird for the past 2 hours gets hosed by the guy creeping in.

given a situation like that wouldnt it be frowned upon to stalk any game animal.

ive stalked quite a few animals just to be busted by another hunter who is either stalking the same animal, or setup to anbush them. ive had rifles pointed right at my head, and even last year had a guy walk within spitting distance from me who was after the same elk i was.

you have no way a knowing. and its just part of the game.

[Intruder]

given a situation like that wouldnt it be frowned upon to stalk any game animal.

ive stalked quite a few animals just to be busted by another hunter who is either stalking the same animal, or setup to anbush them. ive had rifles pointed right at my head, and even last year had a guy walk within spitting distance from me who was after the same elk i was.

you have no way a knowing. and its just part of the game.

Completely apples to oranges comparison.  When stalking elk or deer if you are doing it with anything but a bow you are normally in blaze orange.  You rarely are seated and in a low profile situation where your field of view is limited and you're hidden from others field of view.  You're not shooting at something that stands 2 feet off the ground. 

Trust me.... I have guys walk in on me all the time while I'm set up, probably happens once or twice a year.  Generally I hear them way before but sometimes I don't.  It is down right scarey knowing that someone has no clue that I'm there and could easily kill me if the turkey got between he and I - or vice versa.  Being able to stalk turkeys isn't worth blinding or killing someone.... at that point it's not much of a game.   

[jackelope]

i think in order to grasp the true potential danger, you have to pay attention to the stats from places back east or the midwest where several people a year get shot by other hunters.
we are getting there.

[bearpaw]

I figured I would get a response. It goes without saying: If you hear someone calling a bird, you obviosly look for another bird. I too have been stung by other hunters sneaking in on birds I was actively working. However, I tried to compensate for the situation by figuring the other hunter was a novice and was not able to discern I was working the bird. However, that's one of the reasons I try to avoid public land on busy days like the opener and weekends. If you choose to hunt public land on busy days you may have competition from another caller or another stalker.......

I have had 6x6 elk shot by other hunters who beat me to the elk but I did not try to say the hunter did anything wrong. Now, if you hear someone calling that bull, any respectful person would go elsewhere.

As long as a hunter respects another hunter who is calling a bird I see no reason to not stalk a bird if that seems like the best method. Those who have tried know it is no easy feat to get within range and repeated attempts will improve your skills at stalking any other game, that i guarantee.

Lastly, there is simply no excuse for pulling the trigger on anything that does not look exactly like the quarry you are hunting. A human obviously looks nothing like a turkey.

Good Luck Hunting

[jackelope]

NY: Turkey hunting accident sends victim to hospital
Turkey hunting accident sends victim to hospital

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

MINDEN - State and local officials are investigating a hunting accident Sunday that left a Montgomery County man with serious injuries.

Tom Fahy of Nelliston was listed in serious condition at Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown following a 7 a.m. shooting that authorities described as accidental.

The shooting happened in woods off Walts Road in the town of Minden, according to Maureen Wren, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

Fahy was turkey hunting with a friend, Dale Fisher of Fort Plain. Fisher allegedly fired his gun at a turkey but hit Fahy. The location of Fahy's wound was not available.

The men's ages also were not available.

The shooting is being investigated by the DEC and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department, Wren said.

NY: DEC investigates hunting accident
DEC investigates hunting accident

05/16/2009

COLONIE, N.Y. -- Two men are recovering after a hunting accident in Colonie. Police say four men were turkey hunting in the woods off Troy-Schenectady Road, near Keeler Motors early Saturday morning.

According to police, David Ferrara, 41, who is an Albany County Corrections officer, fired the bird shot. Anthony and Vincent Santoro were hit in the face, chest, and shoulders.

The injuries weren't serious, and both men have already been released from the hospital. Police say the incident is being investigated by the Department of Environmental Conservation.

OK: Man shot turkey hunting in Wagoner Co.
Man shot turkey hunting in Wagoner Co.

April 30, 2009

The father of a Chouteau police officer was rushed to a Tulsa hospital Tuesday night after he was accidentally shot while hunting.

Merlin Elkins, step-father of Chouteau Officer Justin Allen, was turkey hunting near Blue Bill Point

in Wagoner County when he was accidentally shot.

Chouteau Police Chief Gary Shrum said Allen took off work Wednesday while Elkins underwent surgery. Shrum said Elkins was hit in the face by

several pellets from the shotgun.

He was taken by air ambulance to St. Francis, then transferred to St. John Hospital in Tulsa.

Details of what happened were not available at press time. Wagoner County Sheriff Bob Colbert hadn’t returned any phone calls as of Thursday morning.

the list goes on and on.....

[jackelope]

Dale...usually we have seen eye to eye on most things. i will argue that the people who are stalking turkeys to shoot mostly are not able to tell the difference between a person calling a turkey or a real life turkey calling.
i will also argue that 99% of the people who get shot are not getting shot because someone thinks they are a turkey. they are getting shot because they are in a direct line of fire beyond a turkey or a decoy that someone shoots.
the 2 that i know that got shot were directly in line behind their decoy. the guy shot the decoy in turn hitting them both. thankfully Lance was leaning down over the gun covering a lot of his face and he took most of the shot blocking it from hitting his dad. neither were severely hurt. everyone walked out of the woods together. not sure how i would have been able to walk out of the woods with a *censored* who just shot me...but thats a whole different story.

[Machias]

I believe we are lucky in one regard is we do not have the heavy underbrush as they do back east.  Missouri used to average 20+ folks shot during their three week spring season.  In almost every turkey game regs from back east they list the safety tips and usually #1 or #2 is don't stalk turkeys.  It really is nothing like trying to stalk deer or elk.  I believe if we had the same undergrowth we'd have a few more accidents ourselves.  But this is just one purist's      

P.S.  I won't look down on anyone who safely and legally harvest a bird, to each is own.  If it's just about harvesting a bird and your happy, so be it.  Once you get your fill of harvesting birds and want to delve deeper into the sport of turkey hunting, I'm more then happy to lend a hand or offer a little advice.

[bearpaw]

I respect your opinion, and I can see that the possibilty of getting sprayed with shot from another hunter shooting at a real turkey by accident does really exist.

However, if you hunt the potholes for ducks long enough you may get sprayed with shot while sitting in your blind unintentionally too. And that shot is probably not coming from a duck stalker but from another hunter in a blind.

Many shooting accidents are caused by failure to identify the target or carelessness. But some are truly accidents that just happened without any intentional cause.

I know a hunter who is missing part of his ear. He was elk hunting and a wild bullet happened to go through his ear, noone was shooting at him, he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unfortunate yes......but lucky too that he wasn't in a slightly different position.....

My sister and her husband were driving home from vacation when another driver crossed the center line and killed them both. I doubt and hope it was not on purpose. The point is that no matter what you do in life there is an element of danger.

Hunting is one of the safest sports there is. But no matter if you are stalking an elk, deer, antelope, or turkey, eventually an accident could occur that is no ones real fault.

I would gestimate that far more accidents will happen driving to work, playing football, etc. than stalking turkeys this year or next.

Please don't think I do not understand or worry about concerns for safety, it is one of our main considerations in my business for obvious reasons.

If turkey stalking in itself was responsible for multiple accidents annually I would also understand addressing the issue as a safety concern. I would also discontinue doing it if it appeared to be overly dangerous. But in many cases hunting accidents are actually caused by the hunter misidentifying the target or accidental fire from a weapon.

So even though it is controversial, when you look at the number of turkey hunters and the number of accidents, and total number of accidents caused purely by stalking turkeys, I don't think stalking turkeys is a huge factor in hunting safety as compared to practically any other sport or activity you spend your time doing.

This is just my and I competely understand that everyone is entilted to their opinion.  GOOD HUNTING

[bearpaw]

I have to ask this, no disrespect meant, did the guys say why they were shooting at decoys??? Most decoys just don't look much like real turkeys.....

One accident I know of involved hunters sneaking in on decoys, but they got shot when the waiting hunter saw the bushes moving. 

[Machias]

I have to ask this, no disrespect meant, did the guys say why they were shooting at decoys??? Most decoys just don't look much like real turkeys.....

One accident I know of involved hunters sneaking in on decoys, but they got shot when the waiting hunter saw the bushes moving. 

It's the age old thing about not taking your time and making sure what your sighting in on and pulling the trigger on is indeed what you want to shoot.  Folks hear birds, sneak in and can either get themselves shot or see movement and see turkey decoy and without taking the time to make sure what they are looking at is indeed a live bird WITH a legal beard no less, they pull up and fire.  Fully camo'ed and sneaking in on what you think is a live bird has it's risk.  Bottom line is your right the reason they got shot is someone did not identify their target.  People should always, always id their target, but it's not much conselation when your laying there with a face full of shot and are blind in one eye.  Happens all along the eastern half of the US every spring.  Like I said, less likely out here due to the brush.  Shoot last year, what was there, two young kids shot by their fathers sneaking in and shooting what they thought was a bird when in fact it was their young boys.  Granted those things happen in every hunting endeavor, you just up the odds a little when you sneak in on birds.
No dispresect taken, but you do have to stop and wonder why in nearly every state's game regs in the turkey hunting section the top rule or very near the top is don't stalk turkeys.  It's rule number one or two for a reason, it has caused alot of turkey hunting accidents in the past.

[bankwalker]

given a situation like that wouldnt it be frowned upon to stalk any game animal.

ive stalked quite a few animals just to be busted by another hunter who is either stalking the same animal, or setup to anbush them. ive had rifles pointed right at my head, and even last year had a guy walk within spitting distance from me who was after the same elk i was.

you have no way a knowing. and its just part of the game.

Completely apples to oranges comparison.  When stalking elk or deer if you are doing it with anything but a bow you are normally in blaze orange.  You rarely are seated and in a low profile situation where your field of view is limited and you're hidden from others field of view.  You're not shooting at something that stands 2 feet off the ground. 

Trust me.... I have guys walk in on me all the time while I'm set up, probably happens once or twice a year.  Generally I hear them way before but sometimes I don't.  It is down right scarey knowing that someone has no clue that I'm there and could easily kill me if the turkey got between he and I - or vice versa.  Being able to stalk turkeys isn't worth blinding or killing someone.... at that point it's not much of a game.   

im not looking at a danger standpoint. im looking at the view of ruining a hunt for another person.

if stalking turkeys is frowned upon but a purist. then given that respect, wouldnt stalking other game animals be frowned upon by say a hunter *for example* that is "purist" when it comes to tree stand hunting, or just any sort of sit and wait style hunting. where someone stalking will ruin thier hunt for them...

........................as for a danger standpoint that is a completely different story. and 100% understandable. BUT im not looking towards that when i made my previous statement. im thinking more about the hunt and the respect for other hunters...which in the case of turkey hunting must be totaly different. i guess kinda like fly fishing in a way, where what is ok with gear fishing just doesnt fly when it comes to fly fishing.

is it sort of the same logic? i think...

[Machias]

I think every sport has it's unwritten rules that are passed down.  Most waterfowlers think it's wrong to shoot ducks and geese walking or swimming around in the dekes.  Most upland bird hunters would never pull the trigger on a running quail or pheasant.  Those sort of things.  Most of the folks I grew up with wouldn't shoot a turkey they did not call in.  They're feelings were the bird deserved more respect and you couldn't call yourself a turkey hunter unless you did it that way, right?  wrong?  It's all how you were brought up.  Don't tug on superman's cape, don't spit into the wind and don't eat yellow snow and where I grew up there was one more, don't shoot a gobbler you didn't call in.   

[bankwalker]

I think every sport has it's unwritten rules that are passed down.  Most waterfowlers think it's wrong to shoot ducks and geese walking or swimming around in the dekes.  Most upland bird hunters would never pull the trigger on a running quail or pheasant.  Those sort of things.  Most of the folks I grew up with wouldn't shoot a turkey they did not call in.  They're feelings were the bird deserved more respect and you couldn't call yourself a turkey hunting unless you did it that way, right?  wrong?  It's all how you were brought up.  Don't tug on superman's cape, don't spit into the wind and don't eat yellow snow and where I grew up there was one more, don't shoot a gobbler you didn't call in.   

 

[bearpaw]

I am going to have to agree with your yellow snow rule