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.