wanting to start turkey hunting

[jordano]

hey i am a waterfowl and upland bird guy but in metal shop my senior year in high school I made a turkey call. I would really like to get into turkey's but have no idea where to start.... any help?

[shoot-em-dead]

I had learn it myself as none of my freinds hunted them. What I did was got as many turkey hunting vidios as I could. I think just by watching the pros. you can pick up quite a bit. Also, every time I am in the feild I try to learn from the mistakes I have made.

[SpokaneSlayer]

I'm a self taught turkey hunter as well.  Videos helped.  I went to every seminar I could at Sportsman's and the General Store here in Spokane.  I got an instructional CD from Primos on mouth calls.  That helped me a ton.  I would pop it in on the way to work or wherever and practice.  I would start off with a good box call and pot call.  Get a few different strikers for the pot call as they sound different.  Mouth calls are good since they are hands free but are the hardest to learn.  If you get on the NWTF's website, they have sound files of turkey sounds so you can practice making those type of sounds.  Hope this helps.  Good luck!

[turkeydancer]

Also self taught - books, videos, hunting shows, calling practice as already mentioned will all be good help ... but your best teachers will be the birds themselves (they school me all the time  ).  But that's a much slower process than getting in with someone that hunts them - may want to check with a local NWTF chapter ... I also do 3 to 6 each 2 hr (turkey hunting basics) clinics each spring at sporting good stores (and so do some of my NWTF friends) and the information is pretty good and gets you down the road to success quicker.  Pre-season scouting will also help you tons.
 

[jordano]

thank you guys so much for all the great info!! I appreciate it so much!!!

[arintime]

A question about scouting, should you call or just look for signs of turkey?

[fishunt247]

Look for sign. And listen. I'm surprised nobody has screamed don't call before the season yet. Back to the original question, do you deer or elk hunt and see birds in the fall? If you don't know where to go, start there. If you still don't know where to go, go Northeast. That will be your best chance to be on the greatest amount of birds. Statistics don't lie, there are FAR more birds up north than anywhere else in this state. Take not of where you find birds/sign. What characteristics does that land have? Then, find a map, locate more areas with the same stuff and check those out. Locate as many birds as you can before the season, don't just find them in one spot. Read "Turkey and Turkey Hunting" magazine (I believe), and believe 30% of what you read. But you won't know what 30% until you get out and spend time (and lots of boot leather) in the turkey woods. I'm partial to Primos vidoes myself. Check out one of dancer's seminars, too. I met him last spring at a calling contest and I'm sure he puts on an informative one. My dad used to put a seminar on at the Yakima Sportman's show, but hasn't in a while. Maybe go to a calling contest too, listen to some guys call. Hell, I could write on things to do for days, so in a nutshell...spend lots of time in the turkey woods, and live with a diaphram call in your mouth and a box call in your hand from now until April 15. Good luck. And there are lots of real good, knowledgable folks on here. Read their posts. You might learn something there too.

[Birdguy]

Fishunt nailed it! He knows what he is talking about. There are birds in a lot of areas just not in the number the northeast has. The southeast has some good numbers as well but hey are where you find them. Hit the woods and stick with it. I hunted for three years before I shot my first one, but I was able to call one in my first year and that got me hooked. Have fun and remember it is all about the hunt, the harvest is just the the icing on the cake.