No time better than the present!!!!

[WilliamWallace]

Hello everyone  ... I am gonna start off and say my name isn't William Wallace. Braveheart was a good move and mel gibson was pretty inspirational in the film. So knowing that my name is Seth. I live in Wenatchee and am gonna jump on the Turkey Train and start this year!!!! Seeing others post I was hoping to get some specific questions answered to guide me in the right direction to learn what it takes to be sucessful. If anyone would be generous to help me out I would appreciate it!!!!!

1.) What would be a good call to get for me, the beginner? I have never used a mouth call so I am not sure if I would be ready for that... But again practice makes perfect! Box call? Friction Call? I have looked at Cabelas and they have a good variety...
2.) What is a good set of decoys to look into for purchasing?
3.) What size of shot would be best for my Benelli Super Vinci?

I am really getting excited for this saturday on one of the hunting channels we have here in wenatchee... They are doing a full 24 hours of turkey hunts. I am sure watching those I will get some knowledge under my belt on certain "tricks" and understand how to hunt these creatures! Again thank you for the advise, I truly appreciate it!!!


Seth

[benhuntin]

Easiest way to hunt is by a automatic corn feeder with birds that come every mornin.

[WilliamWallace]

Ha Ha ya but we all know that isn't ethical! 

[WilliamWallace]

http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01172/wdfw01172.pdf

Look at page two and when it says: Baiting game birds is illegal. By saying you should do something that is illegal, in my book that is unethical.

I was hoping for some advise that would help me ethically shoot a bird. Any help would be appreciated.

[buckfvr]

Its not a question of ethics because its illegal to hunt turkey over bait.  That being said.....box call or slate ( until you can use a mouth call without spooking them ), portable decoys to your liking that will store in your turkey vest, 3 1/2 inch 5 shot magnum turkey loads out of an extra full turkey choke works for me, 3inchers if thats your chamber....maybe buy a couple dvds to watch, and if possible, get out and find the birds ahead of time.....first set up of the day, go in 0dark30, a good half hour before light....let your ears do the work.

[benhuntin]

dont shoot them at the trail camera but you will know what you have and when they come in.  I agree that somethin illegal would be unethical.  The feeder will keep them in your area and very active all day. 

[HoofsandWings]

I would start with a box call and listen to a cd and imatate the sounds.
Start off with a hen decoy. Placing a gobbler decoy takes some practice.
Make sure to hide your feet as many hunters tend to twitch.
A ground blind is essential to the beginner unless you can find a hiding place that you won't be seen from front/side/back.
If you are hunting public land or feel free to hunt expect company.
Listen for gobblers in trees before they fly down. If they are on the ground early, they probably are other hunters.
See if you can find a hunting with written permmision and ask. Many of the hunters who sign up are deer hunters,so you won't have much competition.
Get a turkey choke with rifling. Go with #5 or #6 hevishot. You probably will only get one shot per season, so make it count.
Pattern your shotgun if you can. This is difficult since many ranges limit shot to 7 1/2.
Read up on the turkey subspecies. Some subspecies like the tallest trees in the area.
Unlike upland and waterfowl you are shooting the shotgun like a rifle. Practice aiming from a sitting position.
Maybe even from a prone position.

[WilliamWallace]

I would start with a box call and listen to a cd and imatate the sounds.
Start off with a hen decoy. Placing a gobbler decoy takes some practice.
Make sure to hide your feet as many hunters tend to twitch.
A ground blind is essential to the beginner unless you can find a hiding place that you won't be seen from front/side/back.
If you are hunting public land or feel free to hunt expect company.
Listen for gobblers in trees before they fly down. If they are on the ground early, they probably are other hunters.
See if you can find a hunting with written permmision and ask. Many of the hunters who sign up are deer hunters,so you won't have much competition.
Get a turkey choke with rifling. Go with #5 or #6 hevishot. You probably will only get one shot per season, so make it count.
Pattern your shotgun if you can. This is difficult since many ranges limit shot to 7 1/2.
Read up on the turkey subspecies. Some subspecies like the tallest trees in the area.
Unlike upland and waterfowl you are shooting the shotgun like a rifle. Practice aiming from a sitting position.
Maybe even from a prone position.

Great information. Thank you.

I am assuming decoys are a must... Any recommendations?

[buckfvr]

Decoys are kind of an impulse item for me....I have more than one kind, and it depends on how much effort you wish to take in your set ups....There are so many nice ones, just go with what looks good and will fit how you envision yourself hunting.....I take 5 use them all for first set up, after that, its different each time.  Good luck, have fun, be safe. 

Ill second the Flambeau....I use a few of them.

I guarantee you do not want to be seen anywhere near a feeder while you are hunting.....if you are in an area that the turkey have become habituated to a feeder....you win the prize...a ticket!!!  You will most definetly get to explain it to a judge.....

[yelp]

Spend lots of time reading previous threads..you are the 4th or 5th hunter to ask these same ??'s.  I keep providing same answers..LOL  Welcome aboard. 

[HoofsandWings]

Yes, definitely read previous posts. Yelp has typed his fingers to the bone giving advice.
Patterning turkeys is easier in cultivated areas than the tall uncut. Turkeys know when and where a farmer, a farm animal, etc will be and what food will be available and will set a pattern accordingly.
Also turkeys in the early season will roost in one place, but may move later on to be closer to where the hens are laying their eggs.
In woods, Yelp will tell you turkeys avoid certain types of grass and brush. It takes time and effort to learn which plants. Sometimes in the fall turkeys go through brush they avoided in the spring.

[BOWHUNTER45]

One of the best ways is to watch videos... just getting familiar with turkey talk ... and unfortunately we do have a baiting problem in Washington ... I see it all the time... watched guys dumping bucket loads of corn ..... plus I have walked up on numberous electric feeders ...I hunted this one area for almost 15 yrs ...all state land and have taken numberous birds there and 2 yrs ago I went to the sme ridge and the same tree I always sit by and started calling and I could hear hens yelping back at me ... this hen and I went at it for an hour and eventually a gobbler goes off ... he is fired up but will not budge an inch .. So I decide to get closer and as I come to a little ridge I could hear the hens so I peak over and  at least 25 birds just pigging out while the electric feeder is singing its own song ....and a brand new cabin was just built there ... which was never there before ....and all new NO trespassing signs everywhere ...come to find out some bought 2 acres ....just not the way I run .... I take my turk huntin very serious and I am not much on baiting anything !!!! i have spent thousands of hours watching primos videos and the one who taught me the most was BOB DIXSON who was with primos years ago but now has passed .... that man was a turkey 

[Natas5150]

I too am just a beginner like you. This will be my first season of turkey hunting. I have always been interested and felt this was good time to start.

So with that being said over this past weekend I purchased a few DVDs on turkey hunting. One of the DVDs I purchased is called H.S. Strut So You Want To Be A Turkey Hunter. I have learned so much watching this already. This video talks about the different species or turkey, talks about speaking  the language of turkey with various calls on the markey and it even recommends what calls to use for the beginner. This video goes into camo, safety and even the errors many beginners make such as over calling, moving etc. There is just a wealthful of knowledge in this DVD. I highly recommend it. However a DVD can only teach you so much. Spending time in the woods and hunting turkeys is the way to go. Good luck to you.

[packmule]

Check out the NWTF website.  They have sound clips of various turkey sounds that are very good.

[baldopepper]

Calls and decoys are important, I guess, but the best advice given so far is to get out and scout out birds and maybe even more important, scout out areas you can hunt.  Try to locate as many birds as you can and get as much permisson as you can.  Lots of new hunters find one or two flocks and are disapointed opening morning when they find several other hunters have found the same birds and they now have no place to go.  Calls and decoys don't do you any good if you have no birds to work.  Biggest mistake I see new hunters make is to hunt turkeys like they hunt big game.  Turkeys may not be the smartest game you'll hunt, but they are certainly among the most wary.  I think you need to move through the woods as if there was someone out there with a weapon hunting you!  I would recomend that if you have extra money to spend on calls, decoys and blinds you might be better off to spend most of it on scouting.  I rarely use decoys at all, and call very spareingly but have been fortunate  enough to get my birds nearly every year.  It's a great sport and a great time of year to be out , if you don't get lucky the first year keep at it!!  Good Luck!