Post by: justsomedude on September 27, 2011, 09:34:32 AM
Just wanted to jump on here to say hello (after finally joining) with a quick intro and say thanks for the info I've gleaned from your posts.
2 years ago I was exploring some fishing spots I'd heard of and I kept seeing turkeys. Immediately I decided I wanted learn how to hunt turkeys and it seemed like everywhere I fished I'd see them. Caveat, I've never hunted. Spent tons of time in the outdoors fishing and camping so I figured what the hell. Time to get to learning. Fast forward - tons of online research (this site is awesome as well as many others), books, WDFW site, hunters ed, shooting practice, maps, practice with diaphragm and box call, etc, etc and I'm kind of ready, but anticipate a lot of mistakes and learning this weekend (did I mention I was going out this weekend). I haven't been this excited to do something new in a very long time! I'm having dreams about this stuff…lol.
I’ve got tons of questions (far to many to bog down an intro post), but any general advice for a new turkey hunter would be welcome and much appreciated. Thanks again and I’ll report back after this weekend on how things went.
Post by: wreckerman5357 on September 27, 2011, 03:02:37 PM
Find a roost. Watch the gobblers roost the night before you hunt. Then get up real early and head in between an hour and 2 hours before first light. Then camp out within 50 yards of the roost (i use a pop-up blind) then shoot turkeys when they fly down. It sounds a lot easier than it is, but that's the general idea.
Post by: CedarPants on September 28, 2011, 06:50:45 AM
Post by: justsomedude on September 28, 2011, 08:23:40 AM
@CedarPants, 133.
Post by: justsomedude on October 03, 2011, 02:02:20 PM
Lessons learned or at least the ones I recognized:
1. Should have scouted for public land. Spent most of my time trying to locate with bad maps and determining if I could actually hunt it.
2. I really didn’t have a plan even when I found some public land. Either I didn’t know where to begin looking or lacked confidence turkey where there. Hiked as much as possible looking for signs without any luck.
3. Practice my calls. I was able to work some calls to turkeys, on private land, from the road to see how I’d sound to them. Really fun and had some talk back to me, but much work needed.
All and all pretty excited to get out. Wishing I would have actually been hunting more, but that’s just how it went this time around. I’ve got 5 more days during the late turkey hunting season. I’ll head back out and see what happens. Already planning!
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on October 03, 2011, 02:14:09 PM
Post by: JKEEN33 on October 03, 2011, 02:20:49 PM
So, my first trip was pretty like I expected, but I didn’t anticipate as much trouble finding public land. Had my maps and thought I was prepared, but I attribute my lack of scouting and understanding of “huntable” land for turkeys, i.e. I don’t know what the f*** I’m looking for other than turkeys…lol. Saw lots of turkeys, collected phone numbers for future hunts, met a really nice landowner, and a bunch of other random lessons I’d guess a new hunter would encounter.
Lessons learned or at least the ones I recognized:
1. Should have scouted for public land. Spent most of my time trying to locate with bad maps and determining if I could actually hunt it.
2. I really didn’t have a plan even when I found some public land. Either I didn’t know where to begin looking or lacked confidence turkey where there. Hiked as much as possible looking for signs without any luck.
3. Practice my calls. I was able to work some calls to turkeys, on private land, from the road to see how I’d sound to them. Really fun and had some talk back to me, but much work needed.
All and all pretty excited to get out. Wishing I would have actually been hunting more, but that’s just how it went this time around. I’ve got 5 more days during the late turkey hunting season. I’ll head back out and see what happens. Already planning!
I would avoid calling them from the road. Turkey are like coyotes. They learn fast not to respond to that call if they know it's you calling them.
Post by: justsomedude on October 03, 2011, 02:26:51 PM
@JKEEN33, good advice! Thanks.
Post by: Gobble Doc on October 03, 2011, 07:25:26 PM