I've got a good problem at the new lease. I've got turkeys all over the game cam in the feeder pen, morning & evening. That said, it's still a "problem" for me. The only turkeys I've ever shot were the one time we had some in the wheat field back home, so we belly-crawled through the brush and ambushed them. That's the only time turkeys were ever seen on our property, so I've got zero experience hunting them the hard way, and the time is near, so I've got questions:

1) No matter how quiet I am getting to my stand (a 10-foot quad pod), they never show up when I'm there. My guess is that this is not a coincidence, and that they know when I'm there. The deer don't know, the hogs don't know, so why do the turkeys? Am I better off well-concealed on the ground?

2) Is there an easy-to-use call someone can recommend?

3) Will they be any easier to call in at another point in the year, or do the Toms respond pretty-much any time?

Thanks for any guidance!

Wait for the spring season and hunt them with a shotgun/bow, it is WAY more fun and you will have a blast.

Where is your lease?

Just East of Possum Kingdom.

X2 Get some turkey calls and call them in during the spring season.

Thats odd... You might be near their roost. Go out there one late evening and try to get them to shock gobble or find a good vantage point and try to see where they are heading to roost. Good chance they can see you from their roost when your climbing in to your stand. You can also try to throw out some milo to give them some extra enticement. Spring time they are a blast to hunt.

Be patient. They will come to the feeder.

You are correct...I know I'm close to their roost, as I can hear them flying up to & out of the big oaks between me and the creek, but I know it's not within line-of-sight.

I'll try the milo.

So, why the Spring? Are they more susceptible to a call at that time?

I've got them coming in all year long. They have super hearing and eyesight. Their sense of smell is not that great.

You need to get to your stand well in advance of the camera times. Make sure you're not silhouetted with a window behind you. No noise or moving when you see them. Have your shotgun or rifle in position.
Fall turkey will not respond as well to calls so just use your feeder times. If your feeder is 40+ yards away use a rifle round but make sure it is FMJ.
Spring turks will respond to calls regularly but if they're coming in to feed don't bother calling unless you want them closer. I use a slate box call. There are a number of types of calls...I'm more comfortable with the box.
I won't take a shot at a turkey opening day because my deer do not take the pressure well. Once I have venison in the box...turkey beware. Good Luck!

Spring time Love is in the air..... thats when they'll answer your calls and you can entice them in. Fall you just have to be where they are going to be at and its not nearly as fun. I do plan on having my daughter take her first animal this year with her bow and it'll probably be a fall turkey.

It's difficult to figure turkeys out. I shot a tom from a blind one time, and he started flopping around. Two more toms came running up and flogging the flopping tom.

A lot of what y'all are saying helps.

So, I have until spring to work on my calling technique. (Wife's not gonna like that:)

I have seen that same behavior. Spring hunting is a blast!

use a hoot owl call early in the morning

he knows where they roost.

If you want to hunt them this fall at your feeder just get in as quiet as possible as early as possible and put milo out a few days in advance where you want them to be. Corn works great to but they will really like the milo and give them something different might help seal the deal.

In the fall, the toms and the hens are usually in two separate groups and the only time they come together is at roost. The hens will take their poults around the countryside, teaching them the "ways of the world". They will scavange the countryside looking for grains mostly. If there are none, the whole group will move on!

Toms will stay in bachelor groups, and on their own. Most hens will not even allow them to get near! The hens will have a dominant hen that protects the rest of the hens, sometimes not letting other hens from other groups join them.

Three years ago, I had 42 hens in front of my blind on opening day! The past two years, because of the drought conditions, I have seen only 8 turkeys!

the only call I've seen them come to in the fall is the sound of the feeder going off.

They probably have your number I watched a flock from a tower blind comming to a feeder that had a new pop up set up AS soon as they could see the blind they stopped, milled around a few minutes then went into the brush.

They DO know their home territory and what's not supposed to be there.

this is a football forum!


I went this spring for my first time. Like Buck said....love is in the air. But, you better get that tom before some ole hen does, once he's with her, there's no calling him off. They say turkeys are dumb birds, but the one weekend i went hunting, we heard gobblers all over and never could call them in. It was like the turkey rut or something.

Crow calls work well as a locator.

get you a box and a slate call.

Once you call in that first tom, you will be hooked.

Spring time is different because they are looking for their next lover.

Get a box call and a slate. Basspro has them all out right now and you can mess around with the samples. mouth calls take patience. google fall turkey hunting field and stream you will get three solid tips. I am breaking up my deer hunting trips with bagging thanksgiving. In the fall they tend to stay in large groups. I kept having them come in to my feeder last fall when hog hunting in sept. They were roosting close by. I am np expert, but have been reading and practing my calls for this fall. Glad my wife does not post on the forum. I have called her out of the bedroom a few times with" What the are you doing?

I've called them in the fall but its a different call and technique. Locate the roost (already done) of toms and scare the split them up. Use a "kee kee run" sound with your call. It's a gathering call year round to bring the flock back together.

Link to kee kee run sound clip

Spring hunting is a blast..

JR, if they are consisting patterning your feeder you will see them during Fall hunting season. I had the same situation last season and busted the head Tom from a group of about 40 that were like clockwork at my feeder..They are creatures of habit but as mentioned have excellent eyesight. Fortunately, I saw them coming from a couple of hundred yards off and was on my rest with the rifle once they showed up..Game over..

^^^This^^^

Thanks again for all the comments & links. Now, off to Bass Pro for a couple calls & then I'll YouTube some tips & see if I can even get close to sounding like a turkey.