A friend and I have just leases a place in Mills county. We are wanting our teenage kids to shoot a turkey this year in April. The only problem is we know zero about turkey hunting. I was hoping to get some advice on how to have decent odds at getting a turkey for the three kiddos. Thanks in advance

Since it is legal get a feeder or two running, the turkeys will find it. Learn to call, there has to be someone around you that turkey hunts and could show you the ropes of calling.

The easiest turkeys to call are the ones that want to be where you are or at least you are between where they are and where they want to be, scouting helps find that location.

How many acres is it? Creeks/rivers on it? Ratio of bottom land verses upland land? That's Rio country so look for bottoms where they will be roosting. Like mentioned above a feeder a couple hundred yards from their roost will sure to have turkeys come for a visit. If your wanting a more traditional hunt with no feeders then scout from afar with bino's and watch where the birds go after they fly down from their roost. The tom's are following the hen's...and hen's are just feeding and doing what they always do. I'll give you some advise...after about 9-10am when most deer hunters are heading for the camp....thats when you best be out there if you didn't already kill one the first hour or so....cause chances are you won't kill one at first light (unless your at a feeder near their roost) Bring some snacks and water for the kids and stay out there. Sense your new to turkey hunting learn to make a series of yelps on a BOX call. They make the sweetest sounds, easy to learn on and the shooter can stay still cause your doing the calling. Leave all the fancy calling for next year after you practice. Camo up EVERYTHING sense you will have young adults who are new also. No sudden movements when the birds are close but when its time to shoot small, smooth movements are ok (to move the gun to make a shot..the birds will just one eye you for a second or two which is all the time one needs to kill it). Aggressive hunting is the higher percentage odds to kill turkeys especially when alone or with another experience hunter but with kids I'd take the passive approach....meaning I'd try to get near where I'm hearing/seeing birds and set up. Try to call them in with soft yelps. Not much calling but sparingly and keep your eyes open for incoming birds. Try to set up with rolling terrain between you and the birds....not a big flat area. The idea is when/if the birds come in and you first see them, they are in range. Big flats the birds can see way out there and they expect to see you also...but then "hang up" out of range. But sometimes you gotta take what they give you. Spooked birds almost always head for higher ground...remember that cause your going to probably be spooking them with kids lol. But don't follow the birds after spooking them. Try to circle around to where they went...after 45 minutes or so.

Thanks for the replies. I don't currently have any pics of the place but I'll try to describe it as best as I can. The property is 400 acres surrounded by large ranches on either side. If you were looking at an aerial phot of it, it would look like a big rectangle. In the middle is what I call a pasture or field that is approximately 100 acres with a pond. On the West side is brush and small draws, not really bottom land. It has slight elevation and some larger oaks scattered around. It too has a small pond with a deep draw behind it that is maybe 5-10 acres. On the East side is brush with another pond and a "flat" at the foot of what I would call a very large hill. At the top of the hill it flattens out into an opening of about 10-15 acres and has another deep draw just across the property line.

If you're going in blind (not scouting) then I'd be on the side or top of that hill come first light and let my ears work for me. 400 acres is not alot of land but plenty enough if birds are around.

On the feeder question, for Eastern birds in Texas feeders are not legal. For Rio Grand turkey (the species in Mills county) feeders and baiting are legal.

TPWD link

Thanks Mod...good to have this information.

Glad to help.

For the OP sounds like a good place. For turkey it sure helps to have open as well as wooded property with water. The bigger trees might be used as roost sights and turkey will go to water during the say,