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Going from Ducks to Turkey - any advice #8811381 03/02/23 06:04 PM
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stevehong Offline OP
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My buddies that I duck hunt with every year, want to go turkey hunting near the red river, and my issue is all of my camo is for duck hunting - sitka marsh patterns.

Would i need to get different camo? or would i be ok with using what i have?


Last edited by stevehong; 03/02/23 06:04 PM.
Re: Going from Ducks to Turkey - any advice [Re: stevehong] #8811382 03/02/23 06:07 PM
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unclebubba Offline
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Cover your face with a mask or face paint and sit VERY STILL. I've had hens pecking at my feet as long as I didn't blink. They pick up on movement more so than the brand of camo that you are wearing.

Re: Going from Ducks to Turkey - any advice [Re: stevehong] #8811518 03/02/23 10:43 PM
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Jstocks Offline
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Use what you have. Sit back from the edge of the cover, no matter what camo pattern you have. Sun and light are not your friend for concealment.

Re: Going from Ducks to Turkey - any advice [Re: stevehong] #8811750 03/03/23 05:14 AM
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kmon11 Offline
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Stay in the shade back in the brush some , your current camo will work fine doing that. I have had turkey within 2 feet with an orange vest and hat on. Like said above being still is the key. They see extremely well and hearing is fantastic as well. If their sense of smell was a good an alarm to them as it is to deer we might not kill any of them. A friend killed his first gobbler while wearing a blue warmup suit. I was killing turkey before I owned any camo at all, usually hunted in the dark green coveralls and rubber boots (swamp lands of Mississippi)

If you get a turkey in strutting they will usually turn in circles at some point and when the head is behind that tail from you they cannot see you so get in shooting position then if not ready. Head neck is where to shoot a turkey with a shotgun.

Get comfortable where you are sitting, discomfort leads to more movement.

Get a group of gobblers in one will usually be the boss bird shot him and others will often go to him when he is down flopping to kick him while he is down. Know that sounds crazy but it happens often.
Turkeys are not that smart but paranoid as everything out there that likes meat likes a turkey dinner.

I have had bobcats and coyotes come into a setup. One young coyote attacked a decoy one morning.

Decoys can be a big help turkey hunting giving them something to focus on, calling one in they are looking for that hen they hear.






Last edited by kmon11; 03/03/23 05:23 AM.

lf the saying "Liar, Liar your pants on fire" were true
Mainstream news might be fun to watch
Re: Going from Ducks to Turkey - any advice [Re: stevehong] #8811904 03/03/23 03:23 PM
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thedoveshooter Offline
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Kmon11 has said it pretty well.

If you move they will see you. Even if it's really slow movement.

A face net and gloves are important.

Sitting in the shade with cover behind you is almost essential. It can be done without it, but its definitely a disadvantage. Low cover in front of you is a bonus.

Fences, roads, railroad tracks, and creeks can all be barriers a bird thinks he can't get over. I always try to set up far enough away from any of these so the toms don't hang up just out of reach. (my rule of thumb is to try to be 100 yards or more away).

Take snacks and water.

I try to use decoys all the time, but I don't have as much luck with them as my hunting buddies. I think I move spots too quickly and then I have to set up fast without one. lol When you think you should move, give yourself another 20 minutes. Some birds can just come in silent and surprise you. Get up slow from a spot and slowly gaze around. Don't just jump up and go.

Re: Going from Ducks to Turkey - any advice [Re: stevehong] #8812046 03/03/23 07:43 PM
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Jstocks Offline
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Find someone willing to mentor you.

I’m not talking about a feeder sitter that shoots turkeys, I’m talking about someone that truly is passionate about turkeys. These folks generally won’t be too excited about deer or exotics or hogs, they talk turkeys.

You can learn way more from an experienced woodsman in one week than you can from self experience over several seasons.

Re: Going from Ducks to Turkey - any advice [Re: thedoveshooter] #8812084 03/03/23 09:19 PM
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kmon11 Offline
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Originally Posted by thedoveshooter


I try to use decoys all the time, but I don't have as much luck with them as my hunting buddies. I think I move spots too quickly and then I have to set up fast without one. lol When you think you should move, give yourself another 20 minutes. Some birds can just come in silent and surprise you. Get up slow from a spot and slowly gaze around. Don't just jump up and go.


I do not know how many times I have stood up only to be busted by a gobbler that was close, especially when I did the run and gun method. The part about the shade one morning oh 15 or more years ago I got two fairly early with one shot that came in to about 15 yards, picked up my gear and the birds and took them to where I could get the truck to them, pulling up in the truck there were about 15 turkeys in the far end of the field about 300 yards away. Parked the truck behind a tank dam from them, field dressed the 2 gobblers and filled them with ice an put them in the shade and went back to the same place I had set up before. After about hour had not seen or heard a bird but with hens that is not unusual so thought 2 is plenty for today. I was setup in a live oak mot with the sun at my back and a little ground cover in front. When I stood up the turkeys were in a dip 35 yards from me and I could not see from sitting there but could standing. Raised the shotgun and got 2 more mature gobblers.

Season over for me hunting in Texas, still hunted about half the weekends taking friends out and 4 of them got their first turkey that year. One young man got his first gobblers one with 10+ inch beard the other had 2 beards over 10 inches. That was a fun year.

Also got 2 gobblers in Mississippi

Last edited by kmon11; 03/03/23 09:22 PM.

lf the saying "Liar, Liar your pants on fire" were true
Mainstream news might be fun to watch
Re: Going from Ducks to Turkey - any advice [Re: Jstocks] #8813307 03/06/23 04:01 PM
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thedoveshooter Offline
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Originally Posted by Jstocks
Find someone willing to mentor you.

I’m not talking about a feeder sitter that shoots turkeys, I’m talking about someone that truly is passionate about turkeys. These folks generally won’t be too excited about deer or exotics or hogs, they talk turkeys.

You can learn way more from an experienced woodsman in one week than you can from self experience over several seasons.


This would be the best way to learn for sure.

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