Turkey Hunting 101

What's the best strategy for Spring Turkey ? I finally have a property that has a Spring season. Hunt corn feeders? Creek beds?

I'm a total nube when it comes to this and any help is appreciated!

I like to use decoys and call them in. Cheap decoys work fine on Rios. Much more fun than feeder hunting although I’ve killed a bunch while bowhunting deer at a feeder. An almost foolproof call is a box call, or a push button call. I bet that you can get some instruction on YouTube. You don’t have to be an expert at calling, but you do have to be very still and well camoed ! Turkeys see color and they see movement very well. Sit with some back cover and wear a head net or mask of some kind, your face will shine like new money. Go with a popup if you like, they won’t pay much attention to them.

Call in open places, they feel safer where they can see well. Call less, not more. If a gobbler abswers you and sounds like he’s getting closer, let him come. Going silent can sometimes pique their interest when sready calling won’t. Don’t be afraid to throw a few different things their way, turkeys are individuals, some like this and others like that.

If you have birds they will come to the feeder. Have you seen any on camera? If you have birds in a couple weeks you should see strutting toms while the hens eat under feeder. Did you see any while hunting during deer season. But, yes, creek beds are the best places to watch / listen. Get on the edge and listen for gobbles before sunrise.

Occasionally would see them near the feeder, actually I saw more turkeys in Aug thru mid October and then they kinda disappeared like the deer did! LOL! Damn acorns!

I will try both, I will need to get a pop as my box blind is too far from feeder for shotgun to be effective.

Get a turkey vest so you can move around. A pop up will make you tied down to that spot. Sometimes you have to move in order to kill the bird.

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Get a turkey vest so you can move around. A pop up will make you tied down to that spot. Sometimes you have to move in order to kill the bird. [/quote]


Thanks for the tip!

Will this one suffice?

https://www.cabelas.com/product/clo...striker-turkey-vest/2949994.uts?slotId=1

I don't want spend a ton of cash if possible, this one is like $70...

Thanks for the tip!

Will this one suffice?

https://www.cabelas.com/product/clo...striker-turkey-vest/2949994.uts?slotId=1

I don't want spend a ton of cash if possible, this one is like $70...[/quote]

Yea it will work. It may not be the most comfortable, but it will mostly definitely allow you to sit longer than without one. Also, a member mentioned calling in open places. While yes it is true that turkey prefer more open areas due to predators, dont take that as meanign get in the middle of a big opening and call. I prefer to call before I get to larger openings in case there are turkeys in the opening. I never walk across open fields or big open areas. I always stay hidden in the woods. A turkey can see very well and if they see you go walking across an open field chances are they will be gone. I dont even walk down roads unless I have to. Also, any bend in a road, before you get there hit a call. May be a turkey just around the bend somewhere blowed up strutting in the road.

Another thing to keep in mind is how you set up. Set up so that you always have the upper hand on the turkey. Also keep in mind, yes there may be a bird gobbling his head off in front of you, but one can come in silent from any other direction. Listening for other sounds like wing tips dragging and also spitting and drumming. Some birds just never gobble but will do these other things. I killed a stud of a bird one time that never gobbled. All he did was Yelp.

killed my limit for 20 yrs. wearing carhart brown bibs and a brown long sleeved shirt. I bought some 4'x 8' camo and used 3, 1/4" by 3 ft .long sticks of aluminum rod . I would back up to brush and push rods in the ground and use clothes pins to hold camo. used 20 ga. with # 4 shot