A buddy and I be taking the turkey seminar next weekend here in Ottawa - we're both looking forward to the spring hunt. We'll probably hunt on both public and private land, although have not scouted anywhere yet.
I thought I'd ask for some stories from others about their first turkey hunt or season. Any advice for a first-timer would be appreciated.
Ray
First Turkey Hunt/Season - How was yours?
You're either in or you're out alot of the time. I remember my first hunt getting to my stand at the crack of dawn and hearing crazy gobbling before I even got set up, they were allready on the ground and I was actually worried they would see me setting up the dekes. Once I got seated and made one call a 21lb. tom literally ran over immediately and the hunt was over in less than a few minutes. that was fun!
Year 2 in the same stand and nothing! actually within a short time I knew there was none there, you could just tell.
If you can find where they are roosting by using a crow or an owl call at dusk you should be IN!
Year 2 in the same stand and nothing! actually within a short time I knew there was none there, you could just tell.
If you can find where they are roosting by using a crow or an owl call at dusk you should be IN!
It tok me 3 years to get one. I finally did opening day.
I owe it ALL to my buddy. He let me go on his spot and showed me how to hunt turkey's properly. I've been succesful ever since.
I am still learning!
Scouting is essential. Also knowing how the flock moves over the 5 weeks is good. Another tip is that decoys become less effective as the season goes on.....
Turkey hunting is all trial and error. Don't be surprised to hear birds gobble in response and then never show up!
It can get frustrating but the rewards are awsome!
Good luck and enjoy the course!
I owe it ALL to my buddy. He let me go on his spot and showed me how to hunt turkey's properly. I've been succesful ever since.
I am still learning!
Scouting is essential. Also knowing how the flock moves over the 5 weeks is good. Another tip is that decoys become less effective as the season goes on.....
Turkey hunting is all trial and error. Don't be surprised to hear birds gobble in response and then never show up!
It can get frustrating but the rewards are awsome!
Good luck and enjoy the course!
Wish i had a story of success to tell but I havent bagged a bird yet.
The stories that I can share are that In the spring ot the year and being out at the crack of dawn it is amazing the other wildlife that you see, it is something we let slip by because most people arent out in the woods at that time of year.
Take it all in not just the hunt, I have seen birds and worked birds but just havent conected but I cant wait to here that elusive Tom call back and to see all the other things that come with the Hunt.
Good Luck.
The stories that I can share are that In the spring ot the year and being out at the crack of dawn it is amazing the other wildlife that you see, it is something we let slip by because most people arent out in the woods at that time of year.
Take it all in not just the hunt, I have seen birds and worked birds but just havent conected but I cant wait to here that elusive Tom call back and to see all the other things that come with the Hunt.
Good Luck.
look for turkey droppings and tracks, to see if turkeys are usually in the area,just because you don't hear any turkeys gobble in the morning when scouting one day, doesn't mean they ain't there the next. Also look for little clearings that have been disked or plowed this spring or last fall.
Turkeys love dirt.
One last thing is that everyone likes to shoot that first big tom, with a long beard as a trophy. But remember that the younger ones are better eating.
Keep that in mind for turkey #2.
Turkeys love dirt.
One last thing is that everyone likes to shoot that first big tom, with a long beard as a trophy. But remember that the younger ones are better eating.
Keep that in mind for turkey #2.
@TLunge - So this whole roosting them the night before is key then? I've been reading about this but have no idea how critical it was for reasonable success. It certainly makes sense.
@Lundman - Oh, I'm not looking for trophies, at least not yet. I'd love to put a nice eating bird on the table, that would do it for me.
Also, I took this picture when out scouting a trout lake a couple of weeks ago
I'm 95% sure this is grouse scat, not turkey. I've seen pictures on the internet but a number of them look quite different, probably depending on what the turkeys were eating. Anyone have a pic of "typical" eastern Ontario turkey doo?
Ray
@Lundman - Oh, I'm not looking for trophies, at least not yet. I'd love to put a nice eating bird on the table, that would do it for me.
Also, I took this picture when out scouting a trout lake a couple of weeks ago
I'm 95% sure this is grouse scat, not turkey. I've seen pictures on the internet but a number of them look quite different, probably depending on what the turkeys were eating. Anyone have a pic of "typical" eastern Ontario turkey doo?
Ray
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Don't be so sure of finding a roost at night....
We made that mistake once!
While it is good avice, be sure to see where they are active.
A good tactic is to go out the week before in the AM. Sit out near where you think they are roosting. If you hear gobbling chances are they'll be there when the season opens. It does pay off.
And no that is not turkey poop. Jennie and jake poop looks different. Male poop is bommerangish in shape and is usually green with a white tip.
J
We made that mistake once!
While it is good avice, be sure to see where they are active.
A good tactic is to go out the week before in the AM. Sit out near where you think they are roosting. If you hear gobbling chances are they'll be there when the season opens. It does pay off.
And no that is not turkey poop. Jennie and jake poop looks different. Male poop is bommerangish in shape and is usually green with a white tip.
J
I have a secluded private field in the back of my farm about 6 acres in size. Where i planted imperial whitetail leaf clover and alfa rack, also have a few disked areas i use to check for tracks and sizes (deer), but notice the turkeys really like those dirt areas. lots of times in the spring when I'm walking the back section of the farm checking the trees (apple orchard). I sneak to the back to take a look in the field, i usually always see turkeys even a few days before the hunt, then my brother and nephew come up, and we spend the next couple of days hunting and not even a gobble sound. Then we go out the following weekend and lots of turkeys.
My point is they will be there one day but not the next and then back again the day after, so if you see lots of turkey sign but don't see any turkeys for one or two days let the place rest for a couple of days and go back you should have a good chance of getting your turkey.
I personally like to use decoys, drake and hens and a good call.
My point is they will be there one day but not the next and then back again the day after, so if you see lots of turkey sign but don't see any turkeys for one or two days let the place rest for a couple of days and go back you should have a good chance of getting your turkey.
I personally like to use decoys, drake and hens and a good call.
I find the best tactic is to start the season off using decoys. At the start of the season all the males are looking to mate. You can use a dominant Tom decoy at this junction as the other dominant tom's will come to challenge it...decoys like B-mobile etc.
As the season progresses and the less dominant tom's and jakes have taken good beatings from the dominant birds it is best to lay up on the use of male decoys totally. Use only jennies.
Toward the end of the season, I've found that the tom's are now in more of a "search" mode. By this I mean that they can ignore decoys all together, but they do like to find that which they can't see. Me and my hunting partner got 1 bird each last year using this approach. Once we shelved the decoys we were getting birds interested again.
As for dirt. An area with alot of dry dirt is a "bathing" ground for turkeys. This may be why they were there one day and not the next.
Roosts are a funny thing too. You can set up as close to one as possible. Then its a crap shoot to see which direction the turkeys will fly down to.
Hopefully toward you. I've personally seen it where they have come down into another field, gobbled a few times at us in response to calls and then taken off to another field.....not what you want when you've been up since 3:00 AM!!!!
As the season progresses and the less dominant tom's and jakes have taken good beatings from the dominant birds it is best to lay up on the use of male decoys totally. Use only jennies.
Toward the end of the season, I've found that the tom's are now in more of a "search" mode. By this I mean that they can ignore decoys all together, but they do like to find that which they can't see. Me and my hunting partner got 1 bird each last year using this approach. Once we shelved the decoys we were getting birds interested again.
As for dirt. An area with alot of dry dirt is a "bathing" ground for turkeys. This may be why they were there one day and not the next.
Roosts are a funny thing too. You can set up as close to one as possible. Then its a crap shoot to see which direction the turkeys will fly down to.
Hopefully toward you. I've personally seen it where they have come down into another field, gobbled a few times at us in response to calls and then taken off to another field.....not what you want when you've been up since 3:00 AM!!!!
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