beginner advice??

[razortec_hunter]

Howdy y'all. So im not new to hunting by any means, been bowhunting many species for many years mostly whitetail hunting. This is my first year bowhunting turkeys. Now calling wise im fairely experienced, I do most of my calls with my natural voice and have had AWESOME luck gettin gobbles. Now my question is. How to hunt them?? Haha I went out this morning and got about 5 gobblers to burst in their roost. I think I moved in too close..... but they kept gobbling but moving the opposite way? And how do I get on turkeys when they aren't wanting to respond? Ect ect. ANY tips would be awesome. Thanks!!

[Rhino]

With what happened to you this morning, I'd be set up next time where they were heading toward this morning. I prefer not to call to a bird until he's on the ground too. I don't want him looking for me from an elevated position where his view is much better.

Hunting birds that don't respond at all isn't easy and can be boring when they aren't gobbling. It comes down to doing some homework and trying to figure out where they are likely to go. Every time you hunt them is a learning experience. It's up to the hunter to use what he's learned to put themsleves where they can to improve their odds at getting a bird into range.

Personally, I don't care much for hunting silent birds at all. The game for me is hunting gobbling turkeys. That's what makes turkey hunting fun! I'll stay on the move until I find a vocal bird. That's were an electric ATV (Polaris EV in my case) comes in real handy for covering a lot of ground. If I don't find a vocal bird that mornining, I'll take a break and search again mid to late morning and/or mid afternoon.

Edited April 5, 2011 by Rhino

[razortec_hunter]

I would set up down the line but they roost on the edge of property I can't hunt and were walking onto that property... I have a few small places to hunt that if I call onto any part of the property and don't get a response there's likely no birds or they don't wanna talk. Altho I do hunt a public peice. That I can walk for a very long time (there's alllooottta ground) but everytime I go there I don't hear any birds? Altho this morning walkin back to the truck a large longbeard walked right infront of my car as I was driving out!! I have a feeling he was working his way to my calling I had done earlier to get some gobbles?

[Flintlock1776]

If you can, get a blind large enough you can shoot out of. Put some decoys out there facing your blind. Good luck

[LifeNRA]

If you can, get a blind large enough you can shoot out of. Put some decoys out there facing your blind. Good luck

Thats the last thing I would do, your drawing attention to the blind. The tom will be looking as to whats in front of them. Especially if the tom has been hunted before. If he detects any movement from within the blind, game over! Yes I would use a blind if you have one. Wear dark or black clothing.

With what happened to you this morning, I'd be set up next time where they were heading toward this morning. I prefer not to call to a bird until he's on the ground too. I don't want him looking for me from an elevated position where his view is much better.

Great advice there!!!

Edited April 10, 2011 by LifeNRA

[Flintlock1776]

I got my best bird ever and it was written up in Buckmasters over 10 years ago. Blinds work, period.

[LifeNRA]

Yes Ted, I know blinds work. I was referring to the placement of the decoys.

[Flintlock1776]

Yes Ted, I know blinds work. I was referring to the placement of the decoys.

Thanks, I suppose my set up work regardless, go figure! I remember a few years back I was talking hunting on the O'Neil Outside radio show. Discussion got around best was to set up for a deer hunt. He recommended keeping the rising sun to your back. Well, the place I hunted a few days later (Raccoon Hunting Club, Dallas, Ga) when I got down the mountain into my spot I wound up doing things different. On the ground, no blind, back to the sun. Yep, a six pointer came out with this face to the sun and I took one shot and down he went. Sometimes, you just have to do it your own way;):rockon:

[LifeNRA]

LOL, Buckmasters and a radio show, your quite the celebrity now! Should have gotten your autograph at Cabela's that day!

Look, I was just disagreeing with you, never said at one time that what you did was wrong! Get over it!

[ruttinbuc]

The best advice is to keep plugging. Impatience and over calling are two of the best ways to defeat yourself. If you are going to set up and call give it time to play out. You never know when that gobbling bird you set up on will sneak in on you. Keep calling at a minimum.

[Rhino]

I would set up down the line but they roost on the edge of property I can't hunt and were walking onto that property...

Been there before too...obviously there's not much you can do when they head away from property you can hunt. If they keep doing that you might try hunting them later in the morning to see if they returned to your side of the line.

I have a few small places to hunt that if I call onto any part of the property and don't get a response there's likely no birds or they don't wanna talk.

I've been going through some of that too this year. Birds are out there somewhere but if they aren't talking...I'm not callling using hen talk either. I'm old school and don't care to hunt birds that won't gobble on a particular day. I personally would rather not risk making the birds I hunt call shy if they aren't gobbling. I will use other locater calls but not hen talk if they have lock jaw on a particular morning.

Altho I do hunt a public peice. That I can walk for a very long time (there's alllooottta ground) but everytime I go there I don't hear any birds? Altho this morning walkin back to the truck a large longbeard walked right infront of my car as I was driving out!! I have a feeling he was working his way to my calling I had done earlier to get some gobbles?

Sounds like there's at least a few birds there on that public place. Not sure why you saw 1 and haven't heard any. Either there aren't many or some have been pressured pretty heavy. The pressured birds are usually the easiest ones to get to. If that bird passed in front of your car he's certainly not off the beaten path. Might do some good to scout around there during the day for the particular area that holds the most turkey sign in there. If you can find good turkey sign away the beaten path that's even better. A day or 2 after a rain sure helps me.