gunnphight Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Ive never hunted Turkey before, so im curious, how do i start? Where do i begin? Info about me: i live in louisville ky, i have no property so ill probably be hunting all state land. I have a truck, gps, camo, .20gauge remington(no scope) and a serious curiosity to put a bird down. How/where do i begin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointing_dogs_rule Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 (edited) 47 views... no responses so I'll bite. 1. in order to kill a turkey you must locate a turkey. Ask friends or relatives if they know where the turkeys are located. They usually stay in the same general area. If all else fails... drive the back roads in the early am and listen for gobbles at sunrise and then look for birds in the fields. 1A. get out in the woods before sunrise and try and set-up 100 - 200 yards away from the roost. Don't let them know that you are there. 1B. Pattern the birds... this means learn where they sleep, eat, sh**, travel and mate. set-up in one of those areas and start calling. This can be quite effective in the afternoon.... if hunting is allowed 2. the fun part of turkey hunting is calling them in close enough to shoot. Go out and buy a basic box call or slate call and practice making hen noises. Maybe Youtube has a video on this. 3. buy some camo clothing to blend into the surroundings. NOTE: turkeys are very good at 2 things: 1) seeing movement, so be very still. 2) hearing things... so be very quiet. luckily they can not smell. 4. 20 gauge is good enough. use #4 or 5 lead shot. 2 3/4 inch shell is plenty to kill a bird at 20 yards. Don't really need all those "fancy" turkey loads that cost lots of money. No scope needed. 20 yards is a reasonable shot. try not to stretch it over 30 yards with your gun (ethics). 5. MOST IMPORTANT: This sport can be dangerous. ALWAYS BE 100% POSITIVE OF YOUR TARGET. SHOOT AT THE BIRDS HEAD. NEVER SHOOT AT A SOUND. IT JUST MIGHT BE ANOTHER HUNTER CALLING. If all else fails find a buddy that hunts and will take you along. Lots of people hunt in pairs for turkey. Others may have more advice. good luck to all the dog Edited February 21, 2012 by pointing_dogs_rule Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need2hunt Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 I'll add to pointing dogs first two points... Once you find the roost you'll pretty much know where they will start from every morning... that's the easy part... find out where they like to go once they fly down and the route they take to get there... then set-up in between... always remember it's much easier to call a bird in to somewhere he wanted to go in the first place I've killed more birds after 10 in the morning than I have first thing in the morning. Turkeys are repetitive, if you see or hear a tom somewhere check your watch and be there the next day before he gets there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 If you can roost a bird the evening before...I like to get in as close as I can without spooking them....usually 75-100 yards. Don't be too concerned about making the "perfect" calls...some of the worst calling I've heard in the woods was made by real hens! Like said earlier...Turkey have very sharp vision. Make sure nothing shiny on your body or gun. And no fast sudden movements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born4it Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 Welcome to the forums, Man! Good to hear you're getting into turkey hunting. All of this is good stuff. Hunting anything, as you know, can be put into very simple terms, but can also be extremely detail-oriented. My BEST piece of advice is to have someone else take you that knows what they're doing. Ask a ton of questions. Try other people's calls and equipment out before going out and buying one of everything. You might go pick up the Primos DVD "Guide to Spring Turkey Hunting." Bought it when I first started, and it gave me a great foundation on everything from what to wear, what calls to use when, and how to dress the turkey once you're successful. Have a blast and be safe. Turkey hunting can be extremely exciting! God bless, Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted February 25, 2012 Report Share Posted February 25, 2012 If you can roost a bird the evening before...I like to get in as close as I can without spooking them....usually 75-100 yards. If you're in that close, remember that gobbler can see a LOT better than you, especially from an elevated position like that. If you try to call while he's still on the roost at that range, there's a good chance he'll catch your movement. When in close like that I don't like to call until the bird's feet are on the ground. Don't be too concerned about making the "perfect" calls...some of the worst calling I've heard in the woods was made by real hens! I'll 2nd that!!! The most important thing about calling is getting into the rhythm of the wild turkey's talk. The closer a bird gets the more I prefer to shift toward soft calling. Once I think a bird is committed to coming, I usually don't call anymore. Try to sound more like a real hen than a calling contest participant. Be careful not to overcall. Learn all you can about what preferences a gobbler likes once he comes off the roost. The more you know about where a bird prefers to go, the better your odds are at picking places to set up to call him into range...getting between where he is and where he wants to go. A lot of what I learned about turkey hunting came from just hunting them. Back when I started there weren't any videos. These days there should be instructional videos that will help you save time learning things I had to learn in the field on my own...the hard way. I still believe the best teacher are the birds though. We all make mistakes while we're turkey hunting...analyze them & learn from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnphight Posted February 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 amateur turkey questions Thanks guys for everything. My problem with finding someone to go with is just that; finding someone. I just moved to Ky a month ago and i dont know anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krystens22887 Posted February 29, 2012 Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 This is my first year too, a lot of this info was extremely helpful, I've been practicing with my turkey calls a lot. That's how I wake my husband in the morning lol but I'm having the same issue as you I just moved to PA and don't know anyone to go with so I guess it will be trial and error. Its also my first time using my crossbow and a guillotine blade so I'm really in for it lol. I hope you get a big one! Good luck! Hunt safe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pointing_dogs_rule Posted February 29, 2012 Report Share Posted February 29, 2012 For the NEW PEOPLE.... go to the local archery or sporting goods store and introduce yourself. Ask if they know of anyone who will introduce you to the sport. good luck to all the dog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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