Squirrelhunter91 Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Out of curiosity, how do the rest of you folks hunt turkeys? Do you run and gun and move with the birds throughout the day or do you like to sit in a field in a groundblind or something like that and wait for the birds to filter through on a pattern everyday? Does your the layout of the land you hunt effect the way you hunt them? Here in the Catskill Mountains, we like to run and gun on the birds. Their roosts are hard to find here and if you do find one, good luck getting close to it. It is probably near the only field on the mountain and extremely hard to get close to so you can set up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VtBowhunter Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? I only bowhunt for them, so I'' scout out the areas where they roost, and then I go in a setup mt doublebull blind and hunt from it. If the birds go in a different direction, then I'll pack everything up and chase 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nut Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? I try everything according to what I feel the day holds. I also pray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born2Hunt Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? We can only hunt untill noon here in N.Y. so I tend to run and gun if they don't come right to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeNRA Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? [ QUOTE ] We can only hunt untill noon here in N.Y. so I tend to run and gun if they don't come right to me. [/ QUOTE ] Same here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
husker Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? well this is only my second year hunting turkeys, so not sure if what i do is the right thing, but i got a turkey last year. i slowly walk through the hunting ground i am on and every so often make some clucks. when i hear a gobble i try to get uphill for my set up and then i start calling to the tom. i set out decoys about 20 yards from me sometimes,sometimes i make the tom look for the hen (me) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbeck Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? what ever is needs to be done, I like to sit tight early, do a little running and gunning till 10. Go back to where I'd heard birds in the morning and finish out the day sounding like feeding hens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunterDWL Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? usally hunt hard till around 9 then find a good soft spot and nap till after noon then go home (empty handed) LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ranchand99 Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? The best advice I can give you is to be flexible.Sometimes I run-n-gun,sometimes,sit.Honestly when to do either one is something that you will learn through experience. (Daylight -8am)This is how I start my day if I have absolutely no idea where a bird is roosted...I will sit at a crossroad,or near where I have heard one,and listen.If I hear one I try to go to him.If he's real close I walk.A little down the road I bike.A long ways off I drive.If things don't work out around 8am I'll get moving.In a highly pressured public area,I will generally sit alot longer in a spot in the mornings where I know I have seen bird sign.You might be suprised how many birds won't say a peep until 8:30-9am.Alot of birds wont gobble but once or twice every 15-20 minutes regardless if you are calling or not.When he is tending a hen it is hard to pull a gobble from him.Once he has bred the hen he will strut a little and begin gobbling again.Most hunters will sit 30 minutes after daylight listening from the road,and then leave if they don't hear anything.I like those hunters. When birds just aren't being vocal(late morning),I'll sit around field/gas lines/power lines/2 paths/dust bowls,anywhere I have seen strutting or sign at before.(Usually from 8 or 9-11am) (11am-3pm)This is the best time IMHO to get a bird.I run-n-gun I generally walk/bike roads,re-check all the areas mentioned above.Calling every 200yds or so.I like to cutt on a box,or hit a crow call REAL hard.Going back to areas where I have heard gobblers either that morning,or on other trips.This is when I kill 90% of my birds.While the hens are seperated from them.I feel like if he gobbles to me twice at mid-day I will almost surely tote him out. If nothing has happened by 3pm.I will usually go home.Unless I am working a bird that is being pressured by others,then I try to roost him,or have an afternoon set-up.Hope this helps. I'd also like to say if you hear a bird gobbling on his own from 12pm-4pm he's going to die. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWiggely Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? I locate the birds the night before. I go in in the morning and set up and kill the bird. If I am not lucky and the bird goes the other way, I will sit and wait for him to open up again after the hens leave him. Or I will get up and go to another area I have birds located at and head to the strut zones I know they will be headed to. Wigs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? I improvise. I adapt. I overcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archerjg Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? Where I hunt we already know where the birds are at due to scouting. We setup and wait do a little calling and wait. Running and gunning doesn't work well where I hunt. There are many who have tried it and came up empty. Archerjg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? I really don't care much for sitting in blinds at all. It's just sort of boring to me but to each his own. I prefer to keep my options open for setting up on a bird or re-setting up if I feel like I need to. I consider my style of turkey hunting as planned tactical maneuvers to get in position to work a bird I've heard gobbling. If I have roosted a bird the prior evening I'll maneuver into a position where I think he'll go when he comes off the roost. It sure is easier to call them into a spot where they want to go anyway. Run and gun implies more movement to me and with one bum knee I sure can't run either. If I don't hear any gobbling activity sometimes I'll look for fresh sign in an area I know birds use and then set up on a tree, sit tight, and call sparingly for a while. Other times I'll just go to another area in search of a gobbling bird but I sure won't be running to get there. BTW, an old turkey hunting friend of mine just prefers to call it gorilla warfare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrow32 Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? I do what i think is right to do that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaw Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? By Steve Kofahl As spring approached, so did the anticipation of another turkey hunt. This one only being my fourth season, my enthusiasm grew with each of them. Ten days prior to opening day, my mother passed away. This shifted all my emotions in another direction. After several days of dealing with the loss and everything else that comes with it, the solitude of going to the woods was what I needed. I hunted the first couple of days with the landowner and his brother. We had a couple of close calls, but the gobblers were hanging up on us bigtime. Monday morning came and I was going to be hunting by myself because the other two guys had to work. I was looking forward to this time to myself for multiple reasons. The birds weren't as vocal as the previous mornings except for three gobblers on the back forty, as we call it, which consistently gobbled every morning until after 8 a.m. These birds were a few hundred yards off the property, which deterred me from even pursuing them. This day would prove uneventful. The forth day of hunting came along with a serious case of turkey hunter's butt. My bottom was getting sore and I was ready to run-n-gun, so to speak. The gobblers were again very vocal, but again seemed to hang up and not commit. Things fell silent after 7, except for those three gobblers beyond the back forty. I was on my third setup for the morning when I decided to go after these three loudmouths and see if I could make something happen. So I found myself three trees to nestle in between at the edge of the property. There was a big field of weeds that separated me from the three chatterboxes. I cranked the volume up on the diaphragm call and got an immediate response. I fell silent for a few minutes, not wanting to over-call, which I was afraid we had done the last three days. After a few minutes, I let out an excited hen call, which was cut off in the middle by a gobbler. He had moved a bit, walking the perimeter of the field. He was on the opposite side of the field now, still 300 yards away. Again I waited a few minutes and called a little softer. His immediate response told me he was hot and closing the distance quickly. I hunkered down in the three trees and rested my gun on my knee. A couple of minutes passed before I let out three soft yelps. The thunder from the gobble this time sent chills through my spine. Seconds after this response, he stepped through the fence onto the property I had permission to hunt, onto a4-wheeler path and walked in my direction, right in line with the fiber optic sights of my Mossberg. His head was snow white and his waddles were blood red. He stopped at 35 yards and turned his head sideways in search for the hen that was whispering sweet nothings to him. With the squeeze of the trigger, that hot bird was mine forever. I went to him and marveled at his beauty. I thanked the good Lord above for giving me this opportunity and savored every step of the long walk back to the house. He was no monster, but he played the game well and I was grateful. He weighed 20.5 lbs and had a 9.25 inch beard. Steve Kofahl Granite City, Illinois Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squirrelhunter91 Posted February 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? slaw, that was one of the best turkey hunting stories I have ever read on these forums. Thank you for posting that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkeygirl Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? Good reply Strut10,lol, I like that! Well I personally try to find where a gobbler roosts the night before then set up on him in the morning; but that hasn't happened for along time. This year I'm looking at hunting some state land with some luck hopefully. If a jake comes in, it's down:-) If it's a gobbler, better yet,lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockefeller66 Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? I like to use my pop-up blind and just setup in a good spot the turkeys are constanly moving through throughout the day and just put up some deeks and let the birds come to me! Got 2 that way last year!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeviShot Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? I try to locate one or 2 the night before or early before sunrise.If that happens so far it has been a done deal.If I don't locate 1 before 10:00 am I leave and come back at 2:30 and set up in my favorite spot.I start blind calling at 3:00pm and so far I've taken 5 birds this way.My favorite spot is a long field usually that has just been planted.I've taken 4 birds in the A.M and 5 around 3:00 pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnatecsteve Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? I know where the birds regularly roost at year after year, and the way the land is laid out, they have definate fly down areas. I always scout before season to be sure that they are frequenting the same areas..from a distance of course. There are three definate roosting areas where I hunt, or at least the main woods I hunt. They are all pine thickets in otherwise a predominately oak woods. The woods is kind-of an L shape, with a huge area of CRP in its inner portion. All three groups of birds go to different locations. One group heads to the alfalfa field across an isolated gravel road...one group flies down to a greener patch in the CRP...the other group flies down into the woods and heads to either the back clover field or to the cow pasture next to it. When I go out, I make my way to the CRP field basically between them all and sit and wait till the first gobble, or use an owl or coyote call to get one to gobble. Sometimes I get gobbles from all three spots, then it's a coin toss. If I hear multiple toms from one area...well, you know. When I know where I'm going to set up, I have definate travel routes to all three locations to slip in easily without getting busted. I set up about 60 to 100 yards from the roosts, between me and the fields. From years of hunting the same woods, I can pretty much know where they will even touch down...I'll be there waiting!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? I park myself near a travel route between the roost and where they like to eat. I make soft calls till 8am. After that I run and gun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bigbucks125 Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? i turkey hunt with my dad...and we RUN and GUN. we are all over. but when we do hear birds..we become very patient. and on days when nothing is gobbling by 10am..then we just walk until we hear something. we are pretty successful with our turkey hunting up here in NY. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texan_Til_I_Die Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? Well, if the weather cooperates (as in not too much wind), there's usually not much to it. I'll drive to some part of the ranch, get out and hit the call. They'll usually answer right away if there's any close. If I don't get an answer, I'll load back up and drive a half mile or so and try again. When I do get an answer, I'll walk out a couple hundred yards and squat down by a bush and start calling. The birds are really thick and don't get hunted hardly at all, so it's typically pretty easy to call one in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hookedonhunting Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? shoot em when they come in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimT Posted February 22, 2006 Report Share Posted February 22, 2006 Re: What\'s your turkey hunting method? I run and gun/move with the birds and try to get in front of them. Seems to be working fine so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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