Hey guys this is my first post, bear with me. I’m going on my first turkey hunt in March/April in GA. I wanted to know if anyone has any tips for me. I’m really enjoying USA and am using it as a tool in my union to pump local membership as well as USA membership. Hope to get more involved in USA in the future.
It will only take Hearing that first tom gobbling in the morning to get you hooked. I have tried about every thing you can think of chasing turkey. One thing I will recomend is decoys, although sometimes they don’t work, when they do, it is awesome…..good luck
I started turkey hunting on a freinds property by myself. Thank God there were many turkeys there. It took three years before I half way had it figured out. After working 37 years on construction being a little deaf doesn’t help any. A couple of things I found out are : 1. they seem farther away than what they really are when they gobble (part of being hard of hearing I suppose). I bumped quite a few thinking they were farther away. 2. They will/can come a long ways to a call. You can always move closer. If you are setting up on a roosted bird get there way early in the dark, get close but not too close. It depends on the moonlite and what kind of timber you’re in. 3. Don’t worry if they fly down and go the other way. If there are hens that can happen. If there is nothing else gobbling after awhile make a big circle and try to get in front of them and then call. Sometimes you can call the hens in and the toms will follow. The boss hens don’t want some other hen messing with their toms. Cutting has worked for me on that before. 4. Always start calling not too loud, and see what happens. You can always call louder. It really makes a difference if your on private property or not much hunted public ground. Midweek is the time to hunt public ground if you can. I’d work the overtime on the weekends and take off during the week. Made the boss mad but what the heck. 5. One of the biggest things I found out was you don’t want to quit at 8:30 or 9:00 in the morning after the birds come off the roost and quit gobbling. After a while they leave the hens or the hens go to their nest and the toms can be called in. In Illinois you have to qiut at 1:00. I’ve killed quite a few the last couple of years late 12:00 or 1:00. Most places on public ground you have the woods to yourself after 10:00.
If they are not gobbling you’d think there are no turkeys, then next week or next year they gobble everywhere. Don’t let the rain stop you either. Hope you have someone to help you at first. I wish I had someone to show me when I started. It really is an exiteing hunt. A lot like elk hunting. I’ve been doing it about 20 years now and still am a beginner but you can learn if you stick with it. If a tom gets hung up for a long time if he can’t see you move a little- right or left- towards him or away. Sometimes they think the hen is moving away. The natural thing in turkey land is for the hen to move to the tom. I think sometimes a prettyboy tom thinks he’s too gooda pretty boy to go to a hen. Use a double full choke. I don’t want to say shoot them too far away, but you only need a couple of BB’s in the neck to put him down. I wouldn’t want to say how far I shot them before. I’ve never shot at one that I didn’t get, and I haven’t kept my limit to 40 yards if he is leaving. By leaving I don’t mean shoot him in the butt. That won’t work unless he’s only 15 yards, but then wait for a head shot if he’s that close. Wait till his neck is streched out. You have to hit him in the neck or head-mostly.
Well probably too much info, but Ihope it helps. Good luck. I can’t wait either.
Thanks for the info. No wasnt too much, and was helpful. I do have a buddy to help and I plan to work the Sat. OT and then go Sun and Monday. I’ve been getting my gun ready and am just chopping at the bit right now. As for public land I think I’m going to try that next year as it is closer to the house and less time then what I spend to travel. Thanks again.
Well boys turkey season is on us. I thank you all again for your advice, it is appreciated. Looks like I’m staying in FL for my first turkey hunt. OT is upon us and my buddy thinks it is gonna be pretty good at the WMA down the highway, but atleast it is getting me out of the house and behind the shotgun. I will make one try in May to GA but towards the last weekend of season there. I’m learning to call but suck at the mouth call. It drives the cat and wife insane, which is a plus to practice, kiddin a little. If there is anything else that may help, like decoys, calls, etc. Please post it up!! Good luck to the rest of you. Send me a pic if it is working yet.
If you don’t mouth call you’d better get one of those small roll up blinds they sell to hide you when you use your box or slate call to hide behind. They really have good eyesite. I use one all the time. I can’t sit on the ground like I used to- bad back and knees. I use a little fold up stool and that 30” high roll up blind. Got busted a couple of times before getting one. I do mouth call but like to use the old box call till the bird is in view.
Hey Turkey Addicts, spring gobbler season is upon us, and I’m looking for your best turkey photo for the USA e-newsletter…photos from past seasons are fine. You will be identified in a caption if I use your photo. Photos can be sent electronically, or you can mail them to me (Kate Cywinski, USA, 3340 Perimeter Hill Dr., Nashville, TN 37211), so I can scan them.
If you have a quick tip to offer, that would be great too.
If you have a photo, tip or both that you’re willing to offer, please email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and include “Turkey” in the subject line.
Hey Turkey Addicts, spring gobbler season is upon us, and I’m looking for your best turkey photo for the USA e-newsletter…photos from past seasons are fine. You will be identified in a caption if I use your photo. Photos can be sent electronically, or you can mail them to me (Kate Cywinski, USA, 3340 Perimeter Hill Dr., Nashville, TN 37211), so I can scan them.
If you have a quick tip to offer, that would be great too.
If you have a photo, tip or both that you’re willing to offer, please email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and include “Turkey” in the subject line.
Hey Turkey Addicts, spring gobbler season is upon us, and I’m looking for your best turkey photo for the USA e-newsletter…photos from past seasons are fine. You will be identified in a caption if I use your photo. Photos can be sent electronically, or you can mail them to me (Kate Cywinski, USA, 3340 Perimeter Hill Dr., Nashville, TN 37211), so I can scan them.
If you have a quick tip to offer, that would be great too.
If you have a photo, tip or both that you’re willing to offer, please email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and include “Turkey” in the subject line.
Hey guys this is my first post, bear with me. I’m going on my first turkey hunt in March/April in GA. I wanted to know if anyone has any tips for me. I’m really enjoying USA and am using it as a tool in my union to pump local membership as well as USA membership. Hope to get more involved in USA in the future.
hey jallen, hope you got your turkey i plan on going this fall and hope to get my first one also. also interested how you are using usa with your members. look forward to hearing from you or any one else wwho uses yhis with their members.
jallen hope you got your turkey. i am going this fall for my first turkey hunt. i would like to know how you made out and how you are using usa with your members.
