# Turkey hunt



## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

I put in for a 2014 turkey tag, I've never hunted them and I don't know anyone that hunts them. It's a few months away but I'm seeking expert advice for a newbie so I can be prepared. I assume decoys and calling is the best way to go about it, but I don't know which calls would be best. Any advice would be greatly appreciate

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

well first off you need to scout in the early spring and try and learn thier patterns

if you scout now,it wont do you much good come spring

they usually spend thier time in differant areas during winter months and spring months

will you be run and gunning them or hunting from a blind?

bow or shotgun?

decoys can be good or bad,all depends on how they are put out and how well educated/pressured the birds are

i have had them come in to decoys,but have also seen them run away from them

i find that a single hen decoy in the spring works best for me,i usually use a feeding hen decoy

place it where you want to kill the bird at

calls,well if your like me you will have dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens of them

but all you realy need is one call that is differant than what the other hunters will be using

as turkeys tend to get used to the sound of a call and not go into it as easily

i really like my custom slate calls that i got from weasel and prairie wolf on this site

no other hunter in my area has ones that sound like them and they did call in birds this past spring

i also like my home made wild turkey wing bone calls that i make from the wing bones of birds that i shoot

each one has a differant sound

mouth calls are a great call to use as they can make all the vocalizations that the turkey does

however they can be difficult to learn and newbies with them tend to gag on them

i could go on for hours on this topic of turkey hunting


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

I'll be using a bow, I know the area really well and I was just thinking I'd find a good spot and post up there. I don't have a blind, would that be a good investment?

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

if your gonna bow hunt them

a blind is almost definatly needed

the movement of drawing your bow is a dead give away to the sharp eyes of a turkey

even if you know the area real well,what you may think is a good spot for them

doesnt mean the turkey will think its a good spot

if you want to get a shot at calling a bird in you need to scout

but you dont want to bust them(spook them) while scouting

i hunt the same pieces of land every spring and fall for turkey

and i scout every spring and fall

somtimes they can be found in the same are at the same time of year,and sometimes not

i do most of my scouting from a distance with binoculars never stepping into an open area that they are in

if you bust them during scouting and while hunting they may not (usualy not) come back to that area for a few days

especialy that big ol boss tom

theres a reason hes the boss,cause he is very smart

he didnt get to be the boss tom be being stupid

he is aware of everything in his woods

turkeys unlike some wild animals will not deplete a food source

they will roam around and feed in differant areas every couple of days

one piece of land i hunt the turkeys are (have been for years there) on a five day cycle

every five days i will see them in one field,the next day a differant field,the third a differant and so on

on day five they are back in the first field again

but then again,most turkeys will also roost in the same area,if not the same tree every night

usually varies from season to season though as the food sources change

in the spring the toms are going to be where the hens are,they usualy roost within a 100-200 yds of the hens at night

and go to roost after the hens do

when hens are nesting the toms will check in on each nesting hen before he goes to roost

so i guess what i am trying to say "YOU HAVE TO SCOUT THE BIRDS"

but one thing to remember if you find a roost area, imho it is unethical to shoot a bird in roost

its like shooting a duck while sitting on the pond

also remember that roosted aint roasted 

which basicaly means that just cause ya know where they are roosting doesnt mean you are gauranteed to shoot one when they come out of roost

if you find the roosting area try and set up between the hens and the toms,but stay about 100 yds away so as not to spook them when you go in before day light

i always set up an hour(minimum) before day light,get my blind up,decoy out etc

call very little and very lightly at first sun up,listen for the birds to start making noise,dont get real aggresive with your calling

and always remeber that in nature the hen always goes to the tom,but in hunting you are trying to make the tom come to what he thinks is a hen,that being you.

if you get to aggressive he will get spooked

just learn basic yelps,a box call or slate type is easiest for a noob.

get a roomy enough blind that you can sit on a stool and draw your bow with out your arms or bow hitting the sides/top of it

valcro type windows make noise that the turkeys dont like,also if you can, avoid blinds with a nylon floor.it doesnt sound like nature when you move your feet on it.my double bull blinds have no floor.

dont worry about making noise in the dirt and leaves with your feet,as this sounds natural to a turkey. as they scratch the ground when feeding,so this works to your benefit when calling them in.mesh windows are a must,with out them the turkey will spot you in the blind and this will spook him.

well there i go again,rambling on and on


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

Go right on ahead, I'm learning lots. I've watched a few turkey hunting shows and it seems like everyone uses the broadheads with the crazy long blades for neck shots, are those the best option? Or would you recommend a different broadhead?

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## Paul-e (Sep 16, 2012)

Awesome rambling Sneaky, I enjoyed the reading. Tibbs, what he said! You can pick up a box call, slate, and diaphram calls pretty cheap (especially now). I'd get 'em as soon as poss. while you have plenty of time to practice.


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## catcapper (Feb 11, 2010)

Now why did I think that old sneaky ground buzzard would be the first to answer your post.lol. :roflmao:

You outta write a book Tim. :user:

awprint:


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## Jonbnks (Jan 21, 2012)

I took a 20 pound tom turkey with my bow this fall. It's a huge rush to get a turkey with a bow. It's much harder than when I try to do it with a shotgun. I watched over 3 dozen turkeys go to roost on Saturday evening. I tried to get into position for Sunday morning, but they all flew down from the roost the opposite direction. I found an evergreen tree that's made 20 feet tall with a 6 inch trunk. Managed to place a small hang on stand in the evergreen tree about 10 feet off the ground. I figured that being off the ground a little bit might give me a chance at drawing my bow without them seeing me. Had 3 turkeys walk past me at less than 20 yards on the way to roost. The first two turkeys were jakes, but the last was a nice fat tom. I shot him with an arrow and he flopped for maybe 10 yards before dying. Sometimes you have to come up with interesting ways to get a sneaky turkey. Kind of interesting how you can see more than 30 turkeys go to roost and then the next evening you only see 6 turkeys total. Good luck on your hunt.


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## Jonbnks (Jan 21, 2012)

I was using a Montec G5 100 grain stainless steel broad head. Shot him right in the vitals. Going for a head shot is very difficult unless you're very close and have a blind. Seems a turkey rarely every stops moving his head.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

see like i said

roosted aint roasted lol

well you know me, i just goota speak up when some one mentions turkey hunting lol

ive tried damn near every head made special for turkey hunting

even have the gobbler guilotines

all these heads are just gimmicks,most of them cant be shot thru a mesh window without destroying the window and throwing the arrow way of target

i am currently using ulmer edge expandibles

these fly exactly like my field points,you can even lock the blades in place and practice with the exact same ones you hunt with

the open immediatly on impact

they can be shot thru the mesh with out sever damage to the window and stay on target

it would be good for you to learn the differance between hen and tom tracks and scat

this is very helpfull for scouting

me write a book,no way then i would have to charge folks to share my turkey knowledge

its more fun doing it for free :wink:

ok heres a fact not many folks no about turkeys

when they breed, the tom pins the hen down to the ground with her wings out to the sides,and her bum pointing slightly upward

he thens does his little dance on her(there is no penetration during breeding with turkeys)

she then catches his semen and stores it untill she is ready to lay eggs.

she only needs to get bred once in the spring,but can lay up to three or fouor clutches of eggs with the semen she has stored.

this stored semen is good for upto three months

this is an evolutionary thing with them,so if the first clutch of eggs is destroyed by predators or nature she can lay eggs again with out the need of a tom :wink:


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

I've learned a lot in the last 24 hours, sounds like I better find a call and get to practicing. I'm guessing I've only scratched the surface but I really appreciate the knowledge that's been shared so far.

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## dwtrees (Mar 5, 2012)

Sneaky, Thanks for the info on the turkeys. I even learned a few things.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

hey no problem guys

theres nothing i enjoy more than talking turkey

yup get a call and practice as much as you can

but i dont do it in the house any more as it tends to aggrevate the wife,just a word to the wise there

i like to prcatice in my car at stop lights with my box and slate calls,and i will use a diaphragm mouth call while driving

i used to keep a mouth call in year round,but thats back when i got into competition calling

i can make many many differant turkey vocalizations,which there are approx 26 differant ones that they make

can even make some with my own voice

but all you realy need to know to be succesfull is a basic yelp call

so now here i go rambling again lol


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

I ordered up a couple different calls today, I'm excited for them to show up so I can drive my wife crazy with a new sound lol. I've been watching videos on YouTube and it seems like people use either sandpaper or scotch brite to scuff up the glass, is this just personal preference or does one work better than another?

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

ok so im guessing you went with the slate style friction calls

i have used both on slate syle friction calls with various tyoes of friction surfaces

everything from glass to aluminum to copper to marble etc

they both work quite well,but the scotch brite pads will take a little more elbow grease to get a well scratched surface

which is need for a good sound

now i only use sand paper on the friction surface

however i do use the scotch bright pads on the end of strikers them selves

it is as improtant to keep a rough surface on them as it is the friction pot itself

the strikers will accumulate debris from the pot surface and getr smooth and shiny and not take a good bite on the pot surface

differant types of friction surfaces and pot depths will have differant tones,some work better than other when they get wet

slate and other types of stone surfaces dont work well if at all when they get wet

where as glass and metal surfaces work equally as well wet or dry

i usually keep at least one glass or metal friction call and one slate or other stone type friction call in my pack when i hunt sneaky ground buzzards

ok,now lets talk box calls

there are many differant types and style of these as there are days in a year

some have a weather proof surface on the paddle so they can be run wet or dry also

other dont have the weather proof surface and come with chalk to help get a good sound from them

if you choose to get a box call thst does use the chalk(my prfered style,i dont like the sound from the others)

it is not neccassary to use the chalk

i just scuff the bottom of the paddle and the edge of the box up with a light sand paper,chalk doesnt work when wet.but then again neither does just the wood surface

but i take a large ziplock baggie with(big enough for the call to fit into) and if it starts to get damp out i just run the call while its in the baggie.

then there are scratch box calls.these are old chool type calls but are very easy to use and work very well.especialy since most hunters dont use them so their sound is more unique to the toms in the woods.

then there are the snuff can type calls,fastly becoming one of my favs to use as before not many hunters use them so once again

the sound is unique for the birds to hear.

see now i am ramblin again lol

when you get your call post pics of them as i would like to see what you went with

and ifn you need help learning how to use them i will do my best to help you out


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

I took your recommendation and check out the calls that prariewolf and weasel make, I ended up getting one from each of them. Both of them were great to deal with and helped me out in selecting calls that would be easy to learn on.

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

you are really gonna like them calls

glad you decided to get theirs,much better than commercail calls

like i said before, the toms in your woods wont have heard anything like them before


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

A short video from this weekend.

The first thing I'd do is to determine your style of hunting: Run and gun, Hide and watch, gun, bow, etc.

Then you'll learn what equipment you may need.

Also, as Sneaky says, do some scouting to locate birds.

I use a surveillance camera (Day 6 Plotwatcher Pro) so I don't have to be everywhere. It does all the hard work for me.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

this time of year the birds are in their winter flocks

so all the hens and this past springs poults will be bunched up together

the toms and year old jakes will be bunched up together

come spring time they will break up into much smaller flocks a.k.a. summer flocks

it easier this time of year to see how many birds are in a particluar area because of the winter flocks

the hen flocks can be very numerous,the tom flocks generally(depending on local popultaion) are much smaller than the hen flocks

in my are hen flocks in the winter can number up 80 or so birds,but the typical tom flock is usually about 8-10 birds

once again i recomend the scouting with binoculars,look for long beards and even the short jake beards when you see a flock

then you know which your looking at.if you have snow on the ground and are out tracking but only seeing tracks and no birds.

look for a drag mark betweem the left and right foot tracks,this would be from the beard of the toms.it is very visible in loose snow as their beard drags he snow as they feed.

once i find these trails,i generally back track them and try and find where they came out of roost at.then i try and get there again in the next few days and just set up about 50-100 yds away just to watch and see how many birds are in the area and how many are toms/jakes.generally the males and females will get together in the morning to socialize and feed.then after a couple of hours the toms/jakes will go their way and the hens will go their way.


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

That's an awesome tip, I don't think I would've thought to track them like that. I'll have to keep an eye on the weather and go give it a shot after the next storm.

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## Jonbnks (Jan 21, 2012)

It has really helped my friend's property when I've taken out some of the raccoons. If you know where you're going to be turkey hunting, it could help to start taking out predators now so there are more turkeys for you in the spring.


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

My buddy has a cabin about a mile from where I plan on hunting, we took several raccoons and skunks out of that area. Mostly to keep the dogs from getting into them, hopefully that'll help but I'll definitely be getting out there for some predator control this winter.

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## Bait washer (Feb 26, 2013)

A lot of good info being shared.

A common mistake of new hunters is over calling.

Take what the tom does as a guide.

Real hot tom will be listening for a quick response.

Most times less is better.

When entering an area in the dark do not use a light.

Morning hunts I will use a feeding hen and jake decoy.

A mature tom will come in and spur the heck out of the jake,

If you know the travel pattern in the afternoon a single strutting

tom decoy that has a moving tail can be deadly out in an open area.

No calling needed.

If you buy decoys get good ones. A lot of crap on the market.

Get yourself a good CD for the type of call you plan to use and

practice, practice and practice some more.

Good luck.


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

Christmas came early for me, now I can get to practicing









Keep hammering, no excuses


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

Christmas came early for me, I can start practicing now. I tried to upload a picture but it wasn't working, I'll try again later 


Keep hammering, no excuses


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

huntertibbs said:


> Christmas came early for me, I can start practicing now. I tried to upload a picture but it wasn't working, I'll try again later Keep hammering, no excuses


 Worked fine on the pic's, I deleted 3 repeat pic's., left one on.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

Them are some sweet looking calls
Wish I had some like those

Oh wait I do lol


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

just incase your wondering how to use them

always scuff the striker plate in the same direction

hold the striker like a pencil and pull towards you going perpindicular across the grain of the scuffs

dont lift the striker from the surface of the pot,even when going to start the sound again

when lifting the striker from the pot and setting it back down the noise it makes sounds an awfull

lot like the "putt" sound a turkey makes,which is an alarm sound for the birds

i have a pot that has diagrams on it of movements for differant sounds you can make

if you would like i can take a pic of it and post it for ya


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

hassell said:


> Worked fine on the pic's, I deleted 3 repeat pic's., left one on.


I tried a few times and I got a failed to connect message each time, thanks for taking care of the duplicates

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

sneakygroundbuzzard said:


> i have a pot that has diagrams on it of movements for differant sounds you can make
> if you would like i can take a pic of it and post it for ya


I would appreciate that, I've watched just enough YouTube videos to successfully drive my wife crazy but everyone shows something a little different for each sound. Should I just stick to learning the yelp, purr, and cluck before I try others?

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

the yelp,cluck and purr are more than enough to bring a tom in to kill him

those are three i use most extensively,even though i know many more

but those three are all thats realy needed to be successful

just dont over call

like bait washer said "A common mistake of new hunters is over calling.

Take what the tom does as a guide.

Real hot tom will be listening for a quick response.

Most times less is better."

dont try and be real loud with your calling either.

hens for the most part dont get real loud.

listen to them in the woods,they usually call fairly soft.

unless they are arguing with another hen,then they can get aggressive and loud.

sometimes when i know i have a dominant hen in the area i will aggrevate her.

i do this by mimicking her and adding one extra call to the cadence,then she will respond,then me,then her.

doing this will usually bring her into my set up.more times than not,shortly ater she shows up a tom will come into the set up also.

then more times than not,the tom gets my tag attcahed to his leg 

this past spring when the wife and i were bowhunter turkeys i had aggrevatged the dominant hen.

she came into my set up,so did another hen.

then the dominant one did something most olks rarely ever get to see and it was a first or my wife and shes been hunting turkeys for about 8 years now.that dominant hen went into full strut just like a tom.then proceeded to beat the hell out of ther other hen with her wings. wish i would of had the sense of getting my video camera on my phone going.but like my wife i was in awe of it and just sat there and watched the show.

a big tom did come in to,but i missed him at 27 yds due to a very strong cross wind that day. the wind was blowing about 25 mph

and i just didnt compensate enough for it.

i will try and get a pic of that pot tomorrow and post it for ya


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

How do I tell the difference between a quality decoy and a junk one?

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

well the realy good ones will look like a taxiderme bird,very very life like.

some even have actaul feathers on them

the down side other than the price is.most of the realy good ones dont collapse down for packing

me im a cheap skate when it comes to decoys,i have been using the same ones for years and years

i have a few foam bodied ones(look like hell close up) and a couple of inflatable ones that look real(these pack down and can fit in my cargo pocket of my hunting pants

i would love to get some of the higher quality ones,but as much as i walk to get to a hunting spot on public land and with all the gear i am already packing.well its just impractical for me untill i get my own land to hunt


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

Haven't been on in a while, been busy with a sick wife and kids. I'm going to go look at some ground blinds tomorrow, besides one big enough to maneuver with a bow, Velcro windows and no floor is there anything else I need to look for in a blind? Also are the seats that swivel worth the investment? Or are they just a cool item to have?


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

if the seat swivels, it may make some noise

if it makes noise a turkey will hear it and know exactly where that noise came from

i prefer the collapsable tripod type chairs.

there are a couple of companies that make nice ones,double bull comes to mind at the moment(its what i own)

they generally come in two sizes,standard and extra large

the extra large is about 30% bigger than the standard

im not a large person,5' 9" 170# and i use the extra large ones.

it doesnt cut off circulation in the legs or put pressure on the prostate like the smaller ones do

plus this type of chair collapses down and packs easier than the swivel type chairs


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

only thing other than above, I prefer zipper windows to Velcro, the ultimate window closure is the magnetics one but I've seen strong winds blows magnetic windows open. Just a thought, below is a link to a larger blind for archery. I have two of these and really like the height. I'm 6'1" and can easily stand in it, it's also six sided to get the extra ground size. Very reasonable price and about a 15 to 20 minute setup which is a fair amount more that a hub sided popup blind. I've had one setup from late August until the middle of January for the previous three years and it has held up very well.

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/guide-gear-super-magnum-spring-loaded-steel-frame-blind.aspx?a=1333040






​One of mine​


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

Looks like I misread your first post about Velcro windows. The description for that blind says it will accommodate 2-4, would 3 fit in this blind comfortably?

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

ya, i dont care for valcro either

to much noise,zippers are much quiter

but my prference is my matrix blind

it has a complete 360* window,no zippers,no valcro,no magnents

the top of the mesh is sewn to the blind and is approx 21" long

i leave it pulled completely down and just asjust the bottom portion of the blind walls to create an opening to see thru

no noise what so ever

i have had birds within feet of the blind and go to the back side

all i did is close the side i had open for viewing and then open the side they were on

they never had a clue

the mech is the same camo pattern as the blind material

my other doulble bull is the dark horse blind,it only has a 180* window

the mesh is completely removable and is held in place with elastic and plastic hooks,the blind walls on that side have zippers to adjust the opening,the back side has multiple shooting windows designed more for guns than bows

but those windows have black out "shades" that hang in front of them to cover them when not in use

unfortunately they no longer make the matrix or i would have 2 more of them

best blind ever built in my opinion


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

huntertibbs said:


> Looks like I misread your first post about Velcro windows. The description for that blind says it will accommodate 2-4, would 3 fit in this blind comfortably?
> 
> Keep hammering, no excuses


yes, I believe three would be comfortable in that blind. The windows in this blind are zippered and the shoot through mesh is Velcro..........


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

It's official, I got a charge from Utah DWR so I drew a turkey tag. I picked up a ground blind the other day from Cabelas, I still need to find a decoy. 
Next weekend I'll be heading to that area for some coyote hunting, so I'll be able to do some scouting too.

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Ground blinds are a great way to go for turkeys. As good as their eyesight is, once you step inside a portable blind, you become invisible to them - and the blind doesn't have to match the surroundings, either. I use them exclusively for hunting turkeys and it never ceases to amaze me what I can get away with inside one of them. These blinds just don't compute in their bird brains.


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## NattyB (Jan 5, 2012)

Huntertibbs,

You have just opened a bold new frontier... ...As you can tell from the 3 pages of expert advice.

My oldest wants to hunt turkeys, and while I have hunted them (killed 1). I have to tell him, "Dad's not a turkey hunter." I tell him one of my buddies will take him when he's 12. I just have too much work stuff to do in the Spring and my good wife will not suffer another season after Deer and Predators. But for you, have a blast, wait till they ring your ears out with a close gobble!

Nice video Glen. I was waiting for shot.


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

This is a totally different level of preparation for turkey's, I've only ever hunted mule deer and cow elk. I generally just throw out some trail cameras and practice shooting to prepare for those hunts, I'm practicing calling, shooting from a blind, wandering through the snow trying to back track them to the roost (which isn't as easy as it sounds). I have a new respect for the experts that have given advice, this is proving to be an awesome learning experience.


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

I do have a potentially stupid question, is scent control something that needs to be considered?


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

Nope
A Turkey's nose is worse than a human nose
It's their eyes and ears that keep them alive

On a side note
I do keep some acorn and earth scent wafers on my blind when hunting Turkey's
I do this do cover my scent from other critters.
If there are deer etc around and they get spooked, it will alert Turkey's of potential danger
Learned that the hard way years ago


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## NattyB1 (Jan 21, 2012)

No on turkey scent. If they had a nose, no one could kill them.


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

I picked these up for a decent price, will they work out ok? It has a standing jake, standing hen, submissive hen and a feeding hen. Is there one that would work better than the others? 









Keep hammering, no excuses


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

Myself, I only use one decoy at a time
I usually let the day I'm hunting decide which one to use
If the toms are in a fighting mood that day then I use a single Jake decoy
If the toms are in a romantic mood I use either a standing or submissive hen.

I know spring is breeding season for them,but that doesn't mean that the toms are gonna want to 
breed every day. There are days when all they want to do is set dominance in the flock.
After all it is dominance that determines which tom has the right to breed the hens,even though the others
will still try.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

As far as them decoys working,sure they will if used properly.
Mine are old ugly decoys. By today's standard in decoys,mine hardly look realistic.
But they still bring the toms to the dinner table


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

Is there a way for a newcomer to tell difference between the romantic days and fighting days? Or is that something that comes with spending years of hunting them?

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

I typically use one hen decoy but others may prefer more elaborate set-ups. Also, I've never found any need to spend big bucks on turkey decoys, because the cheap ones have worked fine over the years.


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## Bait washer (Feb 26, 2013)

So much great info is being shared.

My season opens Sat. and I am like a little kid waiting on Christmas.

Our birds are hot and the weather forecast is good.

I have 5 tags which I will share with 2 of my hunting partners and am

looking forward to filling them.

The picture is from 4/5 of last year.

Called the 2 birds in from around 200 yds. and my buddy and I

each dumped one.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

bait washer, pics like that get me so excited for the upcoming hunt

where i hunt it is failry easy to tell what mood they are in

when they are feeling romantic in the spring the toms tend to get with the hens as soon as they fly down from roost

once they are hend up it is virtually impossible to pull them away from the hen(s) they are with

thats when you start calling to then hen and not the tom

if you can get her to come your way,the tom will follow along

when they are in a dominance setting mood(fighting mood)

the toms,and all the larger jakes will tend to gobble alot and gather together in a large group either in an opening in the woods or a field

you can actually hear them fighting from a distance.it sounds like all hell is breaking loose

lots of gobbling,and what sounds like 2x4's being slapped together(this is the noise from beating each other with thier wings)

as you sneak in on them you will start to hear the fighting purrs

sometimes the fighting will last only minutes,sometimes it will last all day

it can be hard to call a tom out of the fight

but if you wait, one that has been beaten and doesnt want any more of it for the day will wander off and then you have a chance at calling him in

it is best for any situation,when turkey hunting,to roost them the night before and then sneak in before sun up

but be very very quiet,use no lights,and set your self up half way between where the toms and hens are roosted

the toms dont generally roost directly with the hens

they usually are within a couple hundred yards of them

one thing to remember when turkey hunting

in nature the hens go to the toms

when hunting you are pretending to be a hen and trying to get the tom to come to you

this is unnatural for a tom and they may hang up waiting for the hen(you) to come to them

what i find to work when this happens is to slip out the back of my blind(be very quiet and move slowly)and sneak about 30-40 yds farther away from the tom

this will make the tom think that the hen is leaving without him,and alot of the time it is enough to make that tom come to the call

hope this helps


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Geez, Baitwasher. Five tags! In Michigan, we get one in the spring but are allowed a whack at another one in the fall. Archery deer hunting coincides with the fall season, so many archers get them while deer hunting.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

ya them southern folks sure are lucky

multiple tags would be awesome

like michigan we get one tag in the spring and one in the fall

lucky for me the wife will buy a tag and go in the spring(she wont hunt the fall though)

so ifn we get lucky enough thats three a year for us

now when my youngest son gets out of the US NAVY in another year,he will hunt spring and fall too

so that means a possible five for the year then

but htst sint nothing like BW getting five tags for one season


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## Bait washer (Feb 26, 2013)

glenway said:


> Geez, Baitwasher. Five tags! In Michigan, we get one in the spring but are allowed a whack at another one in the fall. Archery deer hunting coincides with the fall season, so many archers get them while deer hunting.


State regs are 2 in the fall and 2 in the spring.

Fl. has a program with the big ranches for land and game management that allows for some

latitude in the regs. That allows me and my guests a total of 5 tags for the year.

Sneaky,

One hunt last spring my buddy shock calls before daylight and we locate a tom a long ways off. Almost at a run we close the distance and set up. See a couple of hens fly down and we think we are screwed but, the tom is still talking when he hit the ground. Wasn't long and here he comes trotting towards us with the hens following him. Couldn't believe my eyes. We must have sounded sexier then the hens he had with him. Just never know what exactly the birds are going to do.


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## Bait washer (Feb 26, 2013)

Was my buddies turn to shoot first.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

BW, now that's virtually unheard of
Just goes to show ya
When you think you got them figured out, they change up on you


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

I'm curious now, what's a shock call? I've learned lots from everyone that has posted here, I just hope I'm ready. Our turkey season starts a month from today

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## prairiewolf (Feb 19, 2012)

A shock call is any call that makes a turkey gobble, you can use a crow, owl or even a coyote howler to get a turkey to give its position away.


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## Bait washer (Feb 26, 2013)

Two most popular shock calls we use is the owl or a gobbler call that you shake. Using these is a run and gun hunt. You can locate a gobbler a long way out and need to be able to cover the distance in time to set up before light. We only shock call in the dark. We also know the area we hunt well, it is flat with a lot of pasture so we can cover a lot of ground quickly.


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

Ok, I'll have to remember that in case my brother decides to use his shotgun during the general season hunt in May. I found a roost by back tracking them through the snow about 2 weeks ago and found where I think would be a good spot for my blind. Does their roosting spot depend on where they're hanging out that day? Or do they always use the same spot?

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## Bait washer (Feb 26, 2013)

Last years season for me and my guests


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

it depends on the area

in my part of the country they roost in the same trees every spring

they will change their roost site for winter,and like spring its always the same trees

so if you foudn their roost area a couple of weeks ago it ma change by time your season starts

i like to use the owl,crow or gobble shaker calls for shock calling,also like a pilleated wood pecker call

i have been succesfull getting them to shock gobble by slamming the door on my truck also,but dont recomend doing it(i did it accidentaly)

have also made them gobble when i see them in fields and i am on my motorcycle just by revving the engine


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

That's good to know, I've been planning on being there the weekend before my hunt starts and get up there in the afternoon the day before.

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## OHIOOutdoors2 (May 1, 2013)

Just finished reading tons of awesome advice! I learned a lot. I now feel a little bit more prepared for our spring turkey season.


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

Thanks everyone who gave advice in this thread, I was able to connect this morning with this guy. This was the most fun hunt I've been on in a while, I'm officially hooked.









Keep hammering, no excuses


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

congrats on putting that sneaky ground buzzard down

details details details, we need details

beard length,spur length,weight and story of the hunt please

and if your not gonna keep and use the black and white barred wing feathers i would be happy to take them off your hands 

i use them for fletching my home made arrows


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

Beard 8" and spurs 7/8", I really just got lucky. All day yesterday and from sunrise to about 11:30 I didn't see anything, they were answering my call but never did see one from my blind. I was headed to my buddies cabin for lunch and saw him kicking the crap out of a Jake, they were working their way right toward the road so I stopped and got out waiting to see if how close they'd get before seeing my truck and getting out of there. They were still going at it 25 yards from me right in the road when I let my arrow loose. Craziest thing I've ever seen, he was oblivious to me standing there and drawing my bow.

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

thanks for the update

thats good eating right there,as good as it gets in my opinion

so what times dinner at?


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Cool you got one already. And, with a bow and arrow. Sometimes they cooperate and other times they don't. Paying those dues. Thanks for the photo.


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

If there's a feather on the fan that got pulled out is there a way to reattach it? Or should I wait until fan is completely dry and just epoxy it on there? Any suggestions are appreciated,

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## OHIOOutdoors2 (May 1, 2013)

Congrats!

Just curious is your signature based off of Cameron Hanes moto or anything?


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## huntertibbs (Feb 15, 2013)

I wondered if anyone would recognize that, yes it is. I try to train like him but he's an animal

Keep hammering, no excuses


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## OHIOOutdoors2 (May 1, 2013)

Haha I have been incorporating some of his workout ideas into my workout. He takes the "bubba" out of the hunting image.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Congrats. on the bird, thanks for sharing.


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