Turkey Hunting.....Tips/Techniques/Stories

got one here last year. my first bird. i cant even count them!!

 

damn!!!!! thats definitely the place to be man..........lil blind setup there,you're golden!!

 

right on, looks like some good woods to roost in just on the other side of that little river then fly down in your lap right next to that little shed.

 

funny story about last year. the neighbor had a pig problem. so we set up a game cam, and set up for the turkeys. there was a fence waaay down from us. we put our decoys out, blind up...and cluck cluck..they came running in. i kid you not, the stupid birds could not, would not cross that fence. we came up with a birdbrain scheme to pick up the blind around us and walk it to the fence. sure enough we walk across the camera. CLICK! i cant find the photo, but it is basically a blind with four feet. the birds didnt spook. i finally shot a huge jake. broadhead right into the head. a second bird came in..buddies turn. i was rattled. BAD! he whispered, angle is wrong..you take it...WHAT!!!??? i didnt have time to get mentally ready,,,.and i shot my blind. biggest turkey ever..it walked away. friend laughed. here are some more pics.

 

pics..opps. most of them are on the MAC at home.

 

nice spurs man!

 

Love huntin them gobblers in the spring!! I want to try out that new turkey call that makes the sound of a mounted hen it looks like it would get them long beards all horned up

 

Turkeys?

Hmmm....that must be what all those funny looking birds always coming through the backyard are.....





Needless to say I may occasionally lay the smack down on a spring gobbler or two....

 

^very nice!

 

I have been hunting Ol' Tom for 4 yrs now and I can offically say I'm hooked, just ask my wife. It wasn't until last year that I killed my first ( a jake) and the very next day a long beard. I can't wait for season to open.

 

Here is a pic.

 

^Congrats hillbilly!! Once hooked, always hooked

 

if you are considering starting spring turkey hunting, dont. unless you can handle addictions well. it will take over your life. as soon as that first gooble rings out to having him drumming in your ear and cant see him, you will hooked. ive deer hunted with dogs all my life. (33) and only been turkey hunting for (12), if i had to choose one hoby to due for the rest of my life it would spring turkey hunting. it is good thing that most seasons only last about 4 weeks. if it was as long as deer season then i would probally wear out. it is the most intense 4 weeks of the year. it is the only game animal that i know of (especially that i have hunted) that the hunter is one on one with the animal. when you call one into shotgun range you have reversed nature. the hen is suppose to come to the gobbler. it is a chess match, from the first call made to the gun shot. and it can even last a whole season. if you are not carefull, you can spend a whole season hunting just one bird. which is rewarding if you bag him, but also dishearting when the season ends and you are empty handed. it is one sport that the size the bird or how many you kill, is not the trophy, just getting one convinced that you are a hen is success in my book. sorry i rambled on so much, it just a passion of mine and i can talk for hours about it. And also, we are just a couple weeks away from that magical season to start.

 

I enjoy your passion and I feel the same way Matt. Best time of the year to be in the woods as well!

 

I have been thinking about taking my son with me this spring. I don't know if he will be able to sit still long enough to let me get one in. He won't have a gun either. My question is to hoosiertaco, how old were your twins before you took them turkey hunting? I have taken him squirrel hunting and he done pretty good. Also how old before they started to shoot shotguns. My son has a BB gun and we shoot it regularly.

 

Dan-I spent good money and got a top notch blind specifically enabling me to take the kids with me. I bought a Double Bull 360 Matrix and I highly recommend one! The kids are worth the best blind and I benefit from it too.

They were 5 when I started taking them and I would have them carry a chair and a backpack full of toys, snacks, juice boxes and whatever our imagination could come up with. They would play with trucks in the dirt, dig holes, or lay around on the floor and move all they wanted and not cause any problems while hunting. I harvested a bird with my boy when he was 8 and it was awesome.

We started with a 410 at 6 then I bought them a Mossburg youth turkey camo model 20 gauge shotgun when they were 8 and I let them start shooting. We used lots of padding at first and doubled up on the ear protection so they wouldn't develop any fears. At 9 they started hunting with me carrying their own gun. Last year at 10 years old I put turkeys in their lap and we just couldn't close the deal.(it's hard with kids) This year I'm going to work even harder to get them positioned for a bird. They are also bigger and stronger this year and can walk quicker and quiter.

Starting age has many variables and is also dependant on how much time you have to spend with them. 6 or 7 is not too early to start, and for some guys, they insist on waiting until 10 or 12. One thing I firmly believe we should do is keep their apetite and desire strong. The best way to do this is to not allow them to go hunting with you at a young age EVERY time they want to go. Each time I left them at home, they were more excited, and more appreciative when the DID get to go.

Hope this helps a bit, sorry to ramble, but turkey hunting, and especially hunting with the kids is a huge passion of mine.

 

I don't think your rambling. Thanks for the feedback. I borrowed a Primos Ground Maxx blind from a co-worker during deer season and took my son one mid-day. We packed snacks, toys and games. I wasn't really concerned about hunting, just wanted to see how he liked the blind. He loved it. I had plans on buying one in the next couple weeks. By the way as I'm typing this I'm brushing up on my mouth calls.

 

I signed up for my IL tags a few weeks ago. This will be my first time going. Im super excited. Im going with a cousin who hunts regularly.

Any tips for me? What about necessity items? I dont have a specific gun with a turkey choke, however Im gonna use my trap gun and just ensure that I sight it in prior. I think it will suffice should I start to get into turkey hunting.

Let me have it fellas.