Its just about time!!

[perrysbirds]

Hi all,
Well the turkey season is just about here for us in Ontario.This Friday I will be going out on my first ever turkey hunt.I have my turkey spot for opening day as I have seen the birds there all winter long and the farmer has given me permission to hunt.Ive done alot of scouting so I think I am ready.The calls I have in my vest are the Triple Threat,hurricane box call and I have a mouth call.Any thoughts on these calls?Any advice will be greatly appreciated as I only have another few days until the hunt is on.Just trying to gather as much ifo as possible!!

Thanks Perry in Ontario,Canada

[TrophyTracker]

The triple Threat and the Hurricane alone are more than enough to get the job done. Have you practiced with these calls and got proficient with them? I mention these two because the mouth call is not named. As long as you do your part,these calls will do thiers! Good Luck

[Morel_Hunter]

Perry,

I live in Ottawa, so at least we share the same Province. I am getting pumped to go out also.
The calls you have will suit you fine. Just remember NOT to call too much. Just yesterday while I was out scouting, I noticed 2 toms about 400 yards away in the next field. I yelped 3 times & that was all it took to get them coming to my position. When they were about 200 ft away, 2 clucks was all it took to have them strutting right in front of me. If you have practiced, & can do a realistic yelp & cluck on either call you will do fine. If you don't feel proficient with the mouth call don't use it for your first bird, it's too easy to make a sour note with. Good luck on Friday.

George

[perrysbirds]

Thanks for the feedback.I think I have the calls under control,except the mouth call.I have done alot of practising and watching vids.I am getting excited about Friday here but the rain is coming down today.I think I am ready.

[Otsdawa_Ridge_Runner]

Only advice I can give a new comer to Turkey hunting is be patient and keep your eyes open.

Other tips:

1. Get to your spot and get set up before it even thinks about getting light. Walk in slowly and as quietly as you can and dont use a light! Give your eyes a while to get used to the dark. You'll be suprised what you can see on the ground in the dark. Small light steps will win the hunt!

2. Let the woods come alive around you and keep still. Early Spring they can see you EASILY from the roost with no foilage on the trees.

3. let the birds wake up and gobble on their own. No need to blast at them with a locator call especially if you know where they are, you have crows, owls, Canada geese waking em up for you. You want the woods/wildlife to act natural and wake up around you while remaining undetected.

4. If you can see that bad boy(s) in the tree stay still until they ALL pitch down. Also watch where he pitches down and they walk off to especially if they dont come to call. This will give you a good idea of where to set up the next day.

5. Dont over call! This is where most hunts go south real quick! When he/they are still in the roost give one or 2 series of a few SOFT tree yelps and a few clucks just to let him know you are there. If he responds immediately to your calls STOP! Let him pitch down and when he is on the ground give him a minute or too (trust me he knows you are there now). Let him give that gooble to see if he is coming closer. If he is coming give him a few yelps and clucks/cutts. If he responds and you can hear that he is getting closer its time to stop calling and get your gun up. Shut up on him and let him come in or as I like to call it "committ suicide" and try to find you. This is where I like to use a diaphram call to produce very soft clucks, purring and yelps to get him in if he hangs up.

6. If he stands out there gobbling and refuses to come closer or starts moving off call his bluff and stop calling to him. This is where you need to make the decision "do I move on him, sit tight or try tomorrow?" If he shuts up once he hits the ground it could be many things but the most common one is that he is either henned up or afraid of getting his #$% kicked by a more dominant bird. Try sitting tight to see if he shows up silent or if other birds come in quiet. I've had more 2 year olds (see avatar: these two thought that was a good idea and boy where they wrong!) come in "trying to take me off his hands" more times than I can shake a stick at. Sitting tight for a while can have results too. Those hens will hopefully end up splitting on him and when they do he will fire up again. And trust me....he knows exactly where he heard you last!
Moving on him and getting around him can have benefits or ruin the day. Dont forget to use ground cover and ridges to get im front of them. Try getting that lead hen fired up to come to you. He shouldn't be far behind. Or you could try the safe bet and remember what I said about tomorrow and try to be where they walked thru once they flew down.

These are just some basic tactics to get you started on your way to getting one. Dont take this for Gospel either this just works or has worked for me in the past! You will find that even if you know where they are roosted, you know where they traveled after fly down that nothing is 100% with turkeys. You could walk in the next moring and not hear one gobble....thats turkey hunting! The minute you think you got em figured out and you have that game plan for the next day (which you stay up all night going over ond over in your head) they will throw you for a loop and suprise you!


Best of luck to you on the 26th and let us know if you get one!

Mack

[perrysbirds]

WoW,

Thanks for the advice.I was thinking of using a tiny flashlight but I will throw that out the window.I will be in there way before daylight.I know you said good luck on the 26th but it opens here on the Friday the 25th.I am off work now for a week or so.I have a couple of days to prepare as I am trying to write my list for the woods.I dont want to forget anything.Oh almost forgot to ask,how successful have people been in the afternoon hunting.

Perry

[Otsdawa_Ridge_Runner]

Here in upstate NY you can only hunt till noon so I wouldn't know about that one. When they are henned up I will hunt the morning until 8-8:30 and usually get out of the woods for an hour or two, eat breakfast at a diner with my buddies, come up with a game plan (that seldom works) and start back on them again or hit a different spot around 9:30. I try not to hunt the same spot 2 days in a row. I usually have different farms and plots that I hunt. Also going back later in the day gives them a little time to settle into the day and it gives those hens a chance to slip away as well. I have killed my share of birds right off the roost but I think more of them from 10-12:00. Most of my afternoons are spent fishing or sleeping until an hour before fly up. Then I'm off to "put one to bed" and then I hit the rack as soon as I get back. It is a vicious cycle and after 2 weeks of this addicting madness I am ready for a real vacation! If you are going to hunt them hard make sure you are racking out alot or you will get worn down quick. Afternoon naps and going to bed right at dark will go a long way.
I'm pretty excited for Monday morning here in MA. I've been watching 3 longbeards each morning just by sitting along this small ridge. They gobble like 3 lunatics on the roost and fly down in the same general direction each morning. They meet up with 4-5 hens and take off down this opening (gas line cut thru the woods) and feed along it. Guess there I will be waiting with my mossy 935 and some 3.5" # 6's come Monday? Right in their path and one of them is getting the dirt nap! Then it's off to NY of opening day on Thursday.

Well good luck and make sure you take some pictures!

Mack

[perrysbirds]

Hi Mack,

It sounds like you have quite alot of experience and nothing beats that at any game.I plan on hunting until I take my limit(2 bearded birds).I really thankyou for your words of experience.It looks like you have your eyes on a few gobblers.I really cant wait until Friday morning to see what happens and I have until the last day of May to hunt.I have a goal to get 2 turkeys but seeing this is my first year I will be happy with a jake.I will keep you posted,certainly if I get one.

Perry

[perrysbirds]

Hi all,

What a morning turkey hunting here in Ontario.I was out and got setup before daylight.I used a jake & Hen for decoys on the edge of a field.I use my triple threat call and did some clucks and some purring and around 9:30 out of the corner of my eye I could see 3 red heads coming up the field.My decoys were approx 25yrs in front of me.I knew they were coming to my decoys and when the lead turkey got appox5 yrs from my decoy he let out the big gobble and thats the last time he would gobble.My first ever turkey hunt and the heart was just pounding.Took the picture on my lawn.
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g320/perrysbirds/HPIM0620.jpg

[Otsdawa_Ridge_Runner]

YEAH BUDDY LOL!!! Way to go perry! See brother...when you have a game plan and do your homework good things happen! It's good to see that you got one and I wish you the best on many more hunts. Its going to be a long weekend and I am anxious for Monday morning now.

Take Care,
Mack

[TrophyTracker]

Good job,man! I'm really happy to see that you could seal the deal! Congratulations,now you just have to figure out how you're going to cook him!

[perrysbirds]

Wow,
What a day it has been.Thanks Mack you have done a good deed.I listened to what you had to say and it worked out.Im one happy camper.I did learn alot today.Those turkeys are smart and if I was to give out any advice it would be to DONT MOVE and STAY STILL.

[Morel_Hunter]

Congrats on your first bird Perry, you will always remember it fondly. I will never forget my first turkey, although it was only a jake it was still great to me. I was out this morning also. What a beautiful morning it was to be out turkey hunting. Got up at 4:00am, heavy frost on the roof of my car. Got to my favorite spot around 4:15. Set out a hen & jake decoy about 20 yrds in front of my position. The Forest was already starting to wake up. Heard one tom gobble far off in the distance at about 5:15. Knew there were birds in the area. Thought I heard a bird flydown at about 6:00. Gave 4 soft tree calls with my box call. Nothing happened for a while, then all of a sudden I hear drumming & a nice tom heads out of the woods straight for my decoys in full strut! He never made a sound before coming in. He passes right by the hen & proceeds to lays a beating on my jake decoy; knocked it right off the stake! Well I couldn't stand for that so I introduced him to my Mossberg 500 & a storm of #6 copperplated lead pellets. Turned out to be a nice 2 or 3 year old bird. Weighed 20lbs with 3/4" spurs & 8.5" beard. One down, one to go. Good luck getting your second bird.

George

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s68/glang1/TurkeySpring2008Georgesittingheadst.jpg

[Otsdawa_Ridge_Runner]

Guys,

Just got back this morning from doing a little homework. I got right in their bedroom and sat down with em this morning before sun up. I saw the one ole boy up in the tree and he pitched down right in the gasline clearing. 3 minutes later 3 hens just about flew in my lap and landed right by him. they were met by 2 more longbeards that came from up on top of this gasline and all 3 longbeards and 4 hens walked right past me for a 3rd time this week in the same spot and went the same direction. Boy they sure stopped talking as soon as they hit the ground though. I went up yesterday around 10:00 and they were gobbling again so if I don't get em right off the roost on Monday i'm just going to sit tight and wait em out. Man I can't wait for monday morning!

[perrysbirds]

Thats a great story George.Maybe the next opportinuty I get I will see what the turkey does to my decoys.This was my first bird and as soon as he was a few feet from my decoys he let out a gobble and kinda kept his neck out there and I didnt want to past up a good shot.I often wonder do the turkeys sometimes think "something isnt right" and leave before attacking the decoys or will they always try to kill the decoy?

[Morel_Hunter]

Perry, turkey are usually predictable birds, but sometime they do things that make you shake your head. If a mature tom has hens with him, & he sees your jake decoy with a hen decoy close by, it usually makes him mad as hell & he will attack the jake decoy. I have also seen them totally ignore my decoy's, or just walk up & look at them. The tom I shot this year really entertained me with his antics. As I mentioned, he didn't make a sound other than drumming on the way in, but did start making fighting purr's when he started in on my jake decoy. I so wanted to video the scene, but I was by myself as usual, & didn't have enough hands to hold the gun & camera at the same time.
I have a DVD by South Carolina hunter's "Bud & Betty" where they enhance a jake decoy with a real fan from a jake. Tom's can't resist the urge to beat up this uppity jake. I am thinking about making one myself, although it would be a pain to carry around in the bush.

George

[perrysbirds]

George,

Thats a really good story.I wish I was there to see those antics.I hope to experience it.I have my jake and I got until the 31st of May to get a tom but with all the excitment I will probably take a jake again.Ive got another spot that I will be going tommorrow morning that I saw approx 20 birds there yesturday.Im going to try this place in the morning if I am not to tired after work.It calls for rain tommorrow here so I will have to wait and see.To bad we didnt live closer to go for a hunt together.

Perry

[Morel_Hunter]

Perry, I hear ya brother. Best of luck getting that second bird. This season seems to be better that last season for birds. I thought our heavy snowfall was going to be hard of the turkey's this Winter, but it seems NOT to have bothered them that much. When I got to thinking about it, the heavy snow was probably a hinderance to all the predator species like coyotes. The snow was almost chest deep in places on my Uncle's farm. It never really got a hard crust on top either like it usually does. Yeah it's too bad we don't live closer, I would be up for a hunt with you. I generally hunt alone as not many of my friend are into hunting & the ones that are work strange shifts. I always seem to see more birds when I'm by myself. I have been thinking about visiting my Cousin in Everet & trying for a bird there. He owns 100 acres along the Pine river, a tributary of the Notty & I have an open invite to hunt there anytime. Being that it's only 1 hour North of TO, I am reluctant to face the inevitable trespassers. Oh well maybe I should just try it anyway.

Regards,

George

[perrysbirds]

George,if you ever come the everet for a hunt let me know and maybe we can go on a hunt.I have a couple of friends who hunt but we all work different shifts and somedays we are all together,just the way it is with shift work.I generally hunt alone also as I find I am more quiet this way.Well its early in the morning and the rain is just coming down so I am going to get some sleep and maybe try some kind of hunt in the afternoon.

Perry

[palmettoswamp]

Good job fellas!!!...Nice gobblers