Adrian J Hare
01-22-2009, 06:51 PM
Hunting and Calling Tips
1/ On multiple reed calls, try removing the longest reeds ...leaving the shortest reed in the call...yes a short reed single frame call. takes a bit of finesses to work but will yiled great soft single note yelps.
2/ If your fold up Decoy Stakes get broken or you lose one.. try using an old worn out arrow with a field tip on it.. may have to cut it down in leangth, but it works pretty good,
3/ Around 7 or 8 oclock in morning when scouting and looking for where the gobblers went to . look for hens going to there nest . back track there path and look for strut zones.great place to set up for next couple of day`s till she`s done laying eggs.
4/ When looking for a place to set up on a bird, seek out a little bit of brush. Scattered laurel works really well. A gobbler is more likely to approach because he feels more secure with the cover around him and he knows that he may not be able to see the hen unless he gets "in there" with her. I try to avoid wide open woods as oftentimes the bird will hang up because he can see for a good ways toward you and knows he should be able to see the hen.
5/ Turkeys are curious, as are we humans. When hunting a small field, place an unusual object (soda can, small yellow ball) in the center of the field. Sometims, the curiousity will kill the bird!
6/ Wait until the turkey's head is broadside to you before pulling the trigger. There is more there to hit than when he is facing you head on.
7/ Sew elastic slots on the outside of your hunting pants on the calling hand side. Once set up, slide two different strikers in the slots. This keeps you from feeling the ground for them.
8/ Take a wing and do a few flydowns without any flydown cackle and just make a few soft purrs after that for that "Call Shy" Bird.
9/ you've been working one & he gets w/ a hen and goes silent..Stop calling,don't move, take a 1-2hour nap. He'll come looking for "that" hen from earlier in the morn. when he's huh ..done.
10/ On tough field gobblers, and as a last resort, and if you have the time...go out well before first light and set up a "scarecrow" to push the gobbler out of one area of the field to hopefully your area. I've used an old art easel with a 3' stick taped across it near the top...put an old shirt around the stick-button it. put an old hat on the top and include a headnet to cover the easel and then wrap the base in and old piece of camo cloth. the idea here is that when the gobbler enters the field - he sees the scarecrow and works closer to your set up.
11/ instead of carrying hen and jake decoys, just carry a couple hens and cut a piece of old red sock. just slip it over the hens head to the neck. you can then adjust your spread as you wish without carrying extra deacs.
12/ Pay attention to what other animals are saying / telling you in the woods. Squirrels and crows especially will bark/ holler at turkeys , especially a strutting tom. they can tip you off to a silent approach or keep you from bumping that tom!
13/ When hurrying to a gobbling tom don't approach him straight on, angle to him a little bit. It may keep you from bumping him or his hens should you have miss judged his distance a ways. also any noise you make is far less likely to spook him than if that noise is coming straight to him.
14/ Give something back in the off season. I can't help but think that the corn (over a ton) I've put out the last few years has helped bring about a couple of healthy broods. No bait hunting though. Predator hunt. Plant good eats. Don't let the pets roam free.
15/ Don't be intiminated by not going where turkeys are pressured hard. Your different calling and hunting techniques just might pay off. Take it as a challenge.
16/ When hunting field gobblers, don't set up right on the edge of the field. Move back into the brush away from the edge far enough that the gobbler will have to enter the woods to "see" the hen that he hears. Otherwise, he'll stand out there at 65 yards and strut, waiting for the hen on the edge of the field to join him or show herself. This also gives you the option to move on the bird if he starts another direction.
17/ If you are a right handed shooter learn to shoot your turkey gun left handed as well, and vice versa. The more versatile you are when it comes to shooting the better prepared you are no matter what direction a gobbler chooses for his approach.
18/ When choosing a set up location pick one that is shaded, and one that will continue to be shaded during your stay. Not only is it more comfortble to sit out of the shade, but sunlight magnifies movement so being in the shade is to your advantage.
19/ When setting up on a field choose the shaded side (if one exists) during hot weather...as a general rule the birds seem to prefer the shade over the sun when its hot. Be warned though...if the field grass is tall (ex: knee high) it will likely be very wet from dew early in the morning so the birds may not use it until it dries. You will need to evaluate each situation.
20/ Don't be afraid to soft talk to a bird even if he is in view...continue to cluck, purr, and soft yelp (under your breath) until the bird is within gun range "as long as he likes it and continues to come". If he hangs up and this soft calling is not working then stop. I often call right up to the shot. The key is to keep it barely audible.
21/ Always try to setup on a bird so that the first time you see him, he is in range.
22/ On drizzly mornings don't give up if you don't a gobbler. If you know their there leave and try back a couple hours later 9a.m.-10a.m. and use a fly down cackle on wet mornings turkeys sometimes stay on the roost longer.
23/ Don't forget to take a very deep raged breath when you take the safety off so the bird can hear it and come out of full strut and raise his head!
24/ When a bird catches you by surprise and you can't get your gun around...wait or coax with calls to get him into full strut and when he has turned away from you he can't see behind himself because of his tail feathers...Then reposition and wait for shot!
25/ When you hear a gobble on roost, stay calm, don't rush in, he may have his head turned when he gobbled. wait for more gobbles, so you don't bump him off roost. (My biggest problem)
26/ This seems like a no-brainier, but when you head out into the woods for a day of Turkey Hunting, don't forget to take your shells! It is easy to get set up on a bird only to realize you left your shells in the truck! I have a set of loops inside my vest for shells. I keep them there all season so I don't forget.
27/ If anyone uses camo tape to cover their shotguns be sure to remove it if you've been out in the rain and clean your gun well before taping up again. And be sure to remove it after the end of the season too, as moisture will collect under the tape and it will rust your gun.
28/ Handmade wingbone calls are a great addition to your bag of tricks. Use soft clucks and soft yelps from them in close on public land or heavily pressured gobblers on the roost. Use loud yelps and cutts as a locator call. and you can also use the mouth piece end on your glass, slate or alum call as another striker - it also works great when the surface of those calls are wet.
29/ Don't approach a gobbler from the same direction every morning. Sometimes you may need to go out of your way to set up on a gobbler in a place he's not used to hearing calls come from. Username: Vaturkey Registered: 8-2000 Posted on Friday, February 20, 2004 - 9:39 am: Always remember... turkeys aren't real smart, they are just real paranoid!
30/ Begining turkey hunters..In the pre season, go to wildlife preserves,refuges,santuaries ect..anywhere hunting is not allowed(but you are welcome to be at w/ a camara). Go ahead and call em in. Great practice for the real thing, and you don't mess up "your" huntable birds.
31/ Identify the stikers you like to use...maybe separate them into an "A" and a "B" team. Do the same with your box calls. If you've hunted the same bird a few days in a row, switch out some of the strikers or take along a different box call, sometimes all that's needed is that slightly different tone to bring him in.
32/ A Good way to camouflage the shiny bolt on your pump gun is to cover it with a flap this way. take camo tape slightly longer than your bolt opening and put on another piece back to back leaving about a 1/2 in along the top edge sticky to adhere to your gun. place it across the top of the opening, the flap will cover the bolt and is easily flipped open by ejected shells.
33/ I have helped my cousin repost this with an email & name change. On drizzly mornings don't give up if you don't hear a gobbler. If you know their there leave and try back a couple hours later 9a.m.-10a.m. and use a fly down cackle on wet mornings turkeys sometimes stay on the roost longer.
34/ When you practice friction calls, do so while wearing the gloves you'll have on while hunting. The sound will be different w/ & w/o gloves. You may want to tune your call, cut out a couple fingers or use them w/o gloves altogether.
35/ Try to get the first call to that gobbler while on the roost. Just a soft tree call.
1/ On multiple reed calls, try removing the longest reeds ...leaving the shortest reed in the call...yes a short reed single frame call. takes a bit of finesses to work but will yiled great soft single note yelps.
2/ If your fold up Decoy Stakes get broken or you lose one.. try using an old worn out arrow with a field tip on it.. may have to cut it down in leangth, but it works pretty good,
3/ Around 7 or 8 oclock in morning when scouting and looking for where the gobblers went to . look for hens going to there nest . back track there path and look for strut zones.great place to set up for next couple of day`s till she`s done laying eggs.
4/ When looking for a place to set up on a bird, seek out a little bit of brush. Scattered laurel works really well. A gobbler is more likely to approach because he feels more secure with the cover around him and he knows that he may not be able to see the hen unless he gets "in there" with her. I try to avoid wide open woods as oftentimes the bird will hang up because he can see for a good ways toward you and knows he should be able to see the hen.
5/ Turkeys are curious, as are we humans. When hunting a small field, place an unusual object (soda can, small yellow ball) in the center of the field. Sometims, the curiousity will kill the bird!
6/ Wait until the turkey's head is broadside to you before pulling the trigger. There is more there to hit than when he is facing you head on.
7/ Sew elastic slots on the outside of your hunting pants on the calling hand side. Once set up, slide two different strikers in the slots. This keeps you from feeling the ground for them.
8/ Take a wing and do a few flydowns without any flydown cackle and just make a few soft purrs after that for that "Call Shy" Bird.
9/ you've been working one & he gets w/ a hen and goes silent..Stop calling,don't move, take a 1-2hour nap. He'll come looking for "that" hen from earlier in the morn. when he's huh ..done.
10/ On tough field gobblers, and as a last resort, and if you have the time...go out well before first light and set up a "scarecrow" to push the gobbler out of one area of the field to hopefully your area. I've used an old art easel with a 3' stick taped across it near the top...put an old shirt around the stick-button it. put an old hat on the top and include a headnet to cover the easel and then wrap the base in and old piece of camo cloth. the idea here is that when the gobbler enters the field - he sees the scarecrow and works closer to your set up.
11/ instead of carrying hen and jake decoys, just carry a couple hens and cut a piece of old red sock. just slip it over the hens head to the neck. you can then adjust your spread as you wish without carrying extra deacs.
12/ Pay attention to what other animals are saying / telling you in the woods. Squirrels and crows especially will bark/ holler at turkeys , especially a strutting tom. they can tip you off to a silent approach or keep you from bumping that tom!
13/ When hurrying to a gobbling tom don't approach him straight on, angle to him a little bit. It may keep you from bumping him or his hens should you have miss judged his distance a ways. also any noise you make is far less likely to spook him than if that noise is coming straight to him.
14/ Give something back in the off season. I can't help but think that the corn (over a ton) I've put out the last few years has helped bring about a couple of healthy broods. No bait hunting though. Predator hunt. Plant good eats. Don't let the pets roam free.
15/ Don't be intiminated by not going where turkeys are pressured hard. Your different calling and hunting techniques just might pay off. Take it as a challenge.
16/ When hunting field gobblers, don't set up right on the edge of the field. Move back into the brush away from the edge far enough that the gobbler will have to enter the woods to "see" the hen that he hears. Otherwise, he'll stand out there at 65 yards and strut, waiting for the hen on the edge of the field to join him or show herself. This also gives you the option to move on the bird if he starts another direction.
17/ If you are a right handed shooter learn to shoot your turkey gun left handed as well, and vice versa. The more versatile you are when it comes to shooting the better prepared you are no matter what direction a gobbler chooses for his approach.
18/ When choosing a set up location pick one that is shaded, and one that will continue to be shaded during your stay. Not only is it more comfortble to sit out of the shade, but sunlight magnifies movement so being in the shade is to your advantage.
19/ When setting up on a field choose the shaded side (if one exists) during hot weather...as a general rule the birds seem to prefer the shade over the sun when its hot. Be warned though...if the field grass is tall (ex: knee high) it will likely be very wet from dew early in the morning so the birds may not use it until it dries. You will need to evaluate each situation.
20/ Don't be afraid to soft talk to a bird even if he is in view...continue to cluck, purr, and soft yelp (under your breath) until the bird is within gun range "as long as he likes it and continues to come". If he hangs up and this soft calling is not working then stop. I often call right up to the shot. The key is to keep it barely audible.
21/ Always try to setup on a bird so that the first time you see him, he is in range.
22/ On drizzly mornings don't give up if you don't a gobbler. If you know their there leave and try back a couple hours later 9a.m.-10a.m. and use a fly down cackle on wet mornings turkeys sometimes stay on the roost longer.
23/ Don't forget to take a very deep raged breath when you take the safety off so the bird can hear it and come out of full strut and raise his head!
24/ When a bird catches you by surprise and you can't get your gun around...wait or coax with calls to get him into full strut and when he has turned away from you he can't see behind himself because of his tail feathers...Then reposition and wait for shot!
25/ When you hear a gobble on roost, stay calm, don't rush in, he may have his head turned when he gobbled. wait for more gobbles, so you don't bump him off roost. (My biggest problem)
26/ This seems like a no-brainier, but when you head out into the woods for a day of Turkey Hunting, don't forget to take your shells! It is easy to get set up on a bird only to realize you left your shells in the truck! I have a set of loops inside my vest for shells. I keep them there all season so I don't forget.
27/ If anyone uses camo tape to cover their shotguns be sure to remove it if you've been out in the rain and clean your gun well before taping up again. And be sure to remove it after the end of the season too, as moisture will collect under the tape and it will rust your gun.
28/ Handmade wingbone calls are a great addition to your bag of tricks. Use soft clucks and soft yelps from them in close on public land or heavily pressured gobblers on the roost. Use loud yelps and cutts as a locator call. and you can also use the mouth piece end on your glass, slate or alum call as another striker - it also works great when the surface of those calls are wet.
29/ Don't approach a gobbler from the same direction every morning. Sometimes you may need to go out of your way to set up on a gobbler in a place he's not used to hearing calls come from. Username: Vaturkey Registered: 8-2000 Posted on Friday, February 20, 2004 - 9:39 am: Always remember... turkeys aren't real smart, they are just real paranoid!
30/ Begining turkey hunters..In the pre season, go to wildlife preserves,refuges,santuaries ect..anywhere hunting is not allowed(but you are welcome to be at w/ a camara). Go ahead and call em in. Great practice for the real thing, and you don't mess up "your" huntable birds.
31/ Identify the stikers you like to use...maybe separate them into an "A" and a "B" team. Do the same with your box calls. If you've hunted the same bird a few days in a row, switch out some of the strikers or take along a different box call, sometimes all that's needed is that slightly different tone to bring him in.
32/ A Good way to camouflage the shiny bolt on your pump gun is to cover it with a flap this way. take camo tape slightly longer than your bolt opening and put on another piece back to back leaving about a 1/2 in along the top edge sticky to adhere to your gun. place it across the top of the opening, the flap will cover the bolt and is easily flipped open by ejected shells.
33/ I have helped my cousin repost this with an email & name change. On drizzly mornings don't give up if you don't hear a gobbler. If you know their there leave and try back a couple hours later 9a.m.-10a.m. and use a fly down cackle on wet mornings turkeys sometimes stay on the roost longer.
34/ When you practice friction calls, do so while wearing the gloves you'll have on while hunting. The sound will be different w/ & w/o gloves. You may want to tune your call, cut out a couple fingers or use them w/o gloves altogether.
35/ Try to get the first call to that gobbler while on the roost. Just a soft tree call.