The Hunting Beast

I have never turkey hunted before and the last couple years i have been thinking about trying it. This year i would like to make that happen. What type of gear do you recommend for beginners? I dont want to spend a alot of money since im not sure how much i will get into it. Its during my planting season in Iowa. Speaking of seasons i think there are 4? Is one better then the other for a beginner? I already have camo and a 870 super mag 12ga. What calls should i get? Do i need a locator call? Owl or crow? Turkey hunting vest? Decoy? Like i said im a beginner so any help would be great. I see dan has a video, is that like the bedding educational videos or just hunts? Thanks again!

Like any hunting, turkey hunting can be as minimalist as you want it to be. It can also be as expensive or cheap as you want it to be. I would say at a bare minimum, camo (body, face & hands), a shotgun (that's patterned with your hunting loads), and 1 call is really all you need. If you're beginner, a push button box call might be the easiest to start with until you learn how to use a mouth, or pot call fairly decent. Having an owl locator call can come in pretty handy too when roosting the night before. As for decoys, sometimes they can work magic and other times they can scare toms off. It really just depends on the bird itself. I personally don't think dropping big money on Dave Smith's or Avian's compared to $5 foamies from wal-mart makes a real difference.

One thing I personally recommend as well is one of those turkey/predator lounger chairs. They just make sitting for long periods of time so much more comfortable. I have a couple I got from walmart for only $20

I think you'll love turkey hunting. For me it's honestly more fun than deer hunting.

I just started 2 seasons ago. Similar to deer hunting, the more preseason scouting, or just turkey knowledge about your hunting area you have, the more fun and success you'll take out of it.

I wore old camo, used an old 12 gauge with #4 or #5 shot, spent $50-60 in calls (crow locator, 2 mouth calls, and a pot call), and got a $10 foam hen).

Spent a lot of time on YouTube, and practiced the mouth calls while driving.

Probably more luck than anything, but killed 2 Toms my first season. 1st one I got in a calling battle with a hen (mimicking with the moth call), 2 Toms showed up and hung around the decoy long enough for a shot. 2nd one, I found a dust bowl on a field edge where I had missed a Tom a couple weeks earlier, and where I had glassed Toms stutting preseason. Set out the decoy by the bowl and only did soft purs for the first hour of light. Tom came in at full strut without ever gobbling.

Crow call helped the following year when I hunted them in mountainous terrain. Made a lot of mistakes that trip, but still had a blast.

Moose wrote:I have never turkey hunted before and the last couple years i have been thinking about trying it. This year i would like to make that happen. What type of gear do you recommend for beginners? I dont want to spend a alot of money since im not sure how much i will get into it. Its during my planting season in Iowa. Speaking of seasons i think there are 4? Is one better then the other for a beginner? I already have camo and a 870 super mag 12ga. What calls should i get? Do i need a locator call? Owl or crow? Turkey hunting vest? Decoy? Like i said im a beginner so any help would be great. I see dan has a video, is that like the bedding educational videos or just hunts? Thanks again!

Be careful chasing turkeys it can be addicting.

Turkey breeding season is kind of like the deer rut. Toms are easier to call when they are feeling frisky and don’t already have hens with them. There are different phases in the season and some timeframes the Toms are more vocal and cooperative than others.
Hunting pressure will make birds less vocal and harder to call in also.
Which season is best will depend on factors unique to your area.
The type of calls you use depend on what type you are comfortable with. A box call is fairly easy to learn. I would suggest watching Dave Owens or The Hunting Public turkey video’s and learn what calls to make and more importantly when to call and when not to.
Listen to turkeys any time you get a chance and try to duplicate the sounds they are making.

A decoy can be an asset if you are hunting fields if you are hunting in the woods I would leave the decoy at home. If I was going to use one decoy it would be a jake decoy.

A locator call is not necessary if you quietly ease into the area where you suspect turkeys are roosting they will often gobble on their own or you can listen for hen talk or listen for wing beats or the birds brushing limbs.

A vest isn’t necessary until you have so much gear that you need it to carry all your stuff.

Sounds like you only need a call. A push button or a box call are good calls for a beginner. I never cared that much for a push button, so I use a box call. Mouth calls are pretty cheap too it you want to pick one up. I seldom use mine, but will often have it in my mouth in case I need to call when the turkey is within sight for some reason.

Pattern your gun. Get a couple calls, box call is good for beginners. I would want a crow and owl locator call but I hunt mountains-it may not be as crucial in Iowa. I wouldn’t worry about a decoy-I think it takes a couple years to really understand how and when to use them. Watch the hunting public turkey tour videos.

Good luck. It is addictive and I think more fun in some regards than deer hunting.

If I were you, I'd hunt the last season in Iowa. It's warmer and longer, which would be beneficial to a new turkey hunter. An owl call is a great locator call for any time of the day and a crow call is good also. If you're going to use a decoy, I'd recommend a non-aggressive posed Jake decoy. They work better than hen decoys and don't usually spook the real birds. As for calling, a box call is a great starter call but is limited in what turkey vocalizations it can reproduce. Maybe add a pot call to your and might as well start learning to use a mouth call while you're at it. Here's a playlist to help you with your turkey calling game: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... A5CB6196B6

Good luck this spring!

Camo: Make sure your skin is covered. Hands, face, and so on.

Calls: I'm partial to mouth calls, but they aren't for everybody. You can get a 4 pack for relatively cheap, around $20 i think. I know some guys like pots and box calls or slates, id recommend trying different ones and see what you like. I've never used a crow or owl locator call, they aren't really an essential. Not saying they don't work, i just haven't had a need for one. As far as sounds to make, i pay attention to how vocal the birds are on a given day, and i try to mimic what they're doing. Sometimes its aggressive, sometimes i don't call at all. Just be a student and you'll learn what they want to hear.

Decoys: no need to go super expensive. Killed plenty of birds with the walmart foam ones. The biggest thing i've found is make sure they aren't too shiney, that can ward off a sharp ol tom. Lots of people use strutting tom decoys, but i've had my best success with 1 jake and 2 hen decoys. I'm not sure if my lack of success with a strutter is based on time of year i usually go (end april/early may), or if it has to do with the subspecies merriam/eastern hybrids i hunt in nebraska.

Ammo/Choke: I've used multiple loads and brands, heavy shot, winchester turkey, remington nitro turkey, they've all done well for me. It seems to me having a good choke is the bigger key. Shoot with it so you know how far out your patterns will stay tight.


Hope this helps, good luck this spring!

One thing I'd like to add is that if you really want to get a lot of different calls to lean with (and other gear) for just a little money, start keeping an eye on your local wal-mart toward the end of the season for the turkey gear to go on clearance. Especially wal-mart's in, and around cities if you're close enough. Year before last I walked out of a wal-mart in Lee's Summit, MO with $200+ worth of calls, decoys, gloves, face masks, etc... for only $50

Thanks fellas! Whats a good range to pattern my gun? 40 yds? Can i use regular bird shot in 4-6 shot? Or what do you recommend? Having a super mag should i buy 3 1/2in shells? My gun also has a modified choke, will that be ok for my first year?

Moose wrote:I have never turkey hunted before and the last couple years i have been thinking about trying it. This year i would like to make that happen. What type of gear do you recommend for beginners? I dont want to spend a alot of money since im not sure how much i will get into it. Its during my planting season in Iowa. Speaking of seasons i think there are 4? Is one better then the other for a beginner? I already have camo and a 870 super mag 12ga. What calls should i get? Do i need a locator call? Owl or crow? Turkey hunting vest? Decoy? Like i said im a beginner so any help would be great. I see dan has a video, is that like the bedding educational videos or just hunts? Thanks again!

IA turkeys are easy should be done before it’s time to plant. If you are close to the Illinois border I will lease your farm ground so you can turkey hunt lol! I thought resident tags were good for all seasons but better check the DNR website. I prefer mouth calls but they aren’t for everyone and require more skill to operate. Pick up a cheap mouth call and see if it’s for you. Owl locator. Vest with built in seat would be a good investment. Decoy avian x jake and hen if you don’t stay with it will be easy to sell. Watch The Hunting Public turkey tour videos on YouTube. I’d use shells designed for turkeys. I prefer 6 shot 3.5” with full choke. Don’t need them but if you have a 870mag why not get the most out of it. If you stay with mod choke I’d try federal premium mag shok 7 shot. I wouldn’t worry about a 40 yard pattern. Worry more about putting bb’s in the neck from 10 to 30. Just practice real scenarios.

Im about 45 mins to the border. How many bbs should be in the head and neck for patterning?

I normally just shoot at a spot on a piece of cardboard. I don’t worry about numbers just a evenly spread pattern at reasonable distances. I want the pattern wide enough I don’t miss a close bird and tight enough I don’t get bb’s in the breast at further distances.

I really like #9s or #10s in TSS. I think there's more than a thousand pellets in a shell, or some crazy number like that. Should be more than enough pellets to do the job.
Does Iowa have a shot size restriction? I can't recall off the top of my head.