Intro turkey hunter tips

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gjs4
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Intro turkey hunter tips

Unread postby gjs4 » Tue Apr 26, 2011 2:39 pm

Hi Guys.

I have killed a few birds in the past 5 years but never really knew what i was doing.

I know how to make th call sounds with a mouth call, pot, box
Know how to roost them the night before
Have a good blind (asat)and a few cheapy hens (and one jake decoy)

I want to call in and smoke one with archery tackle...can you guys give me some 101 level tips or approaches.

Lots of birds here, they gooble like mad on the roost and rarely do on the ground due to yotes/hunters...can only hunt sunrise til noon and no bait (here in NY)

thanks


Green and growing... Or red and rotting
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AC Rider
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Re: Intro turkey hunter tips

Unread postby AC Rider » Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:29 am

Nobody with more know how than me has chimed in yet so I'll put in my two cents.... My two cents is get as close to the roost as possible or in between the roost and where they are going to strut. Set up possibly with no dekes and call conservatively. Other than that, I got nothin :D
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Re: Intro turkey hunter tips

Unread postby Mountain Man » Wed Apr 27, 2011 12:00 pm

If you want to do archery I would recommend a blind with a few decoys at 7-10 yards. IMO you need the decoys to get them close. When bowhunting I like a shot at a bird to be 20 yards or less. That isn’t always the case but that is my preference.

There is not a lot of room for error on a shot when using a bow and arrow on a turkey. If using a bow you need to know the kill zone from various angles and body positions (strutting, walking, etc.). There was a post on here a few weeks ago about that by Muddy I think and it had pictures.

Practice shooting from inside your blind in a sitting position.

With a blind I would be careful not to set up too close to a roosted bird b/c at least for me there always seems to be some noise when setting up a blind and you could be seen and/or heard setting up the blind and setting out decoys.

For decoys you could use what you have. I use some hens with a standing jake. I’ve never used a strutting decoy and I’ve had good success. Others on the Beast use a strutting tom and have good success too. I think you can get by fine with the decoys you currently have.

Don’t over call especially if you have a bird that you can tell is committed.

In a blind I wear a black long sleeve shirt, a black facemask, and a dark brown glove on my bow hand.

The turkeys don’t mind a blind and the black holes from the windows but I still try to only open the mesh into a few vertical slits several inches wide to shoot out of and only on the side I intend to shoot out of.
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lungbuster
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Re: Intro turkey hunter tips

Unread postby lungbuster » Wed Apr 27, 2011 3:33 pm

Here's a video tutorial I put together a few years ago, hope it helps.

[bbvideo=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPY3rm1iYEI[/bbvideo]

[bbvideo=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oVwBIDWwuI&feature=related[/bbvideo]

[bbvideo=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4eBH8U4nI0&feature=related[/bbvideo]
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Re: Intro turkey hunter tips

Unread postby Ack » Wed Apr 27, 2011 7:40 pm

Here are a few tips for anyone chasing toms with the bow.........

-The single most important thing is to know where the turkeys travel on the piece of property you hunt. It is very important to know where they roost, where they feed, where they dust, where they strut......travel patterns on turkeys is no different than travel patterns of deer. Don't get too wrapped up in hunting a roost site just because they really don't spend too much time right there at fly down or fly up.....know where they want to go and set up IN FRONT OF THEM.


-Patterning your birds is probably 75% of bowhunting turkeys. Calling, decoys, and everything else doesn't help one bit if you don't know what or where the birds are traveling. Now package the calling, decoys, decoy placement, blind placement with the knowledge of your turkeys....dead turkey. Remember that just because the birds are not gobbling DOES NOT mean they are not there. Trust your homework, and stay in one spot...they will be there!


-If you have enough property to do so or are hunting public land, don't be afraid to run-and-gun with your bow and blind....it can be done. You would do this the same as you would with your shotgun, but as soon as locating a hot bird you need to set up your blind IMMEDIATELY and be ready to shoot....don't even mess with your dekes if he is close. Practice setting up your blind and preparing for a shot before season.....go through all the steps over and over in your backyard until you can get set up as quickly as possible. This way you will be ready when the situation comes up in the woods...you won't have to search for that tree to sit up against like you would if you had your shotgun. You can pretty much set your blind up anywhere and the birds will pay no attention to it when they come through.


-If your schedule allows, definitely get out and hunt during the middle of the day. Many times after hanging with the hens all morning the toms will wander off by themselves or in small groups....this is normally when they are the hottest and the most willing to commit to a call. I would say that all of my birds from the last 7 years or so have been taken between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Don't give up if they've duped you in the morning...get back out there and put some mid-day time in.


-If I'm trying to set up on a specific bird and the terrain allows, I like to get into a position that will give me a shot as soon as that bird comes over the top of a hill, around a corner and so-on. If that bird can hear you but cannot see you many times he will come looking, and you will almost always get a shot as soon as he comes into view if your setup is right. If you can tell that he is getting close, STOP CALLING...he will usually stay on a straight path right into your setup.
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Re: Intro turkey hunter tips

Unread postby JRM6868 » Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:22 am

Another thing to think about is fields. When it's raining and windy the birds don't feel as safe in the woods because of the noise and movement of the leaves and branches blowing. They often hit the fields where they can see all around them. Alot of times after hunting when driving home or to check in a bird I see the birds in the fields on days like these. Alot of good advice has been stated. See what works for your area and go with it. Good Luck!


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