Need y'alls advice!

[greenhorndave]

Ok. Day 1 of my turkey hunting career. Only had the evening, but went to a spot I knew generally held turkeys from deer scouting.

I was right. Got toward where I suspected and heard clucking and yelps. My first thought was, "man, I hope it ain’t some person."

Nope. A nice big tom and I thought only one hen at first, but turned out to be 3. He did not gobble AT ALL but was in perma-strut. One hen was weird in that it only seemed to hop around. Is that normal or common?

In any case, I worked in as close as I thought I could without getting busted and was hoping they would work around the corner of the field. Instead, they just hung up for a couple hours, with the Tom strutting back and forth on the side opposite of me. He stayed with that hoppy hen and maybe got to within 60 yards, but never came to my side. My mouth calling skills stink, but my yelp is ok. Nothing was shaking him from those 3 hens.

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So I waited them out and saw where they roosted.

How would you approach the AM? Go back to that same spot where the roosted? Try to get in on the side they were glued to? I think it's possible, but I don't know if I get away with coming in in the dark in a more open area that their roost is very near. Do they move around to different roost trees?

Sorry for the 20k questions. I got a bead on one and I want to close it out.

Thanks!

Edit: one other bit of info was that a LOT of deer came out of the corner they were in. Not sure how or if they might booger it up in the morning.

[Ack]

Get in that same area he was strutting.....SUPER early, no flashlight. Try your best to not cross the open areas while walking in...stick to cover. Very good chance they will come back out the same way they went in. And don’t worry about the deer. If you’re early enough the turkeys shouldn’t pay any attention to them, even if they spook. Good luck!

[greenhorndave]

Get in that same area he was strutting.....SUPER early, no flashlight. Try your best to not cross the open areas while walking in...stick to cover. Very good chance they will come back out the same way they went in. And don’t worry about the deer. If you’re early enough the turkeys shouldn’t pay any attention to them, even if they spook. Good luck!

Thanks Ack!

[greenhorndave]

Didn't quite work out. We traded sides of the field.

And he was quite gobbley on the roost, but dead quiet on the ground. He left the field and I lost him.

I'm going to wander and listen a bit and then pull up stakes.

[muddy]

I'm generally not an aggressive turkey hunter. I'd be camping those strut spots and calling very sparingly, if at all. That approach doesn't sit well with a lot of the run and gunners on here but it works for me. Good luck

[greenhorndave]

I'm generally not an aggressive turkey hunter. I'd be camping those strut spots and calling very sparingly, if at all. That approach doesn't sit well with a lot of the run and gunners on here but it works for me. Good luck

I was stone quiet during the whole thing (last night and today), figuring he could see really well and could figure out there was no hen in sight. I wanted the other birds to draw him over but it didn't happen. Today he just wandered off and I lost sight of him. (kind of followed the does that winded me but could never see me and faded into the swamp) The hens were clucking and purring yesterday but I can't replicate that yet. I think I bumped him on the way out and attempted to cut him off but no dice.

I appreciate the advice!

On to find another...

[CattailCommander]

If they're with hens like that and the hens are talking, mimic what sounds the hen is making. As soon as she starts talking, cut her off and be agressive with it. Most of the time it will aggravate her enough she'll come over to check it out, usually with the others in tow. I've had good luck with that, especially early season

[greenhorndave]

If they're with hens like that and the hens are talking, mimic what sounds the hen is making. As soon as she starts talking, cut her off and be agressive with it. Most of the time it will aggravate her enough she'll come over to check it out, usually with the others in tow. I've had good luck with that, especially early season

Thanks. I’ll give that a shot, although my calling skills have a LONG way to go.

[greenhorndave]

I know there's one tom in that area.

Should I keep trying to knock him down or move on to find a higher concentration of birds?

[Ack]

If your access is bulletproof I would keep trying for him, but you’ll have to hold back on how much calling you do. Also, don’t be afraid to go after him mid-day.

[greenhorndave]

Access is good. Only a couple of jakes so far. Still time

Will try something else tomorrow if no dice

[CattailCommander]

Like Ack said, don't be afraid to go in there mid-day. I've shot probably half of my turkeys 10-1pm. If you can't get him to gobble mid-day, get a comfy spot in the areas they frequent, call every half hour or so and just be patient. Patience has killed more turkeys than anything else.

[greenhorndave]

Thanks BC.

I went into a new place about that timeframe. Pretty much a bust. Only saw one bird that I jumped out of a roost.

Pulled up stakes and drove a while. A LOT of hunters out today. Anyway, found an empty spot and started walking. A big grass field got my interest up, but no birds unlike like some private farms on the way.

Meandered and listened. Thought I heard a hen, but nope. Then a gobble. And another. Confirmed.

It was quite a ways away. Over on top of a ridge about 200 yards away. So I thought about setting up before I called to try and get him to answer. But I just called anyway since he was so far away. No response. Walked in a little bit more, still listening. Heard him again. Called, still no response. Time to close in.

I take two steps and a gobbler flies off about 30 yards away to my right. That'll get your attention! Which apparently is what I should have been paying! I think he was lower than I was in some thick cover. He never made a sound, but he must have been about 75 yards away and came to the call. I was too focused on the bird I was listening to. Lesson learned! Just because you don't hear him don't mean he isn’t there!

Reminded me of this. I'm glad he wasn't a velociraptor.



Kept hearing the original one from time to time. Tried circling around and I never got on him again. Might have been the super dry leaves or he just moved on.

Frustrating and fun.

Didn't hear anyone roost or respond to owl hoots, so I guess I'll be winging blind it tomorrow.

[tgreeno]

Henned up toms can be tough. He'll most likely follow them off the roost. I'd try that strutting field midday. Otherwise try to locate something from the road in the morning while dark with an owl/crow call. And try and stalk in on him.

[greenhorndave]

Henned up toms can be tough. He'll most likely follow them off the roost. I'd try that strutting field midday. Otherwise try to locate something from the road in the morning while dark with an owl/crow call. And try and stalk in on him.

Thanks for tips! Only thing about that henned-up tom is it’s too far from any road to be able to hear and to spot-check it.

Well, the interesting part about not having a spot picked out is that there are endless possibilities!