• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

2023 Turkey Hunting Thread

I just got the Spring Gobbler bug about 3yrs ago, and for the most part I've just been using my outings as extended deer scouting excursions. If I hit the call and one fires up, then I sit down and see if I can work them in.

I've had enough adrenaline rushes at this point to get more serious. In fact, while doing my after deer season deer scouting, I'm trying to locate turkey sign too, but no luck - outside the clump of feathers a coyote left behind.

I'll be watching this thread to hopefully read some good tips on where to look.
 
YES YES YES!!! My passion is turkeys. I've already made a few mouth calls yesterday. Actually shipping 5 to my buddy who I Elk hunt with in Colorado for his opener in a few more weeks.

I am not changing anything. I love making my own mouth calls. I also carry a Woodhaven Cherry box call.

I don't use decoys

I use a bino harness and a small camelback bladder backpack. I don't carry much as I am only hunting 4 hours at a time most days.

GO IN LIGHT, COME OUT HEAVY!!
 
Hall17 said:
YES YES YES!!! My passion is turkeys. I've already made a few mouth calls yesterday. Actually shipping 5 to my buddy who I Elk hunt with in Colorado for his opener in a few more weeks.

I am not changing anything. I love making my own mouth calls. I also carry a Woodhaven Cherry box call.

I don't use decoys

I use a bino harness and a small camelback bladder backpack. I don't carry much as I am only hunting 4 hours at a time most days.

GO IN LIGHT, COME OUT HEAVY!!
Click to expand...
Me too, love turkey hunting!! No decoys really anymore, just work them to where they have to peek them give ‘em a face full
 
I do love the woods that time of year when everything is waking up and changing so quickly day to day and week to week. I don't mean to whine, but holy crap turkey hunting has been particularly frustrating for me the past few years, and I was never that much into turks to begin with. Hunting a few days at time and never even hearing a bird gets old, quick. The population in my area has been on a pretty brutal downswing for the past 10 years. To boot, the hunting pressure hasn't really dropped even close to proportionally. It was insane during covid, I had random weekday hunts where I would hear a couple dozen hooters in one morning. Hunt days at a time waiting just for that one fired up bird and you're racing other guys to set up on him some random Tuesday morning when all the other jabronis should be working (OG WFH status here, since 2016). The birds are no longer spread throughout the landscape, there are just little pockets of them left and guys know where the pockets are, it's nuts. Last fall though I saw much better numbers of poults, hoping it starts to trend back in the positive and they can repopulate some areas they used to be.

No real changes, but I made a couple wingbone calls from a jake I shot last year. Drove an hour and half to a more productive area and killed him in about 20 minutes, it was a real wham bam thank you mam hunt.. Had a newborn at home and that ended up being the only 20 minutes I hunted them last year. This year I should be good for my usual 2-3 quick morning hunts most weeks. I would like to call one in and take a nice longbeard with one of those wingbones. By far my most successful tactic I've had is just ambushing them where I see good sign. Just once I'd like a nice textbook tv-style call off the roost, purist hunt. Never called one of the roost once, my calls only ever seem to work after 11 AM.
 
Last edited:
Hall17 said:
YES YES YES!!! My passion is turkeys. I've already made a few mouth calls yesterday. Actually shipping 5 to my buddy who I Elk hunt with in Colorado for his opener in a few more weeks.

I am not changing anything. I love making my own mouth calls. I also carry a Woodhaven Cherry box call.

I don't use decoys

I use a bino harness and a small camelback bladder backpack. I don't carry much as I am only hunting 4 hours at a time most days.

GO IN LIGHT, COME OUT HEAVY!!
Click to expand...
That cool that you make your own calls. I’ve contemplated buying a press to give it a shot.
 
peteherbst said:
That cool that you make your own calls. I’ve contemplated buying a press to give it a shot.
Click to expand...
I sent @Bigterp pictures my set up. Only cost me probably $75 in a vise and material and I've been making a ton of calls the last 5 years. I saw the price on one of those press machines ($600-$800) and I said I HAVE AN IDEA!!

If you want to see how I make them on a simple table vise let me know and I'll toss up some pictures
 
peteherbst said:
Why aren’t you guys using decoys? I don’t use them myself for a few reasons.
Click to expand...
Simplicity. Less to carry.

The big thing for me was I would carry one or two around and then have to set up quickly and never set it up but ditch it behind the tree. Then I'd shoot the bird. One day I was like, heyyyyyy wait a minute!!
 
Turkey season in my state opens April 24. That seems like a long way off but I’m sure it will come quick. I need to buy a new head net. In the near future I want to switch barrels on my shotgun and put a round or two through it to verify I’m still dialed in. Otherwise, there’s not much to change this year, I plan on picking up where I left off. The only additional goal for this year is that I’d like to get birds in a couple of different states and see some new areas. I hope shoot at least 2 gobblers, one with the shotgun and one with the bow.

can anyone recommend what broadheads are optimal for Turkey?
 
Hall17 said:
I sent @Bigterp pictures my set up. Only cost me probably $75 in a vise and material and I've been making a ton of calls the last 5 years. I saw the price on one of those press machines ($600-$800) and I said I HAVE AN IDEA!!

If you want to see how I make them on a simple table vise let me know and I'll toss up some pictures
Click to expand...
Let’s see those pics! I make my own as well, no jigs or vices just hand stretching the latex by feel
 
Matki15 said:
April 1st down here in Louisiana can’t come quick enough, turkey gun shooting great, making mouth and wingbone calls to pass the time until then.
Click to expand...

I’ve been itching to try my hands a making a wingbone call! Thanks for getting that back on my list!
 
Jammintree said:
I’ve been itching to try my hands a making a wingbone call! Thanks for getting that back on my list!
Click to expand...
Learn how to run one effectively, one of the best calls to use in my opinion. If you can’t find wingbones, river cane works great as well. I’ll cut a bunch walking around looking for turkeys and knock out 5-6 in between calling sessions
 
I just love to hear them gobble and If I get one that's just icing on the cake. I usually get one a year. They were very quiet last season. I sure hope they gobble better this year. Our statewide opens March 15. I plan to be out as much as possible. I've made several wingbone calls and just started to get the hang of mouth calls. I load my own TSS shells also. Funny thing is I've never shot a bird past 35 yards with the TSS. It drops them right there though, no flopping around.

I do a lot of my post season deer scouting while I'm out chasing those crazy birds too.
 

Attachments

  • wingbone.jpg
    wingbone.jpg
    455.2 KB · Views: 45
peteherbst said:
Why aren’t you guys using decoys? I don’t use them myself for a few reasons.
Click to expand...
I don’t because I like to work the bird. I like knowing I did it. I was in the right spot. All that good stuff. Not hating on the decoy stuff as since I wanted to hunt them with my bow. I’ll probably use a decoy then.
 
Minimize here. That’s the plan. I’ve ditched the Turkey vest and I now carry a small pack.
 
Hall17 said:
I sent @Bigterp pictures my set up. Only cost me probably $75 in a vise and material and I've been making a ton of calls the last 5 years. I saw the price on one of those press machines ($600-$800) and I said I HAVE AN IDEA!!

If you want to see how I make them on a simple table vise let me know and I'll toss up some pictures
Click to expand...
I would like to see this. Anyone else?

Edit: nvm looks like they were posted on the post prior:grimacing:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top