• 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

Turkey Talk

You guys are some Turkey killers, now! congrats to all.

Last weekend yielded one bird. 19 year old got it done all on his own and made a 40 yd, on the wing, crossing shot at a 2 year old flushing out of a wood-line trying to catch up with the rest of the group..
Pretty cool!

We have until this Sunday and I'm not sure I'll get out or not because... alas - Duty calls.
 
Well, I wiffed a shot on a gobbler yesterday just after flydown. I had a hen come in and scold me then two gobblers soon thereafter. Not sure what I did but after the shot they kept gobbling and then I couldn’t get a second clear shot! Oh well!!
 
woodsdog2 said:
Well, I wiffed a shot on a gobbler yesterday just after flydown. I had a hen come in and scold me then two gobblers soon thereafter. Not sure what I did but after the shot they kept gobbling and then I couldn’t get a second clear shot! Oh well!!
Click to expand...
It happens. That's one of the reasons why they call it Turkey Hunting instead of Turkey Shooting. ( I know you already know this )
 
woodsdog2 said:
Indeed I do!! All to well. All to well.
Click to expand...
I killed close to 20 gobblers in a row before I missed a shot. Thought it wouldn't happen to me.

Bird was at 40 yards, and using truglo sights, my head wasn't on the stock and I only focused on the front red bead. The sights weren't aligned and missed. There was a giant oak tree directly behind the bird, and examined it to see where the heck my shot went. Must have shot a clean 4 feet over him. I could see tons of little holes way up the tree. It happens to all of us eventually.
 
Hunting the last season here in NJ (next 2 weeks) with the bow.. today was first!

They are in the lead lol

Had 3 toms and 2 jakes cruise by and around the decoys at about 40 yards and another big tom 2-300 yards that wasn’t interested in anything I was doing

Anyone have any tips if they don’t care about the decoys?
 
bigcat93 said:
Anyone have any tips if they don’t care about the decoys?
Click to expand...
Patience!!! Try sharp hen cutting first, especially if hens are keeping them at bay. Hens can be as territorial as gobblers. Also try Jake yelps and if safe to do so, gobbles.

Patience is the biggest factor. One year I had a gobbler and three hens walk by my set up about 40 yards away. Too far for me at the time with my Archery tackle. So over an hour that gobbler strutted and those hens just fed around him and I don’t know if it was my hen cutting every 15 minutes or just consistently being patient and he finally broke and came over aboutn75-80!yards and I shot him with a bow atnabout 8 yards. The decoys were there. I had changed nothing except the elapsing of time and some different calls.
 
Patience. Often less calling and make it softer calls. Hunt middle of the day when hens nest up. They will start to get into patterns so choose common travel
Routes or areas tons like to strut.

But as was mentioned there are times to be aggressive and even call aggressive. I find the soft calling and patience to be effective most of the time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Crcusmonky said:
Patience. Often less calling and make it softer calls. Hunt middle of the day when hens nest up. They will start to get into patterns so choose common travel
Routes or areas tons like to strut.

But as was mentioned there are times to be aggressive and even call aggressive. I find the soft calling and patience to be effective most of the time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I'll echo this and add something that goes a little deeper into the weeds of the wisdom you're revealing, Crcusmonky:

Above all else defer to your knowledge of the terrain and the woodsman-ship needed to get into position so that you don't hardly need to make turkey calls for Tommy Three Toes to step right into range.

In the past three years or so I have not been so quick to get set up under a tree or even set down on the ground while hunting these birds.
Instead, I've kept behind cover, walked the creek bottoms, or crawled into or onto the back-side of a ridge to get into position on a bird - AND LET THEM COME TO ME.
( Easier said than done I know but that's what seems to get it done )

I was standing up waiting for the bird to step into the clear when I've shot the last two Toms.
 
Center Punch said:
I'll echo this and add something that goes a little deeper into the weeds of the wisdom you're revealing, Crcusmonky:

Above all else defer to your knowledge of the terrain and the woodsman-ship needed to get into position so that you don't hardly need to make turkey calls for Tommy Three Toes to step right into range.

In the past three years or so I have not been so quick to get set up under a tree or even set down on the ground while hunting these birds.
Instead, I've kept behind cover, walked the creek bottoms, or crawled into or onto the back-side of a ridge to get into position on a bird - AND LET THEM COME TO ME.
( Easier said than done I know but that's what seems to get it done )

I was standing up waiting for the bird to step into the clear when I've shot the last two Toms.
Click to expand...
Many years ago, when I was just getting into turkey hunting a friend of mine gave me a Turkey Calling cassette tape of Rob Keck's. Aside from learning what the calls sounded like I think the best advice on turkey hunting I ever got was this. The interviewer on the tape asked Rob "Where's the best place to set up to call a turkey?" Rob's answer was simple "Between where he is and where he wants to go." Words I've always tried to live by. I've run long distances to try to circle around birds undetected to set up in an area where they seemed to be heading when I first located them.
 
boyne bowhunter said:
Many years ago, when I was just getting into turkey hunting a friend of mine gave me a Turkey Calling cassette tape of Rob Keck's. Aside from learning what the calls sounded like I think the best advice on turkey hunting I ever got was this. The interviewer on the tape asked Rob "Where's the best place to set up to call a turkey?" Rob's answer was simple "Between where he is and where he wants to go." Words I've always tried to live by. I've run long distances to try to circle around birds undetected to set up in an area where they seemed to be heading when I first located them.
Click to expand...
“Get on that bird Ralph!” Man I wore that tape out
 
boyne bowhunter said:
Me too! It was dry by today's standards but it was invaluable to me.
Click to expand...
Funny I met Rob at a bass pro about 15-20 years ago . Think he was still head of NWTF then. We chatted about that tape. I actually ordered a copy of it online as a CD for my Dad about 20years ago as a birthday present. There wasn’t the resources we have now, I killed a pile of turkeys with those tactics……
 
Center Punch said:
I'll echo this and add something that goes a little deeper into the weeds of the wisdom you're revealing, Crcusmonky:

Above all else defer to your knowledge of the terrain and the woodsman-ship needed to get into position so that you don't hardly need to make turkey calls for Tommy Three Toes to step right into range.

In the past three years or so I have not been so quick to get set up under a tree or even set down on the ground while hunting these birds.
Instead, I've kept behind cover, walked the creek bottoms, or crawled into or onto the back-side of a ridge to get into position on a bird - AND LET THEM COME TO ME.
( Easier said than done I know but that's what seems to get it done )

I was standing up waiting for the bird to step into the clear when I've shot the last two Toms.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, great points. I will only add this is great if you have time to scout and know the lay of the land so to speak. Sometimes your learning on the fly and that’s okay. Use a ridge to your advantage. As boyne said, think where he or the hen with him wants to go and try to get in that path if possible.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I tried to tell you guys last year that you need to come to Maine to turkey hunt.
Yesterday, while working in my yard around 11am, my wife came out on the deck and quietly said look behind you. I turn around and there is a big tom turkey moseying along the strip of trees between me and the neighbor's lawn. I had a 3 ft. piece of pipe and a rubber mallet in my hand at the time and had been making quite the racket. He goes behind a brush pile so I decide to try to sneak on him to see how close I could get. To make it dramatic for my wife I held the mallet up like I was gonna chuck it at the bird's head. I snuck to within about 12 yards or so before he came from behind the brush pile and when he did, he just popped his noggin up and stared at me standing there like a statue of Thor in the wide open. I froze in place for at least 3 to 4 minutes before he went about his business. He went about another 3 or 4 yards and went behind a big Hemlock so I stuck real fast even closer this time. When he comes out from behind the tree, I took the mallet and swung it to hit the trunk of a big blowdown in front of me and this super wary game bird barely flinched and this was at like 8 yards, so I approached him directly. He just sort of shuffled off into the woods without a care in the world. Oh, I was also hollering at him too. They're a real challenge alright. I could have killed him a dozen times with my granddaughter's Red Ryder! :rolleyes::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy:

PS. Pretty sure you are allowed 2 Toms in the spring and up to 5 birds in the fall here fyi.
 
DroptineKrazy said:
I tried to tell you guys last year that you need to come to Maine to turkey hunt.
Yesterday, while working in my yard around 11am, my wife came out on the deck and quietly said look behind you. I turn around and there is a big tom turkey moseying along the strip of trees between me and the neighbor's lawn. I had a 3 ft. piece of pipe and a rubber mallet in my hand at the time and had been making quite the racket. He goes behind a brush pile so I decide to try to sneak on him to see how close I could get. To make it dramatic for my wife I held the mallet up like I was gonna chuck it at the bird's head. I snuck to within about 12 yards or so before he came from behind the brush pile and when he did, he just popped his noggin up and stared at me standing there like a statue of Thor in the wide open. I froze in place for at least 3 to 4 minutes before he went about his business. He went about another 3 or 4 yards and went behind a big Hemlock so I stuck real fast even closer this time. When he comes out from behind the tree, I took the mallet and swung it to hit the trunk of a big blowdown in front of me and this super wary game bird barely flinched and this was at like 8 yards, so I approached him directly. He just sort of shuffled off into the woods without a care in the world. Oh, I was also hollering at him too. They're a real challenge alright. I could have killed him a dozen times with my granddaughter's Red Ryder! :rolleyes::tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy:

PS. Pretty sure you are allowed 2 Toms in the spring and up to 5 birds in the fall here fyi.
Click to expand...
So you didn't "drop the hammer" on him?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top