Newb tips?

[bnewt3]

Going to try turkey hunting for the first time this year. For opening day ill be on private land in E Central NC(pines and hardwoods, not much elevation change) and we may have help from cameras locating birds. I have a box call and diaphrams(I can barely make a squeak with them), should I pick up a slate?

What tips would you have for someone in my position for this weekend?

Also, ill be on public land in WNC after this weekend so mostly hardwoods and eastern mountains.

And then what advice would you have for after this weekend?

 

[Taudisio]

Grab a crow call to locate their roosting tree at least an hour before shooting time or the night before, get about 150 yards away and set up in the dark-no flashlights. Pick up a slate, with a slate top. The cheap ones work fine. They are the easiest to get the right pitch out of. Just don’t get it wet and keep a sanding pad in your pocket. This is how I learned and was/still am successful even though I have other tricks in my bag. Being private land birds, you may get them to fly right into your lap off the roost.

Edit to add-I am not a fan of box calls and I would leave it at home. A slate will hold you over until you learn the diaphragm. If it’s going to rain, grab a glass slate.

 

[bnewt3]

Great tips, thanks!

 

[Long Cut]

Patience. Patience. Patience.

You don’t have to be a phenomenal caller. Give him a couple “clucks” to let him know you’re there, gauge his interest and shut up.

I killed this bird here by sitting in a high traffic area one afternoon. Heard him gobble just above me and rather than calling, spot & stalked him using the topography. I didn’t make 1 call to him.

Early morning in early season, you’re competing with hens. Mid morning and afternoon, it’s any man’s game. I’ve killed most of my birds between 10AM - 4PM.

I see too many guys pressuring birds by “running & gunning” rather than slowing down, listen for drumming or hens. Look for tracks, scratching, droppings. Stop and glass occasionally. It’s not a race. Don’t “hammer” call etc to force a shock gobble.

Find a heavily used area, sit down, setup and make a couple calls and listen.

It’s not the funnest way to hunt, but I promise you will be more successful.

 

[AK_Skeeter]

Gobblers are like bull moose...tough to call in if they are with the females,
much easier if they are searching for a female.

 

[bnewt3]

bump

Any other tips?

 

[Billy Goat]

Get a comfortable seat.

If you find a gobbler, and have him answering you at day break, just sit there. He will eventually come to check you out. He might hen up right off the roost and wander off, but 9/10 he will come back around mid morning.

 

[CMF]

should I pick up a slate?

I find the slate the easiest, if I had only one call it would be a slate. I'm not an experienced caller

 

[fishdart]

I would suggest some decoys. It'll give the Tom something to focus on visually. Simplicity says 1/4 strut jake and a lay down hen. Position the jake behind the hen a few steps so the Tom gets upset at the interloper.

For calling, figure out how to do a simple 3-note yelp, a little lower pitch to sound like the jake. Soft, contented clucks can help keep him coming in once he is engaged.

Don't forget the other sounds if the birds are not in visual range - scratching at the leaves with a stick to simulate a turkey searching for food and slapping your ball cap across your thigh a few times to sound like a turkey flying down at first light can add to the realism.

 

[Beaglegun]

The best and most effective call is scratching the leaves

 

[Beaglegun]

If a gobbler is hot and the hens aren't, its easy!!!

https://rumble.com/v4p2zub-4-kentucky-longbeards.html

 

[dr.mooseknuckles]

I'd get a slate or a crystal pot call. They're easy to use. Diaphragm calls will take some time to get proficient with.

I'd keep the box call, but only use it if you're contending with wind or trying to be very loud. If you're hunting in the hills/mountains of WNC you may want to use it to get a distant bird to gobble later in the morning/day when they're not gobbling on the roost. It will give you more range than a diaphragm or pot call. Crystal pot calls can get pretty loud, but not as loud as a well chalked box call. YMMV

I'll second what Long Cut said. Get in a likely area and just work on clucks and purrs if you think he's coming in. Often they'll gobble a couple of times and then shut up. If you haven't bumped him, he's most likely coming to you.

Some people will call to get gobbles, then others will call to kill a turkey. Do the latter. It doesn't take a lot of calling to kill a bird. Going silent on them is most effective in my experience.

 

[Honyock]

Box call for the wind when you need to be loud. Slate when it's not windy. A diaphragm for that last cluck or purr when they're close and you can't move. Hard to shoot with a call in your hand. Don't over call. If they are cutting the distance to you let them come, they know where you're at.

 

[bnewt3]

Well this is quite a story. I still can't believe it all went down like this.

My wifes cousin had been there a few days and scouting so he had a pretty good handle on the groups that were there.
I paired up with his brother and we set up on the edge of a clearing with 2 hen decoys out in the middle.
He did all the calling with a diaphram so he started calling and got a response from a gobbler in a field about 300yds away. Went back and forth with him for a while, never could get him to come play.
We went silent for a while and called again and got a response from one in a different direction and a good bit closer. This one likes shy girls, if we called too much he would get quiet. So one call and then wait 5-10 minutes and each time he was getting closer. We realized he was coming in on the road we walked in on which we were not setup to shoot that way. So im adjusting to shoot right-handed & through brush. We know hes right on us at this point just waiting for a visual.
His head pops up about 10 yards away but trying to get my gun aimed at him will mean moving too much brush and he would see that movement. Im hoping we can get him just 10 yards further into the clearing but hes very cautious. 2 steps forward and then a ton of looking around. Then 2 more steps and a bunch of looking. Keep in mind as soon as i saw his head my heart was pumping and I was shaking like nothing ive ever experienced. He takes another step and gets really nervous. Looking at everything really hard, i swear he looked right at us, then he takes a step back up the road so I know its now or never.
My buddy said take him so i let off a shot and missed cuz I didnt really aim and the turkey is running up the road. My buddy was on his feet really quick and ran to the road. Im just getting to my feet when he lets a shot go and runs up the road at which point I realize there are 2 toms and the second one is flying away. Im chasing after and i see him get to the turkey and hes trying to step on his neck. The turkey keeps dodging, clearly only wounded. Hes trying to fly but (luckily theres enough brush around that he cant really get off the ground)

I arrive at the scene trying to figure out how i can help things. About that time he dives at the turkey but the turkey squirts away and right by me so i tackled the thing, go ahold of the head and a leg and just stayed there til my buddy got there and snapped his neck. Then my buddy just falls over backward breathing very heavily. We both catch our breath for a minute then get up and start looking at the results. Nice turkey. 9.5" beard, 1.25" spurs. Helluva introduction to turkey hunting.

Im nearly 40, have hunted a number of animals, been shot at, nearly killed myself in cars, nothing has ever come close to the excitement of yesterday morning.


Once our heart rates returned to normal we started looking at how everything went down. He made a 50 yard shot, as far as we can tell only 1 bb hit him right in the top of the head.....just enough. We also realized he had been looking at the decoys from a long ways off where we had them set. AND they are brand new and cheap foam, and the tails had curled up on both of them so that could have been what caused him to get nervous.

I. AM. HOOKED!

 

[bnewt3]

So not my turkey, but i dont much care. It was incredible.

 

[Taudisio]

Well this is quite a story. I still can't believe it all went down like this.

My wifes cousin had been there a few days and scouting so he had a pretty good handle on the groups that were there.
I paired up with his brother and we set up on the edge of a clearing with 2 hen decoys out in the middle.
He did all the calling with a diaphram so he started calling and got a response from a gobbler in a field about 300yds away. Went back and forth with him for a while, never could get him to come play.
We went silent for a while and called again and got a response from one in a different direction and a good bit closer. This one likes shy girls, if we called too much he would get quiet. So one call and then wait 5-10 minutes and each time he was getting closer. We realized he was coming in on the road we walked in on which we were not setup to shoot that way. So im adjusting to shoot right-handed & through brush. We know hes right on us at this point just waiting for a visual.
His head pops up about 10 yards away but trying to get my gun aimed at him will mean moving too much brush and he would see that movement. Im hoping we can get him just 10 yards further into the clearing but hes very cautious. 2 steps forward and then a ton of looking around. Then 2 more steps and a bunch of looking. Keep in mind as soon as i saw his head my heart was pumping and I was shaking like nothing ive ever experienced. He takes another step and gets really nervous. Looking at everything really hard, i swear he looked right at us, then he takes a step back up the road so I know its now or never.
My buddy said take him so i let off a shot and missed cuz I didnt really aim and the turkey is running up the road. My buddy was on his feet really quick and ran to the road. Im just getting to my feet when he lets a shot go and runs up the road at which point I realize there are 2 toms and the second one is flying away. Im chasing after and i see him get to the turkey and hes trying to step on his neck. The turkey keeps dodging, clearly only wounded. Hes trying to fly but (luckily theres enough brush around that he cant really get off the ground)

I arrive at the scene trying to figure out how i can help things. About that time he dives at the turkey but the turkey squirts away and right by me so i tackled the thing, go ahold of the head and a leg and just stayed there til my buddy got there and snapped his neck. Then my buddy just falls over backward breathing very heavily. We both catch our breath for a minute then get up and start looking at the results. Nice turkey. 9.5" beard, 1.25" spurs. Helluva introduction to turkey hunting.

Im nearly 40, have hunted a number of animals, been shot at, nearly killed myself in cars, nothing has ever come close to the excitement of yesterday morning.


Once our heart rates returned to normal we started looking at how everything went down. He made a 50 yard shot, as far as we can tell only 1 bb hit him right in the top of the head.....just enough. We also realized he had been looking at the decoys from a long ways off where we had them set. AND they are brand new and cheap foam, and the tails had curled up on both of them so that could have been what caused him to get nervous.

I. AM. HOOKED!

Great story! Congratulations on the experience! You’ll learn a new lesson and a new trick to get the birds in close next time with every encounter you have!