Turkey Tips for Some Clueless Canadians

[duckkiller1518]

This might sound crazy but turkeys are just birds. I have spent many years chasing them and have been very lucky to take many birds. They best advise I have is to go and see what the birds are in/doing. They are affected so much by weather, pressure, etc. good luck


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[Clueless Wallob]

There’s probably no right answer but if you could only pick say one weekend in PA, early season before any pressure or later season when you can go past noon?

 

[jmez]

Another good tactic not yet mentioned, call the hens. If there are a lot of hens with the gobblers, try calling loud and aggressively. If you get a hen to answer you, keep calling back to her with the exact sounds/ calls she is making.

You irritate her enough she will eventually come to see who is making all the racket. Tom's will be following right behind her.

Deadly when the Tom's are hennedvup an and won't leave them.

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[brownth2]

If you're going to be there awhile, it's worth spending a couple days scouting out some roosts. (If you can). I setup in my deer blind because they're used to seeing it, and go in a couple hours before dark. don't have to hold as still since they can't see in. It depends on the area you're in as to how well the birds will respond to calls. I bring a box call just because I like to see if they'll talk back to me. If it's raining, hunt a clearing. I hunt private land where I know I'm the only one out there so nothing will disturb my birds coming in. On public land... probably harder.

They've got almost no sense of smell, and they're real dumb but have excellent hearing and sight. I started hunting last year with a .22LR, adds a bit of a challenge. But where I am, I'm mostly shooting at 15-35 yds. I imagine MT is not quite that close.

 

[Erno86]

I usually wait to let a real live barred owl call, to make him shock gobble near dawn --- Otherwise, I can let out a "who cooks for you" barred owl call with just my voice.

Peacock and pilliated woodpecker calls are good for long range...but I usually have to plug my ears with my fingers when I call while using them. My favorite is a wooden crow call. You'll have to hum your voicebox when you call with a crow call. I'm also pretty good crow calling with just my voice.

You'll have to make a crow call sound like you've just discovered a hawk or an owl --- Which is a short but angry call --- Cawaaalll, CAW CAW CAW --- Stop...then listen for a minute.

On public hunting land...I like to be the first hunter in the woods. I like to leave my truck for a 1 mile trek into the woods, about 1 am --- So if I crack a wooden tree limb going in --- he might just wake-up and go back to sleep again.

Usually...my first call in the morning are (mouth diaphragm) soft tree roost yelps --- If he responds, I'll shut-up till his first hen flies down. Then I'll give him a fly down cackle --- while simulating wing beats, by slapping my hat against my thigh (as long as he can't see me do it) --- followed by a few yelps.

Once he finishes whith his hens...he might come looking for me. I'll then give him some yelps and a few purrs, with maybe a come hither cackle thrown in --- Once he responds --- I'll shut-up for a-piece.
.

 

[Erno86]

Some hunters will roost a bird the day before, and stay in the same general location for an overnight stay; so that they'll be ready at first light.

Early in the season...with hardly any green foliage about --- I'll tend to use fall camo clothing --- Later in the season...I'll switch to more greenish camo.

It has been documented, that you can hear a gobble 1 mile away --- that is --- on a calm day, with a direct line of sight. Pine barrens and leafy foliage will mute the gobble sound. I've also heard a gobble about 1 mile away and across a lake. Sometimes...a gobble sound will echo off the surrounding mountain ridges; which makes it difficult to determine the direction of where the gobble came from.

I like to use amplified hearing protection when I turkey hunt, but it makes it difficult to determine the direction of where a sound comes from.

During a setup --- try to point the muzzle of a shotgun from where you heard the last gobble
. And practice aiming the shotgun from the off shoulder --- So you don't have to move around as much.

Decoys: Have the hen decoy facing away from you --- and the jake --- have it facing toward you. Also...try to put a tree between you and the decoys --- In trying to avoid being shot.

 

[mmcdonough]

Anyone ever use a sceery cow elk call for a shock gobble? It can be really high pitched if you bite hard enough. I'm hoping it will work well. Sounds like they'll respond to just about anything. Need to go hike around when the snow pack melts a little more and try it though.

This will be my second year trying to get a tom with my bow. I ponied up and bought a ground blind with some decoys. Also upgraded to a pot call from the box call I used last year. Just practicing with it, it sounds a lot more realistic.

Hoping for more success this season. Last year I was doing run and gun with the bow and couldn't get anything within range to safe my life. 12 days and counting down to opener!

 

[SoDaky]

Hope your hunt is still on and goes well.2 of my Archery tags are filled but 2 others are on hold now due to Covid. Anyway early on in your thread someone suggested checking out Dave Owen and the Pinhoti Project for solid info. Had heard that before but I watch very few hunting programs so hadn’t seen them. Have watched 7-8 of the shows now that I am stuck pretty much at home and must agree. Good. Informative. Some content may not directly apply in Montana but most will. Good stuff. Real deal stuff.
Bet Dave would be a great archery elk hunter if he applied his tactics and skills to it.
Good luck hunting!

 

[Fatcamp]

You’re welcome and good luck! Turkey hunting is so much fun!

As far as running around like a YouTube elk hunt, don’t do that.

If you want a really good idea of what it’s like to hunt turkeys, check out the Pinhoti Project on YouTube. It’s a day by day series of a serious turkey hunter that’s hunting mostly very pressured birds. It’s the most realistic turkey hunting representation I’ve ever watched. Promos videos isn’t what it’s really like.


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So I took your advice and started watching the Pinhoti Project. They may be great turkey hunters, but their firearm safety is pretty rough. And that's being polite.

Good stuff, but I'm not gonna let my kid watch it.

 

[WoodDuck]

Thanks, man. I definitely think patience will be a virtue. Sounds like we can't be charging around the woods like it is a youtube elk hunt.

You’ve gotten a lot of good info on this thread already, but remember not everything is an absoluteA majority of what I’ve read has been related to shooting a bird off the roost in the morning, which is great when it happens. However, do not discount the time period from 9AM to 2PM. This is when I have seen a majority of turkeys die.

I hunt public land in northern Wisconsin, so I do not know how well it applies to Montana turkeys but may give you a different viewpoint. A typical day for us starts by trying to set up on a roosted bird at first light. If that doesn’t pan out, we start putting on miles on logging roads letting out aggressive hen yelps every 100-200 yards. The idea is to sound like a frustrated/lonely hen that is looking to get bred. If you are answered by a gobble, pick a tree to sit against and set up shop. With multiple people, have the caller set up 50 yards behind the shooter. From there on, try not over call. If a bird gets hung up outside of shooting range, try being silent for 30 minutes. That bird should get curious and walk to where he last heard you. I don’t use decoys because I don’t like carrying them, but this area is wooded and a bird is normally in shooting range by the time you see him anyway. This works well in wooded public land around here that receives a fair amount of pressure. It has not worked as well in more open country.

In terms of locating a Tom, this is very much like a YouTube elk hunt.

One last thing; if you are answered by hen yelps, set up and try to call her in because you never know if she will have a Tom in tow.

 

[Arizona Morning]

You’ve gotten a lot of good info on this thread already, but remember not everything is an absoluteA majority of what I’ve read has been related to shooting a bird off the roost in the morning, which is great when it happens. However, do not discount the time period from 9AM to 2PM. This is when I have seen a majority of turkeys die.

I hunt public land in northern Wisconsin, so I do not know how well it applies to Montana turkeys but may give you a different viewpoint. A typical day for us starts by trying to set up on a roosted bird at first light. If that doesn’t pan out, we start putting on miles on logging roads letting out aggressive hen yelps every 100-200 yards. The idea is to sound like a frustrated/lonely hen that is looking to get bred. If you are answered by a gobble, pick a tree to sit against and set up shop. With multiple people, have the caller set up 50 yards behind the shooter. From there on, try not over call. If a bird gets hung up outside of shooting range, try being silent for 30 minutes. That bird should get curious and walk to where he last heard you. I don’t use decoys because I don’t like carrying them, but this area is wooded and a bird is normally in shooting range by the time you see him anyway. This works well in wooded public land around here that receives a fair amount of pressure. It has not worked as well in more open country.

In terms of locating a Tom, this is very much like a YouTube elk hunt.

One last thing; if you are answered by hen yelps, set up and try to call her in because you never know if she will have a Tom in tow.

Appreciate the input, man. Unfortunately, there won't be any border crossings between now and turkey season, so we had to cancel. Trip will have to happen in 2021.

The focus has now shifted to spot and stalk bears this spring...if it ever comes. Thankfully, the season has not been cancelled yet in Alberta and the spring bear season now runs to june 15. Super bummed about it, but trying to make the best of it.

Really appreciate all the tips, guys. Hope to put them in practice next season. Stay safe out there,and get some qualiy social distancing in this spring.