Brand new to turkey hunting so I'm basically a shrunken, dry sponge that can soak up a lot of water (knowledge). I live in SE Virginaia, right on the state line with NC so I have two states to hunt in and access to tons of private land to hunt. I'm hunting a small field where I've seen turkeys often. I saw a tom strutting there last week, so set up my ground blind on Tuesday for Saturday morning's hunt. The blind is in the woods a little and you can't see it until you get 20 ft away when you approach from the side. It is in plain view from the field in front of the blind. It's an Ameristep Brickhouse in Realtree camo. Anyway, my son and I got to the stand about 6:50 AM and stayed till 10:00 AM. We set up 3 Avian X LCD hens (breeding, upright, and feeding) about 20 yards in front of the blind, and about 30 degrees to the right. I yelped with a box call about every 15 to 20 minutes. We saw no turkeys until we got back in the truck and when we drove down the road we saw 2 turkeys feeding at the edge of a field that is just 100 yards from where we were through the woods. We came back on Sunday afternoon and sat till 5:15 PM and saw no birds whatsoever. Didn't hear any gobbling either trip.
Is it just going to take multiple hunts to be at the right place at the right time? I don/t hear any birds gobbling so i don't see any need to move. I know the birds are there, just not there when I'm there. I don't know anything about how turkeys move about day to day. I'm finding out though...
Any thoughts or advice?
You need to find the roost, drive the roads and walk the ridges, focuse on areas that have a crk near. You seam to be set up in an area they travel through now and then, you want to be set up near the roost, strut area, feeding area or a well used travel rout.
I agree you gotta find the birds. Set up in their direction of travel n it'll be easier. Pre setting a blind may or may not work as you saw.
You can hunt whatever way you want to, but here is my advice: Forget setting out decoys and sitting in a blind. Learn how to call a little bit, learn how to locate turkeys on the roost, and then learn how to proactively hunt turkeys by hunting where THEY are, not where you want them to come to. In the long run, you will be glad you did.
I'll probably get a lot of flack for this but, I'd tell you leave the blind and decoys at home and learn HOW to hunt turkeys. You said you had tons of private land to hunt....take advantage of that. Slip around "prospecting", meaning quietly move through the woods, stopping, looking, listening, calling every hundred yards or so.
Your learning curve will improve substantially the more birds you encounter and the more situations you find yourself in. Don't worry about messing up, that's gonna happen. That's also how you learn.
I am with those guys^^^^. Whichever you choose enjoy yourself.
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Don't start out deer hunting, start out turkey hunting. There are times when a tough bird requires getting where he wants to be before he does, but learn where and when they travel first. Learn roost and strut areas. Walk slow. Carry binoculars and use them a lot. Like all said before me. You will love turkey hunting a lot more when you are making things happen.
Nothing wrong with blind calling and prospecting. I do it every hunt, but I usually am on the move after a bit. And always, always have a good look around before you stand up.
Well I got up with a buddy of mine that has been an avid turkey hunter since the 80s. He's gonna take me and show me the ropes. He takes wounded warriors and other hunters (especially kids) all the time. He was doing diaphragm call even back in the 80s.
A seasoned turkey will definitely shorten your learning curve. There's more to hunting turkeys than just setting up where you've seen them. If you expect to kill turkeys every time, you're in for a serious reality check. You are quite fortunate to have access to some outstanding habitat in this part of the country. Keep after 'em & good luck. They will teach you what not to do if you give them the chance.
Jim
Every post so far is good. I'll add...
Go to a likely spot. Find a good tree and area to set up. Listen. After it gets to be "go time" (light enough birds should be on the ground) try calling if you haven't heard a gobble.
If you hear a gobble way off - decide if it would be better to close the gap, get closer and find another area to set up. That's a LOT easier said than done in the beginning. Experience will help determine your decisions about moving, and just how close.
If you end up "prospecting" for a cooperative bird - DON'T CALL until you are standing in a good spot for a set up... you might have to sit down and get ready in a hurry, so it doesn't do any good to strike up a bird if you are in a thick are where you can only see 20 yards!
I rarely hunt out of a blind - but I have done it and know others that do and you don't have to worry about hiding a blind from a turkey like you do deer. Plop a new blind set up in the woods and every deer within 100 yards will stare at it until they get used to it. Plop a new blind set up on the edge of a field and a turkey will walk right by it. Don't know why, but I've seen it enough to know.
Hunting with your buddy will speed up your learning curve by years. Good luck, and keep it fun!!
I noticed you said you got to your blind at 6:50 am....has not the sun been up awhile?....you may need to start a little earlier to find out where the birds are roosting...i would go and do some scouting a week before hand..how old is your son?....no blind may or may not be a option for you
I'll have to agree with the previous post who noted that you definitely need to get to your blind a little earlier. I shot my turkey at 5:55 a.m. last week and was set up by 5:15 a.m. with my decoys and blind. I was there in plenty of time to experience the morning waking up. I also set up near where I knew they were roosted. If there are no turkeys roosted near your blind nor are they coming your way from some other roosted area, then you may hunt that location for many days without seeing a turkey. At some point, you will need to spend some time in the area looking for turkey sign or, better yet, hear them fly up in the late afternoon. If they are not disturbed, turkeys often roost in the same or nearby area for several days. Turkey hunting is not rocket science, but you do have to pay your dues by putting in the time to discover where the turkeys are...and are not.
I hunt n.c. if it was 6:55 when you went in it had been light for quiet sometime if they roosted close to the field peabably saw you if i hunt a field I am set up30 minutes before daylight dont use flashlight unless robustly have then i use green or red birds i hunting will 30 minutes before daylight alot of times
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Here's a trick that may help now or in future hunts. I was hunting a field that 1 Tom and 3 hens. First morning I set out 1 hen decoy and waited. When birds came into field Tom started working his way straight to my decoy. Hens got in front of him and lead him off. Talked to a friend of mine that has been hunting turkeys over 30 years and he told me to set decoy at one end of field and go set up on other end. Tom came into field headed to decoy, hens seen decoy and lead him right to me. Dead Bird! He said it also works when they get decoy shy or when toms have beat up by groups of jakes. He told me to always use a birds natural reaction to your advantage.
Go in, in the dark, don't use a light, and get into the cover. Don't walk the edge of the field. Stay in the cover, and don't go out in the open, unless you have to. Stay around water, and feed
Just start walking and call every 200 yards. Do that for an hour or two and then retrace your steps but slower. Call quieter on the way back. A gobbler might have come in silent and be looking around for the hen he thought he heard. Always hunt just as hard on the way back as you did on the way out.