Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

Like it was yesterday! It was 1985, PA opening day. It was my 2nd year of Turkey hunting. Back then, nobody in my circle Turkey hunted. My first year, I called one Tom in, but never got a shot, I over-called and he skirted around me and walked off. I was devastated. That summer, I read some articles from Knight & Hale. One quote changed my Turkey hunting tactics forever. The article said that Turkey hunters are "reversing nature" by trying to call the Tom into the hen. Actually, the hen is really supposed to come to the gobbler. Therefore limited calling, patience, and the creation of unavoidable curiosity to the Gobbler will increase your success. I found this PA bird preseason, picked a set-up spot and snuck in before dawn on the opener. I already decided if he answered me, I am "done" calling, and will wait him out. Just before daylight, a crow called and "Boom", he gobbled. He was in the pines below me. When it was light enough for him to fly down, I yelped on my mouth call very softly, he double gobbled. I put the gun up on my knee, and waited. I heard the infamous fly down right below me and a few minutes later, he appeared in full strut at 30 yards. The 1100 Remi cut loose, I had my first spring gobbler. I sat with him for about an hour, it was surreal. He was a big boy, dressed out at 23 pounds and sported a 10 inch beard. I will never forget him walking out from behind the big PA pine. This is why I have pursued these birds for over 37 years and don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Thanks for listening....

Yes Tom very vividly, a very cold morning for late April here in Ms. 32 degrees. That morning my buddy killed a triple bearded bird, when we all got back to camp looking at his bird they decided to go and enter him in a contest for big bird and they told me to go setup in this big field and try it there, the wind had gotten up to about 20 mph and when I ease up to field a gobbler is strutting with two hens by his side. I start calling with my Primos spring hen push pull and they start moving my way, the field was like 300 yards long and took them about a hour to get to my end but are on the opposite side of the field, gobbler strutting for the two hens, I make a few more calls and they start my way but there is a big dip in the field and they go out of site, i get up on my knees looking down in the dip for them and the hens pop up at like 20 yards and I thought I was busted but they eased off and he finally stepped out, I took him at 30 yards at about 3 that after noon, he had a double beard and a 1 1/4 spurs, as I was walking back up to the camp house my buddies pulled up from getting his bird scored, We had a great night at camp that day..

Quote from: 3bailey3 on August 10, 2022, 08:01:02 PM
Yes Tom very vividly, a very cold morning for late April here in Ms. 32 degrees. That morning my buddy killed a triple bearded bird, when we all got back to camp looking at his bird they decided to go and enter him in a contest for big bird and they told me to go setup in this big field and try it there, the wind had gotten up to about 20 mph and when I ease up to field a gobbler is strutting with two hens by his side. I start calling with my Primos spring hen push pull and they start moving my way, the field was like 300 yards long and took them about a hour to get to my end but are on the opposite side of the field, gobbler strutting for the two hens, I make a few more calls and they start my way but there is a big dip in the field and they go out of site, i get up on my knees looking down in the dip for them and the hens pop up at like 20 yards and I thought I was busted but they eased off and he finally stepped out, I took him at 30 yards at about 3 that after noon, he had a double beard and a 1 1/4 spurs, as I was walking back up to the camp house my buddies pulled up from getting his bird scored, We had a great night at camp that day..

Wow, great story and you got him with a push pin! Love it, thx for sharing......

Yup, I hunted for many years on land that didn't have turkeys. I was just hoping for a miracle. If anything, I learned persistence and a never quite attitude goes a long way. I finally got to hunt property with turkeys and killed a jake at about 12-13 steps my first time on it. I am glad I had 3.5" Remington hevishot shells for that one. Still use that gun some every year 20+ years later.

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HECK YES !!!!!!!!!

It was a pair of jakes.  I was using a tube call I had made from a 35mm film canister, a rubber glove my (RN) mother brought home from work and some black electrician's tape.  The very same call my older brother's "expert" turkey hunting buddy (he had never killed one at that point) told me was junk.  Called to the birds in a mature stand of pines.  The came in above me gobbling hard.  Then they took a break to flog the snot outta one another just out of sight up over the hill from me.  Then all got quiet.  They backtracked on the silent and dropped down to my level and came around the hill on my level.   IIRC, it wasa 20-couple yard shot with my Winchester 1200 and a factory extra-full Winchoke tube shooting a 2 3/4" Federal magnum #2 shot shell.

Most assuredly, and I'd say if you don't then you're in the wrong forum. For me I followed some good advice which was to call before coming over a ridge in case anything was on top or just over the other side. So I yelp on a slate and a bird answers me but it sounded fake. Didn't sound like a real gobble. I got it in my head it was another hunter. I stepped up on the ridge and there's a pair of jakes 60yds on the other side barreling straight at me, and there's two gobblers in tow. They spot me and spook and it was over. I fully believed it was over. But I made note of the direction they went and walked a giant circle to get back to that area. When I was close a few hours later I sat down and ate my lunch. I called right before I started eating and about mid lunch I had a gobble. I get set up and here they come, those two jakes, and they run right by me at maybe five yards just cutting and yelping and raising holy hell. They run up the ridge behind me and are still making a racket. Now I see the two longbeards but they're skirting me hard left. I call and those two jakes come running back raising hell. The jakes ultimately bring the gobblers my way and all four birds end up behind me: two long beards and two jakes. One long beard is strutting and the other is running lookout. I shoot the strutter at about 15yds. Beautiful bird and an unforgettable hunt. A lot of good lessons rolled up in that one.


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Great stories guy!!

It's been over 20 years and I remember it like it was last week.  My first bird was a jake, called him in with a Lynch box call and he came in silent from behind me.
My first longbeard, whooo boy that was a hunt that I wish had been filmed.  Gobbling like crazy, two strutters came in together and I couldn't shoot because they were so close together.  They both double gobbled at 20 yards and about knocked my hat off.  Finally, they walked up right beside me and one stepped out front by a foot and I shot him at about five yards.  My first longbeard, my first bird called up with a mouth call and still the closest kill I've ever had.  The show doesn't get any better than the one I got.  I still have the "trophy shot" photo on my desk. 

Yes , it took me a couple of years and it was a jake. I carried that jake around to show all my buddies, just like it was a big 12 point buck... LOL... public land gobbler. I agree with Tom, it was like it was yesterday... man i have learned so much after killing that first one and boy how my calling and calls have improved through the years. LOL. But I still learn all the time from these gobblers and i still make mistakes. By the way all my calls were homemade, 2 snuff can calls and a turtle shell with a piece of roofing slate glued into the shell with a homemade corncob cedar striker.. I still have these calls in my gun safe.

Wow, love these stories, keep em coming....wish I was behind the tree with all of ya! Can't replace that 1st bird jubilance.  :turkey2:

Had no one to teach me so I was on my own, and what an experience. Sitting on the edge of a field, and I must have used the call somewhat ok, because they were hammering behind me in the woods. I waited and waited like I read, but after what seemed like an hour, I turned and headed into the woods. Dang, after getting up I had to take a leak. Zipped up, got my gun and turned and there he was in full strut, 30 yards away. I just stared. I was in awe! After he dropped out of strut, I realized I need to shoot. Down he went, and I was hooked. 25 years later, with numerous mounts, beards, and amazing experience's...I still have to take a leak when I get in the woods :)

I don't remember much these days, lol, but I remember it vividly. May 3rd 2001.  Never turkey hunted before but saw a flock while goose hunting in the fall on a buddy's property. I got permission and read all the stories I could . I had a Quaker Boy push pin and an HS Strut triple glass pot. Good camo and my trusty Browning Gold 3.5" with #4 magnums. I had the " flock" featherflex decoys and thought I was something special. He gobbled at 0445 when the farmer next door started his tractor. Flew down about 15 minutes later and gobbled for over 3 hours. I did exactly everything wrong but he would not leave. He had a mission. To sacrifice himself so I would be infected for life. He finally gave me a shot and I miraculously connected. 18 pound jake and I have been hopelessly addicted ever since. I still get jacked when I think about it. When I don't get that feeling, I will stop hunting them. The chances of that are slim, none and zero. I love the stories guys. God Bless you all, Z

Yes I had hunted several years had very few encounters and heard minimal gobbling. My Dad nor my friends turkey hunted, so I was down the path of learning everthing not to do.

I had finally found a few turkeys I came across deer hunting on some public and scouted the area before season. The morning before I had located 3 gobblers and they worked towards each other off the limb. I had found my spot for opening morning.

As the sun decided to rise, there was a heavy fog and I heard nothing. 45 min or so after sunrise I heard a gobble to my crow call. These birds had came off the roost and already made it several hundred yards to a large grown up field on private. I sat down near the public line and called some with a Bass Pro Red Head mouth call and a bird answered. I was tucked so far in a blow down I knew I had a great hide. Well, the gobbler decided to come in silent and at a quick pace. When I could see him he could see there was nothing for him there. He slipped out about as fast as he came in. I had been froze and couldnt have moved if he would have stood there. However, he did leave in the direction towards my parking spot about 1.5 miles away. After a while sitting and light calling I had about given up and was thrilled with the experience.

I got up and started back down the long straight road, kicking dirt and replaying the scenairo. Every 100 yds or so I would make a yelp throwing it in the direction the gobbler had went. About 500 yds later he gobbled not far off of public. I hurried and sat down. A few more calls and he gobbled a lil closer. Finally he came out of the timber and into a powerline that was the property line. He made it a good 20yds or so on my side stopped and went to looking hard. As I settled the bead with that mule kicking 3.5", I had my 1st turkey. 3/4" spurs 9" beard. I was so excited!  I had grown up hunting and being in the outdoors but this experience had came to fruition and I was proud of all experiences that led to number 1.

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I was 18 years old and hunting Garrett State Forest along the property edge of a piece of land owned by a timber company. This was almost 30 years ago. I remember the temperature was cold and I was wearing a Mossy Oak Break Up coat at the time. I was tucked in some dead fall looking over a bottom at the base of a hill. I could see fairly far since this was the season opener and foliage was non existent. I began calling with my Lynch fool proof one sider and to no avail had a gobble that sounded off about 100 yards away. I had no idea what I was doing but I perched my Remington Wingmaster 870 in matte finish on my knee. The minutes that went by felt like hours but it wasn't long before three jakes walk within 20 yards to my right. The rest is history with the lead bird falling to a shot of 2x6 Remington Turkey loads. Those shells had the dark green hull.
Still have my Wingmaster and still have the Lynch turkey call. I remember the beard was 3 1/2" and these were the days when you had to physically check in your big game at a certified check in station, we didn't have call in check in at that time.                   

Opening day 1997 season. I had never even thought about turkey hunting until about a month before this day. I went to a turkey calling seminar the month before and bought one mouth call. Opening morning I start out at the cabin and take off walking. Not sure how it all worked, Id walk 100 yards and yelp on that mouth call. The only sound I good make. Looking back I am not sure if the turkeys were gobbling or laughing at me but I was getting answered! I managed up the side of a steep ridge when all hell broke loose. I would call and they would go crazy. They were within 100 yards. Not knowing I should sit and call them to me I kept closing in. About 30 seconds later 2 big toms come running down the hill about 50 yards to my left looking for the 3 pack a day hen who wont shut up! I yelp one more time and they turn on a dime and come right towards me. I shoot at 20 steps and now I am a certified turkey killer! 24lbs, 11inch beard, 1 in spurs!! I walk out of the woods thinking there is nothing to this turkey hunting. Then I go the next 4 years without getting one. lol I look back now thinking how over the years I have over complicated and spent countless money trying to add turkeys to the list. When it all comes back to the very first day lesson. Just get in the woods, something good might happen!

Yep, still remember.   He gets bigger and more difficult with each passing year.  First turkey was 1965, first gobbler was 1967, and first gobbler by myself was 1969.   Been on a pretty good run ever since :laugh:    We didn't know a whole lot about turkey hunting.  But we were pretty persistent trying to fit different parts of the puzzle together until it started making a little bit of sense.   

April 1st. Afternoon hunt. Was snow on the ground in East Central MS that morning. 1986 I do believe. Had trekked in some woods I had permission in. Tired, flopped down on a ridge just under the top. Methodically worked thru every call I was carrying. Laid back, may have caught a z, heard walking in the leaves coming over the top. Covered it with a Zephyr Woodlander I still have- double. Red head and neck appeared right on the ivory bead- BOOM! Raced the #4s to his neck n head- luckily the shot beat me there by a hair! Spurs were slightly over 1.5inches, shot most of his beard off but what was left almost made 9"... I remember his colors were not vibrant, almost faded. May have been a real old one and he had to have been crazy to come to my callin but I Thank GOD for him everytime I think about it....

It was the spring of 1999, my first year ever turkey hunting. I knew nothing about turkey hunting, so i started reading everything i could on it, bought videos, listened to cassette tapes to learn the various vocalizations. I studied more on turkey hunting than i ever did in school. I tried and failed til the last afternoon, i had all but giving up when my dad asked me to take him to my uncle's place to look at his new foal. Pulled into his driveway and 5 toms and jakes crossed the road about 100 yards down the road and into his neighbor's  woods. I asked who's woods that was and he told go after them, so i took off on a dead sprint into the woods. Made it 100 or so yards, flopped my backside up against a big oak tree and called once. They gobbled once and ran right into me, i shot the first one i could. Took all of a minute, time was 4:50, season ended at 5 back then. A hunt i will never forget. The next year i killed my tom 10 minutes into opening morning.

Amazing how that first one never leaves your mind! Keep em coming......fantastic.

Absolutely 2005, I accidentally sat down in gun range from 3 lone gobblers and still managed to botch it when they came down I got nervous about the range, and how close they were together and froze. Once they left for hens and stepping it off they were an easy 10yds inside range but I hung with them all morning and slow played mostly because I didn't have confidence in my calling. About 10am one broke for soft calling, just the tips of his fan glistening until his white head shot up searching the cover for a new hen. I vividly remember standing over him looking at the colors in his feathers, his head, the sheer size of the bird and thinking... There's something else to this than other hunting I had done.

The next year I ment my guy who turned into my turkey hunting mentor and shot 2 birds in NY state with and getting a full indoctrination in turkey hunting.

I'm still young enough to remember most all my hunts but wish I had written those early days down.

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He caught me off guard, no gobble. I just remember my heart was absolutely pounding uncontrollably. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and that my box calling actually worked!

Yup

I tried and I tried, but I just can't remember. I guess I'm getting old!
Thought about it now for a few hours and I still can't remember the girl I first had
relations with.
I can't remember her name , but I do remember my first turkey and the events that took place in getting him.
It was a jake.
Great stories guys. Thanks for sharing and bringing back some fond memories.

Mine was 50 years ago, I shot him out of a group of 6 jakes. Like guesswho said I think he's up to about 30 lbs now and huge beard with fabulous hooks. In reality it might of been a 13 lb jake, but after 50 years surely he gets bonus points. I can take you right to the exact spot he fell and tell you the whole story still.

Like it was yesterday. Early 80's north central lower peninsula of Michigan, lone gobbler crossed a two track right in front of my Jeep at sundown. After a restless night I was waiting for the light very near that crossing the next morning. He gobbled, I  yelped on a diaphragm and he flew down and walked right to me. The Model 12 with 2-3/4" #4's put him down at maybe 30 yards. Oh what a rush and celebration! Each kill still feels pretty much the same to this day.

Yes I do.   Several years later I started keeping a photo album.   WIsh I would of  done it when I was younger.   Now I always take 3 pictures of bird.  One of whole bird, one of beard one of both spurs together.   Put in picture album with date and location, weight and lengths

Although I killed my first spring gobbler in 1969, it was a "drive by" shooting and I really don't consider it to be my first "legitimate" kill.  However, I do remember it quite well.  After all these years, it is a bit embarrassing to admit that my first spring gobbler, although legal, was taken in such an undignified manner.  At that time, we just hadn't learned that spring gobbler hunting is as much about the method as it is the kill. 

The one I really remember, and actually consider to be my "first", was in 1975.  Several miles back in the Gila Wilderness of southern New Mexico, I called in my first "legit" gobbler.  Remember it like it was yesterday.  That one lit the fire that will go with me to my last breath.  (An interesting side note is that one of those two high school classmates that was there on that 1969 hunt is still one of my hunting partners fifty-three years later) 

Quote from: guesswho on August 11, 2022, 03:45:23 PM
  He gets bigger and more difficult with each passing year. 

:toothy9:

Turkey hunters and fisherman share some commonalities.   

Quote from: GobbleNut on August 12, 2022, 09:46:46 AM
Although I killed my first spring gobbler in 1969, it was a "drive by" shooting and I really don't consider it to be my first "legitimate" kill.  However, I do remember it quite well.  After all these years, it is a bit embarrassing to admit that my first spring gobbler, although legal, was taken in such an undignified manner.  At that time, we just hadn't learned that spring gobbler hunting is as much about the method as it is the kill. 

The one I really remember, and actually consider to be my "first", was in 1975.  Several miles back in the Gila Wilderness of southern New Mexico, I called in my first "legit" gobbler.  Remember it like it was yesterday.  That one lit the fire that will go with me to my last breath.  (An interesting side note is that one of those two high school classmates that was there on that 1969 hunt is still one of my hunting partners fifty-three years later)

Gobblenut rolled up on him hood style with his homies, guns a blazing! :z-guntootsmiley:

I remember mine. I was sneaking along a reservoir skirting private land. Came up on 2 longbeards gobbling mid mourning about 200yds apart. Made it to a good tree set up. One bird was in front of me to my right about 100yds, the other in front to my left about 200yds. They were both gobbling pretty good. A couple barely audible yelps(even to me) on a pot call had the one to the left come running in. I heard him scrunching leaves before I saw him. I was totally unprepared with my gun laying across my legs. When I heard the leaves I tried to get my gun up but it was to late. He came in so fast he was at about 8yds when he spotted my movement, turned to leave just as fast. I put the bead out in front of his head and  rolled him at 10yds. Well not exactly! I looked the bird over, all I could find was one BB hole behind the ear.

I showed up back to camp with the 1st gobbler my friends and I had ever seen shot. It proved to us it could be done. Back slaps and attaboys abound.

A Jake I yelped up in the Fall, not long after flydown, when I was 9yrs old. I remember the Thanksgiving supper at camp the very next day just as well. That 14lb Jake fried golden brown in a metal trashcan over a bed of Live Oak Coals. Fried okra, rice and swamp cabbage smothered in tomato gravey, corn pone, and sour orange pie.

Quote from: Paulmyr on August 12, 2022, 10:23:17 AM
Gobblenut rolled up on him hood style with his homies, guns a blazing! :z-guntootsmiley:

:TooFunny:    Yep, Paul, I hate to admit it, but that pretty much sums up how it all went down...    ;D :angel9:

Quote from: GobbleNut on August 12, 2022, 02:48:46 PM

Quote from: Paulmyr on August 12, 2022, 10:23:17 AM
Gobblenut rolled up on him hood style with his homies, guns a blazing! :z-guntootsmiley:

:TooFunny:    Yep, Paul, I hate to admit it, but that pretty much sums up how it all went down...    ;D :angel9:

No worries bro,   ;) we all have things we ain't proud of. At least you seen the light and changed your evil ways!

March 24th 1980. Remember it like it was last week. Was in the afternoon after school. The day before I Ran into a neighbor hunting and he told me he heard one gobbling behind my house. It rained that morning so I waited till after school to hunt. I walked back there and sat down and started calling blind. I heard what I thought was my neighbor walking through the leaves until I started catching glimpses of turkey. He marched right to me, went behind a big tree that allowed me to get my gun on him. Stepped out at 32 yards and I shot him with a 20 gauge Rem 1100 2 3/4 inch #6's. Been obsessed every since. I grew up hunting with my Daddy and hunted with him until his death. He was my best hunting Buddy. He was hunting somewhere else solo when I killed my first one. But was just as proud of it as I was. He was an accomplished Turkey Hunter before I was born and started taking me with him before I was big enough to shoot. I took my son and watched him shoot several before he started hunting somewhat on his own. We are still best Hunting Buddies today. He and his wife just had my first Grandson and I am looking forward to taking him hunting in a few years! That turkey fever has caused me, My Daddy and Son to travel to a lot of states to hunt them. And it's been a lifetime of wonderful memories. Looking forward to next season!

My first turkey was an Osceola public land jake around 1993. The next year I hunted the same FLA WMA and got my first gobbler.
I was hunting in a hardwood hammock bordering pines, separated by a plowed fire line. A fire engine was responding to a call nearby and I thought I heard a gobbler shock gobbling to the siren.
Once the engine was gone, I yelped and sure enough, a gobbler hammered back close by!!! Being a firefighter, I knew this bird would be mine!! :firefighter:
I called way too much due to my inexperience and love of hearing him gobble back. Fortunately he was fired up and came in anyway.
I spotted him strutting down the fire line and he came into the hammock. He spotted my decoy and came strutting right in. I eased my gun up from behind the palmetto blind, and dropped him at 20 yards.
I jumped up, ran to my bird and was thrilled.
The funniest part was that I was hunting with 2 friends. We had planned to meet up on the fire line about 100 yards from where I was hunting. Unbeknownst to me, my friends hadn't had any luck and had hiked back to the meeting spot early. They were standing there talking when they heard my shot. Fearing that they might have been overhead by the gobbler, and that I might have missed, they took off running for the truck.
Once I packed up my bird, I took my time walking out, smiling from ear to ear. When I got back to the truck, I showed my friends the gobbler and told them my story. Once I was through telling my tale, my buddies busted out laughing. Only then did they tell me what they did.

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Fantastic stories, unreal how vivid that first memory stays with us all!

Y'all keep em coming. If the first one isn't special y'all ought not be on here,