Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

First off no judgements, second this is only about how you hunt. I'll start with me. I hunt no decoy, no blind. I go scout the night before. Then the next morning try to call the bird in. I hunt this way because it is the way my friend taught me. He's hunted this way since the early 70's. I started turkey hunting with him in the mid to late nineties. And I hunt mainly forest but some field hunting too. I'm no expert and consider myself a journeyman still learning and sometimes still making dumb mistakes. If your're not having fun turkey hunting time to quit. How about your style of turkey hunting? By the way I live in Massachusetts and find turkeys on mostly public land.

No dekes or blinds, locate a bird the morning of the hunt either by sound or get a visual.  I'm in no hurry and may not make a call until 2 or 3 hours into the hunt.   I usually don't call until I think I have found what I think is the killing spot.   I don't try to force the issue by constantly calling.   I figure if I don't kill him today I'll kill him tomorrow, so no need to let him hear every sound I can make on every call I have.  I hear enough of that from other hunters.  When I do kill him I treat him with as much respect as you can after killing something.  I don't high five, dance around, jump up and down and yell like a little leaguer who just hit his first home run.  I like to sit a few minutes and just take it all in, in case that's the last time I get to experience it.

I just enjoy turkey hunting. No need to explain myself to anyone how i hunt. Just get out and enjoy the great outdoors and gods blessing. Those sunrises and hearing a gobbler at daybreak is awesome in my opinion.

Quote from: Greg Massey on June 26, 2021, 05:02:49 PM
I just enjoy turkey hunting. No need to explain myself to anyone how i hunt. Just get out and enjoy the great outdoors and gods blessing. Those sunrises and hearing a gobbler at daybreak is awesome in my opinion.

X10, this is what it's all about for me.

Quote from: guesswho on June 26, 2021, 04:45:41 PM
No dekes or blinds, locate a bird the morning of the hunt either by sound or get a visual.  I'm in no hurry and may not make a call until 2 or 3 hours into the hunt.   I usually don't call until I think I have found what I think is the killing spot.   I don't try to force the issue by constantly calling.   I figure if I don't kill him today I'll kill him tomorrow, so no need to let him hear every sound I can make on every call I have.  I hear enough of that from other hunters.  When I do kill him I treat him with as much respect as you can after killing something.  I don't high five, dance around, jump up and down and yell like a little leaguer who just hit his first home run.  I like to sit a few minutes and just take it all in, in case that's the last time I get to experience it.

:agreed:

Exactly how I approach each spring day.

I don't use decoys but when I was hunting in the prairie unit of South Dakota I did and it worked well. Two things I do that I think aren't necessarily common. If there's a river system in an area I'm hunting, I almost always try to float that area in a kayak. Sometimes it'll come back to bite you in the  because you may not have even needed to be on the yak and it wasted too much time, but overall I do well on it when I can use it. The other thing I do is I rarely seem to roost a bird in the afternoon. I'm just not good at it. I usually bank on hearing them when they first start going on the limb and I slowly take my time to get as close as I absolutely can. It usually just so happens they've already flown down at this point. But I try to get as close as possible to the point where I've bumped a few over the past few years. Seems to work out though

If the weather is sunny and calm I'll cover ground to hear a gobbler. If the weather is bad or windy I'll  stand hunt scouted areas

I usually fire up the drone three hours before daylight. It's got a heat register and I look to see which way the birds are facing anticipating the direction they'll pitch. I crawl in with a bag full of decoys on my back and a full fan hat on my head to my Redneck blind—I'd like to thank my sponsor Redneck Blinds. I set my decoys—four full strutters, a half strutter, a posturing jake on an R/C truck, seven feeding hens, two breeder hens, and a funky chicken bearded hen with fishing line tied to her tail—102yds from the blind because my choke and load don't open up till about 97yds. When they get to gobbling on the limb I hit a fly down cackle on a batwing cut diaphragm through an elk bugle tube. I've had them fly down in Vs like Canada geese from a good three mile to get into the setup and at that point it's raining hellfire with the Keltec KSG and 4oz of TSS #16s. If that don't work I move to shooting them off the limb of an evening.


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Quote from: Greg Massey on June 26, 2021, 05:02:49 PM
I just enjoy turkey hunting. No need to explain myself to anyone how i hunt. Just get out and enjoy the great outdoors and gods blessing. Those sunrises and hearing a gobbler at daybreak is awesome in my opinion.

:agreed:   I don't think most hunters will fully understand this until you reach older age.

Right now I am in a blind, I am hoping some day I can get back out under a tree, I miss it. Sometimes I use decoys, the last 2 years I have been using them less and less though, no real reason, just seem to be going that way. If I have had them out 15 times the last two seasons total I would be surprised. Strange as this may sound right now I want to get one strutting with my camera more than I do with my gun.

I have killed 100% of my turkeys on land open to others. I tag out almost always and have killed at least 1 turkey a year for the last 11 years. I have had a hard time some years though. I put in a lot of time if that's what it takes, I am a very determined individual. What I lack in skill I can try and make up in determination.

I hunt with a 870 synthetic stock shotgun with open sights, it's beat up and has some bad spots due to neglect, ha. I did add a trigger spring to it though. No decoys, no reaping, no 10 dollar shells, no optics, no blinds. That is how I learned to hunt and it has worked so no need to change any of it. I have stalked them as well but call almost all of them in. I kill over 90% of turkeys in the Appalachian timber. I have killed more than a few of them with cheap mouth calls that are less than 7 dollars a piece and that's being generous.

Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on June 26, 2021, 09:15:13 PM
I usually fire up the drone three hours before daylight. It's got a heat register and I look to see which way the birds are facing anticipating the direction they'll pitch. I crawl in with a bag full of decoys on my back and a full fan hat on my head to my Redneck blind—I'd like to thank my sponsor Redneck Blinds. I set my decoys—four full strutters, a half strutter, a posturing jake on an R/C truck, seven feeding hens, two breeder hens, and a funky chicken bearded hen with fishing line tied to her tail—102yds from the blind because my choke and load don't open up till about 97yds. When they get to gobbling on the limb I hit a fly down cackle on a batwing cut diaphragm through an elk bugle tube. I've had them fly down in Vs like Canada geese from a good three mile to get into the setup and at that point it's raining hellfire with the Keltec KSG and 4oz of TSS #16s. If that don't work I move to shooting them off the limb of an evening.


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:TooFunny: :TooFunny: :TooFunny:

Nothing wrong with fair chase in my book. Hehe

Depends. If back home, I'm in the woods. If where I'm currently living, it's mostly fields. Gun depends on my mood. Often times I'll carry a rifle which goes against the purist theme but I couldn't possibly care less. If one's careful, shooting with a rifle is no more dangerous than a shotgun. Hitting one in the head at 40 with a 17 hmr is just as challenging as doing it with a shotgun. Having said that, the past few years, I've been going the scattergun route much more often and do find it to be slightly more enjoyable. Calls vary depending on the bird and weather conditions. Almost always pair up a Yingling pot with a Gooserbat diaphragm. Got a couple new boxes from Spring Creek recently and I'm pretty certain they'll take some birds in the near future.  With the shotgun, I've switched to tss for the killer patterns they throw. Decoys...take it or leave it. Just depends on my mood. Leave them at home or in the truck most days. They might help but I'm just not interested in packing them around often enough to get excited about them. Shame too because I feel like I've wasted money on them when I see them laying in the basement.


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I hunt 90% of the time by myself, the rest with my Dad.  I hunt for myself and I'll typically be there before daybreak and stay until either I've been successful or I am just ready to quit for that hunt. I might quit for the day or head back in and hunt the evening.

I rarely use decoys, but I am not against them, if I am hunting a field bird that is acting like a jackass, then I will figure out where he is roosting or leaving the field and if I need to put out a decoy, I will.


I put my 75 year old, getting in bad shape Dad in a blind with decoys this past spring, set up close by and was with him when he killed a double that morning and I was more happy with his birds than any that I killed. They may very well be the last birds that he kills due to his health failing rapidly.

To each his own is what I go by

Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on June 26, 2021, 09:15:13 PM
I usually fire up the drone three hours before daylight. It's got a heat register and I look to see which way the birds are facing anticipating the direction they'll pitch. I crawl in with a bag full of decoys on my back and a full fan hat on my head to my Redneck blind—I'd like to thank my sponsor Redneck Blinds. I set my decoys—four full strutters, a half strutter, a posturing jake on an R/C truck, seven feeding hens, two breeder hens, and a funky chicken bearded hen with fishing line tied to her tail—102yds from the blind because my choke and load don't open up till about 97yds. When they get to gobbling on the limb I hit a fly down cackle on a batwing cut diaphragm through an elk bugle tube. I've had them fly down in Vs like Canada geese from a good three mile to get into the setup and at that point it's raining hellfire with the Keltec KSG and 4oz of TSS #16s. If that don't work I move to shooting them off the limb of an evening.


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Whole lot of bullhockey right there. TOO  MUCH STUFF   8)
Just use the attack drone , Don't matter which way their facing, unless checking beard and spur length  :icon_thumright:
If you choose the shotgun go with the new hell turkey loads Tss with resin encapsulated charge- proximity detonated.
(TREC-PD) loads. lethal out to 250 yards.

Chester, only using one drone is putting yourself at a severe disadvantage

Quote from: guesswho on June 26, 2021, 04:45:41 PM
No dekes or blinds, locate a bird the morning of the hunt either by sound or get a visual.  I'm in no hurry and may not make a call until 2 or 3 hours into the hunt.   I usually don't call until I think I have found what I think is the killing spot.   I don't try to force the issue by constantly calling.   I figure if I don't kill him today I'll kill him tomorrow, so no need to let him hear every sound I can make on every call I have.  I hear enough of that from other hunters.  When I do kill him I treat him with as much respect as you can after killing something.  I don't high five, dance around, jump up and down and yell like a little leaguer who just hit his first home run.  I like to sit a few minutes and just take it all in, in case that's the last time I get to experience it.

Some wise old turkey hunter stole Ronnie's log in.  Cause Ronnie just puts out a couple of badonkadekes and they turkeys come running in. :TooFunny:

My hunting strategy is quite simple.  I try to find a gobbling bird, either on the roost or on the ground.  I then approach and initiate a conversation with him.  He will either oblige, or not.  If he does, we see where our relationship ends up.  If he doesn't, I will move on to find another gobbling turkey and repeat the process until I find a gobbler that wants to play the game my way. 

Most of the time, wherever I hunt, that will happen at some point.  If it doesn't happen, even though I will be disappointed, I am fine with that.  I have killed enough turkeys in my life that killing one any other way just doesn't mean that much to me.  As I have said in the past, if they don't want to play the game my way, they can just stay in the woods and, just maybe, they will make some more turkeys in the future that will.   :icon_thumright: :)

I usually keep things simple and light.  A hand full of mouth calls, a box call, and a pot maybe two.  I carry two strikers. I carry an owl hooter and a crow call.  I don't use a decoy very often because I don't like to carry one around. I use onX like a trucker uses a CB.  I'm kinda a map nerd as it allows me to see the lay of the land before I set foot on it.  However it's not a substitute for actually getting my feet on the ground.   The things I do and the things I carry are proven for me.  The biggest thing is you have to learn when, where and how often to call and be patient because you are on turkey time not your time.

How I hunt depends on the day.........the bird.........the location............

My OVERWHELMINGLY preferred method is to get in semi-tight on a perspective dance partner at 0-dark-30 in the morning and sweet talk him to me right off the limb.  If/when that doesn't work.......miles go behind me (at a leisurely pace) as I attempt to locate another willing bird.  My gun is on my shoulder, my shootin stick/walkin stick in my right hand.  One box, one slate, one striker, one diaphragm. 

I am, however, not too proud to use a blind or a decoy on a field bird now and again or on a rainy day.  I'd rather be in a blind on a rainy day looking out the window than on my couch looking out the window.  But I do NOT need to kill another gobbler bad enough to take a complete soaking over it.

 

I hardly ever even attempt to roost one. So I get were i want to be before daylight and hope to have one in earshot. If not I try to find one. Once one is located I try to call him in and kill him. I won't shoot one I haven't called in and I keep it an estimated 40 yard and in affair. No blinds or decoys.
Not gonna give much info other than that as I am getting to the point of where I feel like there is enough info out there already and it's high time people figure it out for themselves and if they want it bad enough they will. If successful I like to sit back and enjoy the moment, maybe eat a snack and then clean him up as much as I can and take some pictures for when I am old and senile.

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Quote from: Tail Feathers on June 27, 2021, 12:30:06 AM

Quote from: guesswho on June 26, 2021, 04:45:41 PM
No dekes or blinds, locate a bird the morning of the hunt either by sound or get a visual.  I'm in no hurry and may not make a call until 2 or 3 hours into the hunt.   I usually don't call until I think I have found what I think is the killing spot.   I don't try to force the issue by constantly calling.   I figure if I don't kill him today I'll kill him tomorrow, so no need to let him hear every sound I can make on every call I have.  I hear enough of that from other hunters.  When I do kill him I treat him with as much respect as you can after killing something.  I don't high five, dance around, jump up and down and yell like a little leaguer who just hit his first home run.  I like to sit a few minutes and just take it all in, in case that's the last time I get to experience it.

Some wise old turkey hunter stole Ronnie's log in.  Cause Ronnie just puts out a couple of badonkadekes and they turkeys come running in. :TooFunny:

:TooFunny:  Dang, busted!

As mentioned above it depends on the location. The private property I have access to hunt is small and it is a sit an wait location, so mostly will set out a decoy or two. The public land I hunt is huge so it is more of a walk and stalk area so no decoys. Have a blind but have never used it. Started using TSS/Hevi shot a few years ago when lead was outlawed for upland hunting.  Care much more about the hunting experience than the kill.

Quote from: Happy on June 27, 2021, 09:24:35 AM
I hardly ever even attempt to roost one.

Same.

Around here, it's VERY uncommon to get one to go from the limb at night, anyways.  And, besides.......... I've hunted the same (roughly) square mile for over 40 years.  I know where the roosting areas are and where they ain't, by now.  I make my best guess in the AM and if I'm right, then, good.  If I'm not.........let the hiking begin.

I should add........ I love to kill spring birds !!!!   But I have no ego, no fear of tag soup and nothing to prove to anyone but myself.  A more accurate description of how I hunt might be that I'll occasionally kill a gobbler while I'm on relaxing, woods hikes .....taking pictures of wildflowers and scenery. 

Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on June 26, 2021, 09:15:13 PM
I usually fire up the drone three hours before daylight. It's got a heat register and I look to see which way the birds are facing anticipating the direction they'll pitch. I crawl in with a bag full of decoys on my back and a full fan hat on my head to my Redneck blind—I'd like to thank my sponsor Redneck Blinds. I set my decoys—four full strutters, a half strutter, a posturing jake on an R/C truck, seven feeding hens, two breeder hens, and a funky chicken bearded hen with fishing line tied to her tail—102yds from the blind because my choke and load don't open up till about 97yds. When they get to gobbling on the limb I hit a fly down cackle on a batwing cut diaphragm through an elk bugle tube. I've had them fly down in Vs like Canada geese from a good three mile to get into the setup and at that point it's raining hellfire with the Keltec KSG and 4oz of TSS #16s. If that don't work I move to shooting them off the limb of an evening.


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Sent from deep in the woods where the critters roam.

You probably won't hear many people agreeing with me on my style. I'm aggressive,  very much so. I call alot, I call loud, and I kill alot of birds in different states.  I'm not afraid to move ridges over or circle a bird instead of waiting for him. One of my best friends is the old school type who sits half a day in one spot and makes about 3 soft calls total and that works for him too. Just not as often :)

Quote from: Tail Feathers on June 27, 2021, 12:30:06 AM
Ronnie just puts out a couple of badonkadekes and they turkeys come running in. :TooFunny:

Sent from deep in the woods where the critters roam.

I am a self-taught turkey hunter who cut his teeth on public land Osceolas. Now I hunt almost exclusively private land.
I don't have much luck roosting Easterns or Osceolas, so I seldom try. Rios and Merriams are a different story. If I roost a bird, I get in tight the next morning when it's still good and dark, set out a decoy and enjoy the show. Whether I kill one off the roost or not, it's always an amazing experience!!
If I don't roost one, I go to pre-scouted areas, owl call at first light and listen for gobbles. If one sounds off, I'll work him. Usually without success. I've only killed a handful of birds right off the roost.
If I don't get one on the roost, I walk and glass, owl and crow calling trying to strike a bird up. Occasionally I do a quick set up and some blind calling. I've killed a lot of birds like that.
When the gobbling slows way down later in the morning, I go to feeding and strutting areas. I set out a deke or two, and wait for the birds in my Gobbler Lounger, doing periodic blind calling. I've killed a lot of birds that way too.
I probably call too loud and too often, but I can't help but think to myself that there's a gobbler walking by just out of sight that would come in if he hears me. It might be dumb, but that's what comes to mind.
I very rarely hunt out of a blind. I almost always carry at least one decoy, but don't always use them. I haven't killed a bird over a decoy in 3 years. I've killed a lot of birds over decoys on some very memorable hunts!!
If none of the above works, I've always got binoculars. I've had a good amount of success on spot and stalk hunts. If you can't call 'em, crawl 'em!!! I don't care what any purist thinks of that. It takes a whole lot of skill to move on a turkey(s) and get in position for a shot. I love the challenge and occasional success of spring turkey hunting.
Most of all, I love greeting the dawn on a cool, crisp morning, watching the woods wake up, and hearing gobbles. If I get a gobbler, that's just icing on the cake.

Sent from deep in the woods where the critters roam.

I've observed through the years that the way one hunts is generally a reflection of one's personality. I'm not a loud, boisterous, aggressive person, and my hunting style reflects that. I can get aggressive if the situation calls for it, but am normally pretty laid back, especially as I age.

I don't hunt from a blind, yet, but would if health issues prevented me from doing otherwise. I use decoys, but sparingly, and less and less as I get older. Just one more thing to screw around with and I aim more for simplicity now. I've killed a few birds I don't think I would have without the use of dekes. I've not gotten a shot at few birds that I maybe would have if I had used a decoy, and I have spooked a few birds by having them deployed.

I seldom roost birds, but will often try and spot one in the late afternoon, knowing he will be in the vicinity come morning. I have a tendency to overthink things which sometimes results in a game plan that works, but more often doesn't. If I'm rested and not constrained by the clock, I can be extremely patient, sometimes too patient, because I would often be better off covering more real estate.

I am not a purist. I purchased a 20 gauge for my everyday gun and happily shoot the $10 shells because they are effective. I have killed several birds without uttering even a cluck. Being in the right place, at the right time is a gift, and I will take advantage of it.

At 70, I am more and more appreciative of the fact that although sometimes challenged by health issues related to the aging process, I am still able to participate. I anticipate the opening day of each season, and find myself a bit saddened at the closing.

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Neill_Prater that's such a very honest and impressively thoughtful answer to this thread's question, awesome!

The way I hunt is really based on the situation I choose to hunt in a given day or the situations the turkeys I'm hunting provide.  I have access to a lot of private land in NC and VA within 30 minutes drive of where I live and work.  I can actually hunt on the land where I work.  I know where the birds are in general so I go real early and listen for gobblers and try to set up on them.  Sometimes I'll go in the afternoon if an opportunity presents itself.  The only day I may hunt for several hours is Saturday, but I hunt almost every day.  Sometimes I use decoys and sometimes I don't, but lately I like being mobile so I'm beginning to think they are more of a pain to have, especially when they scare or are ignored by birds half the time.  I use diaphragm and pot calls.  I call very little when I don't think it's necessary and I call more when I think it helps.  If a bird gives me an opportunity for an easy, legal kill I often take it because more often than not they don't give me easy opportunities.  Now I don't reap or shoot turkeys out of trees, mainly because I just don't want to do that.  I've shot turkeys using decoys, coming to my calling without decoys, by stalking them and getting close, by getting between them and where they want to go and so on.  My favorite hunts are with vocal birds that I'm interacting with.  The most anticlimactic part of a hunt is when I pull the trigger and it's over.  To me it's like getting off of your favorite ride at an amusement park.  I typically take my time and pack up and walk over and look at the turkey.  I may or may not take pictures based on my mood. 


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Quote from: guesswho on June 26, 2021, 04:45:41 PM
No dekes or blinds, locate a bird the morning of the hunt either by sound or get a visual.  I'm in no hurry and may not make a call until 2 or 3 hours into the hunt.   I usually don't call until I think I have found what I think is the killing spot.   I don't try to force the issue by constantly calling.   I figure if I don't kill him today I'll kill him tomorrow, so no need to let him hear every sound I can make on every call I have.  I hear enough of that from other hunters.  When I do kill him I treat him with as much respect as you can after killing something.  I don't high five, dance around, jump up and down and yell like a little leaguer who just hit his first home run.  I like to sit a few minutes and just take it all in, in case that's the last time I get to experience it.

Hope you don't mind my quoting you but this describes the way I hunt in many ways. I admit to using a decoy once or twice a season and yelled like a little leaguer on my last bird this season. Sometimes all that pent up excitement spills over. When it quits I expect I will too. Wishing you many seasons to come Sir.

As often as I can!

Enjoy calling birds in the fall and use a bow most of the time.

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Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on June 26, 2021, 09:15:13 PM
I usually fire up the drone three hours before daylight. It's got a heat register and I look to see which way the birds are facing anticipating the direction they'll pitch. I crawl in with a bag full of decoys on my back and a full fan hat on my head to my Redneck blind—I'd like to thank my sponsor Redneck Blinds. I set my decoys—four full strutters, a half strutter, a posturing jake on an R/C truck, seven feeding hens, two breeder hens, and a funky chicken bearded hen with fishing line tied to her tail—102yds from the blind because my choke and load don't open up till about 97yds. When they get to gobbling on the limb I hit a fly down cackle on a batwing cut diaphragm through an elk bugle tube. I've had them fly down in Vs like Canada geese from a good three mile to get into the setup and at that point it's raining hellfire with the Keltec KSG and 4oz of TSS #16s. If that don't work I move to shooting them off the limb of an evening.

  I really anticipated nobody hunting like me, what the $$$$ Copper?
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Quote from: Dtrkyman on June 27, 2021, 04:11:24 PM
As often as I can!

Bam ^^

Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on June 26, 2021, 09:15:13 PM
I usually fire up the drone three hours before daylight. It's got a heat register and I look to see which way the birds are facing anticipating the direction they'll pitch. I crawl in with a bag full of decoys on my back and a full fan hat on my head to my Redneck blind—I'd like to thank my sponsor Redneck Blinds. I set my decoys—four full strutters, a half strutter, a posturing jake on an R/C truck, seven feeding hens, two breeder hens, and a funky chicken bearded hen with fishing line tied to her tail—102yds from the blind because my choke and load don't open up till about 97yds. When they get to gobbling on the limb I hit a fly down cackle on a batwing cut diaphragm through an elk bugle tube. I've had them fly down in Vs like Canada geese from a good three mile to get into the setup and at that point it's raining hellfire with the Keltec KSG and 4oz of TSS #16s. If that don't work I move to shooting them off the limb of an evening.


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HAHAHAHA!!!!!


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Woods Turkey hunter, no blind. I have a foam decoy in my vest that I never seem to use. 20 guage TSS, nice and light, and effective.  Don't own any land so public it is, plus I like the options of different pieces.

Roost hunt, cover ground trying to find a gobbler, then a series of "blind sits" in strategic areas, try and roost a bird. Repeat.


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I hunt them with whatever is available legally. Some days it's decoys, blinds, set up against a tree, calling/not calling. My issue is....i have no patient in a type of hunting that requires patient:( I am more of a run and gunner, but as i get older it's easier to sleep in the blind than against a tree. Don't limit myself to one way of hunting though. Take what the day/and bird gives you and adapt.

All of my turkey hunting is done in fields at the edge of small wood lots that I've hunted for years. Typically, I set up my Funky Chicken and hen before the gobbling begins. Using a gobble tube, I try to give the toms the impression that a stranger has moved into their territory and is responding to a hen that is also new to the area. Often, after fly down, a gobbler will come in to challenge the new tom, but if not then around 8-10 a.m. a bird often shows up. I rely on the peck order as much as hen talk to coax in a gobbler.

I'm a woods hunter. Public land from Northern MN to GA for about 30yrs. My long trips are usually spur of the moment. If I'm still on winter layoff and a season is about to open in a southern state I'm packing the truck and heading out. I'm usually by myself and sleep in the back of the truck. State parks or a motel room for a shower when I start feeling/smelling funky.

No decoys, no blinds. The only stalking I do is to get closer or to change set up locations. No crawling turkeys for a shot but I will crawl to stay undetected while closing in on a set up location if need be. I don't shoot turkeys that I stumble into. I did that once when I was just starting out and it left a pretty empty feeling inside of me. There was no interaction, no anticipation, no excitement, and no climax. I need that! It's what makes turkey hunting for me. I lost interest in deer hunting years ago.

I'm usually not in a hurry unlike when I 1st started. I used to run around the woods calling to every gobbler within earshot. If there were 10 birds gobbling I was going to let everyone of them know I was there. Thinking back now I think when I did succeed it was a matter of attrition. Sooner or later if I called to enough birds I would finally have a taker. I was going get one no matter how many I spooked. Now I call very little until a bird is located and I feel I'm in the proper set up.  I use diaphram calls 99.9% of the time. I carry a pot call and hardly ever use it. Most of my time is spent listening or sneaking to my next listening location. It's a rare occasion my set ups allow me to see birds until they get fairly close. It's gobbles and drumming that lets me know they are near.
I will set up in what I feel are good locations or on fresh sign and blind call. I'm not reserved in my calling but don't run around calling every 10 mins either. If I feel the situations calls for it I will rock the trees with yelping and cutting. I let the birds dictate my calling. I'll start soft and and go from there.

Owl hoots before flydown and coyotes howls at fly up are about the extent of my locator calling. In the past I've tried crow calls. Never found one that didn't sound like a kazoo and rarely could get any responses. I pretty much gave up on them a long time ago. I let the real crows and woodpeckers be my locator calls.

At 53 the hills seem to be getting bigger. I'll still climb up that 400ft ridge it just takes much longer now.

I try to roost gobblers from a distance whenever I can. If I'm successful I'll try to get in tight the next mourning. If I'm not successful I'll be standing near a known roost area before light breaks the next mourn. If I hear a bird to go after I usually hang back a bit and set up. It's usually pretty light out or they are on the ground by the time I get to them so I don't see the need to try and rush in close. My main goal other than calling in a tom is to spook as few turkeys as possible hens or gobblers. I don't want them to know they are being hunted. I try to find areas that are hard to get to. In these areas there's a good chance I'm the only one that's hunting them. I don't like crowds. Ha, I must be trying to get away from myself of 25 years ago. If I successfully find one of these hard to reach spots. I take my time. It don't need to happen that day. I'm extremely careful not to let them know a human is present because I'll definitely be back in the near future if It don't happen that day.
Sunrises and critters are pretty cool but I'm in the woods or on a lake/river most every weekend during the year so seeing them takes a backseat to the task at hand. The one thing that really turns my crank is whippoorwills. We don't have them where I live so when I hear them it can only mean one thing, "Turkey Hunting!!!!!"

Over the years I've gone through the progression of a hunter. Kill one, kill a bunch, kill the biggest, and now I'm into the teaching stage. I don't have any kids to share turkey hunting with. Last year I was lucky enough to find a beginning turkey hunter hear on OG that lives close to me. He's been hunting turkeys for I think 3 years. He's a dedicated 30 something. I try and help him anyway I can. I'm sure I overload him with all the info I try and give him. Ultimately time in the woods will be his best teacher. Hopefully my input will help steer him in the right direction. I'll have to admit I think he is helping me more than I him. Getting to know him has filled a void I've had since I started turkey hunting. He's the only dedicated turkey hunter I know who lives close to me. I know a guy in GA but we fell out of touch for about 20 years. He's  little green but there's no quit in him that I can see. I get to tell my stories and try and share info with somebody who actually cares.

This spring we made it out on a hunt together on the second to last day of the season. We roosted a bird and got in close the next mourn. Too close to be exact. I knew when I heard the drumming we were in trouble. The tom was not 35 yards from me. 2 hens I'm pretty sure we're in each of the trees we set up against. That tom sat in that tree for 1 1/2 hrs after flydown time gobbling his butt off waiting for the hens to flydown that were sitting above our heads. I digress, it seems after meeting my new friend the fire inside of me is burning a little brighter.

Edit: I guess the last half of all that would be more of who I am as a turkey hunter instead of how I hunt.

Especially at home, I'm a no decoy, hear 'em gobble and try to get close kind of hunter.   I tend to burn a lot of boot leather.  My hearing is not good and going south.   I have to get fairly close most of the time to hear them, but when I do it's game on!  Scouting helps make up for the bad hearing.
When I travel, well, things get harder.  I will sometimes use decoys, just don't like carrying them.  I use Howard Leight ear muffs to amplify sound but if it's windy that does no good.  It's particularly problematic hunting new ground when I travel and being limited on how far I can hear one.
I'm sure I usually call too much but that's a great part of my enjoyment so I probably won't change much.   :toothy12:

99% of the time when I go hunting my hunt day schedule consists of hunting.

Don't use blinds, no decoys, no fans.

Do no boots on the ground scouting locally, only out of town if I have extra time built in the hunt. I do alot of map scouting.

Run a slate or diaphragm call 95%. Which one the most is left to be determined by the turkey.

Hunt by myself mostly and enjoy it that way. But, I do enjoy a kid or friend once in a while. For some reason success seems to drop when I am with others, nothing on them. I think it's me, the things I don't do when with others.

Used to run and gun hard core, now I walk and gun. Seems the slower pace kills just as many turkeys for me. Maybe just don't cover as much ground on the quite days?

I don't hunt every piece of property the same. Some I have are small and require a slow to stopped pace if turkeys aren't gobbling. I have great patience when needed, sometimes, too much patience.

I still hunt with a big heavy 10g pump stuffed full of TSS. Never have thought you could kill something too dead. "Overkill guys"

I take really good naps after the hunt, and no work around the house gets done til after season is out!

I like going out, hearing a turkey, whether on the roost or to strike him up. Call him up and give him a load of shot to the face. Get to the truck (1Beer) and get a steak to eat. Have a couple drinks and fall asleep. That is my best day of turkey hunting. This is accomplished better if camping. You can eat dinner when you want and don't have to drive! A steak at 11, a few drinks, nap until three, Perfect!

I am already ready for next year! Can't wait, 9 months away.

I still hunt the way I learned from my grandpa / mr Kenny Morgon / and a couple of others that took the time to share a " few " things with me .   No visual aids etc , Yelp em to the gun , or use woodsmanship to get your self in a killing position. If I can't get it done by those and those only methods? Then they live another day .
No cigar smoking , no excessive celebration needed either .   But I will celebrate with a good hot cup of coffee and honey bun ...

Quote from: Greg Massey on June 26, 2021, 05:02:49 PM
I just enjoy turkey hunting. No need to explain myself to anyone how i hunt. Just get out and enjoy the great outdoors and gods blessing. Those sunrises and hearing a gobbler at daybreak is awesome in my opinion.

Good stuff, Greg! My standards for hunting turkeys are personal to me. It's about enjoying the entire experience. Thank the Lord for every opportunity I get to chase them!

Quote from: TRG3 on June 28, 2021, 09:55:57 AM
All of my turkey hunting is done in fields at the edge of small wood lots that I've hunted for years. Typically, I set up my Funky Chicken and hen before the gobbling begins. Using a gobble tube, I try to give the toms the impression that a stranger has moved into their territory and is responding to a hen that is also new to the area. Often, after fly down, a gobbler will come in to challenge the new tom, but if not then around 8-10 a.m. a bird often shows up. I rely on the peck order as much as hen talk to coax in a gobbler.

Agreed, although I have never tried the funky chicken.

Quote from: Paulmyr on June 28, 2021, 05:31:49 PM
I'm a woods hunter. Public land from Northern MN to GA for about 30yrs. My long trips are usually spur of the moment. If I'm still on winter layoff and a season is about to open in a southern state I'm packing the truck and heading out. I'm usually by myself and sleep in the back of the truck. State parks or a motel room for a shower when I start feeling/smelling funky.

No decoys, no blinds. The only stalking I do is to get closer or to change set up locations. No crawling turkeys for a shot but I will crawl to stay undetected while closing in on a set up location if need be. I don't shoot turkeys that I stumble into. I did that once when I was just starting out and it left a pretty empty feeling inside of me. There was no interaction, no anticipation, no excitement, and no climax. I need that! It's what makes turkey hunting for me. I lost interest in deer hunting years ago.

I'm usually not in a hurry unlike when I 1st started. I used to run around the woods calling to every gobbler within earshot. If there were 10 birds gobbling I was going to let everyone of them know I was there. Thinking back now I think when I did succeed it was a matter of attrition. Sooner or later if I called to enough birds I would finally have a taker. I was going get one no matter how many I spooked. Now I call very little until a bird is located and I feel I'm in the proper set up.  I use diaphram calls 99.9% of the time. I carry a pot call and hardly ever use it. Most of my time is spent listening or sneaking to my next listening location. It's a rare occasion my set ups allow me to see birds until they get fairly close. It's gobbles and drumming that lets me know they are near.
I will set up in what I feel are good locations or on fresh sign and blind call. I'm not reserved in my calling but don't run around calling every 10 mins either. If I feel the situations calls for it I will rock the trees with yelping and cutting. I let the birds dictate my calling. I'll start soft and and go from there.

Owl hoots before flydown and coyotes howls at fly up are about the extent of my locator calling. In the past I've tried crow calls. Never found one that didn't sound like a kazoo and rarely could get any responses. I pretty much gave up on them a long time ago. I let the real crows and woodpeckers be my locator calls.

At 53 the hills seem to be getting bigger. I'll still climb up that 400ft ridge it just takes much longer now.

I try to roost gobblers from a distance whenever I can. If I'm successful I'll try to get in tight the next mourning. If I'm not successful I'll be standing near a known roost area before light breaks the next mourn. If I hear a bird to go after I usually hang back a bit and set up. It's usually pretty light out or they are on the ground by the time I get to them so I don't see the need to try and rush in close. My main goal other than calling in a tom is to spook as few turkeys as possible hens or gobblers. I don't want them to know they are being hunted. I try to find areas that are hard to get to. In these areas there's a good chance I'm the only one that's hunting them. I don't like crowds. Ha, I must be trying to get away from myself of 25 years ago. If I successfully find one of these hard to reach spots. I take my time. It don't need to happen that day. I'm extremely careful not to let them know a human is present because I'll definitely be back in the near future if It don't happen that day.
Sunrises and critters are pretty cool but I'm in the woods or on a lake/river most every weekend during the year so seeing them takes a backseat to the task at hand. The one thing that really turns my crank is whippoorwills. We don't have them where I live so when I hear them it can only mean one thing, "Turkey Hunting!!!!!"

Over the years I've gone through the progression of a hunter. Kill one, kill a bunch, kill the biggest, and now I'm into the teaching stage. I don't have any kids to share turkey hunting with. Last year I was lucky enough to find a beginning turkey hunter hear on OG that lives close to me. He's been hunting turkeys for I think 3 years. He's a dedicated 30 something. I try and help him anyway I can. I'm sure I overload him with all the info I try and give him. Ultimately time in the woods will be his best teacher. Hopefully my input will help steer him in the right direction. I'll have to admit I think he is helping me more than I him. Getting to know him has filled a void I've had since I started turkey hunting. He's the only dedicated turkey hunter I know who lives close to me. I know a guy in GA but we fell out of touch for about 20 years. He's  little green but there's no quit in him that I can see. I get to tell my stories and try and share info with somebody who actually cares.

This spring we made it out on a hunt together on the second to last day of the season. We roosted a bird and got in close the next mourn. Too close to be exact. I knew when I heard the drumming we were in trouble. The tom was not 35 yards from me. 2 hens I'm pretty sure we're in each of the trees we set up against. That tom sat in that tree for 1 1/2 hrs after flydown time gobbling his butt off waiting for the hens to flydown that were sitting above our heads. I digress, it seems after meeting my new friend the fire inside of me is burning a little brighter.

Edit: I guess the last half of all that would be more of who I am as a turkey hunter instead of how I hunt.

my brotha!


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My preferred method of turkey hunting is to position on a bird when he's gobbling on the roost and try to call him in. If that doesn't pan out I generally "walk and call"...same as "run and gun" as the younger generation call it, but with less pizzazz. Been doing that for quite a few years...long before "run and gun" term was ever thought of.