Newb from Ohio

[Doubles]

Hello All-

First just want to say hi and that I'm thrilled to have found such a great resource with great people. I'm from Ohio and just getting into Turkey hunting. I've hunted virtually everything there is in Ohio except for Turkey, so of course I have a lot of questions for the experts. The only experience I have is locating some birds for my dad one year with a box call when he thought he was going to get into turkey hunting.

I've got some good private land to hunt where I consisently saw turkeys this Fall (and in the past) while Deer hunting and even located a roost. The primary objective for this Spring is for my wife to get a turkey, which adds addittional challenges. She has not hunted before but did sit with me one evening during deer season and 3 hens and a gobbler walked right by us!
The set up I bought for her is a Browning BPS 20 ga. Micro Upland Special. It's got a 22" vent rib barrel. She has shot a few times and is rapidly improving.
So Far I think I have the calls and load figured out (Hevi 13 #7, gonna get ahold of Lights Out for slate or aluminum and Hendershot for a mouth call), but I need some advice with blinds and decoys.
-Blind: I'm thinking of getting a 2 person enclosed blind with the idea if the initial set up for the day doesn't work we can "run and gun" and leave it since I dont have to worry about someone taking it.
-Decoys:I was planning of getting a hen and a jake.
My question is primarily if I am over complicating it with the blind and decoys? I'm trying to set it up to have the best chance for my wife to get a gobbler but obviously everything has a learning curve so I don't want to get to ahead of myself. input?

[Ded Goblr]

You don't really need either. Just camo up sit still, and good calling (know what your saying with that call). Oh, some tick spray!! Often the turkey's you see during deer season are in their wintering location, and will move when spring arrives. You'll get em, trial and error like most good turkey hunters learn from their mistakes. Hope you get a big one!! DG

[Mike Honcho]

Welcome to Old Gobbler! You'll find a lot of different opinions on using decoys and blinds on here...some never do others like them.  Since you are taking your wife for the first time a blind would make it a little easier on her....just depends on if she can sit completly still for a long time and enjoy the hunt.
When I take youth turkey hunting for the first time I usually use a pop up blind just cuz it hides their movements and they probably enjoy the hunt a little more.  As they progress in experience we quit using the blind.   I am hunting in fields on edges of woods/creeks and that lends more to blinds.

Wish you great success this season!

[Duke0002]

Welcome aboard, Doubles!  Good to see another Buckeye on the forums.

[Spring_Woods]

Sounds like a good plan. 

Get out there and don't be afraid to try new things. It'll catch on. 

[tomstopper]

  Patience, Patience, Patience is the best advice I can give. Practice your calling, don the camo and scout & I am sure you will have success. Welcome to the addiction.....

[870FaceLift]

You don't really need either. Just camo up sit still, and good calling (know what your saying with that call). Oh, some tick spray!! Often the turkey's you see during deer season are in their wintering location, and will move when spring arrives. You'll get em, trial and error like most good turkey hunters learn from their mistakes. Hope you get a big one!! DG

Tick spray is a biggie in my opinion as well.  Ticks don't bother me (I still spray though), but they would drive my wife crazy.  When I take my wife or youth out, I always make sure that their clothes have been prepped with permethrin spray a few days prior.  They wont enjoy themselves and will never try it again if they're flicking ticks off the whole time.

Any chance you can make it out the night before and try to locate a roost area?  If this is the first time that you are hunting turkeys on this property, I would really try to figure out where they are in the spring.  It's great that you know they inhabit the property in the fall, but Deb is also correct that their location can change dramatically between spring and fall.  They can travel upwards of ten miles a day.  I never see any turkey sign in the fall or winter on our Ohio farm.  However, once spring rolls around, they flood to our alfalfa fields.

Good luck.  One of my favorite aspects of turkey hunting is figuring out the properties that I hunt.  Enjoy!

[Doubles]

Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome, input and tips! I didn't even consider ticks although i did assume bugs in general would be out in full force. Is there any brand spray everyone prefers? Also, I'm going to start scouting. Anything in particular to look for this time of year outside of scratches and tracks? I know I shouldn't call much now as I don't want them to figure me out prior to season, but is it a good idea to call a little bit to locate birds while scouting?

[870FaceLift]

There's a 'how to' on this site that will show what you need to make your own homebrew perm solution.  Or you can pick up some Sawyer's.  It's good stuff.  Just a heads up - you have to apply the spray and let it dry well before you wear the clothing. So, you can't do it the night before or day of your hunt.

As for scouting, do you have any trail cameras that you can set up over fields or likely trail/roost areas?  I wouldn't use turkey calls prior to your hunt, but some guys do.  I would use a locator call such as an owl hooter or coyote howler before fly-up and see if you can't get them to respond.

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

Get someone you know who murders turkeys to take you.

Offer them a bird off your spot if they get one for you.

Get under the tutelage of a turkey killer and your learning curve will be shortened with much higher, more frequent.

Learning how to hunt turkeys should be your first priority.  Then introduce others to the sport once youre competent.

I don't mean to be insensitive but your ideas of two people going turkey hunting who know nothing about it is like the blind leading the blind.

[Doubles]

Thanks for all the input. I completely understand how it comes off as the " blind leading the blind". Unfortunately I don't know anyone who is an a avid turkey hunter. I grew up in an area of central ohio that didn't really have a turkey population. I've hunted basically everything but turkeys weather it be deer, small game, coon, etc. One of the areas I hunted that is a little more southern (north western part of ross county for those who know the area) had a couple of birds that i'd see and hear while hunting other species but not what I'd call a population. That same area now has quite a few birds. While I haven't turkey hunted before the only way I'm going to get better is to learn what I can inside and get out in the woods and learn more so that's what I plan to do. With the wife coming along I hope to get her a shot at one, but more than anything it wil be great to be outdoors and I hope she gets hooked on hunting like she is the rest of the outdoors.

[Duke0002]

Read up on turkey behavior, especially mating season behavior.    Locate areas where spring birds hang out and do their spring thing.  Use your woodsmanship from your deer and squirrel hunting experiences.  Go out and do it.  Experience in success and failure is your best teacher.  Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy your time afield.

While there is science involved with the birds,  hunting them is an art.  Develop your own art!

[Gut Pile]

Doubles, you are at the right place to learn about Turkey hunting. The information here and the guys are outstanding !

I am in Ohio as well. What you will find, at least what I have, is the southern boys here have lots of birds and we have a smaller population, but growing rapidly.

That said with fewer birds and thus less opportunity we have to work very hard and smart on it. For me I am always observing the Turkeys during Deer season to learn as much as I can about them. If you are hunting the same areas you deer hunt you have a huge advantage.

My suggestion is scout if you can, and if you wife is a walker then take one decoy and run and gun your first time out. That method got me hooked first time I heard a Turkey go off a half hour before sunlight. I did not get it but learned a lot that day

Good luck to you and the Mrs's !!!