Tips and tricks

[Paulmyr]

A little side note about getting in tune with what's going on around you in the Turkey woods. Back when I first started turkey hunting I took an extended trip to  northwest Ga at the beginning of my third season. Up until that point I had only managed to harvest one gobbler. I was intent on figuring things out. Needless to say it was a weird spring. I didn't hear a turkey gobble for almost 3 weeks. I was in my early 20's and had been hunting since around 7 years old wreaking havoc on the local squirrel and rabbit populations where I lived with a pellet gun which led to deer hunting by the time I was 13. I was good at sneaking around and being quiet and a very good deer hunter by the time I took this trip but wasn't having much luck getting close to or even hearing any gobblers.

About about 2 weeks into my trip I decided to take a break and headed to Nashville for a couple days to meet up with a friend who was in a band. The evening I arrived they had band practice and I was allowed to listen in. After 2 weeks of listening for clucks, purrs, twig snaps, anything that might indicate a turkey was near, when that drummer hit his snare drum it rattled my senses. My whole body would flinch. It almost felt like being electrocuted. I had to put on ear muffs if I was going to stick around. After about 4 songs with the muffs on, my senses became acclimated to the loud music and I could take them off. I could still feel that snare drum but it was manageable.

[Kylongspur88]

A little side note about getting in tune with what's going on around you in the Turkey woods. Back when I first started turkey hunting I took an extended trip to  northwest Ga at the beginning of my third season. Up until that point I had only managed to harvest one gobbler. I was intent on figuring things out. Needless to say it was a weird spring. I didn't hear a turkey gobble for almost 3 weeks. I was in my early 20's and had been hunting since around 7 years old wreaking havoc on the local squirrel and rabbit populations where I lived with a pellet gun which led to deer hunting by the time I was 13. I was good at sneaking around and being quiet and a very good deer hunter by the time I took this trip but wasn't having much luck getting close to or even hearing any gobblers.

About about 2 weeks into my trip I decided to take a break and headed to Nashville for a couple days to meet up with a friend who was in a band. The evening I arrived they had band practice and I was allowed to listen in. After 2 weeks of listening for clucks, purrs, twig snaps, anything that might indicate a turkey was near, when that drummer hit his snare drum it rattled my senses. My whole body would flinch. It almost felt like being electrocuted. I had to put on ear muffs if I was going to stick around. After about 4 songs with the muffs on, my senses became acclimated to the loud music and I could take them off. I could still feel that snare drum but it was manageable.

Multiple scientific studies have shown that just spending even an hour in nature can positively affect brain activity. After a few days your brain function actually changes and you operate on more alpha waves versus beta waves and natural dopamine also increases. This can also be accomplished with meditation. It's no wonder your perception of something like a drum was different or averse after an extended time in the woods.

I think now the biggest inhibitor to allowing people to actually relax and reset in the woods is our phones. It's hard to truly immerse yourself in the woods when checking a phone. I hate my phone but i also have to have it for work etc... so there's that.

[High plains drifter]

Lot of things to learn here, I still credit many of you for helping me to get my first turkey. I still respect ya'll for offering the help y'all did when I got here.

yes I've learned things here.thanks

[Cut N Run]

I pay attention to natural cover, (like big rocks, downed trees, patches of heavy shade, etc.) to take advantage of when moving through the woods and before I call.  I learned this the hard way too many times by being out in the open and having a gobbler respond from closer than expected.  They saw me before they got in range and schooled me with PUTTs as they left.  It replays in my mind too often.  I guess what I mean to say is always be ready for a shot before you call.  If you're already set up in good cover, you have a lot better chances of getting a shot.

Jim

[mountainhunter1]

A lot has already been said and said well, but I want to agree with something Guesswho said and then offer a couple of thoughts. One of my biggest reasons for success is as Guesswho stated, to let the woods come to you. I don't care if he gets on the ground before I jump on him with my set up - in fact at times it seems to play better to do the exact opposite and let the woods come to you. Follow his lead as much as possible. Some people might call that patience, but hunting in a crockpot mentality rather than a microwave mindset almost always works better.

I also believe that every turkey has a reason for every sound that they make in the woods. They do not waste any vocalizations is my belief. If I could offer one key piece of advice, it is amazing just how little hens actually talk in the woods in most places we hunt - especially on public land. There are exceptions to any rule, but less is more for most places you will hunt and soft is most times the secret sauce.

If anyway possible, listen to as much hen talk as you possibly can. Listening to them in the woods is my favorite if nothing else for the scenery and exercise. But, you can do it by you tube or any other way you can hear hens talking in the woods. If you continually listen to hen talk year-round, your calling will just naturally be better than if you don't. I have done this for going on four decades, and it is amazing how our calling can be just a touch off if we do not regularly hear the real thing and keep that in our head. So, listen to real hen talk as often as possible, even in the offseason.

Finally, make it your extreme passion to never spook birds as much as it is up to you. I know the public woods are often full of people and it is happening either way - but as much as you can, do not let them be spooked by you. A unspooked bird and a spooked bird are worlds apart in how they will act in the woods. I do drastic things going and coming to try and not spook birds no matter what the masses might be doing. Most Toms, once bumped a time or two (at least on the various public land I frequent), they will just act vastly different the rest of the season. It may take you a while to perfect it, but work at it relentlessly to move through the woods however is needed to not bump turkeys no more than possible. Let the terrain dictate how to change location as much as you can to take cover from their incredible vision when you are needing to make a move.     

[Tail Feathers]

Get closer if you can.  As close as you dare.  I need to do this myself.
If you booger a tom, don't think it lasts long.  He gets spooked several times a day.  Go back after him pretty soon.  This last one was from a well known, very successful turkey man.

[GobbleNut]

Get closer if you can.  As close as you dare.  I need to do this myself.
If you booger a tom, don't think it lasts long.  He gets spooked several times a day.  Go back after him pretty soon.  This last one was from a well known, very successful turkey man.

I agree that getting closer is better, generally speaking.  However, the risks of doing so should be thoroughly contemplated beforehand.  Much of that decision should be based on the terrain and vegetative features that will allow a closer approach without detection. Personally, I have never found a gobbler that I have busted to be an easier customer than one that I have not.

That is especially true if that gobbler ends up associating my calling to him with me, the human being doing it. In my experience, that is a surefire way to make any gobbler much harder to call in the next time around. In my nearly sixty years of hunting them, I have never found an exception to that rule.

I would say the moral of the story from my own perspective and experience is this: Get as close as you can, if feasible...but don't risk busting him in the process. If you are not certain about it, call from further away, see how he responds, and adjust your strategy from there.

...And one additional note...again, generally speaking and from my own experience...your first encounter with a gobbler is usually your best opportunity to call him in. Make sure to take full advantage of it by playing it wisely. 

[Tom007]

Get closer if you can.  As close as you dare.  I need to do this myself.
If you booger a tom, don't think it lasts long.  He gets spooked several times a day.  Go back after him pretty soon.  This last one was from a well known, very successful turkey man.

I agree that getting closer is better, generally speaking.  However, the risks of doing so should be thoroughly contemplated beforehand.  Much of that decision should be based on the terrain and vegetative features that will allow a closer approach without detection. Personally, I have never found a gobbler that I have busted to be an easier customer than one that I have not.

That is especially true if that gobbler ends up associating my calling to him with me, the human being doing it. In my experience, that is a surefire way to make any gobbler much harder to call in the next time around. In my nearly sixty years of hunting them, I have never found an exception to that rule.

I would say the moral of the story from my own perspective and experience is this: Get as close as you can, if feasible...but don't risk busting him in the process. If you are not certain about it, call from further away, see how he responds, and adjust your strategy from there.

...And one additional note...again, generally speaking and from my own experience...your first encounter with a gobbler is usually your best opportunity to call him in. Make sure to take full advantage of it by playing it wisely. 

I live by this quote right here. In my style of turkey hunting, "Less is More". Taking risky moves in his terrain can lead to getting "Busted". Busted leads to educated turkeys. I've found that "Patience" is a virtue in hunting this wary quarry. "Waiting them out" has helped me close the deal more times than trying to close the distance. Again, this is my MO, it has proven to work for me. Several of my harvests have taken more than one day to close the deal on a stubborn, well educated Big Woods Gobbler. Stay safe, be well....

[Paulmyr]

Get closer if you can.  As close as you dare.  I need to do this myself.
If you booger a tom, don't think it lasts long.  He gets spooked several times a day.  Go back after him pretty soon.  This last one was from a well known, very successful turkey man.

I agree that getting closer is better, generally speaking.  However, the risks of doing so should be thoroughly contemplated beforehand.  Much of that decision should be based on the terrain and vegetative features that will allow a closer approach without detection. Personally, I have never found a gobbler that I have busted to be an easier customer than one that I have not.

That is especially true if that gobbler ends up associating my calling to him with me, the human being doing it. In my experience, that is a surefire way to make any gobbler much harder to call in the next time around. In my nearly sixty years of hunting them, I have never found an exception to that rule.

I would say the moral of the story from my own perspective and experience is this: Get as close as you can, if feasible...but don't risk busting him in the process. If you are not certain about it, call from further away, see how he responds, and adjust your strategy from there.

...And one additional note...again, generally speaking and from my own experience...your first encounter with a gobbler is usually your best opportunity to call him in. Make sure to take full advantage of it by playing it wisely. 

I live by this quote right here. In my style of turkey hunting, "Less is More". Taking risky moves in his terrain can lead to getting "Busted". Busted leads to educated turkeys. I've found that "Patience" is a virtue in hunting this wary quarry. "Waiting them out" has helped me close the deal more times than trying to close the distance. Again, this is my MO, it has proven to work for me. Several of my harvests have taken more than one day to close the deal on a stubborn, well educated Big Woods Gobbler. Stay safe, be well....

I agree with this and would like to add; if you hear a turkey gobbling consistently from one area well after flydown or later in the day be especially careful not to spook him. He feels comfortable in that place. So comfortable he has no problem letting the world know where he's at. You've just found one of his spots as I call it. He more than likely can see quite a bit from where he's at. Be careful.

If your not successful pulling him from this spot that day there's a good chance he'll be back in the future especially if you don't bugger things up. Beat him to his spot the next time out and if he's around you'll have a better chance of calling him in than if you try to close on him while he's in his "safe space".

There's been studies done on tagged gobblers on public ground showing they react differently to hunting pressure depending on the bird. Some hunker down and go quiet while others vacate the area completely not returning until well after the season. I would venture to guess these birds have a few seasons under their belt and have played the game before.

If your looking to harvest more than 2 year olds with long hooks and beards consistently patience is the key. Don't spook them from their spots and you be more successful in doing so.

[Twowithone]

Very good post on here I learn a little more every gobbler season very knowlegable guys on here for sure.