New to turkey hunting

[Opie]

Hey I'm new to turkey hunting can y'all give me a list of the most important things I'll need?

[guesswho]

Turkeys to hunt, a gun/shell combo that you know the effective range of, camo, a call you can yelp and cluck on and patience. 

[dirt road ninja]

Patience, humility, a high tolerance for rejection and determination.

Things not leave in the truck.

Shotgun and shells.
Diaphragms

Things I own but don't always bring.

Turkey vest
Pot calls
Crow calls
Owl call
Gobbler lounger
Decoys
Therma cell
Pop up blind
Rain suit

I usually carry a pocket full of mouth calls, something to sit on, face mask/gloves, crow call, small flashlight and a couple bottles of water.

[sharxfan]

I would say a choke that works well in your gun. If you do a search for you particular shogun you can find a lot of info and testing here.

BTW Welcome from a fellow newbie. The amount of information on here is mind boggling as well as the level of help you will get from fellow members.

[mnbirdbuster]

Those were the days Dont fret, get a choke for your gun, buy a box of the "Same" length/weight in #4, #5, #6 shells and do some extensive patterning to determine which combo put the highest pellet count in a 10" circle, when you drop below 100 pellets you have achieved your maximum effective range! Now, get some friction and diaphragm calls and Practice, Practice, Practice! Watch turkey hunting shows/DVD's, etc! Scout your tail off to find areas that turkeys are using, look for scat, feathers and scratching! These are good areas to set up and just wait calling sparingly, gobblers will show up! Good luck!

[Kylongspur88]

 1. A mentor to show you the ropes.
2. If no mentor, some good books and DVDs
3. Gun and shells
4. A call of some sort, box call/push pin call are easy to learn.
5. A place to go with birds.

[maustypsu]

Very Basic Book
http://www.amazon.com/Turkey-Hunting-Tactics-Complete-Hunter/dp/0865731314/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1326469692&sr=8-3

One to help you see how an experienced turkey hunter thinks thru different situations
http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Turkey-Hunting-Strategies-Effectively/dp/1585748757/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326469692&sr=8-1

Watch a few turkey hunting shows on the Outdoor Channel.  No, this is not how turkey hunting really goes.  Sometimes it actually takes longer than 5 minutes to kill a bird.  But you can see how turkeys react and come in and you won't get nervous the first time you see a head bob or the turkey doesn't come in on a straight line.

I think that pan calls are the easiest to use (many think box calls are).  I would get a ceramic or slate call with a striker that plays when wet and learn just that call this year.

Most importantly - find the birds.  Scout, scout, scout.  Know where they are and be there patient and still.

[Leader]

I'm new too,this thread helps alot,thx!!!!

[davisd9]

A second job to support the addiction.  Welcome to the club. 

[Curtdawg88]

Welcome to the addiction! I'm fairly new myself. There is a lot of great info on this site. Use it! A few things I won't go without are face mask and gloves, a pot call and a few diaphragms, thermacell, and of course gun. Everything else is just extra weight.


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[WildTigerTrout]

Welcome to the addiction! I'm fairly new myself. There is a lot of great info on this site. Use it! A few things I won't go without are face mask and gloves, a pot call and a few diaphragms, thermacell, and of course gun. Everything else is just extra weight.


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A nice padded seat sure comes in handy if you must sit for any length of time. It pays to be comfortable. Get a good seat!

[Eric Gregg]

Here is what I would recommend:
1. H.S. Squeling Hen Call

Ok, seriously. You got some good advice above.
1. A good shotgun that feels comfortable with a good turkey choke. Go to the Turkey Guns and Shooting Forum thread where there is tons of information on every type of gauge, model, brand, etc.

2. You may want to start with friction calls, like a box or pot call, and work into mouth calling.

3. A good mentor who has experience and won't mind showing you the ropes of scouting, locating, and calling

4. A ton of patience, and remember that with turkey hunting there is a constant learning curve.

Have a great season and hope to see more from you on the fourm

[gob09]

learn to call just enough and not over  do itwhat i see and did a lot when i first started was call just to hear a gobble

[dawgfrombama]

1. Patience
2. Woodsmanship
3. Basic Calling

The 1st two have killed more turkeys than any other trick in the book.

[GobbleNut]

1)  Order yourself a slate pot call from one of the guys that sells on this forum.  Hint: cost is not necessarily a factor,...some of these guys sell great calls for a really good price.  One good slate call with one or more good strikers is worth a thousand mediocre calls of other types.
2)  Get an instruction video, DVD, or CD and learn how to make the basic turkey calls....yelp, cluck, cutt...and get an idea about when to use them.
3)  Spend time finding turkeys (as many as you have time to find) and get permission to hunt them.
4)  Learn the ABC's of turkey hunting strategy:
      >  Gobblers gobble on the roost at first light in the morning....be out in the turkey woods at first light and listen for gobbling.  Use "locator calls" (*ask if you don't understand locator call use)  if necessary to entice gobblers to gobble if they are not doing so on their own.
      >  Approach gobblers on the roost as close as possible without being seen,....set up, wait for full daylight, call softly and sparingly,...hope gobbler comes to your calls.  Be ready to shoot him in the head if he does,...don't miss.
      >   If a gobbler does not come to your calling off the roost, wander the woods and call, hope gobbler responds...or find a spot where you think a turkey might show up and sit and call and wait.  Do this all day long,...or until the end of legal shooting hours. 
      >   In the evening an hour or so before sundown, set up near roost site, call sparingly, hope a gobbler shows up,....listen for turkeys calling, flying to roost, and gobbling until dark.  (Note:  some states do not allow afternoon and evening hunting)  Use locator calls to entice gobbling from the roost (works well in some places,..not so well in others)
      >   Repeat the above every day of the season that you can.  Be patient,...don't give up.