Beginner Turkey Tips?

[TacticalDuder]

 This will be my first spring turkey hunting season, and I was wondering if anyone had any good beginner tips? What do you guys generally pack in your turkey vest? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[silvestris]

The most important thing you can do is read pages 188-212 of "The Wild Turkey And Its Hunting" by E. A. McIlhenny free on Google Books.  Next, find some turkeys.  Next choose a decent caller and learn to yelp and cluck presentably (I suggest Real Turkeys II or III CD from Lovett Williams to teach you what they sound like).  Finally, go to a gobbling turkey and use the information you learned from pages 188-212.  Anything else you will learn as you go.  Enjoy.

[TacticalDuder]

Thanks silvestris for your reply! Will do.   

[Marc]

I think a good box call is one of the easiest calls to learn and a very versatile call (it will yelp, cluck, cutt, purr, and cackle well)...  As most of us mature into turkey hunting, the diaphragm call is probably favored by most of us, but I still find myself using that box call an awful lot... 

If I were going to purchase a name-brand call, I would go with Lynch or the Primos Heartbreaker...  If you can afford it, a custom call is a bit more money, but you do get what you pay for.  But a box-call would certainly be a top priority.

And as fun as it is to get a bird fired up and gobbling...  Once a birds responds to your call, less is better as far as calling goes.  If you call too much, he will expect you to come to him, and you are trying to entice him to come to you by being just a bit flirtatious while still playing hard to get...

Make sure your camouflage matches your surroundings, and a good face-mask is important.

Turkeys can pinpoint your location from sound from hundreds of yards out...  I am constantly amazed how after a couple soft clucks, a bird will come to my exact location from long distances (with no decoys set).  When hunting with someone else, we do not talk, or whisper, and we try to keep farting to a minimum.

Turkeys have excellent eyesight.  If you can see them, they can most certainly see you.  If for whatever reason, I feel the need to switch positions on a bird I see, I wait until there is a physical barrier between me and the bird.

A full choke will do just fine, but a turkey choke will probably perform a bit better.  Pattern your gun (I use cheap target loads to do this) to find out where your gun is shooting.  Once you know where your gun shoots, shoot one or two rounds that you will be using in the field to make sure you have a good pattern.

Lead #6's will work just fine, but the heavier than lead tungsten #6's or #7's do perform a bit better (although I doubt they have made a difference on the last 6+ birds I have killed).


A turkey hunting vest is a nice convenience, but certainly not a necessity.  I might want to put a season or two under me before I decided if or which vest I wanted (although there is a good deal on Wingsupply for a cheap beginning vest right now).


Decoys are another item I might wait a season or two to purchase.  With both decoys and calls, you will tend to get what you pay for... A bit of knowledge about turkeys and turkey hunting might aid you in these purchases.

Here is a list of things that I would recommend a beginning hunter either have on their body or in their pack:

1. Camouflage clothing including face-mask, gloves, and hat.
2. Shotgun with appropriate choke and gun-sling.
3. Appropriate turkey hunting loads.  (I put three in the gun, and 3 or 4 in the vest).
4. Box call, or other turkey call you can run.
5. Binoculars.
6. Toilet paper.
7. Water/snacks.
8. GPS.
9. Patience...  Lots and lots of patience.

There is a ton of other stuff you can take, but I would start there...

[TacticalDuder]

Thanks so much for all the information Marc . I can't wait to hit the woods and get a good gobbler!

[yankeedeerslayer]

I will add a cushion. If you don't get a vest you will need to cushion your rear somehow. Some can do without but most don't. Any old foam cushion with a strap to throw it over your shoulder or handle to tie it to you will work. Camo of course is best.

[Ringbill]

I started with a camo boat cushion and that was better than sitting on the cold wet ground. I graduated several seasons later to a light sturdy folding chair. Much better, specially when there is high grass and wet ground. You will stay more alert, have better vision, and have an easier time holding your shotgun for long periods. 

[TacticalDuder]

Thanks guys 

[dirt road ninja]

What to put in your vest has been discussed a bunch. My advise is to bring a positive attitude to the woods and don't put pressure on yourself to kill one. Break your day into little wins that keep changing. Example; "this morning I want to hear one gobble". Once you have won that battle be happy you have a good clue the general area he is in. Next win might be "I'd like to be within 250 yards of him". If you get there, congrats the day is already a success and you are truly "playing with the house money".  From there you can pick another win or goal perhaps something like "if I can get him to gobble at me". If he does it's another victory for you. Next one you might consider obtaining "let me try to not spook him".

You get the idea......

Keep things simple, move slow and give the bird enough time to kill himself. If you go around trying to kill him you will lose that game. Let the bird make the mistakes and take the risks. You play safe and try and win the little battles and in the long run you will win the war.

[jwhunter]

Don't over pack. Take some water and a snack and stay as long as you can. Hunt hard and have fun

[Gooserbat]

Learn to call with a cadence, not just barking out calls. 

Get a butt cushion and learn to set on it instead of moving around.

Pattern your gun and know what your range is.

Hunt where There are turkeys.

Remember it's a lot harder to call them across fences, creeks, ditches, and down hill.

Remember patience and sitting still kills more birds than trying to sneak close and "make it happen"

[redleg06]

-  Try to eliminate as many potential hang ups between you and the bird as possible when you start working them. Some of the most common would be creeks, thick brush, and fences. It can be a number of things

- Don't get in a huge hurry and if you think they MAY be able to see and/or hear you, then they probably can.  If you get in a huge hurry you can bet that more turkey will see  you coming before you see them. A lot of times you may not even know it. 

[tonybforua]

Had a old guy tell me it's like this. When you had a girl friend and she answered you every time you called you where content. But,  the moment she doesn't answer your next couple calls you get curious and want to see what's up.  Moral of story dont answer his gobbles but once or twice then shut up.

[ziggy]

What to put in your vest has been discussed a bunch. My advise is to bring a positive attitude to the woods and don't put pressure on yourself to kill one. Break your day into little wins that keep changing. Example; "this morning I want to hear one gobble". Once you have won that battle be happy you have a good clue the general area he is in. Next win might be "I'd like to be within 250 yards of him". If you get there, congrats the day is already a success and you are truly "playing with the house money".  From there you can pick another win or goal perhaps something like "if I can get him to gobble at me". If he does it's another victory for you. Next one you might consider obtaining "let me try to not spook him".

You get the idea......

Keep things simple, move slow and give the bird enough time to kill himself. If you go around trying to kill him you will lose that game. Let the bird make the mistakes and take the risks. You play safe and try and win the little battles and in the long run you will win the war.

this is great advice.  start small and try not to put too much on your plate in the beginning.  if you do, you're just set up for failure.  turkey hunting has a much steeper learning curve than other types of hunting, but eventually you will find the rhythm that works for you and once you put everything together it is just so rewarding. 

as far as what to bring, others have covered it in this thread.  no need to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on camo, nitro shells, red dots, etc.  i use an old 870 with lead #5s and i am fortunate enough to usually harvest a few birds every year.  learn the cadence of the yelp, be still and be patient, and everything else will work itself out.  good luck this spring. is it april 1 yet???

[WildTigerTrout]

I will add, learn to sit still. I mean REALLY sit still.