Completly new to turkeys!

[birddog]

Well guys, I didn't think I would ever be a "turkey hunter" but my brother and I just bought a piece of land and lo and behold everytime we are out there we see turkeys! We both applied for turkey tags (they are tough to get in MN) and this year my brother got drawn for the first weekend: (You only get your choice of 6 different 5 day seasons).....anywho, he is good to go for opener, but I was not drawn....I do have the option of buying an over the counter tag, good for the last two weeks in May, archery only.
I have hunted many critters, but am new to this......what can you guys recommend or teach me! I have a ground blind, but that is about as much as I have/know......what do I need? Calls, decoys, etc. Will this time of year be a good time? I plan to call for my brother in April (if that is the way to go) and then in May I'll be on my own with archery gear. HELP!!!!!

[christsavedme]

I would first of all like to say welcome to the world of turkey hunting!

Second get yourself some videos just to get the jest of what is going on!

Buy a box call or a push button yelper. Practice, practice, practice. Once you have down the basic yelp head to the woods. Also scout before season. Find where the birds are going when they come off the roost. Watch for fields and open timber! Don't call to the birds before season! Patience is one of the biggest keys in turkey hunting in my opinion.

I will be the first to say that it has always been a learning process for me. Everytime I go in the woods I learn something new. There is alot of good information on the net that you can research aswell. Look at call makers sites, some of them have tips that are very helpful.

Anyways....I hope this kindof gets you going in the right direction. I am by no means a master at turkey hunting, but I sure do love trying!

Best of luck and God bless!

Josh

[LETMGROW]

Turkey huntinnnnn' is simple. Just like anything else, set several hundred dollars aside,get all the latest toys and get out out there!
Next year you will find your gear is obsolete so you can start over again!

[magnatecsteve]

Since you have a ground blind, definately use it. I would suggest getting at least two or three decoys to place in front of you, especially if you are going to bowhunt. As far as calls, I would start off with a slate call, you can do almost any call on a slate and they are very easy to use. Good luck!!

[BAMABUCKS]

Welcome to the addiction! If you don't need another habit in life...get out now. Hearing a turkey wake up the world at dawn is worse than crack!

Just kidding...you will enjoy. Like has been said, get some videos & practice as much as you can to get the basic sounds down. Then hit the woods. No better teacher than the turkeys themselves. Don't get frustrated with it either; it is an ongoing education & learn from your mistakes. Trust me...there will be plenty to learn from.

[Strut10]

Welcome to "the sickness".

[ QUOTE ]
........ get yourself some videos just to get the jest of what is going on!

Buy a box call or a push button yelper. Practice, practice, practice. Once you have down the basic yelp head to the woods. Also scout before season. Find where the birds are going when they come off the roost.........

[/ QUOTE ]

Very good advice.

[ QUOTE ]
I will be the first to say that it has always been a learning process for me. Everytime I go in the woods I learn something new.

Josh

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Yup. Learn a few basics on TV or from a tape or book. Then go put down some boot leather. The turkeys will teach you far more about themselves than even the best video or seminar can. Be more patient than you ever were before and don't go into the sport being intimidated by the bird. They ain't that hard to kill if you learn how to call half ways decent and observe the basics of woodsmanship.

You're gonna have a blast.

[ducksbus]

your life will never be the same once you kill one

[birddog]

I don't know guys......I am a very avid outdoorsman, and those "ugly turkeys" :-) just have never done it for me...I have buddies who say I will quickly become addicted to this, (and this very post can be brought up again if I do!) but I just think they are ugly up close and personal! I see that Andy on this site makes a slate call, and I think I will buy one of them and start playing with it but I just don't know.....bears, deer, pheasants, grouse, ducks, geese, walleyes, crappies.....I don't know if turkeys will fit in....one more passion and my wife may leave me ;-) Man, I hope I don't become addicted....However, stopped by the land today and saw 5 of them again! Oh man, I am getting excited....someone help......I think I am already getting excited...oops, I also forgot: I picked up 2 turkey hunting dvd's.....I am open to any suggestions...must get turkey......must get turkey.....Just reading the posts is converting me........

[Ironranger]

Birddog, hope your brother's first experience is a positive one. Just realize that any TV shows you watch are not the way most typical hunts go!! I've been hunting turkeys since around 1985 in Minnesota and Wisconsin and it was frustrating at first but these days there are alot of videos on calling and also alot of TV shows to learn basic calling cadence from. Starting out...you really don't have to get a ton of gear. A basic 12 gauge (or 20 at shorter ranges) will do and there are a ton of turkey chokes out there if you want a really tight pattern. There again, a full choke will probably suffice for reasonable ranges. Head to toe camo is a good idea but if you are using a blind then wearing black is probably the way to go once inside the blind. Decoys...not absolutely necessary but for first season they might come in handy. I've shot most of my turkeys without them as I usually hunt later seasons and have had alot of birds spook on them. As far as call, many different kinds will work. Box calls is probably the easiest to learn and also the slate call. Get a calling video and learn to cluck, purr, and yelp. Every turkey responds differently to calls and most times a person really doesn't have to call as much as what they do on TV. Where abouts in MN are you located? If you want more information feel free to shoot me an email...

[dosse]

I was the same way about three years ago when i started messing with turkeys. I always crappie fished during the spring and just never bothered with turkeys. I have always been a die hard deer hunter and just didnt believe a turkey would do it for me. Well i set out my first season alone with it trying it out and finally called a big long beard up to fifteen yards gobbling his head off. When that bird was in full strut drumming and dragging his wings in the leaves i finally realized how fun turkey hunting can be. I was like you at first, i just had to see it for myself to believe how exciting it was. And i will just end this by saying well... They got me hook line and sinker now, i love it. Deer hunting is still #1 to me but man those spring time turkeys are now right there with em

[Rhino]

[ QUOTE ]
Yup. Learn a few basics on TV or from a tape or book. Then go put down some boot leather. The turkeys will teach you far more about themselves than even the best video or seminar can. Be more patient than you ever were before and don't go into the sport being intimidated by the bird. They ain't that hard to kill if you learn how to call half ways decent and observe the basics of woodsmanship.

You're gonna have a blast.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well said Strut. I'm an old school turkey hunter. Back when I started all there was for help were a few books and audio tapes. What I was told when I started was let the birds teach you how to hunt them. I didn't really know what that meant at the time but I figured that out. The best teachers really are the turkeys.

birddog you have the benefit of watching videos, TV, listening to tapes, sounds of real birds on line at NWTF's site, and you'll also have the opportunity to read some of our turkey hunting stories before your season ever starts. Hang in there and have lots of fun.

[dlriggins]

DONT OVERCALL AND BE READY TO HURRY UP AND WAIT LISTEN AND YOU SHALL LEARN
I RECOMMEND GETTING INTO YOUR CAMO TAKING A COUPLE OF DAYS OFF PRIOR TO THE OPENING DAY AND JUST LISTEN AND LOCATE THE ROOST THIS WILL HELP

[257Roberts]

5 days to hunt? Man get out and scout. Find a gobbler thats hammering away and figure out his travel patterns. BUT DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT TRYING THOSE NEW CALLS OUT!!!!!. At least not till you are ready to engage and take him. Find out were he is going in the mornings and set up on him and put down your best yelp. Don't call too much but have fun. Chances are if you yelp a couple of times and the gobbler responds he knows where your at and he'll come when he's ready. My biggest mistake when i started out was calling too much. You gotta think of it as playing hard to get. lol. If you seem too exited about the whole thing the gobbler will get lazy on you and let you do all the work. But if you are between where he is and where he naturally wants to go chances are he'll swing by and see whats up. One good indication is if the gobbler cut's you off with a GOBBBLEE and especially a double or triple gobble durring the course of you yelp he is probably hot and ready and gonna be comming your way soon looking for love in all the wrong places. I'd put the call down and get my gun ready and listen. Gobblers can be very sneaky creatures when they want to be. Hopefully he'll come in strutting and drumming and you'll hear him before he gets to you. But be patient. Sometimes they will come a running (not very often) and sometimes they'll take thier sweet time. A lot of hunting videos are missleading. Most shows last 30 minutes and that includes 15 minutes of commercials and two hunts. Patients is the key word. Oh and most importanly don't forget to bring toilet paper with you. I think it's self explanitory what that's for. lol

[dartonman]

The phone conversation we had was awesome ole Birddog...but we need to hook up again....one thing I always know about turkeys is they love to breed.....and they are educated quick on too much calling...remember to always wait for the second set of gobbles, or what I called the "commitment gobble", and if you do watch the videos, a good indication or "body function" of a gobbler to know when he is gonna head AWAY fast is his snood...alot of hunters dont know this...the "snood" or skin snake hanging from ole toms head is an indication on how sexually aroused he is....the longer, the more his peak sexual interest is in your set up...but be warned, you can catch this on some videos, esp. if your gonna bowhunt....when the ole snood draws up tight, like a small knob, the gig is up, if you have a shot take it...cause he is leaving the county...we will talk soon buddy.............al

[birddog]

Thanks for all the advice guys: Al it was indeed very enlightening talking to you, as you did a great job of answering my questions and making me feel comfortable with even the "dumb" questions! I appreciate it buddy, and will be calling as the season approaches!
Thanks everyone this is great info......keep it coming, as I am truly trying to absorb as much info as I can. The place has never been hunted so the turkeys are fairly "dumb" I was out there the other day and had 8 come within 40 yards of me as I was walking around. Lets hope they remain this foolish into May!