Turkey Virgin

[AngusLimoX]

Wild turkey opens here on April 25th. This is my first year at it.
I have to take a 1 day course before to get my licence, but I'll wager I get a lot more good advice here than I will there. :lol:

Will appreciate anything from novice calling to gun and shooting advice.

 

[MikeC]

Wild turkey opens here on April 25th. This is my first year at it.
I have to take a 1 day course before to get my licence, but I'll wager I get a lot more good advice here than I will there. :lol:

Will appreciate anything from novice calling to gun and shooting advice.

One word of advice.

Pull the breast out and throw the rest away!

Happy huntin! :lol:

 

[CUZ]

Never took a gun safety course, but here's what Dad taught me.

Know your gun. Does it have a safety on it? Can you tell from a quick look if it is on or not? Can you tell by running your finger over it, if it's on or off? Keep checking to be sure of your status.

Is the gun loaded or not? "Let's see I just took a shot but I think I put two shells in" - don't speculate -KNOW.

Be sure of your background. If a shot is iffy DON'T Take it!

Don't shoot at noises. Be sure you can see what you're aiming at.

When walking around keep the barrel pointed at the ground. When stepping over a fence or going through heavy stuff you might want to just unload the gun if there is any question of where it is aimed.

Know where the folks with you are, BEFORE shooting at anything.

If there are rocks that you are shooting into, be sure you're not too close because you never know when a riccochet will come back at you or one of your group.

NEVER aim a gun at another person unless you are prepared to shoot them.

RESPECT YOUR GUN. It can kill you.

Don't get so caught up in the hunt you forget SAFETY.

You may be the most responsible hunter in the world, but watch the people you hunt with because they may not be as safety conscious as you.

I'm sure there's more, but I'm drawing a blank at the moment,
anyway you get the point BE CAREFUL and then have fun.

Cuz

 

[AngusLimoX]

Wild turkey opens here on April 25th. This is my first year at it.
I have to take a 1 day course before to get my licence, but I'll wager I get a lot more good advice here than I will there. :lol:

Will appreciate anything from novice calling to gun and shooting advice.

One word of advice.

Pull the breast out and throw the rest away!

Happy huntin! :lol:

Thanks Mike. That is one thing I heard, lottsa sinew, tendons etc...

Shoulda qualified the thread Cuz, been a deer hunter almost 30 years and ducks and geese longer. First year for gobblers.

But nobody is ever so experienced they shouldn't heed the good advice in your post!

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

Just don't sit on one side of a stock tank answering a call from another hunter on the other side of the tank for an hour like a friend of mine did once. Two fools if there ever were any fools!

 

[Jogeephus]

Get a B-Mobile decoy by Primos. Bought one last year and the thing should be outlawed. As you probably know, the hen is supposed to come to the gobbler hence is the problem. On the other hand, if you set up and put a decoy hen out there and then put out your b-mobile decoy and the old gobbler sees it - well its about like Earnest T Bass going after somebody messing with Thelma Lou! Of course, some of the jakes may run from it, but that's ok with me.

Also, don't give up if you don't get one first thing in the morning. A lot of times they will go hunting another hen around 10 and 2 as well. And don't call too much - he knows where you are at if he answers you.

Good Luck!

 

[cattleluvr18]

i kinda lost my turkey virginity at a young age. i was 11. me and my daddy gotta pair. turkey season opened today. there are ssoo overpopulated here. you can legally(key word) shoot 3 this year. we've never had turkies on our farm and this year they are all over. turkey is to farmer as hog is to cattleman. those gigantic claws can tear up fields faster then you can plant. planning on just getting a drive by the way they just stand there in the field.

here you have to take hunters safety before you can hunt. its the law. its really simple. if you cant pass it then you for sure shouldnt be owning a gun.

when you take the meat dont i repeat dont cut open the stomache, expecially if you have a weak stomache. that is the worse smell ive ever smelt.

i dont use a decoy. have in the past and doesn seem to make a difference. the one time that we did the tom attacked that decoy tom. it was halarious. we use a box call though. works very well if you work it right.

happy hunting. i hope you get a good one. and post pics!

 

[AngusLimoX]

Just don't sit on one side of a stock tank answering a call from another hunter on the other side of the tank for an hour like a friend of mine did once. Two fools if there ever were any fools!

Yes this is the type of situation I am hoping to avoid!! :lol:

 

[AngusLimoX]

Get a B-Mobile decoy by Primos. Bought one last year and the thing should be outlawed.

Thanks Jogee - I went to their site and watched their video. At $80 it seems quite reasonable as well.

Here's the link for anyone else interested.
https://shop.primos.com/pc-938-94-b-mobile.aspx

 

[AngusLimoX]

i there are ssoo overpopulated here. you can legally(key word) shoot 3 this year. we've never had turkies on our farm and this year they are all over.

About 40 hens in my bush area, kinda gave me the inspiration to take it up. For the first time they are gonna have a fall season as well here. Actually becoming a hazard there are so many in some areas.

Little doubt I will post a pic if I get one!! :lol:

 

[Weaver]

You can learn from others, but the best lessons come from situations you encounter while hunting. You seem to remember more that way than being told. It helps to have an idea where they are before opening day. Scouting is a big help. Try to find where some are roosting by listening for them about 1 to 1/2 hour before sunrise. Any additional information such as where they like to feed or loaf can only help. Knowing how to call is good, but knowing when to say what with that call is just as important. Decoys can be advantageous in some situations. Be cautious if you use a gobbler decoy because of other hunters. Camo is very important, along with being still. I heard it said once that turkeys can see you think and hear you change your mind. Aim for where the feathers stop on the neck. There also might be someone from your area that would be willing to take you and show you a few of the ropes. Get you pointed in the right direction. Every day you encounter something new, and there is so many things to learn, so just get out there and have fun doing it. Be warned though, it is very addictive! Happy Hunting

 

[Jogeephus]

Wild turkey opens here on April 25th. This is my first year at it.
I have to take a 1 day course before to get my licence, but I'll wager I get a lot more good advice here than I will there. :lol:

Will appreciate anything from novice calling to gun and shooting advice.

One word of advice.

Pull the breast out and throw the rest away!

Happy huntin! :lol:

Thanks Mike. That is one thing I heard, lottsa sinew, tendons etc...

Shoulda qualified the thread Cuz, been a deer hunter almost 30 years and ducks and geese longer. First year for gobblers.

But nobody is ever so experienced they shouldn't heed the good advice in your post!

Am curious as to why someone with as much experience as you have as well as age under your belt would have to take a course to be permitted to buy a license. Please elaborate, I'm curious.

 

[AngusLimoX]

Am curious as to why someone with as much experience as you have as well as age under your belt would have to take a course to be permitted to buy a license. Please elaborate, I'm curious.

Myself and another guy just a little younger than me ( almost 50 ) are taking it together. We both asked ourselves the same question!! :lol:

Turkey have made huge comeback here since they were re-introduced back in the 80's and now they are a nuisance in places at times. Part of the comeback has been a highly restrictive hunt each spring. Only one tom, 4 day hunt, all kills must be taken to a reporting station, the turkey course, etc...

We both really don't mind. There are lessons on calling, identification, habits etc.. Going to be toys for sale there ( calls, decoys, ammo ).
Besides getting away from the farm for a few hours we are going for wings and beer after the course this Saturday.

 

[Jogeephus]

Sounds like it will be interesting. I am always open to learning new stuff I just don't like to be told I have to - if you know what I mean. Have fun and good luck with the birds.

 

[AngusLimoX]

Sounds like it will be interesting. I am always open to learning new stuff I just don't like to be told I have to - if you know what I mean. Have fun and good luck with the birds.

I think the real push to make the course mandatory was by the hunters groups that put out the effort/cash to re-establish the birds. ( They were extinct here ).

Just like boating groups pressured govt to require recreational boating licences.( That is just a one time test ).But still another piece of plastic ya gotta carry or face a fine.

Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.

 

[Jogeephus]

They were scarce here in the early 80's. DNR began stocking them around with limited success at first. With time though, the birds kinda grew in numbers. Though, they are not plentiful all through the county, we have a few places where they have actually become a nuisance - to some people. I like to watch them. Nothing like seeing 50 or so in the pasture.

I "guided" a guest from the S. Carolina yesterday morning. Called up 5 jakes. I was hoping he'd show some restraint and he did. Just seeing them was good enough for the both of us.

 

[AngusLimoX]

I was hoping he'd show some restraint and he did. Just seeing them was good enough for the both of us.

Local radio talk show this morning - on scene microphone following a turkey (hen) through one of the plagued subdivisions where turkeys are a hazard to motorists.

They actually have put up signs to warn about turkeys. Nobody wants the hunters to kill them on the call in dialogue though.

 

[Jogeephus]

There is a lot of ignorance out there when it comes to wildlife management. Sounds like its fixing to get serious up there. I wonder what's gonna happen when the turkeys start scratching up everyone's flower beds?

 

[iowahawkeyes]

It's turkey season in Iowa. My dad (I call him the Great White Hunter) got his on Monday. It had a 10 1/2" beard. That is the biggest one for him. It was only 20 pounds though, smaller than other ones he's gotten.

A friend of ours in SD had wild turkeys come into their cattle feedyard. They shot 50#ers for Thanksgiving.

Another story about my dad. In Iowa mange killed off the fox and he and his buddies were desperate for action. They found an old rabbit in distress record, portable record player, and an ancient stuffed Great Horned Owl (stored in the basement, freaked me out as a kid). They would play that record and crows would come over to check out the noise, cheap thrills for the guys.

 

[Jogeephus]

A friend of ours in SD had wild turkeys come into their cattle feedyard. They shot 50#ers for Thanksgiving.

I've noticed that turkeys will scratch through cow pies if you are feeding hole corn. Might be a bit of info that could come in useful in the future. ;-)