Turkey Hunting Beginner

In no way do I consider myself a good turkey hunter, so I thought I would share some amateur advice from a dude who may turkey hunt twice a year if I am lucky (but have called in and killed birds on my own).

Decoy: I use a primos hen decoy when I go out, or none if I get up on a bird quickly and/or know where hes roosted.

Calls: Box calls/slates are the easiest. Find one you can work well and stick with it, you don't need 100 calls in your vest. You will be surprised how quickly you can pick up a mouth call, practice in your truck.

Camo/Vest: You need some green in your camo. Duck gear likely wont work out great due to lack of greenery. As always, try and match the woods your hunting to blend in.

You do not need a fancy vest, but you should bring a pad to sit on if you are using a backpack. Using a vest is easiest for folks because you can keep all of your calls and shite in it and dont have to switch back and forth between your deer/duck hunting packs.

I usually try and locate birds the afternoon before a morning hunt and watch/listen for where they roost. Sneak in the next morning, set up near where they roosted, and keep your eyes and ears open. Work the bird as necessary.

For calling, less is more. If you call, and they respond, they are coming (or close). As fun as it is, you don't need to try and talk them up the whole time - thats where amateurs go wrong.

Don't take things too seriously in the turkey woods, when you think you have a great plan, those birds will shite all over it. Be flexible and ready to make a move or change plans. For me, nearly every bird I have killed has been after something happened and I thought the hunt was fricked up. I guess thats what keeps me coming back.

Good luck out there, baw.

4040 gives good advice.

I too am not great turkey hunter, but is by far my most enjoyable.

You will always learn when you're in the woods.

I would probably hold off on a vest this year and wait till after season, you will find some deals and will be money ahead. Also, make sure you enjoy turkey hunting. While most consider it absolutely awesome, it may not be your cup of tea. You don't want to be that guy selling all his crap 1/2 price. You want to buy from that guy.

Easiest call to use IMO is a box call. Many to choose from, and they all typically work pretty well. One of my favorites is a Lynch Fool Proof. I also use mouth calls when I'm hunting alone. Keep one for puttin' etc when I have to put the box call down and grab the gun. Plenty of youtube videos to get you "talkative" with any and all calls.

Rather than the vest, I would recommend a Folding Chair to hunt out of. I have several of these and this is the best money you will ever spend. Go ahead and bite the bullet on this and then pick you another one up after season when they mark them down. They work well for at the beach too.

Do you have a place to hunt? You’ll need a lot of turkeys to kill a few.
What you are doing as a hunter is going against nature. The Tom flys down, gobbles, and struts. He shows off. The hens are attracted to him. Hunters are trying to get the Tom to come to them.
Early season-woods are open. Use caution getting close. Toms will be henned up. You might have to call the whole group. I’ve had luck with fighting purs early on. It’s like rattling in a buck. A Tom wants to run off intruders.
Later on - Hens fly down and go to sit on their nest later in the morning. You can catch a Tom gobbling mid morning. He will have no hen so you can work him. Use the spring green up for cover and get ahead of where he wants to go. Take the high ground if able.
Calls- Owl for early morning, crow for later on
Diaphragm. No hands
Slate. You can get soft and sweet with it. Get a turkey seat that has you a couple inches off the ground. Get a blind that goes in front of you to hide your hands.

Im a fairly new turkey hunter and have only hunted a few seasons. was skunked my first few seasons, but got lucky and killed 3 birds last year. Here is what i typically do (by no means is it the best, just how i typically do it)

Decoys:
i think 1 or 2 hen decoys has worked best for me. i have tried using a jake/hen combo before but have seen gobblers hang up because of the jake decoy. (maybe that gobbler just got whipped and wasnt in the mood for a fight. who knows) but i have never seen a gobbler spook from just hen decoys. I like montana decoys. they fold up flat so they are easy to stuff into your vest and super lightweight.


Calls:
Dont go overboard with calling. keep the bird curious. I have a slate that i use the most, but when the birds get closer in i will use a mouth call to free up my hands

Vests:
i went a little bit overboard and bought a vest that has kickstands built in it. it can be heavy if your moving around quite a bit, but is extremely comfortable to sit in. They type of vest you get will depend on what kind of style you prefer (run and gun vs long sits). figure out what style you like before buying a vest.

Camo:
i wouldn't wear marsh camo in the woods during spring time. everything is blooming and green so find some camo that matches that. get some lightweight gloves and facemask to go with it. i would also get some water proof boots too. spring mornings can have a lot of dew making the grass wet. ive made the mistake of wearing cowboy boots and they got drenched pretty quickly. Walking in wet cowboy boots isnt very comfortable

Hunting:
To start i would figure out where they are roosting. You can do this the evening before by watching and listening and figuring out where they flew up. hunt that area the next day. In my experience i have noticed they pick roost trees close by to a water source. If you cant seem to find a roost tree, i would move over to an open field or meadow. later in the mornings they will move to open areas for all the hens to see them strut.

Also, make sure to wear snake boots.

Good luck, once you get your first bird you will be hooked and it will become another obsession for you to spend all your money on.

comfortable Snakeboots

If you have good duck camo personally I'd use that, it needs to be light weight tho as it's gonna get hot. I'd save you money and use it on other stuff. The most important thing is breaking up your outline and not moving. As said get a mesh facemask and some very lightweight gloves.

I'd get a mouth call and a box call. Box calls are usually loudest to use on windier days. Use the mouth call when they are close. I'm not a big slate guy though I use them. Just prefer box or mouth calls.

Get a turkey chair. Best thing I use. Can be a pain to carry but you can sit anywhere and don't have to be against a tree, and they are super comfortable. BPS has one for like $25-30.

Also I really like using my camel back. Allows me to stay hydrated and not move much. I can set up my straw to be hands free under my facemask.

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comfortable Snakeboots

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For God's sake watch out for snakes.

My dad has a friend who was calling in a big bird for about 30 minutes and didn't notice the curled up rattler about 3 feet away from him. Let's just say one of those two animals had to die and he chose the snake.

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about 30 minutes and didn't notice the curled up rattler about 3 feet away from him

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He could have just waited until after he killed the turkey.

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You can not kill a turkey sitting on the porch at the camp.

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I've hardcore turkey hunted for 20 years but am in no means an expert and learn something different every time I go.

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Decoys:

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I hardly ever carry decoys in the morning but I do like to use them for afternoon hunts on a food plot or pipeline type set-up. I move around a lot and feel like decoys can sometimes slow me down. Just my opinion.

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Calls:

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I would recommend a slate and work your way into a mouth call. Definitely get you an owl hooter. I recommend a crow call as well.

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Vests:

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Absolutely need a vest IMO. Just get a cheap one. They will all rip and get torn up.

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Camo:

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Would not recommend duck camo. Go get you a long sleeve shirt with pants. Academy will have some cheap stuff out that is good 'turkey' camo.

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Hunting:

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I prefer to move and chase/stalk. Lot of folks sit and wait and have success though. Look for tracks along roads, scratch signs in the woods, etc. Put out some trial cams if you want. Find a high place on the land you'll be hunting and listen for birds a couple of weeks before the season opens. That'll give you some options on how to hunt them. What state are you hunting?

I would also highly recommend a Gobbler lounger. Totally changed the way I hunt. Super comfortable and easy to carry.

Be patient and don't give up. Just when you think you have them figured out they will go the other way . Good luck