Turkey scouting

[Gellar]

I was burning my small patch of native grass last night right at dark when the coyotes started howling. As soon as they yipped a flock of turkeys across the coulee gobbled. They went back and forth for a five or ten minutes. I’ve never called a coyote in turkey hunting but I’ve heard of it happening frequently.

 

[bushman13]

They seem to be gobbling early up on the front range. I've had one gobbling up and down the ridge behind my house for the last 3 days

 

[trb]

They seem to be gobbling early up on the front range. I've had one gobbling up and down the ridge behind my house for the last 3 days

Agreed, I heard one gobbling while scouting last weekend as well. Hey, what's your address again?

 

[bushman13]

Evergreen, top of the valley. Semi recent Eastern transplant, and I have been bitten by the turkey bug.

Agreed, I heard one gobbling while scouting last weekend as well. Hey, what's your address again?

 

[Bigjay73]

DO Merriam's respond to locater calls well?

Very well. The best one I've found is a very short, high pitched, loud as you can elk bugle. I only use it when I'm trying to locate them the afternoon before a morning hunt, but it always works well. Never had the same luck with owl or woodpecker calls on merriams

 

[trb]

Very well. The best one I've found is a very short, high pitched, loud as you can elk bugle. I only use it when I'm trying to locate them the afternoon before a morning hunt, but it always works well. Never had the same luck with owl or woodpecker calls on merriams

I use an external reed cow call and just let off one single high pitched blast. I agree, I have never gotten a response with an owl call for some reason.

 

[Bigjay73]

I use an external reed cow call and just let off one single high pitched blast. I agree, I have never gotten a response with an owl call for some reason.

Lol, I actually got the idea when I was turkey hunting one year, and got busted by some cows. The lead cow barked 5 or 6 times, and every time she did, toms would gobble. I think it's just a natural, familiar sound to them.

 

[AggieHunter]

Will they react throughout the day or just morning and evening

 

[Bigjay73]

Ya know, I've never tried it during the day, but dont see why it wouldn't

 

[Gellar]

Will they react throughout the day or just morning and evening

If you get one to gobble during midday say 10-4 you have a very good chance at killing that bird. Even greater chance on public land as most hunters will leave after the gobbling has been quiet for a few hours. The hens that the toms went to at first lite either were interested or were not in the mood and the toms are looking for new hens. Try to get as close as possible, and softly yelp at it. I don’t even put a decoy out. In my experience that 10-15 yards further you go ahead to set a decoy may be enough for the turkey to bust you.

 

[Old man bob]

Gellar, Very true My friend ,what Yo just said. and no deke needed. the last one I killed at 11 am came in running ,barely had time to hide agagainst a Ponderosa ,and He even had 2 Hens came in running with him. My Son was with me and we were just getting back from a long morning hike 80 yards from the truck and I said let me call 1 more time. He said did You hear that, I said no. He was about 13 and can hear better than me. I yelped again and about 35 seconds later we had a nice Bird

 

[Old man bob]

Proud of that Son too! My youngest now 27 lives in Illinois with His Wife . He never hunted but would go with me alot and He just liked being in the Mountains. I never forced Him to hunt. He had a tag the next Year and We had 3 longbeards come running in to us at My favorite honey hole here in Arizona. I said on 3 we shoot , He didn't I did. He said I just couldn't do it. Gotta respect what they want. We allways had fun tho . That was the main thing ,and His good ears helping me,LOL............BOB

 

[Gellar]

Gellar, Very true My friend ,what Yo just said. and no deke needed. the last one I killed at 11 am came in running ,barely had time to hide agagainst a Ponderosa ,and He even had 2 Hens came in running with him. My Son was with me and we were just getting back from a long morning hike 80 yards from the truck and I said let me call 1 more time. He said did You hear that, I said no. He was about 13 and can hear better than me. I yelped again and about 35 seconds later we had a nice BirdView attachment 134001

Now that I think of it the bird in my original post on this thread was a midday bird. It was opening morning. When I woke up it was snowing pretty hard. I went back to bed! When I got to hunting I set down and called, immediately to my right was a Tom gobbling close. And then another to my left. It was a race for them to get to me. Both were good toms as I recall, but I killed the one that came in from my right, the first one. I think he 1 1/8” spurs and a 11 inch beard.

 

[AggieHunter]

I know this question comes up a lot, but what is yall's opinion on calling cadences and amounts for Merriam? If they gobble back do you stop or keep going? I know it varies from person to person.

 

[Gellar]

No experience with merriams, sorry. For Easterns I yelp 5-7 times with a diaphragm. If one answers I keep talking. As he gets closer I call less. If he won’t come in, I go after him. I hunt turkeys aggressively. Fortunately there are usually enough Easterns that you can be more aggressive and not risk running every Tom out of the country. I bet it’s different with mountain birds? I would love to hunt them in the next couple of years?

 

[AggieHunter]

I am just getting into the mountain bird game and do plan to do a lot of run and gun hunting.

 

[trb]

I know this question comes up a lot, but what is yall's opinion on calling cadences and amounts for Merriam? If they gobble back do you stop or keep going? I know it varies from person to person.

I've had luck just matching his temperature. If he's fired up, be aggressive. If he's playing hard to get do the same. I almost hate giving that advice because I feel like it is scenario dependent.

My strategy is usually to do a sit in the morning until about 9ish, then run and gun the rest of the day until I find fresh sign/get a gobble.

 

[AggieHunter]

That's what I expected.

 

[Old man bob]

In North Dakota I would run and gun ,cause you could go around a Coulee and head em off. I spent 4+ years in the oil field and hunted em like that, Called some in. In Arizona and New Mexico at 8-9k Feet I'm not gettin around em. If I was 25 and not 63 ya. In the Mtns. I stay in areas I have hunted for years and you will run into them some time of day in the vacinity. Hope to Hunt them in old age in some areas they Frequent just sitting and call every 20 minutes.. Gotta keep alert. some come in quiet. Good luck all........................BOB!

 

[AggieHunter]

Another Merriam question but what is yall's experience on their proximity and use of water sources? Is it best to focus near small creeks and ponds where they water? I have been looking in some drainage which I believe to be more just trickles of snowmelt and summer rain so they don't consistently hold water. Do they also get it from the snow during this time?