Turkey Troubles

[Shmeegs28]

I’ve been getting my butt absolutely kicked this year with no real answer as to why. I called in two Toms super easy pre season but in the days I’ve hunted haven’t had a bird inside 60 yards with almost no gobbles heard or responses to my calling. It does seem that pressure is up and public land bird numbers are down around me but that doesn’t account entirely for what I’m experiencing

I will add that I’m struggling some with my calling and can’t find mouth calls I seem to like. I’ve previously had great luck with Phelps but the consistency of them seems off in the last few I’ve bought

I feel like a lot og guys are having these problems. I feel my mouth calling is not too bad but Im fairly new to this so who knows haha. All I know is I had a good conversation with a hen pre-season, she came running at me trying to find me and we chatted back and forth for half an hour. Since then it seems they are very wary of my calling

 

[bowhuntmontana]

Thanks for the info! If you dont mind my asking, how do you determine where they want to be? Is that just something you scout for a few days prior to hunting? I am still trying to find my own "honey holes" so a lot of my hunting is at new places I have never been prior to the day I show up to hunt. The one place I have scouted hard is about to open up to dirt bikes and 4-wheelers and once that happens it always pushes birds out of the area so I am looking for new ground

Scouting and hunting the same places multiple times helps a lot. I've hunted turkeys in Montana, Idaho, and Utah, and in each place, the turkeys seemed to follow a bit of a pattern, sort of making a big loop throughout the day, and by evening, ending up somewhere close to where they started from the roost in the morning. There is some variance depending on which roost site they choose and other disruptions, but I've observed definite patterns. I mark places I see turkeys, especially strutting in the spring. I typically plan to be in one of those places well before daylight, especially if I have some roost intel from the night before. I'll adjust depending on what I hear and see as it gets light. If they haven't showed up where I initially set up within 45 mins to an hour after light, I am going to them. This might have a lot to do with the terrain I hunt, which is more canyons and draws, but I've just had a lot more success killing turkeys by being highly mobile than by sitting and calling for long periods of time.

 

[Mudranger1]

So in other words just like life there are different ways to solve same problems I have no problem and have used @bowhuntmontana philosophy. It works no matter what time of day. For instance I have one spot that borders private. 99% of the time birds are going to private fields first. And slowly thru out the morning will often filter thru a specific corner after say 8 ish. I was just using your calling as what I would do if that was how I felt like hunting. It's all in how YOU want to hunt. Patience kills a lot more often then tv stars coming rolling in

 

[Shmeegs28]

Scouting and hunting the same places multiple times helps a lot. I've hunted turkeys in Montana, Idaho, and Utah, and in each place, the turkeys seemed to follow a bit of a pattern, sort of making a big loop throughout the day, and by evening, ending up somewhere close to where they started from the roost in the morning. There is some variance depending on which roost site they choose and other disruptions, but I've observed definite patterns. I mark places I see turkeys, especially strutting in the spring. I typically plan to be in one of those places well before daylight, especially if I have some roost intel from the night before. I'll adjust depending on what I hear and see as it gets light. If they haven't showed up where I initially set up within 45 mins to an hour after light, I am going to them. This might have a lot to do with the terrain I hunt, which is more canyons and draws, but I've just had a lot more success killing turkeys by being highly mobile than by sitting and calling for long periods of time.

Gothca, I hunt in similar areas out here in Colorado. When you move how are you choosing when and where youre going? Do you just listen for gobbles and try to predict where they are going to move to?

 

[gouch]

I just talked to an old friend, and he was griping about having to chase all the turkeys off his deck every morning and bitching about the mess they make of his yard.

I guess one man's problem is another man's dream.

 

[Shmeegs28]

So in other words just like life there are different ways to solve same problems I have no problem and have used @bowhuntmontana philosophy. It works no matter what time of day. For instance I have one spot that borders private. 99% of the time birds are going to private fields first. And slowly thru out the morning will often filter thru a specific corner after say 8 ish. I was just using your calling as what I would do if that was how I felt like hunting. It's all in how YOU want to hunt. Patience kills a lot more often then tv stars coming rolling in

I have been trying to pattern birds like that but it seems like they are just constantly roaming out here. It seems like they dont have much of a "daily routine", they kind of move all day while feeding and roost where they end up that night

 

[Shmeegs28]

I just talked to an old friend, and he was griping about having to chase all the turkeys off his deck every morning and bitching about the mess they make of his yard.

I guess one man's problem is another man's dream.

Hahaha, I would love to have that issue right now!

 

[longtail55]

I will add from my experience it seems April can be tough to call at birds also and maybe that has to do with them being flocked up yet from there wintering habits and not quite ready to breed. I have had better luck after the calendar flips to May. Esp the first week or so. In my mind I relate it to the rut with deer. In May I believe they spread-out way more and the hens go nest by themselves so I'm assuming the Tom's are fired up to breed and are willing to risk things more because there hens leave them more often.

 

[howl]

First thing is toss the dolls. Results will vary from positive to negative, but you will not recognize the when of which, making the learning curve more confusing and steeper.

Yelping just means here I am. Yelping while moving toward the gobbler says here I am and I'm coming to you. If hen has a gobbler, she's not gonna like some skank following him around saying here I am here I am. She'll pull him away.

You don't go straight at a turkey because sometimes they come straight at you while you're going to them. If you know what direction they're going, use to terrain to circle ahead. Do something a hen would be doing to get the gobbler to veer over for a look. If the turkey can see your position without coming close enough for a shot, then it won't come over close enough for a shot. Turkeys are very good at triangulating your position by sound. If it hears you call twice, it pretty much knows exactly where you are.

Are you sure you actually sound like a turkey? Lots of people I hear don't actually sound like turkeys. Get Dr. Lovett Williams' recordings. Match them with your call. Then you know you at least sound like a turkey.

 

[brushcreek]

I called in two Toms super easy pre season

this is a cardinal sin in the south

 

[reallyoldman]

I am much better with a cedar box call than slate or mouth call. Quaker Boy makes good box calls.

 

[Shmeegs28]

First thing is toss the dolls. Results will vary from positive to negative, but you will not recognize the when of which, making the learning curve more confusing and steeper.

Yelping just means here I am. Yelping while moving toward the gobbler says here I am and I'm coming to you. If hen has a gobbler, she's not gonna like some skank following him around saying here I am here I am. She'll pull him away.

You don't go straight at a turkey because sometimes they come straight at you while you're going to them. If you know what direction they're going, use to terrain to circle ahead. Do something a hen would be doing to get the gobbler to veer over for a look. If the turkey can see your position without coming close enough for a shot, then it won't come over close enough for a shot. Turkeys are very good at triangulating your position by sound. If it hears you call twice, it pretty much knows exactly where you are.

Are you sure you actually sound like a turkey? Lots of people I hear don't actually sound like turkeys. Get Dr. Lovett Williams' recordings. Match them with your call. Then you know you at least sound like a turkey.

I tried to get around a couple of them as you said but I just never seemed to be in the right position and as you mentioned a lead hen could have pulled them away. I can definitely use work on my calling but I have had some good "conversations" with a couple of hens this year so I must sound semi decent haha! Thanks for the tips

 

[howl]

this is a cardinal sin in the south

It's literally illegal some places.

 

[Shmeegs28]

It's literally illegal some places.

Its illegal to call in turkey in some states?

 

[sclancy27]

My take:

Early season birds are usually with hens from the roost. I personally think calling can push the hen away, which also does a good job of pushing the gobbler with her. I've had luck early season setting up in a known corridor with a terrain advantage to make the gobbler deviate a slight distance to check you out.

 

[howl]

Its illegal to call in turkey in some states?