turkey hunting

[1]

hay yall
     i dont turkey hunt (yet) but have seen some where i have been deer hunting and would like to give it a try. what would be the best call for me to start with?

[sailordad]

one of the easiest calls to learn is a slate and peg style call.
or you could get a push pin call.a box call is another fairly easy call to get the hang of.
if you are going to be hunting with out a blind i would recomend something that is weather resistant.some types of slate and peg and most box calls wont work
when they get wet.however there ae alot of them being made thses days that have a weatherproof surface to them.
i would recomend going to a seminar near by you and just aske the guy running it everything you can think of,from call types to using them properly,to setting up decoys ets.some say decoys dont work,some like them.i use them but it all depends on the circumstances too.
i myself have many many many calls,but i am a fanatic when it comes to turkey hunting.
hell our season doesnt start untill mid april and i start practicing with my mouth calls in January.so i pend about 5 months out of the year with a mouth call in my mouth.
not saying i am real good,but i do try competitive calling.not to win,just for more practice.
you dont have to master any call to call in ground buzzards.
your basic yelp is all you realy need to know,but some light clicking and even light purring will help.
one key thing to remeber is,dont over call.i always listne for what the boss hen is doing and try and mimic that.if shes is yelping hard and loud,then thats what i do.if shes real soft and sublte,then that what i do.if you can get her into a calling contest with you,she will almost always come your way to show you who the boss hen is.
when she does this,most times the rest of the flock will follow along and drag in the toms with them. dont believe anyone when they say turkey hunting is easy because they are dumb.
they have better eyes tha a deer does.some claim they can spot the blink of your eye at 10 yds.their vision is like you standing at the field edge with a pair of 10x binoculars,very sharp creatures,but when they are in breeding season,they can also be a little,well lets just say eager to die

good luck and happy hunting this spring

                                                                              peace,
                                                                                   tim

[sweeney3]

Get a pack of three or four diapharam calls.  They take a little bit to get to sound right, but they work pretty well and leave your hands free to work your bow.  That's pretty key with turkey.  Once they get in sight, you need to be pretty near your final drawing position.  If you have to fiddle around with putting down a call and picking up your bow, you'll be eating a Butterball from the grocery store!   

[mullet]

 I agree with the mouth calls. I usually have two in my mouth at the same time. Just pack them in the cheek like a chip monk.

[sailordad]

i use the hell out of them,but beginners can be intimitaded by them
they can be hard to learn,not to mention the gag factor for a beginner
if you hunt in a blind,you dont need to worry about being seen.
i have had toms literally right next to my blind,working a friction call,set it down to grab my bow
but then i had such an adrenilen rush and was shaking so bad i dropped my arrow  lol
that sucker scared me when he brushed against my blind and started into drumming,i thought he was gonna hear my heart beat it was pounding
so hard

for a beginning turkey hunter,i would still recomend one of the others i mentioned in my first post
you dont need a double bull blind like i use.one of those camo cloth stretch blinds that just sit in front of you will work quit well too
i keep one with me.i take it when i leave my ground blind and go scouting.if i see or hear something when i am scouting it takes about 10 seconds to stretch it out and
get it staked to the ground.you can sit behind it and move to run calls and grab your bow or gun with out them getting spooked

[1]

thanks i think i will get a box call and some mouth calls and start practicing.

[huntertrapper]

yep mouth call. no movement and allows hand free for whatever your hunting with. i dont even know how to use em my dad is good with them though.