Turkey Hunting. Wanting to go this Spring

[Shaneisneato]

Never been before. Any tips? A guy at work may be taking me with him. Would be using a shotgun.

[PAHunter]

I'm a novice turkey hunter.  One with a bow and a couple with shotgun.  I've been doing a good amount of readin on it.  Last year I heard one a few 100 yards away.  So I ran within 100 yards where the turkey did not have line of sight.  Setup and did some hen calls.  He responded and we had a brief convo before he got quiet.  I knew this meant he was coming in so I focused on not moving an inch.  He ran right up a trail toward me (though not the one I was hoping he'd take).  At 15 yards I drew my selfbow right before he hit the opening and he caught the movement and ran the other way.  Would have been an easy shotgun shot but that would be a lot less fun.  I feel good that I did a lot right that hunt. 

A real key is to figure out where they are roosting in the week or two leading up to season.
Good luck!  Consider your trad bow!
- Turkey noob

[JW_Halverson]

Try setting up on the bird so that they are already in your range before they have line of sight on you.  For me, here in the Black Hills, that means you get up above them on a hill or ridge and call down to them.  I set up back from the ridge line a bit so that he won't bust me as he comes in...because some of them come in quiet and at oblique angles. 

Learn to call softly after you have located the birds, use more of the soft clucks and purrs of feeding birds that are happy and content...those are calls that real turkeys make and few turkey hunters ever learn.

[crooketarrow]

  I killed 15 gobblers with my selfbow. And you can forget about those shotgun ta tic's where the gobblers comes in in front of you or comes across your front left to right. Can't do it I've try ed a dozzens of times.

  Those 15 gobblers along with most of the 40 bucks I've killed. All died the same way. I set up with my back to them coming letting them pass by me. Bucks you can leave go by you after they hit little past 45 degrees. They can't see you draw. A mature buck is totally worry ed about whats in front of him. Behind him he just came through and behind him is a safe zone.

  Gobblers I leave them go a tad ways more. Still a 15 yard shot.And Gobblers look around so much more than a buck. So you still have to pick the time to draw. Remember turkeys see 180 degrees.
  My advice is use the KISS METHOD
 KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPIT

  Meaning get a simple slate learn to cluck, yelp that's all need to start. I don't run and gun anymore. I like to slow down and play the waiting game.

  Alto of times early in the morning I just cluck. Now and then. Ex specially places that's been hunted hard you know it's been yelped to death so low clucks. Killed me a few gobblers before.

[Shaneisneato]

Lots of tips here guys. Hopefully I'll get a bird this year.  Trying to find a place to hunt is gonna be the big task. The only public land around here is small and hunted pretty hard.

[PAHunter]

A friendly talk with a farmer can go a long way.  I have had a good amount of success going door to door in he past. 

[Shaneisneato]

That's what I'm thinking. Theres some corn fields with stands of cedar bordering my parents land that I was gonna ask the owner if I could hunt turkey on. I've heard that farmers are a lot more open about people coming in to hunt turkey versus someone coming on to hunt deer.

[crooketarrow]

  Your right about there turkey hunting. People are more excepting about turkey hunting. I've never really had a problem getting permission.

  Take a well behaved kid. I only bow hunt. Except for shooting doe's. Shooting doe's from a hill top with a 280's not hunting.

  Alot of times I'll talk bows and bow building. If I show them my bow It's on usually.
  I've had 4 or 5 people laugh And say if that's what your using go ahead.  Back in the 80's I ask farmers they say go ahead there no turkeys here. Not like that anymore. EVERY FARMS COVER IN YELLOW SIGNS

  That's the worst poision. I can think of but I do the same on my farms.

  What you don't do is show up  in camo with a friend couple days before the season and ask to rifle hunt.  Bows are not looked apond like rifles.

[Shaneisneato]

That was my plan with asking people in the future. Figure if I show up with a bow in the car to show em, they might be at least be interested in seeing if I can even get anything with it  Also I kind of was thinking if I don't ask about deer but just spring turkey, varmints, etc. staying away from fall deer season which is the only thing most people hunt I will have better luck with getting a yes.

What do you mean yellow sign? As in No Trepassing signs or what?