Turkey Hunting Basics
- Thread starter ilovesprig
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chava714 said:Wow lots of great tips for us newbie hunters. Now how about some spotI kid I kid. Well hope to find me a spot this we'll be my first yr hunting turkey. Question does any one know if there are turkeys in the south part of Angeles forest d11,d13 area and the in Cleveland forest (d15) or is it more up north and down south in San Diego?
There are no turkeys in the Angeles NF. I've been told there's some birds in the D-15.....Vail Lake/Butterfield had some for awhile.....Santa Rosa Plateau had some as well. Haven't had any reports from those areas for a long time.....For the most part, it's SD County in SoCal. Then Santa Barbara Co. on the coast and Kern Co. in the east. Go north from there.
Snake Charmer
Happiness is a warm gut pile
I agree with Sprig about turkey numbers this year in SD county, its gonna be a tough year. The Mesa Grande area where I live was overflowing with turkeys five years ago. I haven't seen a turkey at the north end of the mesa where I live in months. Back in 2008 I counted a flock outside my kitchen window that was over three hundred one morning.
I remember hunting Santa Ysabel on MCC property when I first joined and one morning, I counted 7 different roost trees with multiple mature gobblers in each one. I think with good predator control and some optimal weather conditions, we could once again see the flocks of birds that SD used to have. On a brighter note, I got out to look for pigs today and came across a turkey gold mine on public land. I first found tons of tracks and then came across a flock of about 25 mixed birds with mostly hens, jenny's, and jakes. I think there was one long beard in there. This may have been the biggest concentration of turkeys I have seen on public land in several years. I couldn't get any turkey photo fast enough but here's the tracks I found.
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Gen,
That's great news......I'm hoping there's birds where I'm not looking......Today, I went to where the youth hunt is going to be March 21st & 22nd. This was my 4th trip there and I had not seen a turkey. I did see 26 hens when I drove the area with park ranger in the interior, but a totally different area.
Today, there was 24 hens and 3 "longs".......This is what I'm hoping for.
.
That's great news......I'm hoping there's birds where I'm not looking......Today, I went to where the youth hunt is going to be March 21st & 22nd. This was my 4th trip there and I had not seen a turkey. I did see 26 hens when I drove the area with park ranger in the interior, but a totally different area.
Today, there was 24 hens and 3 "longs".......This is what I'm hoping for.
.
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Amen to that IM. I hve had many people blow a hunt by trying to either stalk a turkey in calling to or someone try to set up near me for a shot at the same bird.
Another big rule is try not to stalk a turkey. It will only put more pressure on the birds and there's a big chance the turkey will see you before you're in shooting range.
Another big rule is try not to stalk a turkey. It will only put more pressure on the birds and there's a big chance the turkey will see you before you're in shooting range.
Good points guys.......When I hunted a lot of public (California). It seemed like I was always having guys sneaking in on the calls.......I'm sure it's worse nowadays with turkey hunting so popular in SDC.
And like I stated earlier..........Don't use gobble calls on public land........... :-X
ps......Darryl.......Yes, the early bird normally gets the worm........
And like I stated earlier..........Don't use gobble calls on public land........... :-X
ps......Darryl.......Yes, the early bird normally gets the worm........
Turkey guns, loads, Chokes, and where to shoot
I'll start by saying these are just my personal choices and things I've had experience with.
A)......Shotguns.
1........Length of barrel.......1st off having a short barrel on your turkey gun is convenient, but not necessary......I shoot a Benelli SBE with the 24" barrel. Because your almost always sitting down, the shorter barrel is just easier to move and handle......My 1st turkey gun was the Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag, 24" barrel..... Great turkey gun..... I'd still be shooting it, if I hadn't given it to one of the kids.
2........Sights......Lots of good sights out there that come on turkey guns....... I use the Tru-Glow.....Many times your best opportunities come under low light conditions. Also my guns have the front beads with the front glow sight......Remember, your aiming this shot, unlike most bird shooting......The front bead tells you how flat you are on the barrel.
3........Chamber.......Both my turkey guns can handle the 3 1/2" shells......Not really necessary, but again on those marginal shots (50 yds). It's nice to have the fire power......Your gun may actually pattern 3" better. I've seen it many times.
4........ Camo........Again, a camo gun isn't necessary, but does look cool......lol......The key is the shine. There's camo guns that shine as much as the finest Perazzi......I've actually camo taped my SBE barrel with a dull finish.
B).......Loads
1........I think Hevi-Shot is the best turkey load you can buy. And like most non-toxic, the most expensive. The new Hevi-Shot Blend load (5's, 6's, & 7's) is supposed to kill 'em out to 65 yds.....Too far for my blood, but I've seen confirmed kills at 50+.
2........I like lead Diamond Shot Kent's in 3 1/2" 2 1/4 oz 5's......Really the shell I use most the time and they pattern best in my guns.
3........One of the boys shoots the Remington 3" 2 oz. 5's......He kills them pretty damn dead.......Only about 10 bucks for a box of 10.
4........Tons of good shells out there.....Try to pattern before using.
C).......Chokes
1.......Extended chokes are the rage. I use the Primos Jellyhead. It's always pattern right for me with lead......A tight choke is what you want. Remember your shooting at the head......Their wings are very thick and can take a big hit. Especially at any distance.
2.......Standard chokes IMO have their place......Hevi-Shot patterns tighter......If I'm using it, I use my standard improved modified.......Again, pattern your gun.
D)......Where to Shoot.
1........This is a simple one.......Shoot at the head........Most guns guns and folks shoot a little high. So, I aim at the base of their caruncles (lower red stuff in their neck)......Remember, your pattern is very small. Easier to miss than most people think.
2........If a bird is walking away and is moving at any distance. Remember to lead the head. They walk faster than it looks.
3.......I've never shot at a flying turkey, but it does happen. Again, for such a big bird, they fly fast. Just breaking a wing normally results in a lost bird.
The 1st target was with my daughters Benelli M-2 Jellyhead 20 gauge 3" 1 1/4 of 6's at 25 yds......The 2nd target is Jacob's Benelli M-2 Jellyhead 12 gauge.....3" 2 oz of 5's at 40 yds......Both dead turkeys.......
Let's hear about your favorite stuff.....Lots of great guns & loads out there.
.
I'll start by saying these are just my personal choices and things I've had experience with.
A)......Shotguns.
1........Length of barrel.......1st off having a short barrel on your turkey gun is convenient, but not necessary......I shoot a Benelli SBE with the 24" barrel. Because your almost always sitting down, the shorter barrel is just easier to move and handle......My 1st turkey gun was the Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag, 24" barrel..... Great turkey gun..... I'd still be shooting it, if I hadn't given it to one of the kids.
2........Sights......Lots of good sights out there that come on turkey guns....... I use the Tru-Glow.....Many times your best opportunities come under low light conditions. Also my guns have the front beads with the front glow sight......Remember, your aiming this shot, unlike most bird shooting......The front bead tells you how flat you are on the barrel.
3........Chamber.......Both my turkey guns can handle the 3 1/2" shells......Not really necessary, but again on those marginal shots (50 yds). It's nice to have the fire power......Your gun may actually pattern 3" better. I've seen it many times.
4........ Camo........Again, a camo gun isn't necessary, but does look cool......lol......The key is the shine. There's camo guns that shine as much as the finest Perazzi......I've actually camo taped my SBE barrel with a dull finish.
B).......Loads
1........I think Hevi-Shot is the best turkey load you can buy. And like most non-toxic, the most expensive. The new Hevi-Shot Blend load (5's, 6's, & 7's) is supposed to kill 'em out to 65 yds.....Too far for my blood, but I've seen confirmed kills at 50+.
2........I like lead Diamond Shot Kent's in 3 1/2" 2 1/4 oz 5's......Really the shell I use most the time and they pattern best in my guns.
3........One of the boys shoots the Remington 3" 2 oz. 5's......He kills them pretty damn dead.......Only about 10 bucks for a box of 10.
4........Tons of good shells out there.....Try to pattern before using.
C).......Chokes
1.......Extended chokes are the rage. I use the Primos Jellyhead. It's always pattern right for me with lead......A tight choke is what you want. Remember your shooting at the head......Their wings are very thick and can take a big hit. Especially at any distance.
2.......Standard chokes IMO have their place......Hevi-Shot patterns tighter......If I'm using it, I use my standard improved modified.......Again, pattern your gun.
D)......Where to Shoot.
1........This is a simple one.......Shoot at the head........Most guns guns and folks shoot a little high. So, I aim at the base of their caruncles (lower red stuff in their neck)......Remember, your pattern is very small. Easier to miss than most people think.
2........If a bird is walking away and is moving at any distance. Remember to lead the head. They walk faster than it looks.
3.......I've never shot at a flying turkey, but it does happen. Again, for such a big bird, they fly fast. Just breaking a wing normally results in a lost bird.
The 1st target was with my daughters Benelli M-2 Jellyhead 20 gauge 3" 1 1/4 of 6's at 25 yds......The 2nd target is Jacob's Benelli M-2 Jellyhead 12 gauge.....3" 2 oz of 5's at 40 yds......Both dead turkeys.......
Let's hear about your favorite stuff.....Lots of great guns & loads out there.
.
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MJB said:
Great points Mark......I'd say over half our birds are taken mid-morning or later.
Something else I've left out is pellet gun & bow hunting for turkeys......I've not shot a turkey with either, but have been a number of hunts & kills with them.
Picture is a bow kill on a rainy day.
.
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Sprig, any tips on late season calling? Towards the end of last season I ended up scaring off a couple gobblers with yelps/cuts. I figure by that point he'd heard every hunters call and was wisened up. What's a good way to mix it up?
SurfNHuntSD said:
Wish I had a nickel for every gobbler that I've had a visual on and had him just walk by......lol
It's almost always tougher at the end. Last year was an exception because of the abundance of 2 year olds......Since you had a visual, you can see how they react......ALWAYS start soft......Clucks & purrs.....Cuts and loud yelps are not subtle calls.....Hens probably aren't that aggressive either by the end of the season......If they're coming my way, I don't call at all.
Sometimes no matter what you do, they're just not interested in hens......Try to head them off, if you can. Sometimes a change of position will change their mind......I've found the closer I am to them, the more likely they'll show some interest.
The other thing to remember is they've been fighting a lot. Having a full fan tom as a decoy can be an deterrent too.
Josh & I caught this gobbler by himself near the end of the season.....He went past us showing little interest out in the open field except for going into strut after hearing our calls.....We finally lost sight of him.......10 minutes later he popped up out of a hollow no more than 45 yds away......He never gobbled or made a peep.
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Thanks Sprig. Hoping I can close the deal this time! Turkey hunting is both frustrating and exhilarating but is always a good time. Can't wait.
SurfNHuntSD said:
Merriams are known for their white lower back and tail feathers and native to Northern New Mexico (I was in the Gila NF).......Most our turkeys came from Kansas and are mostly Rio Grande, with some eastern turkey possibly mixed in....Our have a much tanner fan.
The 1st bird is a Southern New Mexico Merriam (Lincoln NF)......Looks more Rio.....The 2 birds Josh and I have were taken from the same flock (MCC).....One has light colored back feathers & tail. While mine leans towards an eastern on the back, but tan like a Rio in it's tail.
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Chadwick said:
Here's a pretty good deal for a starter kit from Cabela's.......$29.99
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Hunting/Hunting-Game-Calls/Turkey-Calls%7C/pc/104791680/c/104725980/sc/104662980/Primosreg-Turkey-Starter-Pack-Turkey-Call-Kit/1342868.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fturkey-calls%2F_%2FN-1100097%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104662980%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104791680%253Bcat104725980&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104791680%3Bcat104725980%3Bcat104662980
Allot of good stuff here! Heck... never tried a peacock call as a locator before... one of those is on order now. Still fairly new to the area, but figure turkeys are turkeys, no matter where you have your experience - so I'll chime in a little. I'll second a good hunting chair or pad, sometimes all you need to bag that ol' gobbler is the ability to sit still for another 30min to an hour, and that's so much easier to do when you're comfortable. It always seems to work out that the exact moment when you stretch out your leg to try to wake it back up or slightly adjust your position to move the root you've been sitting on for 2 hrs to another spot... that you'll hear that terrible putting sound of a startled turkey behind you. Started using one of these strutter chairs (many companies make a similar chair) and will never go back. http://www.amazon.com/Browning-Camping-8525014-Strutter-Folding/dp/B007PIRAYE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424332092&sr=8-1&keywords=browning+turkey+chair.
Other random tip, Steve mentioned about the dangers of using a jake decoy on public land... and those are words to take to heart, but if you are hunting private land and have a jake decoy out, place the decoy facing towards you. Many times a big gobbler will come face to face with your jake decoy and start strutting his stuff to show off. Well... since you placed your jake decoy facing towards you... the gobbler will now be facing away from you with his tail fan outstretched. This allows you a few brief moments to move your gun into position undetected while he can't see behind his fan. Can't tell you how many times this one little trick has helped bag the bird.
Other random tip, Steve mentioned about the dangers of using a jake decoy on public land... and those are words to take to heart, but if you are hunting private land and have a jake decoy out, place the decoy facing towards you. Many times a big gobbler will come face to face with your jake decoy and start strutting his stuff to show off. Well... since you placed your jake decoy facing towards you... the gobbler will now be facing away from you with his tail fan outstretched. This allows you a few brief moments to move your gun into position undetected while he can't see behind his fan. Can't tell you how many times this one little trick has helped bag the bird.