Turkey Hunting

[beeaav]

Hello everybody,
I'm excited to put my first Turkey on the thanksgiving table this year (God willing) any tips on getting out there? I have a basic primos turkey shaker call, a 12 gauge, and camouflage because I hear turkeys see color. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[D16hunter]

Best advice I can say is it's been tough lately for the turkeys with the drought and all and also turkeys are pretty damn hard to kill in the fall. Put your time in and you'll have a shot at one maybe. You gotta go out in the spring if you want a good chance at one


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[invisible man]

Google fall turkey in southern ca. You should get plenty of info. Where are you planning on hunting this fall?

 

[beeaav]

Google fall turkey in southern ca. You should get plenty of info. Where are you planning on hunting this fall?

I live in Santee so I would checkout Cleveland National Forest first. I also here there are some in Ramona but I have never been out looking for them before

 

[ilovesprig]

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but our turkey population in San Diego Co. is way down.....I'm seeing very few birds even on the best of private properties.....In fact, the NWTF Fall Turkey Tune-Up has been canceled at Lake Sutherland......Hunts will resume next spring on a more limited basis.

If you would like to get more involved with turkeys & turkey hunting. The local chapter of NWTF has their meetings the 4th Tuesday of every month.....Look at the website (sandiegoturkey.com) for meeting locations or on here in the calendar or turkey section.

 

[SurfNHuntSD]

Steve,

To piggyback on his original question, are there any calling tips/strategies for fall birds? I usually skip the fall season but was just curious. I've heard of guys busting flocks and then calling back the isolated birds but I'm not sure how that all works out if it's not the usual springtime strut'n show. I think you or Gen may have posted something once before about it before but I forget.

 

[ilovesprig]

Jason,

Fall hunting is mostly spot & stock/ambush hunting.....Kee Kee runs can be used after a flock has been broke up.....But you need young birds for that....Like I've stated very few birds on public, if any.....These were on private today.....Appears to be 7 adult hens......No poults......

.

 

[SurfNHuntSD]

Thanks Steve, agreed on the population being real thin. I haven't seen birds in awhile at some usual spots. This crappy pic (sasquatch quality) from over a month ago is the last time I saw some. 3 hens with 1 older poult. Public land.

 

[ilovesprig]

At least, it was public...... 8)

 

[DEW_0341]

I know next to nothing about wild turkey's, but do you think that with the "el nino" winter coming in will that be detrimental or supportive to the growth of the turkey population in san diego?

 

[ilovesprig]

I know next to nothing about wild turkey's, but do you think that with the "el nino" winter coming in will that be detrimental or supportive to the growth of the turkey population in san diego?

I surely hope so......Dispersal of water is the key to dispersal of hens to nest.....Predators can't concentrate on any one water source.....When we planted the turkeys in 1993, it coincided with the big rains in March (Miracle/El Nino).....Some hens traveled up to 17 miles to nest from the 3 drop off sites.

The long drought, fall killing of hens, and the dying of black oak (mast) have IMO been the recent demise of our turkey population.

 

[DEW_0341]

I'm sure the lions going unchecked and coyotes aren't helping much

 

[Moe Terboat]

Went hunting last weekend in a new spot. Saw a group of 10-15 on public. They looked really healthy, some big toms. They are out there but hard to find. Find public land that ranchers let their cattle on. Look at the cow pies for them being flipped over.
If you find turkeys in the fall I wouldn't bother them with calls. Keep the spot secret and go back in the spring and locate them. Camp helps a lot but the key is keeping still.

 

[ilovesprig]

Cory,

Nice to hear you saw some on public......Saw about 30 today myself while deer hunting (private).....This flock historically has well over a 100+ birds for the winter flock up.


ps....Like most predators, lions are opportunists.....They will eat anything they can catch, but they want deer.....Coyotes eat poults, but that's about it.....The real killer of adult turkeys and poults are bobcats.

 

[DEW_0341]

what time of day is best to see/hunt turkeys?

 

[ilovesprig]

what time of day is best to see/hunt turkeys?

Most turkeys are killed just after flydown (sunrise) or mid morning (10:00 am) IMO.....This year we can hunt till 5:00 pm in the spring.

 

[Robert2102]

Has anyone ever heard of Turkey in the San Bernardino forest area? I brought my boy up here since we are new to So Cal but haven't seen a trace

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[ilovesprig]

Turkeys were transplanted in the San Berdoo Mts at about the same time San Diego got there's......At the time (1993), the snows were very bad up in the Big Bear area. The following year the same.....For the most part, they just couldn't escape the deep hard pack....Also, San Diego Co. had a no fall season. So the hens were able to establish themselves without being shot that 1st year.....The 1st spring here, even the big toms had their beards cut off. So, they would survive the 1st year as well.

To my knowledge, there are no longer turkeys in the San Berdoo/Big bear area.

 

[Robert2102]

That's a bummer to hear, but thanks for the reply!

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[Moe Terboat]

I would say most people kill birds right after fly down as well. However, my personal turkey kills are majority after noon. Most people leave the field at 9 or 10 right when the hens pull the move on the Tom's to leave them searching. Patience is the best hunting technique in my opinion.