Who's the turkey NOW?!?!

Bonejour

Bonejour

Rut - Me worry?
Jan 27, 2013
4,505
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I saw these tracks on the way out of my hunting area just now. They were fresh; in fact they were on top of some of my inbound tracks that I had made at dawn. Those are my fresh boot prints next to the turkey tracks; it took me a few steps to realize what I was looking at, and I doubled back to get the best shot of the turkey tracks.

Man, that's just some wrong sh!!
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From the pics it looks like one bird. You should be able to get a single bird to work to an assembly call if its still in the area. Next time get to a bush on high ground and try calling. If you locate the bird then carefully move to a spot where you can bring it in to a shooting lane. Good luck.
 
Thanks IM. I considered trying to track him down just for the challenge, but the tracks appeared just after I'd crossed into the rec area as I headed back to my car. Since I couldn't shoot him, I figured I'd let him take this round. I'll be back next weekend and have a go at him.

I started out sitting today, then began still hunting when nothing showed after an hour. John had told me this would probably happen; that in the fall, you have to look for them because you can't call them in from a distance unlike the spring. Next time I'll start still-hunting as soon as I leave the rec area, and once I locate them (assuming I do) I'll do as you say.

8)



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Way to get out there Don! Your time is coming soon...
 
You absolutely can call them in the fall. But hen calls will bring hens and tom calls will bring toms. In the fall its a little different. The best thing for you to do when your not sure is when you here a bird mimic the birds sounds. toms yelp too but they yelp a little slower and raspier. if you have a gobble call that will often bring in group of toms. And be careful calling on public land, any call may bring in hunters.
 
Like he said above I've called in lots of hunters and will not use gobbles of any kind
 
Thanks guys. I will need to locate them first, and either I'll have to figure out how to stalk them or call them in for a shot. If I disperse them I can use an assembly call I guess. If there are other hunters around obviously that will affect my options.



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Bonejour

it's best to get there before daylight. sit and listen to the forest wakeup. the turkeys if around will do an assembly call. & will gobble.
best time to go in there. to find them. good luck

LBH2
 
Went up the hill this am to see if I might spot a turkey before the season ends. I got there before first light and started still-hunting as soon as I got within the legal boundary. Came upon this turkey highway, tracks prob 12 hours old. age6ytag.jpg
I followed till the tracks thinned out, figuring it had been their night roost area. I sat for awhile but heard only blackbirds and songbirds, so I walked the ridge for awhile, slowly encircling the area where I expected to find the turkeys. As I cleared a rise, I had a pretty good view of a good sized group but I thought the range was too great. Probably 60-70 yards I'd say, though I might have had a shot if I'm over-estimating. I followed, trying to cut them off without making too much noise, but lost their trail. Sat down in good cover to protect myself from getting shot, and tried calling. No good. I've read that Merriam's cover a lot of ground even when they are not in a rush. I still-hunted awhile longer, then packed it in. I'll return tomorrow. It was pretty up there this am in the snow.
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LP, thanks for all the help and encouragement. Ya, I was pretty close today. Still learning. I have to remember, as I scroll a rise, not to allow myself to be skylined by what's behind me. That group of turkeys saw me before I saw them, no doubt about it judging from their body language; staying just out of range. I was quiet and I was watching, but with there superior eyesight I need to look for cover as I approach a rise so I'm harder to detect.



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Thanks John. Went out again this am. The spot I chose was a good one: three deer walked within 40 yd of where I was standing, one within 20 yd, before they picked up my scent. All would have been easy shots. Only one saw me, but even she didn't figure it out. The one that came in to 20 yd jumped when she got the scent, stotted off about 100 ft, then circled upwind at a range of 40-50 yd, giving a clear broadside the whole time. I was just standing there in good cover.

As for the turkeys, saw them too and this time they didn't see me first. But the range was too great and I couldn't get them to come any closer w a call. The frozen snow was too loud to do much walking, otherwise I could have done more still hunting or stalked closer.

Well that does it for me. Guess I'll start scouting for next year.

8)



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