Turkey Hunting Tips for beginners

Hunting a that spring gobbler can be a very challenging, but rewarding experience. It can at times be much more challenging that deer hunter due to a number of factors. Turkeys can see extremely well. They can almost see 360 degrees almost. This means that hunting them can be very difficult as they will be alerted to hunters presence very easily. Safety is always an important concern for turkey hunting and avoid wearing red,white,blue, and black as these colors are on a turkey. Hunter safety courses will often stress the significance of this. Stalking is not always allowed in most states such as PA from where I live. Its simply to dangerous and can put other hunters at risk. It is not very productive anyway as calling is the main technique. Safety always comes first and after that is preparing for the hunt itself.

BASIC STUFF YOU WILL NEED

Obviously you will need a hunters license and have your tag with you at all times. You will need to dress very well to avoid a turkeys detection. All of your body should be covered very well in camouflage including your face. You can use face paint and mix colors to match the environment or you can use face masks. Their are various face masks out their to buy. Most of them should have three sockets. One for breathing and two for seeing out of. Others will be translucent and you can already see through it quite well. Calls are a must for turkey hunting as you will not be allowed to stalk most likely and its not practical anyway. Calls include box calls,mouth calls,slate calls, and numerous others. Mouth calls are not recommended for beginners though and need some practice. You will also need some hunting pants,shirts,light jacket, and a good pair of boots.

When it comes to florescent orange check your state laws and see how much you will need to wear. It will likely be required to wear an orange hat or sometimes nothing(Even if you are not required to wear anything you should still wear a hat for safety.

Picking a firearm is an important decision or if you decide to use a bow. A bow can be very difficult for beginners so a shotgun is best for novices. What type of shotgun do you prefer? What action do you like? What gauge is the best? These are some questions that may be asked.Single barrels are okay, but many times multiple shots are required. You may want to opt for a pump action or semi. Always check your state laws to see if your allowed to use semis or anything else you may question. The pump is probably the most popular to use. If you need to fire more than one shot you get a few more chances. Sometimes the shotgun shells bbs do not target the whole area of the head. Having more shots is useful. When it comes to gauge size a 20 or 12 gauge is sufficient. If your a young shooter a 20 might be better since its less recoil and may be lighter.

Now what about ammo? Ammo can be the deciding factor on how much you damage the turkey. Depending on what your shotgun is chambered for 3 inch and 3 1/2 mags are recommended. You will get more bbs and more power. #4 and 5 shot is a good medium for the size of bbs. You need enough bbs, but also need ones bigger enough to do some damage.

Lastly, is the barrel length. Sometimes you may need to shoot a turkey at 40 yards. This is most likely the farthest you will want to shoot. Any farther is out of range for a shotgun usually. The longer barrel you have the better chance you will get one at longer ranges. Your going to need enough power and be in range to shoot and get a clean kill. A clean kill and necessary shot placement is shooting a turkey in the head as the feathers are to strong for shotgun shot.

---THE SLATE CALL---

The slate call is great to use for turkey hunting cause you can imitate many sounds form turkeys. Some of these include chirping and yelping. The downside to it is that it will not work well in rain. You will find it nearly impossible to use if it gets wet at all. You will also have to use the pad to sand the slate every so often. The slate call imitates turkeys by holding the the striker like a pencil and having it held at an angle. You then can make sounds from rubbing it against the slate.

PROS-

-Are decently loud enough for longer distances.

-Easy to use

-Are usually pretty good quality sounds for yelps and such

CONS-

-You have to keep the slate sanded with the pad they come with

-Will not work right if wet(bad in rainy weather

-Are not hands free

---MOUTH CALLS---

Mouth calls are mainly for experts who can produce sounds of turkeys such as yelping and chirping easily. These take a lot of practice, but are not bad to practice with. If your a beginner though I would not use these in field and use an alternative call.

PROS-

-Can make good yelps and high cutting

-Are small and can carry many

CONS-

-Are hard to use

-Can be lost easily

---BOX CALLS---

Most are long, rectangular boxes are built from maple, walnut, poplar and other woods. Boxes and their handles are held together with a tuning screw on one end of the call. You chalk the handle and scrape it over the call's sounding lip or board to call the turkey.

PROS

-Easy to use

-Good quality most of the time and is quite loud producing sharp cutting and yelps

CONS

-Are bulky and can make noise when in your pocket

When you go turkey hunting you may also want to bring along some food and water. You will be out there a long time such as 6am-12pm. You will need to be properly  hydrated and such. An umbrella is good if you are walking back and it starts pouring down raining. Decoys are optional, but can put the odds in your favor. You can put them in your backpack for storage. Cell phones are handy just in case of emergency.

When hunting turkeys it is a good idea to scout the area before hand. This is important so you know ideas of where you are going position yourself. Knowing the lay of the land is half the battle. Just keep in mind that other people may be in the area so have more than on spot if it is taken. Try and get areas that cover a field and provide good cover for you to hide in. If you have decoys find a place where you can think you may want to lay them. Just be aware that other hunters may misidentify them as real. When you actually do set them up make sure there far away enough away from you. Also make sure you are allowed to hunt in the area in less its your private residence.

FINDING THE TURKEYS THE NIGHT BEFORE HAND (optional)

It is possible to go out in the evening beforehand and find where the turkeys roost at. Having turkey calls is great, but another useful thing to mention is crow calls. These can serve as location calls and may get a turkey to gobble. If you wish to do this go and periodically call the crow call every few minutes in different areas of where you will be hunting the next day. You may hit a hot spot and hear the direction of where they are roosting. Once you find the location remember it the next day and hunt that part of the area where the trees are. Just be careful not to get to close to roosting spots or you may scare them off. Shock gobbling is merely to find where the turkeys are located using the crow call. This is optional to find the turkeys before hand, but it may prove useful. The next day setup nearby and start calling.

PATIENCE IS KEY

Setting up is the most important part of turkey hunting, You must get out there before daylight and have a spot to set up. The most common method is to setup along the edges of fields. Another method is finding a place in the woods and where theirs an open spot. Patience is very important in turkey hunting and hunting in general. Do not call to often or you may not get the responses you want. Call every few minutes or sometimes longer. Listen very carefully for shock gobbles. Hearing is an important factor. Always remain still as if a turkey closes in you don't want it to see you.

USING DECOYS

If you plan on using decoys then you must place them very early and quickly. Usually the best setup is one gobbler, and two hens. Set them up about 20-30 yards from your position. Having decoys can make hunting turkeys in your favor.  You can trick them with the sound of calling with the sight of other turkeys as well. The reason why decoys are useful is because the turkeys will often want to fight the tom turkey to get the hens.

As always having decoys can make other hunters see them and think they are real. Just be careful and watch for other hunters and do not place the decoys less than 20 yards in front of you. Its a good idea to hang something florescent like a hat or jacket above near your position so other hunters know. Most will try and identify if decoys are real even though some people can be pretty dumb which can lead to accidents. Always be alert and careful.

1.Have full camouflage, but avoid red,white,blue, and black as this is on the turkey and you do not want to be unidentified by other possible hunters.

2.Use the calls you feel most comfortable with

3.Scout ahead of time

4.Be patient (REALLY IMPORTANT)

5.Bring a backpack along if possible for the decoys

6.Wait for turkeys to get in range at least 40 yards.

7.Do not call constantly, but periodically

8.Make sure you have a good position where you have a good view (fields, open wooded areas etc.)

9.Do not stalk only wait

10.Stay as still as you can as movement will startle turkey

11.Always be on the lookout for other hunters

12.If you are using decoys place them at least 20 yards away from you and set them up looking in different directions

13. If a turkey comes in, wait until the perfect shot and be as stealthy as possible

14.Aim for the head as the feathers are to strong unless your using a bow