turkey hunting question
turkey hunting question
I hunt private property in sc I am the only person hunting this property. This year by the second week of the season alot less turkey were gobbling and when I got on one on the roost. I would call shortly before they would come off the roost. They would be gobbling while on roost but once I called to them they would not gobble again. I call really sparingly almost all the time. I as well manage the pressure on the land. It's about 1700ac and it's 4 different tracts. and try not to hunt each property more than once a week. I realize that turkey have hens but it got to be every hunt. I know our turkey no.'s are down compared to the last few years. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome. season's over now but why not be prepared far next year.
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Re: turkey hunting question
I am far from an expert, but with 1700 acres, maybe you should try running and gunning. Move for spot to spot, calling until you strike up a gobbler that wants to play. Sometimes you need to get aggressive with your calling, but that depends on the bird too.
You can also setup in known travel routes, strut zones or feeding locations, which takes scouting. Some guys say not to setup too close to the roost in the morning, but if you are willing to get there real early in the dark, no flashlight and extremely quite, if you can get within 50 yards of the roost tree (no calling), you could kill him as soon as he hits the ground. This only really works if you know exactly where he's roosted.
You can also setup in known travel routes, strut zones or feeding locations, which takes scouting. Some guys say not to setup too close to the roost in the morning, but if you are willing to get there real early in the dark, no flashlight and extremely quite, if you can get within 50 yards of the roost tree (no calling), you could kill him as soon as he hits the ground. This only really works if you know exactly where he's roosted.
Re: turkey hunting question
I do run and gun just on that section I plan to hunt that day. When on the roost I'm affraid they hear me slipping in the woods. I do have a tendency to get close. I can alot of times get within 75-100 yds with out bumping him. Once they come off the roost they have not gobbled much then just shut up. I know birds were there. I as well had 2 sections I took a turkey the 3rd and 5th day of the season. I'm pretty sure they were the bosses. I have not heard another turkey gobble since that day. There are a fair no. of hens on both places.
Re: turkey hunting question
I would say it's been the norm lately in several places as to what you are describing.
Re: turkey hunting question
alot of it is pasture. Do you think it is due to low turkey no.s They dont have to gobble due to a lot of hens and low competition. I live very close to a ton of public land some of which borders our property and I have a friend that hunts this property and there are a fair bit of it that has low pressure. He says the turkey are doing the same thing to him this year as well. He usually gets atleast a couple of turkey every year but 0 this year. Just trying to figure what is causing this.
Re: turkey hunting question
Call me next spring and I will come up and find out for you.
JD
JD
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Re: turkey hunting question
you are the new "hoe in town". when you call that is. That specific gobbler may not be interested in your calling, or he shuts up and tries to locate you visually before deciding on which way he wants to pitch down. Anytime you have a bird on the roost i always speak tree talk only. I wait till he flies down or when he gobbles on the ground before i bring up the volume.
I dont know how close to the roost you are. How far do you walk in from the vehicle? I dont know if you use a flash light. I dont know the set up of the land or roost set up for that matter. There are too many I dont knows to give you info about killing that rodent.
All I can say is that if you arent hearing birds yelping around him alot, you need to be more like them. Are you able to hunt in the afternoons? Later in the day birds get stupid!
Run and gun, pattern that gobbler. If he gives you a fit, try hunting him without calling at all. That idiot may just walk into your trap!
If its late in the season and he has no hens at all, try to yelp like a tom and see how he reacts. Are you using decoys?? I hope not, but to each his own. That bird just might want to drink some water or eat a few grasshoppers before coming to check you out. Remember, in the woods, a gobbler gobbles to let the hens know where he is. Getting him to come to you happens a lot, but in most cases its all about set up. Be where he wants to go and you will kill him!!
I dont know how close to the roost you are. How far do you walk in from the vehicle? I dont know if you use a flash light. I dont know the set up of the land or roost set up for that matter. There are too many I dont knows to give you info about killing that rodent.
All I can say is that if you arent hearing birds yelping around him alot, you need to be more like them. Are you able to hunt in the afternoons? Later in the day birds get stupid!
Run and gun, pattern that gobbler. If he gives you a fit, try hunting him without calling at all. That idiot may just walk into your trap!
If its late in the season and he has no hens at all, try to yelp like a tom and see how he reacts. Are you using decoys?? I hope not, but to each his own. That bird just might want to drink some water or eat a few grasshoppers before coming to check you out. Remember, in the woods, a gobbler gobbles to let the hens know where he is. Getting him to come to you happens a lot, but in most cases its all about set up. Be where he wants to go and you will kill him!!
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Re: turkey hunting question
Thats just turkeys being turkeys... Basically you got two options gain a deeper understanding of the turkeys there and their behavior or find a moron all alone..mccuha wrote:I hunt private property in sc I am the only person hunting this property. This year by the second week of the season alot less turkey were gobbling and when I got on one on the roost. I would call shortly before they would come off the roost. They would be gobbling while on roost but once I called to them they would not gobble again. I call really sparingly almost all the time. I as well manage the pressure on the land. It's about 1700ac and it's 4 different tracts. and try not to hunt each property more than once a week. I realize that turkey have hens but it got to be every hunt. I know our turkey no.'s are down compared to the last few years. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome. season's over now but why not be prepared far next year.
I would highly doubt from what you suggested you are putting much pressure on the birds unless you are walking in the wide open non stop.
As for you calling and them shutting up I highly doubt that you are the reason, unless your sounds are way off and than even doubt that.. Are you giving them a reason to gobble? Depending how far you are, a few whisper soft yelps or clucks and purrs given to a gobbler in the distance that is with hens is going to generate very little gobbling..
Re: turkey hunting question
I never park close to where i hunt. A lot of the time I just walk from my house to alot of my places. I never use a flashlight and always try to be as quiet as possible no matter when I'm hunting. I was wondering due to the low turkey no.'s this year could that be something to the problem/ I have been hunting turkey for a long time and have not experienced this as much as this season. I do hunt in the afternoon and have been successful doing so. I just like the morning hunt more. Has anyone else experienced this problem this season. Last weekend I went to a buddies property in an adjacent county. It has not been hunted all season and we had a turkey gobbling just like at my place and it did the same thing. gobbled till he came off roost and never gobbled again. We heard nor saw hens. We sat there for 20-30 then tried to re adjust and figure out where he went. and no luck. Don't get me wrong. I feel confident in my calling and how to set up on turkey. I got my limit of 5 the first 7 days of the season. I didn't have this problem early on but when the season was in the 2nd-4th week that's when it started. Iv"e been trying to help my nephew and a friend get a turkey and that's when they started acting like that.
Re: turkey hunting question
Just the way it is sometimes. If turkeys could smell us like a coyote and with their hearing and eyesight, nobody would be able to call one in.
I was not his father but he was my son,,MAK IV, 10-15-1993 - 4-22-2007
"Rest in Peace my Little Buddy"
"Rest in Peace my Little Buddy"
Re: turkey hunting question
May should wait a little longer on your set-up and listen for the spitting and drumming of a gobbler.Just because your not seeing or hearing hens doesnt mean they are not there.
You can "run and gun" yourself right out of a chance to kill a silent bird.Dont get me wrong running and gunning has its place,but a little patience might help also.
You can "run and gun" yourself right out of a chance to kill a silent bird.Dont get me wrong running and gunning has its place,but a little patience might help also.
Re: turkey hunting question
Your birds are just wising up to what is going on. You indicate you have killed five gobblers and have hunted the remaining birds regularly since. I am not at all surprised that the gobblers that are left are laying low. If you really want to see your nephew/friend kill a bird, I would suggest switching to ambush mode and/or the use of "visual" stimulus rather than calling.