Turkey Killing Tips

[Fletch]

Cogz, congrats on the bird.... Didn't read this whole thread or am I going to... But I'll tell you what I know....
First and foremost is WOODSMANSHIP....A guy that is woods wise will kill more gobblers than any champion callers...

Remember once a gobbler hears you, he has your location pinned... You now become the hunted... Remember less calling is better...


If he's with hens he usually will not leave them in search of one hen... He'll answer you but he's telling you to come to his party...

Try to know the woods your hunting as obstacles such as a single stran ot wire or a rock wall will hang that bird up that he will not cross... Therefore you can plan where to setup prior to working that bird...

Last but far from least is don't give up after a few hours of working a bird... He's with hens, period and is not comming, unless you get a hen to come in and he tags along... So leave and go for coffee then come back at 9 am or so... 9-12 are what I consider to be the best time to hunt... If I had to choose daybreak or the times I mentioned I'd take 9-12 every time... Why??? By mid-morning the hens want nothing to do with him... But he's still eager to play... So he's lonely and will now come looking for that lonely hen he heard earlier... BAD MOVE.... KA-BOOM... I've killed many birds during that time... One time I gave up on a bird and went home and cut the lawn... Went back at 11 am.. Bird dead at 11:15....

Hope some of that helps you...

 

[bowhunter1023]

Time to breathe some life back into this thing! The older I get, the more I enjoy spring and after this stretch of winter weather we are having, nothing pulls me out of cabin fever like turkey fever!

I watched this THP video the other day and Zach, per usual, finds a way to get it done. It's either this one, or one of the other 8 videos I watched the other day, but he talks about calling because the bird wants you to, not to make the bird gobble. To this day, the best piece of turkey hunting advice I've received in terms of tangible results, as been discussed here in previous posts and it comes from @Jackalope. In effect, his statement was to call when the bird wants you to and don't call "at" the bird in an effort to make him gobble. My last 3 birds were conversations that I struck up while locating a bird, then I'd play the silent game and wait them out (which is the hardest part for me). The next gobble had that feeling of "hey, where'd you go?", so I hit them back with some sweet talk and when that next gobble happens, go quiet again. I gave all 3 some light purrs on the slate in the closing seconds, but never raised "my voice" in those last 50-100 yards. I was (and still am) an impatient turkey hunter, but my calling has gotten way more laidback ever since Joe made that statement.

 

[bigten05]

im ready, im leaving for florida sunday for business meetings i told my boss next year its gonna have to be pushed back 2 weeks so i can turkey hunt when the meetings are over. im going to tennesse for a week in april and will try to hit a couple weekends on our lease in ky if i have time before our season opens.

 

[Big_Holla]

My dad and I learned the less is more after several years of struggling. We had early success and easy success at times calling like we were trying to win a turkey call championship but there were plenty of times we got frustrated. Learning how to slow it down and not sound like you are in a frenzy to mate is how you can entice that older smart gobbler at times. Acting as if you hear him but you are a little more content with hanging out here on this field picking away at bugs and stuff is what seems to bring them that little bit closer. Don't think calling always has to be a turkey sound, scratching leaves as a turkey would to find acorns and bugs can go a long long way. That said, I haven't turkey hunted in a long time but my dad would be out there every season when he was still able to. Perhaps this year might be a good time to hit the re-start on the Crowe family turkey hunts.

 

[jagermeister]

‘Not calling’ is the hardest thing in turkey hunting, at least for me. Everyone likes to hear themselves call and they live for the response from game. Duck and goose calling is no different. I think the skill in ‘not calling’ is all part of the maturation process of a hunter. And the sooner you can figure it out, the quicker you’ll start falling on success.

 

[Isaacorps]

Come on turkey season! I like to deer hunt but I love to turkey hunt. I suck at it but, man, what a good time . I’m still figuring out the “less is more” approach but it helped me seal the deal last year for sure

 

[Sgt Fury]

I’ve called in many Toms that were with hens...he’d gobble but wasn’t going to leave a flock of hens to search out a lone hen calling to him. What I do in this situation is to try and get into an “argument” with the boss hen. Just call loudly and excitedly until she answers...then imitate her calls while cutting her off and calling over top of her. She’ll get pissed off and come looking for you...bringing the tom in tow. It works for me more times than not.

 

[OO2]

I’m guilty of calling too much when I don’t go with @Boarhead

I have a hard time sitting still when I get one that is hung up. I have spooked 2 stupid birds that decided to come into my squawking on the same piece of public that ended up coming in as I was advancing on them. This probably stems from being cut in on in the past. I enjoy that run and g/fun hunting style

I appreciate you resurfacing the thread.

 

[aholdren]

It all boils down to I’ve got to find the right one that wants to play. Natural turkey behavior is for that hen to go him. Early vocal response will keep me in a spot, minimal response tends to make me venture. In the end the spring of the year brings warmer days and lots of new growth in the woods. Some of my best naps happen between 8 and 10 in the warm sunny mornings of late April and early May!

 

[Isaacorps]

I had to scratch the itch. Went back and picked up where I left off on THP turkey tour ‘19. Got all of ‘20 to watch too

 

[Bowkills]

Just watched the above episode of thp. I'd like to enjoy turkey hunting but I still have zero desire to partake. Ive called and killed a tom in full strut spittin doing the whole bit that gets you turkey killers fired up that should have got me whole throttle hooked. Turkeys are at the very bottom of my list of things to go after. I enjoy watching and hearing them while deer hunting and find them to be awsome creatures but that's it. If we could take one with the Regular liscence I'd go out a few times, but it's not worth 30 dollars to shoot one in my mind. Do I have to have a turkey tag to call for another hunter if I'm not carrying a gun?

 

[Geezer II]

I had this Amish guy stalk my turkey decoys at the edge of a cut corn field. He got to close so i yelled DECOYS and stepped out. He stopped and said " do day vork". I said they fooled you and he turned and walked away - BE SAFE OUT THERE

 

[bowhunter1023]

I don't believe you need a tag, but you must have a license, which you'd have for deer anyway. Worth a clarification call with your GW.

 

[Bowkills]

The way I read it to aid another hunter you must be carrying a hunting liscence and turkey permit to do so.

 

[Jackalope]

It's confusing.. The general rule has always been that you need a license but not a tag as long as you're not carrying a weapon.

The way it reads is you don't need a tag IF you have filled you turkey tag. Implying that you originally needed one.

And if you're a landowner who doesn't need a license or tag on your own land you WILL need one to hunt or assist on different land.

I'll need to go pull the ORC and read the actual law and not this pamphlet.

 

[Geezer II]

I have been checked by a wildlife officer 5 times - always where my truck is parked

 

[Jackalope]

Looking at the permit section of the ORC it states.

ORC 1501:31-15-10 ​

(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take a wild turkey during the spring wild turkey season without possessing a valid electronic or printed spring turkey permit.


So we need to look at the ORC definition of "Hunt" and "Take"

ORC 1531.01 ​

(G) "Take or taking" includes pursuing, shooting, hunting, killing, trapping, angling, fishing with a trotline, or netting any clam, mussel, crayfish, aquatic insect, fish, frog, turtle, wild bird, or wild quadruped, and any lesser act, such as wounding, or placing, setting, drawing, or using any other device for killing or capturing any wild animal, whether it results in killing or capturing the animal or not. "Take or taking" includes every attempt to kill or capture and every act of assistance to any other person in killing or capturing or attempting to kill or capture a wild animal.

So there you have it. You are required to have a tag if you're helping someone hunt turkeys even if you don't have a weapon because you're aiding in the taking of that animal.


Now this one if very interesting. This basically states that if you and your buddy are out hunting and he smokes a bird, the hunt is over until you purchase another tag. You cannot continue to sit in the blind with him while you try to get a double. The hunt is over as you could be cited for not having a valid tag and aiding him... And if you just want to let it lay until after the hunt you're in violation of the immediate tagging requirement.

ORC 1531.01 ​

(4) It shall be unlawful for any person, during the spring wild turkey season, to hunt or take wild turkey or aid another person in the hunting or taking of wild turkey, while having in their possession a hunting implement, while being solely in possession of a spring turkey permit for which a game check confirmation number has been issued or the date, time and county of kill have been written on the spring turkey permit.

 

[Bowkills]

Looking at the permit section of the ORC it states.

ORC 1501:31-15-10 ​

(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt or take a wild turkey during the spring wild turkey season without possessing a valid electronic or printed spring turkey permit.


So we need to look at the ORC definition of "Hunt" and "Take"

ORC 1531.01 ​

(G) "Take or taking" includes pursuing, shooting, hunting, killing, trapping, angling, fishing with a trotline, or netting any clam, mussel, crayfish, aquatic insect, fish, frog, turtle, wild bird, or wild quadruped, and any lesser act, such as wounding, or placing, setting, drawing, or using any other device for killing or capturing any wild animal, whether it results in killing or capturing the animal or not. "Take or taking" includes every attempt to kill or capture and every act of assistance to any other person in killing or capturing or attempting to kill or capture a wild animal.

So there you have it. You are required to have a tag if you're helping someone hunt turkeys even if you don't have a weapon because you're aiding in the taking of that animal.


Now this one if very interesting. This basically states that if you and your buddy are out hunting and he smokes a bird, the hunt is over until you purchase another tag. You cannot continue to sit in the blind with him while you try to get a double. The hunt is over as you could be cited for not having a valid tag and aiding him... And if you just want to let it lay until after the hunt you're in violation of the immediate tagging requirement.

ORC 1531.01 ​

(4) It shall be unlawful for any person, during the spring wild turkey season, to hunt or take wild turkey or aid another person in the hunting or taking of wild turkey, while having in their possession a hunting implement, while being solely in possession of a spring turkey permit for which a game check confirmation number has been issued or the date, time and county of kill have been written on the spring turkey permit.

Thanks for looking that up.

 

[Isaacorps]

Just one more instance where Kentucky’s laws make more sense

 

[Geezer II]

- toot uhm and choot uhm - wtf