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Tom, I'm not from your area but I'll try to give you some tips
that should work there. As far as sightings go, review some of
the earlier notes on turkeys, they were from the east coast
area. I hunt turkeys in Missouri and Colorado, mostly Missouri.
The eastern turkey is not the range roaming type, as the Colorado
bird is. So if you find them some where once, chances are very
good you'll find them there again, unless the habitat is destroyed.
They like wooded hollows near water. Food ranges from acorns, grain,
tender green plants, and insects. Things to look for are large
areas of leaves scratched up, tracks around water holes or streams,
and roosting trees. Roosting trees will generally be large dead
ones with large vertical limbs growing on the side of a ridge in a
spot that would allow them to exit and fly a long ways unobstructed
in the event they need to exit the area quickly. Look under this
type of tree for their droppings and feathers.
Once you find an area where they live you'll need to get out there
an hour before light and listen for gobblers. They love to talk
in the mornings. They'll answer crows, owls, and each other. Now
you can better locate the roost the gobblers are using, but don't
try to get too close until after they leave it and go feed. Then
locate a place you can setup at to hunt. Position either level
on the ridge or down hill from the roosting tree. Find a spot you
can see clearly across for 30 - 50 yards some where you can walk
to in the dark without disturbing the roost. Setup at max 100
yards from the roost.
Ok, we know where he lives now. Lets get prepared for opening
day. Camo, camo, camo everything, gun, face, head, and body. Nothing
shinny exposed. Practice every day with your caller. I use several,
one slate type and a couple different pitched mouth callers. DO NOT
use a gobbler call, gobblers don't come to them, other hunters do.
Call lightly and space the calls, answer the tom. On birds that want
to hold back I'll use a couple of callers, different pitch, he thinks
more hens, brings them running. As soon as you can see or hear him
walking up, on leaves turkeys sound like a man walking along, quit
calling and get your gun up and wait for a clear shot. The fact that
they sound like a man walking along makes it important to make sure
of your target. Shot for the head, a body shot will only pepper
him and he'll run off and die of lead posioning. When he's down
wait for him to stop jerking and flopping, he'll tear the hell out
of you with his claws and spurs, put your foot on his head till he
dies.
Other tips:
Use 3" #6 or #4 shot magnums.
Pattern the shot, sent your FAX number and I'll FAX you a target.
Camo tape the gun.
Birds that won't come in, a couple of things could be going on.
Could be with other hens, be patient. He keeps answering your
call but won't come, start backing away and call every 20 feet
or so, this has worked for me. He expects the hen to come to
him, if he thinks she's leaving, he'll come. When you hear him
moving to you get setup again.
Another trick that got me a record bird several years ago: I
had a tom that wouldn't come in, had another guy 100 yards
behind me hunting that was using the gobbler box for a call.
When he shook the gobbler box I answered his call. This POed
the real turkey and he came running thinking he was going to
miss out on this hen. Hit him at about 10 yards as he running
at me.
Yet another, I already mentioned was using several different
callers. Make them sound like several excited hens. This has
brought one running too. There is only one thing on that toms
mind this time of year, and its now or wait till next year.
If you have one talking and coming in then suddenly gets quiet,
quit calling, keep your eyes pealed, and be ready. He knows
where you (the hen) are, but cann't see the hen, she should be
coming to him. He will be sneaking around looking for her, so
he could show up anywhere. Don't get up and leave you'll just
flush him or send him running. Wait quite awhile before you
give up on him.
I hope this helps, there's only a couple of things more exciting
than calling up a gobbler. Once you call one up and bag him
you'll be hooked. Be careful and good luck.
Gordon
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Tom: alot of good stuff in .1 if you read my hunting story in
108 you'll notic I used hen yelps to locate a bird, If you decide
to try this then you MUST follow this--
Befor you yelp you must have all your camo on, you must pick
out a set up location for each point of the compass BEFORE you yelp!!
failure to do this could lead to a lost bird.
You see using a owl, crow or hawk call the gobbler will only
sound off, but with a hot "Tom" if by chance you are close to him
when you yelp he may come running and catch you in the open.
The bird in my story only took a minute to be within range to
where "he" could see or hear me. I had a place picked out and was
in set-up position within 10 seconds after my second locator yelp
series and he Gobbled back, this time within 200 yards. That left
about 50 seconds before he could have sensed me and turned away.
Hen yelps, clucks, cuttin are great locator calls but be ready
and you don't get cought in the open.
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