June 7, 2007

Successful Spring Turkey Hunt

Young Hunter Bags First Turkey!

Freddy Vorassi of upstate New York sent in these photos of his daughter, Victoria, with her spring turkey.
 

Victoria was hunting in Canadaigua, NY on 4/22/07 when this turkey walked in front of her.

Congratulations to Victoria!

And you can share your hunting successes with the rest of us. We love to receive your hunting photos and stories.

If you have a hunting story and photos of your hunt, and would like to share them with other members of the Free Deer Hunting Tips Community, send them to marty@free-deer-hunting-tips.com .

Good Luck and Great Hunting!

Marty Prokop

http://www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com

 

 

 

Posted by Marty Prokop | Questions and Comments (1)

March 23, 2007

Scout for Deer While Turkey Hunting

Hey Marty,

I am a southern WV native and would like to know, what is the best way to call in turkeys during spring gobbler season?

This season starts April 19th. The time limit is 30 min before sunrise to 1:00PM, so I really don't get the time I'd like to have to tag a bird.

The laws and regulations say electronic calls and baiting are illegal. I know where the turkeys’ dens are, but I cannot seem to call them in while I'm scouting. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Zachary

Zachary,

Thanks for your turkey hunting question.

Let me first start my reply by saying while I do focus on deer hunting, I have had a fair amount of success calling to and locating turkeys. I have a good wild turkey population on my deer hunting land. So I do practice calling.

I was once told by a wise old turkey hunter, “If turkeys could smell, no one would get them.”

Turkeys have extremely good eyesight, and their hearing is exceptional.

Having a turkey respond to your calling can help you pin point its location.

Early morning is a great time to begin your turkey calling efforts. Most turkeys will let out a morning call when they leave their morning roosts and flutter to the ground.

If you aren’t hearing their morning calls use a crow call, owl call or a coyote call. These mouth blown calls are considered “shock” calls and, in many cases, a turkey will gobble once they have heard any of the three.

Once you have located where the turkey is gobbling from, rethink your position. Are you close enough to the turkey to set up and be ready for a shot? If not, carefully move towards the turkey being sure the turkey will not see you. If you feel the turkey is close to your location, set up and begin a series of turkey calls that are not “shock” calls.

There are a few different turkey calls, which replicate actual turkey sounds, I use when out in the turkey hunting woods. These sounds include the turkey yelp, cluck, cackle, cut, purr and putt.

The Turkey Yelp

Once you have located the bird and he has gobbled back at you start your calling by yelping three to seven times. The number of yelps you use is not as important as the rhythm of the calling.

Whether using mouth blown diaphragm calls or friction-type calls, focus on rhythm more than worrying whether your calls are raspy or smooth.

A great way to learn the rhythm of real turkeys calling is to purchase a CD or cassette tape of actual turkey sounds. Listen to the recordings, and practice your calling technique. Remember, it is not just practice which makes perfect…it is perfect practice that makes perfect calling.

Turkey Clucking

Turkeys often make clucking sounds while feeding.

You can replicate the turkey cluck with most calling devices on the market today.

Again, go to your local sporting goods store and pick up a tape to learn the sound of turkey clucking so you can practice replicating.

Turkey Cackle

Some turkey hunters call the cackle the true turkey mating call.

The cackle is made by turkey hens as they leave their evening roosts and fly to the ground in the morning.

The call is similar to the turkey yelp. Here is the difference between the cackle and yelp. The turkey yelp starts more rapidly as the hen leaves the tree limb and heads to the forest floor.

Then the turkey yelp tapers off and slows down as the hen lands on the ground.

Words of warning, if you can’t cackle extremely well, don’t use this call. If your reproduction of the cackle sounds unnatural to the turkey, you will not pull them in. This call certainly requires perfect practice to get right.

Turkey Cutting

Cutting is a sound made by adult hens. It is a series of short, excited yelps.

Turkey Putting

The turkey putting sounds are made by both male and female turkeys. A short, loud series of putts is made by turkeys as an alarm sound. Soft putts, mixed with purrs, are sounds made by more relaxed and content turkeys.

Turkey Purr

The turkey purr is a soft call made by a hen turkey. Purring is a great sound to use to draw your tom turkey in the last few yards for a good clean shot.

Perfect Practice Makes Perfect Calling

The key to locating a big long beard turkey is getting him to answer your turkey call. Use a crow, owl or coyote call to entice turkeys to gobble back at you. As soon as the gobbler answers and you are set up in a good location, use the “non-shock” turkey calls listed above to help you bag your turkey.

Remember, perfect practice makes for perfect calling skills. Go to your local sports store and pick up a tape with actual turkey calling sounds. Listen to the turkey calls and practice replicating them.

With a little perfect practice you could call in your next big long beard turkey.

Good Luck and Great Hunting!

Marty Prokop
www.free-deer-hunting-tips.com

Posted by Marty Prokop | Questions and Comments (0)