Turkeys

[MT_mulies]

Hey guys this is going to be my first year chasing gobblers in the hills. What type of calls do you like and why? Do you use a decoy? Any help will be great. I hear they are alot like hunting elk during the rut.

 

[ghost]

Turkeys are the stupidest animals until you are hunting them. How do they know?
There are a lot of calls in the market. I have used a slate/glass plates, box calls and diaphragms and I find that at one time or another I used them all. It just depends on what they want to hear. If you are bowhunting, the diaphragm has the obvious advantage.




I always use a decoy as it gives them something to focus on. If they are coming to a call they expect to see a turkey when they get there.


Depending where you are hunting and the amount of pressure they receive they could be very tough to hunt.




Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Bullhunter]

I have always carried multiple calls with me because you never know what they want to hear that day. Usually right at day break when its still a little dark ill get into my area and use an owl call to locate the Toms.  Then once i have located, i sneak in as close as i can get without getting spotted.  Set up my decoy and listen for them to fly from the roost.  I the proceed to do lite calls on my slate and if that dont work i kick up a notch with my box call until i get a response.  If i have no luck then i cruise the hills with my box call and call loudly until i get a respose and try to close the distance. 

This has been my tactic and has worked out well for me.  I have taken over thirty Toms in ten years and it has always worked for me.

 

[MT_mulies]

17 days till turkey season! Anyone else excited about that or just me? I'm going to try to get one with my shotgun and one with my bow.

 

[Jimbow65]

It is still another month here, I may try the bow this year, if anyone has experience bowhunting turkey, what broadhead setup do you use, do you use a stopper?

 

[MTbowhunter1984]

I'm in the same boat as ghost.  I use a slate, box, and diaphragm calls.  I use decoys as well usually a tom with hens or jake with hens have had luck with both.  I use the same broadhead I use for everything else, I like to keep my equipment the same all year round.  I have strictly went to bow hunting them and it's a blast the best place that I have found to shoot them with a bow is at the wing joint when broadside, right above the beard when facing straight on, and right up the middle of the back when facing away.  The head is your best target, but also the hardest to hit.  Most of my calling consists of yelping and cutting.  I do some purrs, puts, and clucks, but majority of the time stick to yelping and cutting.  When they get closer I always have to remind myself to stop calling and let the decoys do the work.