nbadger23

I drew my first turkey tag this year - in southern minnesota. I drew the May 12-18 week which is the second to last week of the hunt. From what I understand, this can be late in the mating cycle. I'm probably going to hunt two different areas - one with a shotgun and one with a bow.

I'm fairly familiar with the area that I will bowhunt as I've hunted deer on it for 3 years now. I've seen a lot of turkeys while deer hunting and last year seemed to even get a fairly good pattern of where they were roosting at night and the areas they would frequent when they came out of the trees.

Questions:
1)Would their fall patterns be similar to their spring patterns?
2)How do you "scout" turkeys?? Do you glass areas and try to find them roosting?
3)Do you setup near where they roost and try to bring them in with calls?
4)When using a bow, is it pretty much necessary to use a decoy to get the birds in close enough??

Thanks for the help

nubo

I've found in the past that the bird's pattern's aren't the same as they are in the fall ,but I'd not use any of your favourite call's for the spring ,you don't want to educate the bird's. I use a Crow call just to get response's then I'll put it away ,once you find out where the bird's are located ,you'll know where tofind them the next day ,they don't seem to move a heck of a lot in the spring other than from oneside of the bush to the other .I'll use a differnt call such as the peacock or owl hooter for when hunting season begin's.
Your best bet is to be in the wood's the evening before you hunt,to find where the bird's are roosting ,they'll let you know as they make lot's of noise just as they fly into the roost ,this way when you go into the wood's the next morning you'll know exactly where to set up .Glassing area's that frequent bird's work's well to.
Decoy's in the spring work awsome with your turkey call's such as a yelper ,but sometime's the decoy's will spook the bird's as well ,so you'll just have to try it to see what kind of reaction you get ,if the bird see's your decoy and go's the other direction ,he may get a little intimidated . A hen usually work's well in most case's ,you may even want to stick a jake decoy out as well to bring in that big ole Tom. Just experiment on which work's best in your area.
The best thing you can use while bowhunting turkey's is a ground blind ,ithide's all your movement while drawing ,those bird's see every little thing .
One thing I've found during late season ,is that using a hen decoy only work's best late season.

1] Scout the evening before
2] Use a different locator call while scouting [do not educate bird's with call's you want to use for hunting]
3]use different decoy setup's [Jake and Hen][hen] or ]none at all].
4] Use a ground blind while bowhunting

Good luck and let us know how you make out

nubo

D Man 1

Nubo,
Great reponce. I am also going turkey hunting this year for the first time. My brother in-law is going to call one in for me (I hope). He has been turkey hunting for years. We scouted an area out he hunts every year and they are there so we will see how we do. Good luck nbadger23, hope you get a big one!!
Thanks,
D

nbadger23

Nubo,
Thanks for the information - it's very helpful. I have no knowledge about using calls at this point. I was going to do some research online and talk to a few folks I work with that have hunted before. It's going to be a lot of trial and erro this year, but I will be able to have an experienced turkey hunter with me for part of it which should be helpful. I'll just be glad to be out in the woods with my bow for a while.

I was actually thinking about scouting more in the morning rather than at night.. the reason I say this is because when I was bowhunting last fall, I would always seen the turkeys leave the roost in the morning, but never see them go into the trees at night. I usually stayed until dark and I was at the same stand location so I don't know why that was??

nubo

The bird's don't necassarilly roost in the same tree's at night ,they may move around abit . When you can find the bird's at night ,you'll know where they are for morning ,since they stay put at night ,that's why I say it's best to find them in the evening . But you can have great successin the morning as well ,just use a locator call such as a crow ,peakockor an owl hooter ,this should get you a response if the bird's are there ,if you don't get a response after trying a few call's move to another location and try again ,be sure to be loud with your locator call ,once you get a response ,then pin down their location and move toward's it ,but don't get too close ,because these bird's can bust the slightest movement .After you've decided to setup your blind use your yelper call ,and this should get thing's going .TYhe Tom will get louder and louder as he get's closer ,I only respond to them every other call till they get close ,then I go quiet ,so they don't locate me ,just as soon as they see your decoy ,hopefully they come waltzing right in . I wish you all kind's of luck ,Our season doesn't start till April 24th ,but I'm out looking now on some of my favourite spot's ,since we still have ton';s of snow theyre's not a whole lot of movement ,but the bird's have been around . I can't wait till then.

nubo

saltflat

Take a look at www.nwtf.com they have actual recordings of turkey sounds, what they mean and when they make that sound. Check it out and get your slate or box call out and try to imitate what you hear.