Turkey Hunting
Mandatory Orange on Ground Blinds?
odis7326 from KentuckyHunting.net asks: deer hunting from blinds: would like some feed back on a idea i had the other day when i was thinking about how as a deer hunter there could be a safer way for hunters to hunt from a blind. i had a buddy that had his blind shot at while he was in his ground blind, lucky he dident get hurt, but was really shaken up by the whole experiance. also i wonder if maybe it wouldent be to bad of an idea to require a hunter that hunts from a ground blind to have … More . . .
Advice to a guy that’s new to calling
Remember that by most professionals’ estimates calling is only about 20% of the game when it comes to turkey hunting. Scouting is by far the most important part of the game. If the birds have a mind to fly down to one side of the roost and walk off and you’re on the other side that morning, no amount good calling will change that most days. Most days, a gobbler wants you to come to him, not the other way around. You’re trying to turn nature on its head a little by bringing the gobbler to you. Second: remember that … More . . .
Why don’t you use 3.5" shells?
I go with 3″ shells and here is why. Most of the time, you aren’t going to be shooting all that far, and the turkeys are not that hard to kill. When you get up into 3.5″ or 10 GA, you’re talking recoil levels like what you use on elephant. That is simply too much. Generally speaking, at least in these parts, there is so much cover in the woods after the first week of season that 20-30 yard shots are about it. Some dream of shooting out to 60. I dream of Seeing out to 60 yards. If you … More . . .
More thoughts on the Beginner’s Strategy
I had some more thoughts on this last night: Bum weather– the cold wave made the turkeys come to the protected narrow east-facing pastures to catch sun. I knew where they were going to be. Chest Pains– I had to be careful how I moved. That led to the following strategy: 1) Scout extensively. Roost your birds, etc. Get their movements down cold. 2) First light would find you well back from the roost, listening, but still in contact with the birds 3) Maintain contact with the turkeys. Listen to them fly down, etc. 4) Make a few calls early– … More . . .
A New Prescription for Beginner Success
I’m going to give you a piece of advice, based on your question about flashlights that may receive some HARRUMPHS! from the others, but I think it’s valid just the same. Last year was the first time I did not bother to hunt flydowns. I’ve been hunting flydowns for 25 years now. I’ve had rotten luck. Most years, I concentrated on flydowns and I was usually so dejected by 0800 that I felt like my day was over. This past year, I had two things happen. One was that the weather was unnaturally cold. The second was that I was … More . . .
Do Turkeys Mind Flashlights?
I would say that it’s a matter of how much flashlight and where and when. I’ve been as close as 80 yards to a gobbler and hens and not had an effect on him. I was hunting amid dense cedars and I was coming in at first light. I was also keeping my flashlight pointed at the ground. If I had done it much later, or if I’d flashed it their way or if I had been in more open woods, I’d probably spooked them. I can also tell you that probably everyone who comes here has spooked turkeys off … More . . .
Letter to Santa from a Turkey Hunter
Dear Santa: I’m writing late to you, but I have some ideas for turkey hunters for Christmas. See if you can cook them up: 1) A cheap pair of boots that are lightweight, warm and waterproof. Is it asking too much for a turkey hunter to have dry warm feet? Every pair of boots I get are either too hot, too cold, too heavy or they leak. If they don’t leak the day I get them, they’re leaking by the end of the first week. 2) A mouth call safe that hold onto calls that allows them to dry out … More . . .
How long do hunting clothes last?
I’ve got stuff still from 1982. My sons are wearing the stuff I started out with. You replace them when they stop doing the job. Some things I’ve learned over the years: 1) Rotate your clothes. To keep scent down, I always have one or more changes for the weekend and let one set out to air while I hunt with the other. It also doubles the life of your clothes. 2) Detergent kills. Sun kills. Driers kill Hot water kills. I switched to baking soda years ago and it does a passable job of cleaning as well as getting … More . . .
After-season update
Everything’s cool here. I have my food plots in. I hope the rain we had was enough to get them going. The new steering package arrived for my boat, The Floating Hole. We’ll probably have a shake down cruise on the Ohio River within the next few weeks. Mooseboy had his birthday in May. He was a little sad that he’d already gotten his big present (the turkey gun) . Then I sprung the Mossy 500 ML barrel on him, along with the mold for casting his own 50 Cal bullets. He’s happy again. Angus has probably forgotten it, but … More . . .
KY Gobbler Season is Over
Well, our season is over in KY. As usual, it ends with a wimper. It was warm and cloudless with a stiff east wind. Angus and I went out for one last try this morning. Nothing. We heard one far-off gobble around 8 AM that was definately off our property. We came in and grabbed the garden tractor. Angus rode in the dump trailer and we made the rounds, collecting up all of our blinds. On our way out, we rode past one of my wads, still laying in the middle of the track, with a few stray feathers pasted … More . . .
How do you take a turkey’s temperature?
From the Quaker Boy Forums [From cbbase34:] Hi there, you said something about Learn to take a turkey’s temperature, how do you do that? thank you Well you first have to get underneath the gobbler, this is usually done by first pushing his head down with your left hand and then bringing the tail up with the right. Put the neck firmly under your left boot. Use the pressure of your boot on his neck to encourage compliance. Now take the thermometer, well lubricated with Vaseline and place it. . . . . . by the way, watch out for … More . . .
Turkeys are pretty random
A perfect roosted gobbler tucked in the night before, just on the other side of a freshly tilled field. The rain had just left. A 3 decoy spread 10 yards out into the field. Worms slurping in the mud. One hour and fifteen minutes after our dance began, the game was up. Not one, but two gobblers had come up to the edge of the woods, never even gotten in sight of our well concealed blind and then turned around and trailed off the other way with the hens. The sense of utter defeat: priceless. We thought we were doing … More . . .
Turkey Hunting is a Lot Like Work
I realized this morning that turkey hunting and work are so similar as to be nearly interchangeable in my life. I get up early, trudge around in the cold, and then try to make myself comfortable while I sit on my rump and listen while those around me make obnoxious noises. Sometimes I make obnoxious noises back at them, but mostly I try to blend into the landscape and not upset anyone. I try to be seen and heard as little as possible. Most days, I knock off as early as I can and get home and do my chores … More . . .
Turkey Vocabulary
More from Quaker Boy Forums cbbase34: Hi there, I have a few questions to ask you. How do you understand the wild turkey vocabulary? Im buying some videos on how to use different type of calls now, but when im out turkey hunting the tom turkey hangs up or it gobbles, but it just dont come in. People are saying something about a wild turkey vocabulary, so can you please tell me anything about this stuff. Thank you so much Before attempting to talk turkey, it is probably best to listen to them. Get around a few flocks of hens … More . . .
Rainy Day Jake
0500 came and went. There were several small thunder bumpers coming up from Cynthiana. I had been watching them since the afternoon before—small and slow, but filled with lots of cloud-to-ground lightning. Something about walking around in one of those with what amounts to a large metal pole is not my idea of fun. Call me old fashioned. Yesterday I watched the first one of these come through. Just before it hit, I spied two jakes out in the back pasture, by the Jagende Hutte, strutting for the lone hen that likes to hang out by the far barn. They … More . . .
Gobbler at the Back Door
The bird’s in the freezer. The shotgun’s back up on the wall. There’s a stubborn gobbler out in the holler that won’t shut up. 2007 Gobbler season is looking good. It did not start that way. Opening weekend was abysmal. Saturday was constant rain from midnight to after sundown. Sunday was dark and blustery. After a miserable morning with the Moose, we came in early. Too cold. Too windy. The birds were lackadaisical. I did hear a few hearty gobbles off in the distance past our campground however, and that was where I thought I would start this morning. I … More . . .
On Shock Calls
(fromthe Quakerboy.com forums) Early in the morning at my place, I can usually rely on my owls to piss off the gobblers. The owl hoots, the gobbler responds, and I didn’t have to do squat. If you listen to what time that takes place, that’s a fair indication of when the gobblers are going to be open to shock calling with an owl call. You can cheat it a few minutes, but owling in pitch dark generally won’t get me anywhere. I also find that past sunrise, owling is useless. Ditto with crows, hawks, woodpeckers, etc. Later on in the … More . . .
What makes Turkeys Laugh?
I’ve made a study of all this for well over 20 years. The shaman’s list of things that will get the turkey’s laughing at you: 1) Fancy new calls 2) $5/round ammo 3) Fancy new matching camo 4) $140 knee-hi snake boots where there ain’t no snakes, especially if the pattern matches the pants and jacket. 5) 10 GA shotguns 6) 3.5″ shotgun shells 7) Turkey vests. Have you ever tried to get a turkey to wear one of them things? 8) Turkey seats. I tried for years to get a turkey to sit in one, but they laughed so … More . . .
Surrounded Angus Battles Gobblers to a Draw
I’ve got us another member of the brotherhood, gentlemen. He may be more worried about getting warm right now, but I think he’s hooked. I’ve included a picture from earlier in the year. I think the temperature was in the low seventies when it was taken. Believe me, he was buried under about 3 additional layers, and that smile was a cold grimace when our action ended this morning. We have an ideal place for ambushing turkeys about two-thirds of the way back to our family campground. It is a line of large oaks and cedars on the narrowest part … More . . .
From the Quaker Boy Forum
From the Quaker Boy Forum . . . but back to the original question: What’s in your vest? I’m ready to hunt Saturday with Angus, and what I’ve got in the bag is probably what I’m going to start with when my Opening Day starts on the next Saturday. Here’s what’s in it: Quaker Boy calls: My Grand Old Master box call Easy Yelper Carbon and Acrylic strikers from my Triple Threat scratch pot Homemade Calls Aluminum Scratch Pot with ash striker Slate over Glass Scratch Pot with purple heart striker Locator Calls Crow, Hawk (I do my own owling) … More . . .
What’s in your vest, shaman?
Folks over at www.kentuckyhunting.net were asking what was in your vest. First off, I don’t carry a vest anymore. I carry one of these: I ran into a couple selling these at the Outdoor Show in Cincinnati. I bought one and I have been using it now since 2003. I ordered two more this year for the kids. Go to http://www.wibags.com/ if you’re interested. They’re only $12. It has three pockets. In the largest, I carry my gloves and 1 or two box calls, and a push-pull. In the middle, I carry a flashlight and ammo. In the outer pocket, … More . . .
Congrats shaman…you now carry a camo purse.
This is from The Quaker Boy Forums: drum817 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Forest City, NC Posts: 21 Congrats shaman…you now carry a camo purse. just funnin’ : ) drum817 View Public Profile Send a private message to drum817 Send email to drum817 Find all posts by drum817 Add drum817 to Your Buddy List  03-25-2007, 09:04 AM shaman Member No, you’re right. It’s a turkey hunter’s manbag. I didn’t think I’d ever see myself doing it, but look at the alternatives left to men: The turkey hunter’s toolbox: I don’t think Kennedy or Sears will be manufacturing … More . . .
Went scouting and never left the bedroom
This morning was supposed to be a simple scouting trip, just Angus and I. I had packed some camo blinds, some string and some clothespins and figured we’d set three or four blinds up before we came in. Angus and I were a bit late getting out. Just as we were heading for the door, I caught sight of something in the field—a half-dozen hens and a gobbler. We stayed inside and we watched them come up to within a couple hundred yards of the house. I got out the binos and we opened the window—they were close enough that … More . . .
It outta be sure fire
For a number of years I was fortunate to count among my dearest friends a fellow by the name of Joe Taylor. Joe was a local folklorist down in McCreary County,KY and used to do a show on the radio as “Professor Nitwit.” The Nitwit segments were usually filled with Joe’s methods of ironclad hillbilly logic and how to apply them to everyday situations. A typical Nitwit solution to something like ice fishing would be to lower a burn barrel through the ice and when the fish came close to warm up, pull up the barrel. Among other things, Joe … More . . .
Turkey Scouting
Scouting for Spring Gobbler Season can be an arduous, thankless process of slogging through the cold woods looking for sign. Or then not. I have a system. I get up before sunrise and pour myself a cup of coffee and then step out onto the front porch. I owl a little in between sips, and if the gobblers over on the next ridge are ready, I get a gobble in return. Some years I get it on the second weekend in March. Sometimes I get it on the third. When I can get a gobbler to answer, I know season … More . . .
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