First time turkey tips

[dpjones49]

Hi everyone,
This season will be my first season turkey hunting. I have been watching a ton of videos on YouTube explaining scouting, calling, and positioning. I will likely hunt the Redlands WMA near Lake Oconee. I was just wondering if anyone has any tips for that area. I feel like I have a decent idea of what to do, but as with all first hunts, I will learn through trial and error and don't expect to kill anything this season just get experience. I just wanted to post here and see if any seasoned hunters have some tips that may help me gain knowledge quicker than I would just by myself. Thanks!

 

[deast1988]

Redlands gets pounded, we open season before SC. So you’ll see a ton of SC tags on vehicles. Advice go with some one who knows how to hunt, and be a sponge. I’d say respect the spot, if you get beat to a gate go to a different area but those days are long gone you’ll come out to guys parking and walking in on you these days vs when folks would go to a different area.

DNR paid hunting public to push license sales to nonresidents, they tried CC a few years back won the gate. Came out to 5 trucks behind theirs, hunting public land that’s a general hunt is extremely hit or miss. But you’ll have plenty of company, you can watch 46ten on YouTube access Redlands by boat, hunting with an Indian creek guy. They tried to reap the turkey, failed the guy ended up shooting it 65/70yds away. Then they justified it by saying it was TSS #8s. Not even remotely how I picture a turkey hunt to go. They did it for instagram, so another tip don’t believe everything you see on YouTube. State of GA, paid THP $12,000-20,000 off the slush funds of upgraded license sales. So another tip, don’t upgrade to hard copies.

 

[sea trout]

Great advice so far.

A ton of videos on youtube on scouting, calling and positioning can give you an idea. Of those 3 I've finally learned over 30 years that positioning is the most important for me to seal the deal and kill the bird. You'll learn you can call a lonely gobbler up with "yelp yelp yelp" that sounds like anything remotely to a turkey sound, You're good position will help you kill that turkey. I don't hunt much public in the past 15 yrs, but my advice would be to find areas where nobody else wants to go to and find birds somewhere away from others.
Good luck and have fun!

 

[Ugahunter2013]

If you get a bird to answer you and you can tell he is working towards you. A lot of times scratching the leaves with your hand and light purring is all it will take to bring them in. Remember you only need to call enough to keep him interested. Overcalling will cause him to hang up. When I have one coming in, even if I can not see him,,,I go ahead and get my gun up on my knee and I will have my left hand to my side where he can not see it moving if I am scratching the leaves or the straw. I only do this if I know for sure which direction he is and I know he will not see me. If I get to working a gobbler who has a hen, I try to talk to her. You will hear people say this all the time, to call the hen to you and he will follow. That is true, but in my dealings with these situations you want to mimic her every sound, but do not be more aggressive than her, meaning do not call louder or harder. If she yelps and cuts, yelp and cut but do not be more aggressive than her or you may scare her away. You want to make her mad to come to you. I killed a bird like this last year. The hen walked right by me and the gobbler stopped about 30 yards out and I shot him.

 

[Yelpu1]

You’ve chosen an extremely challenging time to take up turkey hunting, especially on public land. Public land is pounded, especially the non quota WMA’s.

Your going to come up empty with WMA specific info, people are not going to share info.

You need a good hunting app for your phone ( HuntStand or onX). Start by drawing in WMA boundary, roads, firebreaks, wildlife openings, gates.

Hunt away from roads, the harder the area is to get to the better(is it we’re turkeys want to be).

Don’t call to a gobbler in the tree, making him gobble to much only attracts other hunters.

Forget a lot of the calling techniques that you watch on YouTube. Don’t call a lot or loud, turkeys hear well and know which tree your sitting by.

Good Luck ! ( you will need it)

 

[Nicodemus]

I call sparingly and not too loud. Yelps and clucks. When I know I`ve gotten his attention, I hush up and wait him out.

 

[WOODIE13]

Position and patience, a lot of gobblers fire back up @ 10 after then hens go to nest and a lot of hunters are out of the woods by 9.

 

[HogKillaDNR]

If you get a bird to answer you and you can tell he is working towards you. A lot of times scratching the leaves with your hand and light purring is all it will take to bring them in. Remember you only need to call enough to keep him interested. Overcalling will cause him to hang up. When I have one coming in, even if I can not see him,,,I go ahead and get my gun up on my knee and I will have my left hand to my side where he can not see it moving if I am scratching the leaves or the straw. I only do this if I know for sure which direction he is and I know he will not see me. If I get to working a gobbler who has a hen, I try to talk to her. You will hear people say this all the time, to call the hen to you and he will follow. That is true, but in my dealings with these situations you want to mimic her every sound, but do not be more aggressive than her, meaning do not call louder or harder. If she yelps and cuts, yelp and cut but do not be more aggressive than her or you may scare her away. You want to make her mad to come to you. I killed a bird like this last year. The hen walked right by me and the gobbler stopped about 30 yards out and I shot him.

That's some excellent advice right there. I'm going to do that this season.

 

[antharper]

Some of the best advice I could give you is to go as often as possible . Especially during the week

 

[ol bob]

Rule #1 hunt where there are turkeys. #2 don't call to much or too loud.

 

[buckpasser]

Not being funny or offensive, but my advice would be to plan for defeat and don’t let it get you down. The chances of taking up turkey hunting at this time on anywhere but gravy private land is going to be about as productive as Sasquatch hunting. I’d plan on a 3-5 year minimum of just learning and hoping to tag along with others before expecting a kill.

I don’t think you’ll regret it if you stay the course, but we are swamped with new people who believe themselves to be veterans right now and they are NOT low impact WMA hunters.

 

[Dupree]

#1 go as much as possible.
#2 sound like a turkey, not a turkey hunter.
#3 since you will be hunting public, don’t make him gobble more than necessary. Move his feet, not his beak.
#4 don’t tell anyone about the location of any turkeys you find. Nobody!
#5 be where he wants to go, not where you want him to.

Whole books have been written that don’t cover all you need to know. This will be my 25th season of killing turkeys, and I’m still learning.

Good luck.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

3 things kill birds
#1 Location
#2 Location
#3 Location
Roosting a bird the evening before is your best chance at getting into that location first thing under the cover of darkness before next light. Early season , there are no leaves to cover your movement getting close to a bird , so when it gets light……you’re pinned down when it comes to how close you can get to him, around 100 yards has worked for me, depending on terrain. You know how well you can see from a Treestand when the leaves are off ? He has 10X powered bino’s he’s looking thru. Get as close as you can, as quiet as you can, if your know how to tree Yelp, do it one tIme only. HE WILL HEAR YOU. Get quiet and wait, don’t fire him up, if you do, most nearby hunters will be on their way. When he hits the ground get on your gun and be still, a little leaf scratching may be needed…..but that’s usually all. Sounds simple, but the only thing predictable about a turkey is that they are unpredictable. The good news is the very first bird you kill is usually the easiest . That’s how you get hooked. After they leave the roost, it’s a little different game. Basic woodsmanship will carry you far, stay out of wide open areas and fields,you will get spotted, don’t call but 1/2 as much as you think and 1/2 as loud as you think.

I’m afraid the new dynamic of allowing electric bikes on WMA will change the game…..bird gobbles and it looks like a motor cross race. Used too you just had to out walk and out wait other hunters. Them bikes are gonna spook a lot of birds,When turkeys are talking it’s great stuff…..when their quiet it will teach a preacher to cuss. You best find someone who is successful to show you the ropes. Good luck this year.

 

[Beagler282]

Everybody is yelping on public land. Be different. Cluck and Purr along with scratching leaves with a stick for minimal movement always works best for me. PATIENCE. PATIENCE. PATIENCE. Lots of times they will investigate silently

 

[dpjones49]

Thank all yall so much everyone has very helpful advice and I really appreciate it

 

[antharper]

#1 go as much as possible.
#2 sound like a turkey, not a turkey hunter.
#3 since you will be hunting public, don’t make him gobble more than necessary. Move his feet, not his beak.
#4 don’t tell anyone about the location of any turkeys you find. Nobody!
#5 be where he wants to go, not where you want him to.

Whole books have been written that don’t cover all you need to know. This will be my 25th season of killing turkeys, and I’m still learning.

Good luck.

#4 may be the best advice you’ve gotten so far ! My dad taught me at a very young age , we ain’t heard nothing !

 

[buckpasser]

#4 may be the best advice you’ve gotten so far ! My dad taught me at a very young age , we ain’t heard nothing !

Not even me? Come on man! I’ll show you spots that were on fire at Chickasaw 15 years ago if you tell me about some current ones.

 

[Beagler282]

#4 may be the best advice you’ve gotten so far ! My dad taught me at a very young age , we ain’t heard nothing !

You sound like that guy from Quitman county

 

[Huntinfool]

Read the "so you want to be a turkey hunter" sticky thread at the top of the forum. That has most of what you need as a first time hunter.

 

[antharper]

You sound like that guy from Quitman county

He ain’t got any turkeys , I just haven’t heard one