turkey hunting?

Question

i have 1 hen deckoy and 1 box call a blind and a 20ga shotgun

i know i prob neeb more hens and how many is good?
and what kinda call shold i do if its only 1 hen deckoy?

i am hunting in ga to

any hints tips or tricks well be nice!

thanks,
rex

Answer 1

Your best bet is scouting. Get there early in the morning and find out where these birds are roosting. Get in place, follow their patterns and sign, and set up ahead of them. I've had Toms run each other over getting to me when I used the box call, and I've had them ignore me completely. Same with the hen decoys. Do your homework first, then worry about calling and decoys. I don't use a blind because I have enough timber to sneak around in, and l like the mobility factor.
Good luck!

Answer 2

So you have been and got the sickness. Cool. Be sure take atleast one hen decoy, two is better, and a jake. Set that jake decoy out there about 25 yards facing towards you with his back to where you think the turkeys will come from. Gobblers hate seeing a jake with hens and will come up on him to get his ***. Use a box call or a slate call they are easier to master and sound great, and practice. Just do a series of clucks. Listen to them when they are in the roost. Get the cadence and tone down. Try to sound like they do.

Have a great time, and good luck.

Answer 3

The blind is not really needed when shotgunning for turkeys. There will be at least one tree or bush that you can use for cover, its more natural. You can probably call in a turkey with the box call alone, been done many times. Learn to use a mouth call, once you get past the gag reflex and it stops tickling your tounge when you use it, you will be able to make most of the sounds of a wild turkey hen. Plus it is a hands free call. I dont use a decoy the first time I hunt a bird, try just the call, if he hangs up out of range then leaves, use the decoy next time to bring him into range. KNOW THE RANGE OF YOUR GUN !!!! You are trying to put as many pellets in the toms head and neck area as possable. Dont shoot if it is out of range, give him a few days and set up on him again. dont move when the birds head is visable to you, because you are visable to him then. Wild turkeys survive by their eyes and hearing, camo and quiet.

Answer 4

The only call I have ever used with success is the barrel of a broken ball point pen.

I do have chalk box calls, but they seem to chase the birds then to bring them in.

I have never used a decoy, but many people have had good results with them. Except a friend of mine...some rocket scientist thinking he was a hunter shot his Tom decoy. To hear my friend tell the story, you'll split your sides laughing.

Answer 5

Nothing will replace scouting as a priority, if you don’t know what the birds are doing in your area you will most likely spook them or not make contact at all.
Decoys are used all too often to try and position the Tom for the shot.
By placing them wrong you can end up making the Tom nerves,
It’s better to rely on experience and the basics, the less you have to set up the fewer mistakes you can make.
Experience comes in time, pay attention to how the birds move in and out of any given area.
They are a creature of habit, and don’t like to expose them selves to danger.
All the turkeys I’ve hunted don’t like too thick brush, and I have seen many hunters trying to call them in to such areas only to have them hang up and move no farther.
You need to relies 24/7 he is hunted by Bobcats and Coyotes and too thick of brush will only expose them to danger, and they wont come.
I have had people tell me they had their decoys hit my both Coyotes and Bobcats and never see or coax a turkey to their set ups, 90% of the time that happens when you are trying to hunting too thick of brush for any turkey to feel safe.
Remember the brush you see turkeys move through in winter time, you wont see them use in the summer or spring, their eyes and hearing is their major defense and once it greens up they cant see through it and will avoid it during this time of year.
I have never used decoys, and the blind does limit my visibility too much.
I use blinds only in all day foul weather conditions for deer and coyotes, other wise I rely on good 100% camouflage and no excess movement.
I use box and diaphragms in conjunction with each other, I start off with the box first and as they get closer I rely on the diaphragms to coax them to where I wont them.
Just like deer, turkeys have travel corridors the move freely in, you need to use that to your advantage.


That how I play the game.

D58

Answer 6

I don't turkey hunt, but my father has many times and is almost always successful.
He uses ablind and has a call that is a little mouthpiece he got at gander mountain (we got these up in wisconsin, I'm not sure if you got them in Georgia). He says this is the best because its "hands free" unlike those box like calls.
And duplex shotshells of #4 and #6 shot are awesome.

Answer 7

The stuff you have is fine.