Turkey hunting

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  • Mattroth54

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Mar 23, 2013
    370
    18
    I just got into this about 3 years ago and wish I’d started a long time ago. Really a lot of fun. Finally the planets lined up the day after Christmas last year and got my first one. I’ve already seen them strutting around last week. Hope the spring season isn’t too late! Can’t wait to get after them.
     

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    phylodog

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,754
    113
    Arcadia
    We finally secured a hunting spot in TN for this season and I'm beyond excited. Planning to hunt five days in TN (bag limit is four gobblers!) before stopping in KY for two days on the way home. I think I'm done wasting my vacation time hunting Indiana for spring turkey season, at least until IDNR hires a manager whose goal isn't the prevention of turkey deaths. I'll hunt the first weekend the season is open but it'll pretty much just be an excuse to get out of the city, odds of success are close to null if you actually want to call and have toms respond. You're seeing them strut already and we're five and a half weeks from the season opener.

    I do agree that it's one of the most fun activities one can engage in with clothes on! :)
     

    ghitch75

    livin' in the sticks
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    117   0   0
    Dec 21, 2009
    13,501
    83
    Greene County
    i have a few around here......friend of mine is bringing his nephew out for his first youth hunt....i'm sure they will get one....:)

    skEeQsz.jpg
     

    Mattroth54

    Sharpshooter
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    5   0   0
    Mar 23, 2013
    370
    18
    The lateness of the Indiana season almost leads me to believe I just have to get lucky and cross paths where they were walking anyway. I can usually get them to gobble back, but find them difficult to entice to come my direction later in the season. Case in point, youth weekend last year, within 60 seconds of making first call, a big Tom ran right at us. He gave us an education on what not to do and was rewarded with eating corn to this day.
     

    phylodog

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,754
    113
    Arcadia
    The lateness of the Indiana season almost leads me to believe I just have to get lucky and cross paths where they were walking anyway.

    That's pretty much it. My hunting partner killed one last year only because we saw him feeding on the edge of a field and were able to sneak up and ambush him. The challenge and enjoyment of hunting the spring season is in calling them, watching them strut and getting them to come to you. I don't hunt turkey in the fall because shooting one who happens to be walking by isn't the same, it's unfortunate that IDNR doesn't care to consider the hunters who comprise a significant portion of their budget.
     

    bocefus78

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    39   0   0
    Apr 9, 2014
    2,023
    63
    Hamilton Co.
    That's awesome phylo! Good luck.

    This will be year 2 of me not buying a tag. Ill spend the time working on the food plots and property instead of hunting.

    Hunting them like deer just plain sucks.
     

    Mattroth54

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    5   0   0
    Mar 23, 2013
    370
    18
    For what it’s worth, the bird I killed last winter came into my calls checking out a single hen decoy. It was a Jake that happened to be the biggest of a flock of about 20, mostly hens. The entire flock silently ambushed me, only responding with a couple yelps right before they all came into range at my decoy. Pretty cool, but nothing like what they should do this time of year.
     

    craigkim

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jun 6, 2013
    674
    28
    Fishers
    I am going to try Turkey hunting for the 1st time this year. Been hunting deer for many years, but not turkey. Pretty excited. Doing lots of reading about tips and beginner mistakes. I bought the Avian X Jake/Hen combo Cabelas has on sale right now, a ghillie suit, a Carlson's XR choke, and a turkey vest. I am going to use my my Benelli M4 rather than any of my other 12 gauges, Benelli M2, Mossberg 835, Browning Gold, Franchi O/U, etc, because of the aimpoint on top, which I am hoping will give me increased ability to dial the gun onto the pattern. Going to shoot Winchester Longbeard XR 5 shot 1.75oz in 3". I have a handful of nice old box calls and a slate call.

    So far it's a pretty interesting departure from deer in that you aren't worried about scent control, but you are worried about color, more worried about movement, and well...ticks.

    Wanted to start to pattern my gun, so I took it to point blank yesterday only to find out that they don't let you shoot shot from a shotgun on their range anymore. Makes sense, but no progress made.
     

    sugarcreekbrass

    Expert
    Industry Partner
    Rating - 100%
    26   0   0
    Mar 29, 2015
    938
    43
    West central
    I am going to try Turkey hunting for the 1st time this year. Been hunting deer for many years, but not turkey. Pretty excited. Doing lots of reading about tips and beginner mistakes. I bought the Avian X Jake/Hen combo Cabelas has on sale right now, a ghillie suit, a Carlson's XR choke, and a turkey vest. I am going to use my my Benelli M4 rather than any of my other 12 gauges, Benelli M2, Mossberg 835, Browning Gold, Franchi O/U, etc, because of the aimpoint on top, which I am hoping will give me increased ability to dial the gun onto the pattern. Going to shoot Winchester Longbeard XR 5 shot 1.75oz in 3". I have a handful of nice old box calls and a slate call.

    So far it's a pretty interesting departure from deer in that you aren't worried about scent control, but you are worried about color, more worried about movement, and well...ticks.

    Wanted to start to pattern my gun, so I took it to point blank yesterday only to find out that they don't let you shoot shot from a shotgun on their range anymore. Makes sense, but no progress made.

    I too got into turkey hunting later after years of deer hunting. I started with a slate and box call. I eventually started practicing with a mouth call. Now I primarily use mouth calls. Mouth calls are nice to use when birds get close and you cannot move.
     

    Bradsknives

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Mar 1, 2010
    4,280
    48
    Greenfield, IN.
    We finally secured a hunting spot in TN for this season and I'm beyond excited. Planning to hunt five days in TN (bag limit is four gobblers!) before stopping in KY for two days on the way home. I think I'm done wasting my vacation time hunting Indiana for spring turkey season, at least until IDNR hires a manager whose goal isn't the prevention of turkey deaths. I'll hunt the first weekend the season is open but it'll pretty much just be an excuse to get out of the city, odds of success are close to null if you actually want to call and have toms respond. You're seeing them strut already and we're five and a half weeks from the season opener.

    I do agree that it's one of the most fun activities one can engage in with clothes on! :)

    Even though both my hunting partner and I tagged out on opening morning last year here in Indiana, generally the Indiana season sucks due to the timing.

    This year we are heading out to western Oklahoma for a 3 day Rio Grande hunt...actually leaving on Indiana's opening day (Wednesday April 25). We will be back April 30th, and will probably hunt a few days here in Indiana even though it's hard to get excited about Indiana's turkey season. :)
     

    phylodog

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,754
    113
    Arcadia
    My wife and daughter are outside of Franklin TN staying at a cabin, my wife says they're gobbling and she's sent me pictures of a couple strutters. I wanna go NOW!!!!!!!!
     

    deer hunter

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Dec 5, 2008
    184
    18
    Phylodog, My brother lives in Portland, TN and wants me to go down and turkey hunt with him this spring. I looked on TN DNR website and it looks like I need to purchase a 7 day out of state licence. Is that correct? Seems kind of salty since I will only be there for the weekend.
     

    phylodog

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    59   0   0
    Mar 7, 2008
    18,754
    113
    Arcadia
    Phylodog, My brother lives in Portland, TN and wants me to go down and turkey hunt with him this spring. I looked on TN DNR website and it looks like I need to purchase a 7 day out of state licence. Is that correct? Seems kind of salty since I will only be there for the weekend.

    That is my understanding, $214.50 for a 7 day license. It's not cheap but only being able to hunt for two days makes it a bit worse. You can take 4 birds which is nice but only one per day. We're planning to hunt 5 days, if I can get at least 2 birds I'll consider it money well spent.
     

    Restroyer

    Expert
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    May 13, 2015
    1,187
    48
    SE Indiana
    Finally had these two Toms show up on my trail cameras. I have had 4 Jakes daily show up on my trail cameras and even raid my bird feeder almost daily. All of a sudden these 2 Toms show up on 3-27-18. They must have wandered the entire property because they showed up on all of our trail cameras. Hopefully they stick around for hunting season but with Indiana's being so late they might be done by then.

    Two Toms Showing Off.JPG Tom Showing off for a Hen.JPG
     

    Hookeye

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Dec 19, 2011
    15,039
    77
    armpit of the midwest
    Injured foot just before turkey season 2 yrs ago (torn tendon).
    Was iffy at 2nd season so babied it.
    Thought it was good to go this yr.
    Then popped a bone out Friday climbing on crap at work (over arched foot).
    Looks like I'm not going this yr.
    Might as well give this up LOL (3rd missed season looks like).

    While you guys are blasting birds and picking ticks off, I'll just be drinking beer.
     
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