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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2022 17:23:23 GMT -5
I live in East Central Indiana and needless to say our turkey population is abysmal, for this reason I've never hunted turkey.
I'm giving it a go this year.
Does anyone have some advice for a first timer?
Gear? Strategy? Location? Time of day/season? I'm not picky I'll take any advice.
Thanks in advance!
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Post by freedomhunter on Feb 6, 2022 18:59:23 GMT -5
Find someone experienced to hunt with and show you the ropes. I know easier said than done but it accelerates the curve.
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Post by genesis273 on Feb 6, 2022 19:12:33 GMT -5
For starters, after 15 years, I am still learning. I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination.
Do some preseason scouting. Look for tracks, dusting spots and of course, birds. If you have a few trail cams to put up on your discoveries, even better.
Find a few spots to set up and make some good shooting lanes but, leave yourself some cover. Having spots picked out and ready to go will help you if you decide you need to move your setup.
Gear is one 100% personal preference. It can get expensive fast. I'd start with a pot call and/or box call. They're more user friendly than mouth calls. But, if you continue to hunt turkeys I'd recommend mouth calls in the future. Lots of practice of course. Locator calls are nice (I use them mid day when I lose track of my birds)
You don't need a vest but, they do come in handy. A comfortable, low profile chair or cushion is nice for longer sits.
Decent camo is a must. By decei, I don't necessarily mean expensive. They have exceptional eye sight. Keep your movement to a minimum. (This is where a mouth call comes in handy on closer birds).
Rain gear or a blind is nice too. Blinds can be set up the day you hunt. Doesn't seem to bother them at all. You get away with a little more movement but, don't get to cocky or they'll bust you fast.
Firearms and ammo have came along way just in my short turkey career. TSS ammo is ridiculously expensive. But, people swear by them. I prefer Winchester long beard xr's for my ammo. They hold a good pattern out to 50 yards or so. My personal longest bird harvest was 61 yards. (Conditions were perfect and I had shot several targets out to 70 yards). And don't forget, archery is allowed so you can take you bow/crossbow too.
As for decoys, almost anyone on here that's hunted with them will tell you that there's a love hate relationship there. Sometimes they spook birds, other times they bring them right in. I have both. I'd get a Jake, a hen or two (feeder and breeder) and a strutting tom. All 4 may work or, you might have to come up with your own preferred combo. Use caution when using decoys. Especially if there's other hunters on or near your property. You'd be surprised how many people get shot each year due to carelessness of others. That goes for toting your bird out too.
Turkeys have their own personalities. One might like gobbling a lot whereas another won't say a word. Some run right in while others hangup for an hour or so. Once you're out there with them, you'll see their personalities unfold.
I like to get out there at day light or sunset a few days ahead of season and listen for gobbles so I can hear where they're roosting. I still usually start in the center of my property and adjust my position as needed. I like to run-n-gun rather than sit and wait. However, since I broke my leg this past fall, the run-n-gun days maybe over.
Most importantly, enjoy yourself! They will frustrate the heck out of you but, once you connect or have that first "conversation" with a tom, you'll be hooked!
This has merely scratched the surface. Just a small fraction of what there is to know about turkey hunting.
I started on my own, no friends with experience to teach me. Just my field and stream and outdoor life magazines. Very few birds on my property then as well. Now, I take several friends out each year and I don't get nervous if my neighbors kill first. I know there's plenty out there.
Best wishes. I'm sure you'll get a lot of good/bad/and contradictory information. At the end of the day, you'll be able to take all that info and pick and choose what works for YOU and YOUR property.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2022 19:12:57 GMT -5
Find someone experienced to hunt with and show you the ropes. I know easier said than done but it accelerates the curve. Much easier said than done lol I know 0 turkey hunters lol
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Post by greghopper on Feb 6, 2022 19:23:46 GMT -5
I would try a guided hunt being you don't know anyone that hunts Turkeys...goggle "Indiana guided turkey hunts"
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Post by genesis273 on Feb 6, 2022 19:33:08 GMT -5
I would try a guided hunt being you don't know anyone that hunts Turkeys...goggle "Indiana guided turkey hunts" Or maybe link up with someone on here that's close by that's willing to show you the ropes?
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Post by drfleck on Feb 6, 2022 19:40:28 GMT -5
I would go out a few mornings and listen for gobbles in the weeks or days leading up to opening day. Determine if there are turkeys roosting in a consistent location. After fly down time I would glass fields. Figure out where they roost and where they want to be during the day.
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Post by sculver7 on Feb 6, 2022 20:12:06 GMT -5
Start scouting now. Drive backroads looking for mature timber stands. Even small, overlooked pieces can be stacked with birds. I just found a roost last week with 50 birds in a 3 acre piece of timber surrounded by fields. If you can’t locate huntable birds, then no other piece of advice will help you. If you find huntable birds, then get online and watch turkey hunts to see tips and tactics that successful hunters use.
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Post by deadeer on Feb 6, 2022 20:51:14 GMT -5
Yeah first and foremost, you have to have birds in your area!
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Post by blackmouthcur on Feb 6, 2022 21:41:54 GMT -5
Ya mean those ugly things? They like to roost high up in my trees and usually I just see them skirting the wood line. I don’t see a lot of them like I used too before the coyotes moved in, used to see 30 of them coming through the Yard eating grasshoppers.
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Post by span870 on Feb 7, 2022 7:04:31 GMT -5
Find someone experienced to hunt with and show you the ropes. I know easier said than done but it accelerates the curve. Much easier said than done lol I know 0 turkey hunters lol You ABSOLUTELY do. Are you able to hunt Monday through Thursday and able to come south to Lawrence and Orange county? If you don't mind walking and hunting public land, I can't guarantee you'll kill a bird but I guarantee you that you'll hear some good gobbling and get close enough to get your heart pounding and barrel shaking.
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Post by genesis273 on Feb 7, 2022 7:27:46 GMT -5
Much easier said than done lol I know 0 turkey hunters lol You ABSOLUTELY do. Are you able to hunt Monday through Thursday and able to come south to Lawrence and Orange county? If you don't mind walking and hunting public land, I can't guarantee you'll kill a bird but I guarantee you that you'll hear some good gobbling and get close enough to get your heart pounding and barrel shaking. Ya see?! And he probably won't even charge you a guiding fee!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2022 8:36:10 GMT -5
Much easier said than done lol I know 0 turkey hunters lol You ABSOLUTELY do. Are you able to hunt Monday through Thursday and able to come south to Lawrence and Orange county? If you don't mind walking and hunting public land, I can't guarantee you'll kill a bird but I guarantee you that you'll hear some good gobbling and get close enough to get your heart pounding and barrel shaking. I really appreciate that! Unfortunately that far away on a weekday would be tough for me. I'm up in Delaware County. But I really do appreciate your willingness to help. If things change I'll reach out.
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Post by span870 on Feb 7, 2022 8:42:37 GMT -5
You ABSOLUTELY do. Are you able to hunt Monday through Thursday and able to come south to Lawrence and Orange county? If you don't mind walking and hunting public land, I can't guarantee you'll kill a bird but I guarantee you that you'll hear some good gobbling and get close enough to get your heart pounding and barrel shaking. I really appreciate that! Unfortunately that far away on a weekday would be tough for me. I'm up in Delaware County. But I really do appreciate your willingness to help. If things change I'll reach out. Find some birds up there and I'll even travel. I used to live on the madison/Henry County line. They are rare as, well turkey in the north central counties, but they are there. If you find some and need a gunless caller, I'll come on up.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2022 10:22:21 GMT -5
I really appreciate that! Unfortunately that far away on a weekday would be tough for me. I'm up in Delaware County. But I really do appreciate your willingness to help. If things change I'll reach out. Find some birds up there and I'll even travel. I used to live on the madison/Henry County line. They are rare as, well turkey in the north central counties, but they are there. If you find some and need a gunless caller, I'll come on up. I might just take you up on that! Thank you!
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Post by tjshunter13 on Feb 19, 2022 13:20:37 GMT -5
I’m from Delaware County as well. I hunt a good amount of private land in south eastern Indiana and I also hunt a lot of public land all over the state. Birds aren’t abundant throughout the state, but there’s good numbers to be found if you scout and do some research. There’s several good WMA’s up north that I like to hunt and there’s also some good public areas down south that hold birds as well. There’s also a few turkeys on the WMA just to the East of us in Henry, but it’s very competitive and fairly pressured.
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Post by mstr2175 on Feb 20, 2022 9:18:19 GMT -5
It’s a little bit of a drive depending on where you live in the county but, my friend had some luck at Brookville Lake in years past
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2022 21:40:55 GMT -5
It’s a little bit of a drive depending on where you live in the county but, my friend had some luck at Brookville Lake in years past My Uncle has a friend who swears by Brookeville but he said it's swarming with hunters.
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Post by tjshunter13 on Feb 24, 2022 23:22:59 GMT -5
It’s a little bit of a drive depending on where you live in the county but, my friend had some luck at Brookville Lake in years past My Uncle has a friend who swears by Brookeville but he said it's swarming with hunters. Brookville can be very hot and it can also be very cold. Birds do see a decent amount of pressure, but some spots are harder to get to and so you can get some good hunts if willing to work.
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