turkey hunting question for a newbie

[870 expressmag]

I have never hunted turkey before in my life....i just recently bought a house and barns on the property that we deer hunt.....during deer season and on my game cameras i have spotted lots of turkeys...i think 8-10 in the flock just on our property.....i am in southeast michigan and want to hunt the spring private land turkey hunt.....but i have no idea how!

[horseman308]

Start by finding any large trees that they roost in. Set up somewhere around 100-140 yards out from that tree before daybreak, and wait for them to fly down. After that the calling begins. Check out National Wild Turkey Federation's websit (www.nwtf.org) for info on calling and tons of other tips. I'm still really new, so I'm learning too, but I've learned a couple of things the hard way.

Turkey's are NOT color blind like deer: you have to be camoed from head to toe. They can see anything move.
They are really smart, so learning all the calls, what they mean, and when to use them is key.

I guess the best thing is to find someone in your area who can come out and hunt with you to show you the ropes.

Out of curiosity, where in MI are you. I live in Ypsilanti, and plan on trying to hunt out around the Chelsea area this spring (public land if I get drawn). Good luck!

[quickdtoo]

I'll offer you an alternative to working turkeys from the roost. My huntin partner and I have been turkey hunting for 11 yrs, have yet to hit the woods before 9am, we get a tom or 2 each, every year, MOST of the time, but not always, I prefer to wait for birds to start looking for loose hens (me!)later in the day, that usually happens after about 10am, of course here in Washington, we can hunt all day, so that may not work for ya in Michigan. Hunting on private land also makes a big difference. Every bird we've got has been between 10am and 3pm, and a good share of em were lonely toms that came in hot with no problems.

Tim

http://www.nwtf.org/hunting_tactics.html

[TribReady]

Since it's your land, learn it well so you can get into an ambush site well before light without a flashlight
I love to set up either in an open area or field near a roost area or just off the roost area but between where I think they'll go.
Like quickdtoo said, after 8-9am, start using his technique.  I've had some pretty good hunting around 11am in WI, alot of the hens are on nest and the toms are cruising again. 
Of the 2 scenarios, pre-dawn ambush with decoys and calling is my favorite.  You'll learn very fast, and if successful, you'll be hooked for life!! 

[quickdtoo]

Heh heh, I'll have to admit that cuz our huntin is the better part of 2hrs away from home, that has a lot to do with why we don't work birds early, my partner and I are gettin too old for that 3am stuff!!

Tim

[CDA]

I did take a gobbler this spring at 10:00. Early in the morning you have to compete with those devil hens , but hearing the old Toms gobble on the roost is something I will not miss, if I can help it.

[WeHuntTurkeys]

Greetings from a first timer poster.
To get the love sick spring gobblers, watch where they display in the fields towards evening, then watch where they walk into the woods, they'll be roosted within a few hundred yards. Get there the next morning before dawn. When they gobble, get in close quckly without being seen, about 75 to 100 yards away. Let them gobble 15 minutes, give them one cluck. After they fly down give them one more cluck and you'll soon have a gobller walking in looking for that hen he thought he heard, boom! No decoys necessary, or extensive calling required, it's pitifully easy to take advantage of them in the spring if you're in the right place at the right time. But if you'd like a real challenge and a bird that tastes good, get a pup and train it to hunt them in the fall. Then you have a year round way to enjoy turkey hunting. http://trkyhntr.home.att.net/

[SDS-GEN]

I'm no expert as I have only ever killed one turkey and never called it in but I'll put in my observations for what its worth.  I snuck up to and ambushed the turkey after spotting him and another tom in a field.  If you stay in the shadows and the turkeys are out in the bright sun you can get away with quite a bit of movement. I have crept up on a couple of other birds while it was very windy, again spot and stalk, just move slow and try to stay in the shadows.  I haven't had any luck calling birds and really just don't have that much time in the spring.  I did call some in during the fall once but missed with my bow.

[870 expressmag]

good tips guys...now gear...what sorta stuff do i need?

[WeHuntTurkeys]

NEF Pardner Single Shot 20 Ga. w/ Extra Turkey Screw In Choke only $175.
Camo not really required in the Spring for the love blind gobblers, but the new Full Body Hen Decoy Hunter Suit by Real Human Decoys might be fun to try Let us know how it works. http://trkyhntr.home.att.net/

[bbqsnbeer]

A Hen suit ?
Does that come with Kevlar underwear ?...
The easiest calls to get started  with are the push-button type , but the slate call is one that I can put a tom " over the edge" with and they're easy to learn and the type that I suggest to any new turkey hunter. The N W T F  site has all the turkey sounds to practice with .
Personally , I prefer to be camo'd and a 12ga. first thing in the morning . There's all kinds of new super-duper shotguns out there that have that extra reach but a good ol' 12ga will do the job fine at 25yds. I usually set my decoys out that far and have had toms strutt inbetween .

 Run 'n gun methods do work if you take care as the other poster mentioned .I've nailed a few toms that way . Get to know your turf and your flocks .

[TribReady]

I'd agree on the slate call, especially in a woods setting. I don't own a box call, but my brother likes it, especially when calling cold in open areas or "run and gun"
I like the push button type to just give a cluck or 2 when the tom is close and interested but just out of range. It seems to keep him in the area and interested until he works within range. Plus, there is so little movement, you can call when you wouldn't otherwise get away with it (all this assuming you're not using a diaphragm call)

[WeHuntTurkeys]

You don't need camo for spring turkeys, the guys in these 2 stories shot them dressed in Hawaiian shirts and wearing flip flop sandals:
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/114462873213970.xml&coll=7
And here's one from Sun, Apr. 09, 2006 LA PRYOR, TEXAS but the link is dead. Here's the fine points: "Keep in mind that we were scouting and nobody was decked out in camouflage. In fact, Rhodes and Grieves were in flip flops instead of hunting boots and everyone was wearing shorts...
Rhodes was wearing a yellow striped shirt best made for sipping a cocktail on the beach south of the United States... Borries drove 50 yards past the birds and hid the truck in the thicket. Rhodes, in flip flops and that bright yellow shirt, stepped out of the truck supporting a 10-gauge shot gun. Borries, reached in the side pocket of the truck and placed a mouth call in his shirt pocket...
Despite no camo - a no, no in turkey hunting - Borries laid out the game plan...
"I got him," Rhodes said as we walked down the road. "There were actually three of them. I guess there is no truth to not wearing loud colors and no boots."
If you'd like the whole story send me an email.
The best part of turkey hunting is everytime is different. About the time you think you got them figured out they'll never do the same thing again.
Seriously, get some camo, a single shot gun, a 'lil clucker box and go for it. The fun is in being there and trying it.

[cottonpicker]

i would recomend reading every article and watching every video you can.there will be lots of magazine articles available around spring to help ypu.remeber,in the spring,you are trying to reverse nature,cause in nature,the hen goes to the gobbler.