First Year Turkey Hunting Woes

[Strick9]

Kenny Morgan, Gene Nunnery, Tom Kelly. I have never found better advise.

[West Augusta]

It took me 5 years to connect with my first gobbler.  This was before YouTube and before I found turkey hunting forums. Plus I didn't know anybody that turkey hunted. I wasn't even sure if I was calling correctly.  I had to figure out a lot of things by myself.

[paturkeyhntr]

Perspective is the key...How many trips to the woods does it take to bag a turkey?  There is no answer to this....Maybe 1 trip or maybe several seasons.  That is the perspective you have to have, otherwise you will become frustrated and loose the joy of learning a new skill set.  Early on, take pride in the fact that you are becoming a better hunter each trip to the woods.  It isn't always easy to see that when you have been up at 3am for days in a row and still haven't had a gobbler even answer your call let alone come to you (talking from experience .    I started hunting turkeys 7 years ago (I was in my late forties).  Killed a bird the first year because a friend took me out and called in a bird.  Next year I killed one that I called in.  Same friend said, just don't think it is always this easy.  Well, for the next 3 1/2 seasons, I didn't kill a bird...didn't even have one close enough to raise my gun in hopes of a shot.  I was out at least 15 days each season.  Did I get frustrated, I sure did, but I didn't give up because I could see my improvement in calling, setup strategies and general hunting skill.  I used this as my motivation to keep going and it paid off last year.  I killed a jake the last week of the season.  This year I sat the 1st 4 days and heard 2 gobbles.  Talk about frustrating.  The 5th day, I called in 3 jakes and bagged one.  The 6th day I connected on a long beard.  Things finally came together, but not without a lot of hard work, a little luck, and patience.  Hang in there.  If you have a friend to go out with that helps.
Good luck the rest of the season!!!!

[sixbird]

Don't give up Brutha'! It's hard even on experienced hunters!
My suggestion is go to Youtube and tag up hen yelping. There are plenty of vids. of hens yelping, unaware of the camera. Mimic that cadence. Cadence is more important than anything regarding calling. Keep in mind that they can hear quiet sounds for quite a distance. Start out quiet. You can always increase the volume...
Calling is only part of it. Woodsmanship is the other. Stay quiet as possible going in and out. Stay longer than you think you should ( I can't tell you how many birds I've killed in the minutes before noon). Sometimes just being quiet and waiting to hear a gobble is productive. He's likely gobbling because he's looking and expecting a hen to answer. He may be more receptive in that situation.
Great advice above...If you can find an experienced turkey hunter to go with, it'll accelerate your learning curve.
It's an engaging adventure, this turkey hunting...I've been at it over 20 years and every morning I wake up and can't wait to get to the woods. My entire time is taken up planning/scheming/strategizing. What's this bird doing? What's he thinking? Where will he be? Is he easily riled? Is he a coy one? Why is he quiet today? I don't know the answers but that's what keeps it interesting...
Don't give up. That first bird is magic! Every one after is likewise...

[WV TURKEY THUG]

took me a couple years to call my first bird in a a double bearded jake i had two other people call longbeards in for me before that. it really helps if you know a good turkey hunter to go with a few times

[bowmike]

This was my 3rd year into turkey hunting. The more you get out after them the better you up your odds. Year one I shot a decent tom 8.125" beard, 3/4" spurs, 19.5#

I worked on my calling and read a lot of advice on this forum and another PA forum. I upgraded my shotgun into a turkey gun, stock, choke, scope, and kept at it with mouth challs.

Last year I was in between switching jobs so my days were a bit off. Only had one real opportunity at calling in a bird and hunted him hard for about an hour and a half. Had to circle out in front of him 3 times. He popped into my window at about 40 but like a goof I decided I wanted him to be closer so I could feel like I beat him. The next week my new work put me on a 7-330 schedule so I could not hunt at all in the am and Saturdays were like a zoo. Only had a few more opportunities as my weekend schedule got blown out.

Coming into my "Junior year" This year I dedicated a lot of time to turkey hunting. Practice with my mouth calls a lot, scouted in the am before the season. Not any calling, but just going out and listening. FIndind some roosts and setting up close by to hear what they sound like and such. My gun was already to go and just did a few pattern checks.

Opening day was a bust, but I kept at it. I went out every morning I could before work. A few of those were gobbleless mornings. Didn't strike a bird for the first few days.

Last Wednesday I got off the beaten path and put on a few miles that morning before work, I walked and called and such from 5:15-630 when I heard my first gobble an random gobble at 400 yards away. I trucked out to where I thought the birds would be and no one was there. Gave three yelps and had a gobble at about 80 yards. Set up checked the watch it was 6:45. Did some exited cutting and 4 came in. A jake tricked me and went in front of the longbeard behind a tree so I shot a jake. 4.875" beard

Very next morning up and at it again. Had an amazing hunt where I called in the gobblers hen he would come in. Ran to get a different set up. called in the hen and he still wouldn't come in. Finally I did a gobble with my mouth call to seal the deal. Shot him at around 40 yards, 9.25" beard, 3/4" spurs.

I put these stories in here to let you know it can all change in a second. Keep at it and you will become and addict like myself. My first year I probably sounded ridiculous to the birds, my shotgun was just a stock 870 express with a modified choke.

Flash forward to this year after I put in a lot of time practicing calling, reading advice on things to do on birds, had a shotgun fully capable of hammering any turkey in the woods, and really put time in to learn turkeys. I was tagged out not even a full week into the season.

The thing is you need to put your time in. Read a lot of the stories on here on how people become successful. Practice with your calling. I bought the Scott Ellis mouth call magic DVD and it helped me out a ton. You have to make time to get yourself in the woods. I know it is not always possible but if you can get out before work DO IT. You will get run down, tired, and down right zombified, but the rewards will show. You are doing fine for you first year. Grow from what you did this year. Learn the lay of the land you hunt and where turkey like to roost, and how the react after fly down.

I am no pro by any means, but I worked hard to get where I am today. Still a lot to learn, but I feel I have matured a lot as a turkey hunter. This site and its members are great.

[Kevin6Q]

Lots of great advice in these replies. Sometimes this sounds trite or an excuse but try to find joy and focus on the process of finding birds. Focusing in the kill is a fast road to extreme frustration. An encounter with a flock of hens can be extremely valuable just watching them move and hearing them communicate with each other. Also, don't watch TV hunting shows. They condense days worth of scouting and sitting into a 22 minute broadcast. There are time when a tom takes two hours to move 50 yards. The magic of editing makes the Triple X call and brand Y deke look magical.  It took me a few seasons going out almost every morning before work to realize turkey hunting is like real estate investing, location, location, location. Moving around too much is like playing a different lottery number each time you buy a ticket. I also learned how to let them walk away as I sit and watch them interact and where they go. Seeing birds 500 yards away across a field there is little chance of me endrunning them and having a good setup. I'll watch and see where they go and try to speculate where they came from. Now I have information as to where to set up. If I am wrong, I still learn and slowly close the gap. Being rash just spooks them and changes the habits they have established. Every encounter with any turkey has value in reaching the goal of filling a tag.

[alclark2]

It took me 3-4 years to get my first bird. Then the birds came much easier. There are many strategies to taking gobblers. Everyone has their own style. Keep after them! Dedicate time to practicing calling, scouting if possible, and most importantly... TIME TO HUNT! My wife is getting frustrated not getting a bird yet but she only hunts 2-3 days a year. If you every figure out these crazy birds let us know.

[Jmarp33]

Wow, I'm overwhelmed by the positive responses guys!  Thanks so much for advice and encouragement.   


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[LI Outdoorsman]

 
RUN!! while theres still time!!
Once you get these cagey bas#%@ds under skin its all over!!
Seriously..enjoy the ride
Good Luck
Rob

[RutnNStrutn]

Don't be upset. I didn't get a bird until my 3rd spring. I've read here about a lot of guys that it took even longer for. Keep on trying, learning and practicing. The more you learn about turkey behavior, the more you learn the land that you hunt, the more you pattern the turkeys, the more you practice your calls, etc., the better you'll get. Somewhere along the way, you'll be in the right place, at the right time, and make the right moves, and get your gobbler.

[Jmarp33]

Read thru several times and again I appreciate the time you guys took to share stories and advice.  Thankful i joined!!


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