This year I'm going to be hunting turkey on public land in Wisconsin for the first time, looking for any tips and pointers, thanks.
Scout, scout, scout and scout some more. Gotta figure out where the birds are and where they want to be.
Go with someone who knows what they are doing. I know it's fun to figure it all out by yourself but man can you learn a lot faster from a seasoned pro. In general I'd say don't over call. Master the slate call. A lot of guys I know can't do a mouth call very well (Im one of them) TV almost makes it seem like that's the best tool. It is a tool but you won't have a great sound your first year imo. Good luck and have fun. It's addicting! Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
Turkey hunting for the first time ever this year. Will be on private land with a crossbow. One access is off a dirt road. Been so wet that haven't been able to get to my game cam in 3 weeks. Finally got to it yesterday, about to step over a hog panel across an opening and spotted a turkey trotting away and into the trees. I froze. He circled, fanned out came charging right back up to with about 30 yds to a fence and behind a couple or big maples. Was fighting with a Jake with a hen on the other side of the fence. Then saw the head of the second Tom in the mix. Watched for 15 min, then slowly crossed the panel and worked my way along a fence away from them. They finally broke up and trotted off. First time seem that kind of action up that close. Now if they will come in that close during the season !
Scouting is a big part of it. Try to find where the birds roost and then see where they go. Follow them around best you can but stay as far away as possible. Anything walking around will really spook them if they see you and you're too close. If you think you blend in well at 100 yards think again. Their eye sight is phenomenal so if you can see them, I guarantee they can see you. If you see one lift it's head and make a putting sound, that's the stranger danger call. They know something is up and they are on high alert. Try to find some areas where they hang up and feed around a bit. Those will most likely be your best places to set up a blind. If you're gonna use a blind, set it up early. I set mine up at least 2 weeks before the season opens. It gives them a chance to get used to it for a while before you're sitting in it. I promise they will notice it and be reluctant to walk close to it for a little bit. A lot of people think turkey are just dumb birds but they've never hunted them. They deserve a lot more credit than people give them and are not as stupid as most people think. Decoys and calling can be huge if you know how to do it. This is my second year mouth calling and it's not very easy. It takes a lot of practice. Never tried a slate call but going to look into it for more versatility with sounds. Turkey hunting IMO takes as much preparation and effort as deer hunting and can be just as difficult. Good luck!
What county are you in I know some good public land in Richland Sent from my LG-UK495 using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
Thanks for all the info everyone! I definitely appreciate it! And huntem steady I'll be in Waukesha county.
