TrkyJedi
Eight Pointer
1st strutter of the year for me. Saw a puffy one with 2 buddies and 14 girlfriends Saturday, 01/04 in Florence County SC. He was giving it all he had.
Strutter Spotted
- Thread starter TrkyJedi
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KrisB
Ten Pointer
Busted a whole flock of turkeys roosted in some pines on the other side of a pond while checking/pulling traps early this morning. Heard where they pitched down (one or two kept calling). Cannot wait for April!!!
oldest school
Old Mossy Horns
you can get some practice in if they bust up for you again. That's a standard way of hunting them this time of year. Bust up and call back. If nothing else it will teach you that they arent permanently spooked when you "bust " one by mistake.
KrisB
Ten Pointer
I was told not to practice turkey calls outside where there may be turkeys because it could educate them and they'll learn to associate that call with not finding a hen. Does that only apply to the time closer to turkey season, like March?
Just do it on OldestSchool’s farm, he wants em smart.
Ol Copper
Twelve Pointer
Ah...the old wives tale about making turkeys un-killable rears its ugly head again. No, I do not call up turkeys over and over, spooking them, but I have no qualm with having a conversation with a loud winter flock. The only way to learn to talk to turkeys is to talk to turkeys. I despise a lot of old-timey fables. They always tell you what you cant do, but never bother to teach you what you can do.
turkeyfoot
Old Mossy Horns
Calong to them in situation you mentioned will have no effect come spring. Anyone that knows me knows I have a call in my pocket all the time and don't pass up the chance to converse with group of hens or jakes. Gobblers on occasion will help with you some but most the talk is with the others get jakes going can be real fun they young and dumb. The best part about calling to birds in fall/winter as new hunter or old hunter you get better with cadence rhythm which is by far more important come spring than how good you calls sound
oldest school
Old Mossy Horns
well you are subject to get conflicting opinions on this KrisB.
I will ask you to logically think about a turkey's reasoning powers and go from there.
I believe you classify yourself as a librarian of outdoor sports?
Add Ray Eye's book "The Turkey Hunter's Bible " to your collection.
He ridicules the notion of call shy turkeys.
I agree with him.
oldest school
Old Mossy Horns
since you know i have no turkeys that is a very hurtful remark BoonDock.
But kinda cute.
turkeyfoot
Old Mossy Horns
To answer 2nd part of your about closer to season I am a believer of not calling up gobblers from march till season opens but not so much of making them call shy but because they are ready before the hens to mate and its the easiest time to call one up problem is if you do that they come in and find you and spook if you do it over and over then I believe it makes them more likely to strut in a spot and gobble like crazy but never come in to call once season starts. I doubt one bump hurts anything but a few may their eye sight is so good my guess is when people are scouting they are in wide open calling listening and never know they get busted while scouting. Now I will while scouting if necessary throw out a yelp or 2 just to locate and maybe see if a bird will work right before I go to hunt him but then I'm gone quick as to not get busted This is my 2 cents after many years hunting pressured public birds.
KrisB
Ten Pointer
I think the closer to the season thing was the reasoning behind what I was told, since I asked about it last March. I mentioned practicing calling on game land and it sounded like you shouldn't do it because a turkey could come to your call and see you and then be like "That call is not a hen," or something like that.
Not calling closer to the season makes sense to me. Maybe I will try a little calling the next time I'm near that pond, see if I get a response.
oldest school
Old Mossy Horns
you have nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain. Good Luck.
turkeyfoot
Old Mossy Horns
I definitely would and if your there when they still in tree don't be afraid to get loud just like song birds waking up in morning they can get loud and real excited and they'll respond best you can do for practice is mimic every sound they make with same cadence then after get going throw in some more high pitched they should give it right back to you. After you mimic hens over time It'll become second nature to you when calling you won't even have think about it.