Question for exerienced turkey hunters

[choop]

I am planning on putting some field time in this weekend and could use some help from those with more experience.
- When I hear the turkeys calling what would be the most effective call to use? Hen Yelp, Tom Yelp, Raspier vs clearer, kee kee, cluck? I know spring is a good time for the lonesome hen yelp but what is my best call option to close the deal and connect with birds in the fall?

- I know turkeys habit the property I hunt, I know where abouts they often go to roost in the pm. I am hoping to put them to bed tonight if I don't connect with one this pm and do my first am hunt tomorrow. How close should I actually be from the roost? What time should I be there? Ottawa county skies don't even start to pink up until 7:00-7:30. When do Turkeys usually come down from roost?

I know these are alot of questions, and I have been studying and preparing since late spring, its just that most articles/books/vids are geared towards spring. Any help at all from you folks with more years and a few birds under your belt would be appreciated. Chris

[Playin' Hooky]

isn't hard to do. If you know where the roost is, walk through after they're in bed and make some noise (bang trees, break branches) to scatter them.

Then call them back to the same location tomorrow AM with kee-kees and some hen talk (if you're on a family group). They can be VERY loud when they're trying to reassemble--you'll hear them.

The group of birds we chased and finally tagged out on was roosting in the same locale, we set up in the vicinity and I called with some purrs and kee-kees, scratched in the leaves...they walked right in to us! (We only had afternoon hours to hunt)

After the shots they scattered, some went to treetops and flew off as we walked out...those scattered birds could've been easy pickin's the following morning!

Good luck!

[U.P. Whackmaster]

Hey choop,
I would put the birds to bed the night before, try to anticipate where they will fly down in the morning, then bust the flock up. Stay somwhere in that vicinity and use the kee-kee call to bring them together because after they are scattered, they`ll want to get back together. Also use some yelps, excited when they answer you back, again mixing in the kee-kee. Scratch in the leaves as you`re calling to add realism. Many turkey hunters forget that just scratching in the leaves is a call in itself. If you can sound like many birds from the flock, the better. Do you use a decoy/ decoys? They would go a long way at sealing the deal once the birds come back.
U.P. Whackmaster

[Molson]

If you do know where they are roosting... bust them up outa the roost at dark, it should be too late for them to regroup. Seriously, consider an air-horn. Call them in in the morning using a hen's lost call with purrs, clucks, and kee-kee's mixed in. They should be more than willing to regroup after a lonely night. I have used this technique and like it.

If you can't find them before dark. Get there early. Listen just as you would in the spring. Sneak into them carefully and then break them up. Use the same calling technique.

Good luck.

[choop]

Okay so it seems that the main thing is to bust the flock. I am assuming it takes time for them to reassemble so they are likely to hang around a little longer and will be more willing to answer the calls?

I have heard online recordings of the kee kee call, as well as the yelps of both toms and hens. I have yet to hear a purr or a pop. Thanks for the heads up on the scratching, I have been using that pretty regularly. I have a decoy.

This will seem odd to most of you but I am hunting them using a colonial style .62 cal (20gauge) smoothbore flintlock, colonial period costume, the whole nine yards. I have been a rev war reenactor for a while and had read an article on using a smoothbore for turkey and wanted to give it a try. I have made my own wingbone calls, string mask, as well as my own decoy, (stuffed pigskin and shoeblack). He doesn't look too bad kind of like the collapsable kind that sit on a stick. For a laugh, if I score on one I will post "sir tom" the decoy on the board.

This firearm will limit my distance (20yds) due to there being no choke whatsoever. The load is 80gr blackpowder, over the powder wad, two ounces of loose oatmeal as a shot buffer (they used to use bone meal), paper shot cup, ounce and a half of number 6 shot and then over the shot card. During the colonial period elm leaves were used to make a reed mouth call, I am not that talented yet so I may break down, cheat, and use my latex HS model as I think it sounds a little more convincing than my homemade domestic wingbone yelper.

If busting them up will help me be successful I will give it a try. I would love to see a big tom but at this point am willing to take whatever I am lucky enough to have come in of any decent size.

How early before light should I be there? Not sure when they make their decent. I know I have heard them come down before light during deer season. About filled my cammies the first time I heard it.

If people have more tips, thoughts suggestions, I am open, and again, thanks! Chris

[Playin' Hooky]

Time will vary with the birds and cover. The woodlot I'm in usu. has them coming to the ground around sunrise on clear days. I'm usually on deer stand by 50-60 min. before sunrise and have had them bust out of the trees while I was walking under them...talked about fillin' the cammies!

Bust 'em up at night, but if you can't get there then, listen for them waking up as Molson said, then blow 'em outta there! Airhorn...man would that pee off the deer hunting neighbors!

It's cool that you're doing the period thing to go after these birds...once you kill one you can skin it and retire the pigskin tom!

Good Luck!

[EdB]

Good tips above. Busting a flock is not as easy as it seems. Having a dog or multiple people coming in from different directions helps. I've learned the hard way trying to charge them myself. If you can't get into the middle of them and separate the group quickly, they tend to all run straight away from you together. One problem is that I'm not as fast as I once was. :rolleyes:

If your by yourself, you might have a better chance if your can flush them out of the trees in the evening and hunt them the next morning. They tend to fly off in different directions out of the trees more so than when running on the ground.

[No Deer]

This will seem odd to most of you but I am hunting them using a colonial style .62 cal (20gauge) smoothbore flintlock, colonial period costume, the whole nine yards. I have been a rev war reenactor for a while and had read an article on using a smoothbore for turkey and wanted to give it a try. I have made my own wingbone calls, string mask, as well as my own decoy, (stuffed pigskin and shoeblack). He doesn't look too bad kind of like the collapsable kind that sit on a stick. For a laugh, if I score on one I will post "sir tom" the decoy on the board.

This firearm will limit my distance (20yds) due to there being no choke whatsoever. The load is 80gr blackpowder, over the powder wad, two ounces of loose oatmeal as a shot buffer (they used to use bone meal), paper shot cup, ounce and a half of number 6 shot and then over the shot card. During the colonial period elm leaves were used to make a reed mouth call, I am not that talented yet so I may break down, cheat, and use my latex HS model as I think it sounds a little more convincing than my homemade domestic wingbone yelper.

Chris

Way to go Chris. I also use a 20 ga. trade gun. Have taken 3 turkeys with flintlock smoothies, no better feeling when it happens. Gotta love them flinter smoothies.