# Hunting Pressure & Turkeys?



## Fritz (Mar 1, 2011)

I have an upcoming LE elk hunt, so in preparation I have began incorporating early morning hikes into the hills. To my surprise I have been finding turkeys in the area I have been hiking. :-|O|-: After the first time I found these birds, I went to this forum and to other internet sites to find out how best to find and observe these turkeys and man it has been a lot of fun. I have gotten pretty good at getting in before light and getting up hill so that I can observe from a distance. I have located several locations where the birds like to feed in the early morning. I have been looking for a good excuse to start turkey hunting and since I will be hiking the hills anyway, I might as well get a license and start taking a shotgun with me. 

I have read several threads on this site about how bad the hunting pressure can get during the general season. Just this morning I was observing a Tom with a small flock of Hens from about 150 yards. Something appeared to have spooked the flock and they flew uphill and into the scrub brush and gone. This got me thinking that I am probably not the only one that knows that the turkeys are here and what will these turkeys will do and where will they go once the general season pressure hits. I was also looking to were the birds flew and wondered if that would be a good place to set up to take advantage of the pressure form other hunters. 

I guess my question is, what do turkeys do and where do they go when the heavy pressure hits? I have found several good spots to set up if I were hunting right now but am not sure if I should set up in these spots or move to where I think the turkeys will go. Is there a way to set up and take advantage of the hunting pressure? 
-8/-


----------



## Guest (Apr 20, 2011)

my experience has been that they shut up. they dont respond to calls very well. they also become less visable. they stay in the thicker brush and dont come out in the open to hang out very much. the best way i have found to kill them is to ambush them, kinda like you would a deer. figure out where you think you will have the best opportunity at them and wait. the area i plan to hunt birds in opening day gets hit HARD with pressure from guys who think they need a push button call in each hand. i doubt i'll even take a call with me, if i do it will be to locate them to make sure the birds are still in their normal trees that they roost in. i know the area pretty well and know what they like to do when the pressure hits. if history repeats itself and everyone runs their same routine like they have in the past, i'll have a filled tag by 745 opening morning


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

I dunno what it will be like in your neck of the woods but where I am, they have been chased non-stop for a week and a half now. You see birds a mile away and if they hear a truck door shut, they take off running. Give up on any thoughts of calling them in, they will have heard non-stop calls for a few weeks by the time the general opens. Get up on a ridge, glass for them then move to intercept and ambush.

My wife still hasnt gotten her bird yet, I've had her within 30 yards of birds 7 times now but something always went wrong (couldnt identify the tom from the hens, no clear shooting lane etc etc). She's yet to take a shot (which is a good thing, if you dont have a good clear shot dont take it).


-DallanC


----------



## Fritz (Mar 1, 2011)

I don't think that these birds have had that much pressure yet. The only sign I have seen of any hunters being in there is one spent turkey cartridge. However I do expect that to change once the general season begins. When you are trying to ambush birds, does it help to put up decoys at your ambush locations? Also, when I was watching the birds I mentioned above, they flew up hill when they got spooked. Is this common and what are there other tendencies, when they get spooked? Do the birds tend to migrate to higher ground when the pressure is high?


----------



## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

Turkeys aren't geniuses. They're birds for Pete's sake. Catch them unaware at the right time and they'll investigate a really nice sounding call. You've got to play it right, though. The best advice I can think of is to hunt turkeys that are out of the rut the same way you hunt elk outside of the rut. Sneak into their living room before you make a sound. Then the call might catch them off guard. Or just sneak into range of a shot and you're done. Either way you need to get close. Don't just sound off randomly. Spot the birds first and move in under cover. 

The difference is that turkeys see you better than elk can smell you. Surely you've heard of people with "eagle eyes"? They need to call it "turkey eyes". Birds have superb vision. Turkeys are no exception. If you're in the open or moving they will see you. If they hear you making human sounds (like the aforementioned truck door), they're gone.


----------



## Guest (Apr 21, 2011)

if you are trying to ambush turkeys, i personally wouldnt put out any decoys. if you are in the right spot, its going to happen for you. if you throw up decoys, it might be something they dont like and they could spot the decoys before you get a shot at them and they could be gone...


----------



## birdman (Nov 21, 2007)

Don't anybody take this as me passing judgment because I'm not. I would like to encourage folks new to turkey hunting to take in the whole experience if at all possible because I LOVE spring turkey hunting. I am not against shooting a bird that happens to be within range even if I didn't call it in, but killing the bird is just a brief moment in time. I much prefer the thrill of calling a bird in than the actual moment of harvest. I completely agree with knowing the situation and putting yourself in the best location possible but for crying out loud you've got a whole month to chase them around, why would you want to just ambush one on opening day and end your season that quick? I called my bird in last year the second morning (I skipped opening day) and I almost felt disappointed to have ended it so soon. Luckily, I had several other fellas I called for throughout the season which made for a lot of fun. So, I guess what I'm saying is why not try calling a bird in first and worry about the ambush in the waning days of the season. Having a bird come in gobbling or spitting and drumming to your calls is the essence of spring turkey hunting. Harvesting a bird that way will be far more thrilling than shooting it like any other animal you hunt.


----------



## Moose Hollow (Apr 26, 2008)

I with you Birdman calling them in is such a rush.

I sure thats why I spend so much time taking so many pictures of then.


----------



## tigerpincer (Dec 5, 2009)

I third birdmans sentiments. The absolute essence of hunting spring gobblers is calling them in. I hunted a well known public area last year and was able to call my bird in. I hunted very hard for three weeks and had numerous days of frustration. But I loved every minute of it. After all the hard work and frustration the success was so much sweeter. I wouldnt have had nearly the experience if I'd of just ambushed or jumped a bird. Not that I wouldnt have happily done so give the opportunity while hunting but I'm glad that's not how it turned out.


----------



## Fritz (Mar 1, 2011)

I have a riddle for you guys. How do you get a turkey to shut-up. :O•-: 

The answer is to give me a box call.
I have continued to see or hear turkeys every time I go hiking. So a few weeks ago I bought a box call and started watching videos on youtube, got some instruction from a friend and started practicing.So I decided that I should try a simple cluck and see what happens. So I hiked up the hills and got to one of my high observation points and started to look and listen. I was only there a few minutes when a Tom started gobbling just beneath me. After about the fourth gobble, I tried my one cluck. Needless to say, the tom was not seen or heard again. I think that for this year I will stick with spot, stalk and ambush. Maybe I will try the calling thing next year.


----------



## birdman (Nov 21, 2007)

Fritz, 

My question to you is, how long did you stay in that spot after you called and what time of day was it that this happened? Did you see the bird turn and run away from your calling or are you just assuming he didn't like it because he didn't gobble anymore?


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

I've seen 3 times in the past week even the slightest squeek or purr from a call sending turkeys visibly running the other way at a dead run. I'd love to call a big tom in for my wife but they have just been pushed too hard since opening morning of the LE.


-DallanC


----------



## Fritz (Mar 1, 2011)

birdman said:


> Fritz,
> 
> My question to you is, how long did you stay in that spot after you called and what time of day was it that this happened? Did you see the bird turn and run away from your calling or are you just assuming he didn't like it because he didn't gobble anymore?


It was right at first light and I could only wait about 10 or 15 minutes because I had to get down and go do that pesky work thing. I tried to sneak down to were I heard the gobbling from but in the first 50 yards I spooked up 2 deer, 2 Grouse and 4 ducks. I guess I did a good job of being quiet as I was going in but by that time I think that every creature on the mountain knew I was there.

As far as trying to call this year, I am mostly looking at hunting on these early morning hikes. With having an upcoming LE elk hunt, I will be saving my vacation time for scouting and hunting elk. I will also be spending many of my upcoming weekends, working on my home and yard improvements to get brownie points with the old lady and to free up my summer and fall weekends, again for scouting elk. Its not that I don't think that calling in a turkey would be a huge rush, its just that I do not have the time to get good at it this year. I am hoping to get a hold of a few more calls and practice thru the winter and then get out into the hills next March and give it another try. For me, this is the year of the elk.


----------

