I've never gone turkey hunting - Questions!

[Genesis 9:3]

First off, what's the bid deal about turkeys? It's not as much meat as a deer but the tag costs just as much!

Next, how do you hunt them? (I know you use calls) From a tree stand? Do I have to go buy a blind? Bait piles? Decoys? Game camera? How do you pick a location?

Tool: Bow & shotgun only?
Shotgun - do I need a special choke? What type of shot is recommended?
Bow - there are threads on what type of broad head to use...

Where to shoot it: Thankfully covered here (http://www.bowhuntingohio.com/forum/showthread.php/8718-Turkey-shot-placement)

Butchering: I didn't see anything on butchering. If I shot one, then what the heck do I do with it?

Cooking: Just like Thanksgiving dinner? Sausage? Burger?

If you guys can answer all of those, I might have to publish it... Hunting turkey sounds fun, but I wouldn't know where to start. I'm in the Northern end of Cincinnati and would love to go... but not until I get some of these questions answered!

[Genesis 9:3]

Wow... 47 people have read this but nobody has cared enough to pick off even the easy questions!

[Stonegod]

First off, what's the bid deal about turkeys? It's not as much meat as a deer but the tag costs just as much!

Next, how do you hunt them? (I know you use calls) From a tree stand? Do I have to go buy a blind? Bait piles? Decoys? Game camera? How do you pick a location?

Tool: Bow & shotgun only?
Shotgun - do I need a special choke? What type of shot is recommended?
Bow - there are threads on what type of broad head to use...

Where to shoot it: Thankfully covered here (http://www.bowhuntingohio.com/forum/showthread.php/8718-Turkey-shot-placement)

Butchering: I didn't see anything on butchering. If I shot one, then what the heck do I do with it?

Cooking: Just like Thanksgiving dinner? Sausage? Burger?

If you guys can answer all of those, I might have to publish it... Hunting turkey sounds fun, but I wouldn't know where to start. I'm in the Northern end of Cincinnati and would love to go... but not until I get some of these questions answered!

Well I do what I can for you.....ain't going to be much, but atlease I'm answering!!LOL First and foremost, in Ohio it's illegal to hunt turkey over a bait site, you can use bait for pics but can't hunt the area you've baited. An area is considered baited until ten days have passed AFTER all bait has been removed. Hunting with a bow is fun but alot harder of course. As far as butchering I just breast it out, just like I do to geese, in my opinion there's nothing else worth screwing with. Sometimes I'll try to save some of the dark meat for the dog, but that's about it. The rest of it you can use as yote bait. If you plan on plucking it and prepping it like a store bought bird, it's going to be alot of work and you're not going to get all that much more meat. Oh yah there's two pieces of dark meat that we call oysters(kind of looks like a oyster about the size of your thumb) on the belly side if you can find them, they are the best meat on the bird. As far as guys answering your question.....most of the guys who you would expect to reply are sitting around a campsite right about now getting drunk!LoL.....me.....I'm just waiting for a deer.....hopefully a dumb one.

[mrbb]

First off, what's the bid deal about turkeys? It's not as much meat as a deer but the tag costs just as much!

Next, how do you hunt them? (I know you use calls) From a tree stand? Do I have to go buy a blind? Bait piles? Decoys? Game camera? How do you pick a location?

Tool: Bow & shotgun only?
Shotgun - do I need a special choke? What type of shot is recommended?
Bow - there are threads on what type of broad head to use...

Where to shoot it: Thankfully covered here (http://www.bowhuntingohio.com/forum/showthread.php/8718-Turkey-shot-placement)

Butchering: I didn't see anything on butchering. If I shot one, then what the heck do I do with it?

Cooking: Just like Thanksgiving dinner? Sausage? Burger?

If you guys can answer all of those, I might have to publish it... Hunting turkey sounds fun, but I wouldn't know where to start. I'm in the Northern end of Cincinnati and would love to go... but not until I get some of these questions answered!


well turkeys are like deer smart, but with better eye's and hearing


can be hunted with any legal weapon based on state rules of what that is(I'm from PA, so need to look into ohio hunting rules)
where to shot them, bet place is in the head, ruin less meat and less chance they will run off and not be recovered

even a dead turkey can run

butchering them, just like any game bird, can be plucked, skined, or breasted
cooked like any other chicken or turkey, whole or however you like it, and yes it can be made into sasuage and otehr things, jerky, etc.


and again you can hunt them like a deer, on teh ground in a blind( some states allow fron treestand and some don't again check state rules)

typically most guys hunt them in the spring, as its mating season, you call to them and hope they come to you
it is highly NOT recommended you try to stalk a turkey

as hunters use decoys and call and sound like a turkey

turkey season is the most dangerous hunting season for being accidently shot in mistake of game, so
call then to you!, or get lucky and have one just walk by you!!

you cannot hunt over bait in any state as far as i know

so not feeding them

as for sounds to make

any of a million you tube and hunting video's will teach you
go to any sportsman show NOW going on, and you will hear a million guys making turkeys sounds that work to call a tom in

this morning I had one gobbleing at me like mad with a dying rabbit sound on my coyote caller
a male turkey is the hornyest animal in the world
when there hot and ready to breed
they will respond to about any noise you can make from beeping your horn to a loud fart!!

it's when they have hens you have to get smarter, and that comes in time, and LUCK!!

hope this helps!!

[RUT NUT]

How to pick a location? What I do is go out the night before I plan on hunting with an owl call. Also referred to as a locater call. As the sun is just disappearing over the horizon....make a few owl calls. The Toms will gobble while in there roost. Pay close attention to where you hear the gobbles. I like to set up within 50 yards from where I heard them gobble the night before. Set a couple decoys out....if you have them....and start calling as soon as its light enough for you to shoot. I like to make a few calls and then take my hat off and flap it all over the place....hitting the ground with it towards the end. It sounds like another bird flying out of its roost. One you do this first initial call....sit still and make some soft calls. Keep an ear out for the sound of birds flying to the ground. If you do get to hear that....you can begin getting a little more aggressive with your calling. Hope this helps. It has worked for me. I hope it does the same for you if you decide to use these tactics. Good luck!

[Stonegod]

Nut rut has you going in the right direction now, this method works very well......just make sure you don't shoot a roosting bird......that's a no no!!!! an illegal no no!!

[ranger175a]

If they are gobbling an working right, there is no funner hunting. You don't need much equipment a simple $3 mouth call is all you need.

[mrbb]

forgot to add, that to find them, you can scout fields in mornings and evenings like deer too froma distance, they like to eat when they get up and before bed, they will also fly up to roost many times froma field, and can then SOMETIMES be see where they roostm and then set up in the dark about a 100 yrds or more

they will many times bust you even in teh dark if you try to get closer, there again, VERY smart birds

also you can simple walk local woods and look for scratchings, they like to dig for food , like acorns and such, thus you will find area's ii the woods where few, or a flock will have worked an area by finding lots of leaves racked up into scratchings

and also, like deer by droppings

a male turky's will have "J" shape to it, and A hens will not, whih will help you tell what sex bird is making them, thus working the area

many times like deer scouting, talking to local farmers can be a great way to get on birds

many farmers dislike turkeys just like deeer due to crop damage

I know i dis like them more than deer for that reason
a big flock of turkeys can pick a just planted field of a lot of hard work and costs seeds just planted by digging them up to eat
hope this adds a little more help to you ?'s

[Genesis 9:3]

This was my first season hunting (seriously) and therefor first year at a property... but I don't think there are any turkey around. I haven't seen any sign of turkey like you guys mentioned and it's too far to drive to spend a lot of time scouting... based on that, I think I'll just wait till I can find some other properties to hunt or life brings a turkey hunter into my circle of friends.

Perhaps I'll focus on coyotes instead...

[buckstalker17]

sorry to hear u giving up on the turkey hunting /// its the most challenging game I've ever came acrossed and thats come from a guy who likes to cat fish lol i rather hunt gobblers than slick heads any day of the week good luck with the yotes .....

[blackbeard]

First off, what's the bid deal about turkeys? It's not as much meat as a deer but the tag costs just as much!

What's the big deal? They are fun as heck to hunt, challenging, and it gives you more time in the woods. Once you have the chance to hear a turkey gobble close to you in the woods you'll know what the big deal is.

Next, how do you hunt them? (I know you use calls) From a tree stand? Do I have to go buy a blind? Bait piles? Decoys? Game camera? How do you pick a location?

Treestand = no. Blind = not necessary. Bait = not allowed. Decoys = not a requirement but will improve your chances in certain situations. Game camera = no. How do you pick a location? Find a spot with turkeys (look for scratchings, poop, listen for gobbling, use binos to scan fields, etc). Then figure out where they roost (sleep), where they like to strut (breed and show off for females), and feed. Then get between two of the areas, sit down, call some, and wait. Best way to kill a turkey is to get close to him on the roost without him seeing you and shoot him after he flied DOWN. No shooting them in trees.

Tool: Bow & shotgun only?
Shotgun - do I need a special choke? What type of shot is recommended?
Bow - there are threads on what type of broad head to use...

For someone just starting, use a shotgun with a turkey choke, 4,6 shot. I wouldn't start out with a bow. You'll get discouraged fast. If you do use a bow, a blind is required.

Where to shoot it: Thankfully covered here (http://www.bowhuntingohio.com/forum/showthread.php/8718-Turkey-shot-placement)

Aim for halfway between head and body along neck. Don't be shooting beyond 40 yards with a shotgun, no matter what you hear and read.

Butchering: I didn't see anything on butchering. If I shot one, then what the heck do I do with it?

Forget the plucking or taking feathers off. Hang the turkey by putting a rope around its head and hanging head up. Cut around neck and skin turkey from top down, Then cut the breast out. Not difficult but will take some practicing. Have a buckey of water handy, there will be tiny feathers everywhere.

Cooking: Just like Thanksgiving dinner? Sausage? Burger?

Not exactly, bake it of fry it, a little different than a thanksgiving turkey, don't overcook.

If you guys can answer all of those, I might have to publish it... Hunting turkey sounds fun, but I wouldn't know where to start. I'm in the Northern end of Cincinnati and would love to go... but not until I get some of these questions answered!

I'd much rather turkey hunt than coyote hunt, good luck if you try it, but sounds like you've given up before you even got started.