# First Time Out



## Dfrenzy (Dec 18, 2008)

My kid and I decided to give turkey hunting a try. We see them everyday crossing the field across from us. So we decided to try it this year. Now my kid is only 5 going on 6 so he is really just along for the ride but he is excited as I am. Today was our first time out. We got to our spot around 5:45 and by 6:30 we had Turkey in sight. Out came three hens and a tom about 200 yds away followed by two more hens. This guy was struttin his stuff big time. They got as close as about a hundred yards and was there for about an hour or so. We were both pumped up but could not make a move anywhere to position ourselves as we were in the middle of the field by a single tree. M kid asked a question and we must have been a little too loud and they were gone at once. I think we both got hooked today. Now my question is should we try a call or a decoy to get em in closer? All and all it was great just to watch them. It will even be more fun haveing my kid watch me shoot my first one. It will be a few more years for his first.


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## HUNTorFISH (Dec 1, 2008)

i'd say you had success just to see them! the hardest part is getting a smart bird to close the distance. i personally don't like decoys, every time i have used them the birds hung outside of range and seemed to spook, but a lot of guys love them. i would say definetly try calling. in my opinion i would say the slate is the easiest to use and pick up quick. you don't have to be the best caller to get a turkey to come in. i think i have better luck when i don't sand my slate and get a high pitch yelp going that sounds horrible! just don't call very much, get their attention is all you want. if you over call then that tom will know where the call is coming from and when he doesn't see a hen there he will be gone. good luck, glad you and your son had an enjoyable time. it's an adrenaline rush!
edit: meant to add the most important part of turkey hunting is your set up. it is hard to get them to cross a creek, fence, pretty much any obstruction. i like to setup in somewhat thick area of the woods. if it is open then they hang outside of range instead of coming in (maybe this is where decoys would help me though). best of luck to you the rest of the season and keep us updated


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

Since you are new to the sport, I'll give you a few ideas I've used(somewhat) successfully for many years. First, like huntorfish said, you had a successful day just by observing some! You need to know/see the direction the "gobbler" went. Few turkey hunters can call a tom away from his hens(afterall, they went into that field to answer the "call of Nature"-reproduction!) The girls go off and lay their eggs in a their nest somewhere and then they will feed silently til it's the day they decide to sit on the eggs. The tom goes on a trek to find some "strange" ladies and may feed as he goes. That's where you want to be, somewhere along his travel route and in my experience, til something(or someone) disrupts his route, he will do that everyday after taking care of business in the field after flydown. 
Once you have that general direction figured out, get there at first light and hunker down in the vicinity in total camo, head to toe. (Assuming here you have "patterned" your gun, and put in some time getting familiar with your preferred hen call), put out a hen decoy 20-30 yds away where it's clearly visable in several directions, try to stay as quite and motionless as you can, make a few yelps maybe every 5 minutes or so, and sooner or later he'll answer you as he makes his rounds. Couple more soft yelps(or purrs), shut up, and if everything seems right to him, he'll come to you(he'll know exactly where you are). It's really that simple(did I mention you must keep as still as you can) or he will see/hear you and be gone in a flash-but you already had that experience! Good luck!


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## firemanstevec34 (Apr 14, 2008)

Great advice so far. As far as decoys go I've had luck both with and without decoys. At around eleven oclock on Sunday called a Tom in. Got to within about fifty yards, saw my decoy and started Gobblin and struttin. Never got any closer. Guess he lost interest when the hen didn't come to him. He just turned and walked away. Had my seven year old son with me so it was exciting all the same. I have had the best luck in the 10-11 oclock time period. It seems once they fly down and get with their hens it takes an act of congress to call them in. Once their done with the hens, like the other guys said, they go on the prowl looking for "strange". Good luck and keep taking your kids with you to share in the excitement


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## Snook (Aug 19, 2008)

Observe where he came out of the woods and into the field. In general they will hang out in the same area/part of the field day after day. Calling to him with a bunch of hens is pretty much useless UNLESS you can call the hens to you. Most of the time they will lead him away from you. This is why it is important to be set up where they usually are seen. I would use a hen decoy for your set up and call sparingly(maybe every 15-20min or longer) Position the hen decoy past your set up to make him have to walk past you before getting close to her (but keep her in gun range) Lot's of times hens will enter the field first but keep your eyes open as he will usually trail them strutting. Keep your eyes open to other parts of the field because many of times other birds will enter the field elsewhere and not make a sound. If at a distance make a few yelps and clucks and watch their body language. If their coming your way SHUT UP and wait.

Others have posted a lot of good info. The more dominant birds will become more vulnerable later in the day(when the hens sit on the nest) and also later in the year(when most hens are on the nest) If you plan on taking your son with you(which I think is SUPER!!!) understand that you don't have to be up at the crack of dawn to hunt them. Sleep in and get set up about 9am-10am. The more you turkey hunt you will understand that late mornings are fantastic times to hunt gobblers. I hope you get em' with your son there to witness it all. Good Luck!!!!


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## kprice (May 23, 2009)

Just remember, turkeys are birds, which means they are dumb. It is not hard to fool one. Throw a few hen decoys out there, and a jake decoy out to attract the big toms. Once the Tom sees the decoy then you are usually golden. Where you set up is KEY. Been hunting turkeys for about 10 years now and not a year has gone by without connecting on a tom.


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## Dfrenzy (Dec 18, 2008)

Ok guys what kind of decoy to buy? I'm not allowed to hunt till the weekend when my son is out of school. I wanted to sneak out early before school one morning but she said it aint gonna happen. Can she not see that these are life skills or what? LOL


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