# Spring public turkeys



## Jared august

Usually hunt public in Cambridge for turkeys. Have had tough luck this past year with some educated birds not wanting talk once down off roost. Feeling like trying new locations. Any advice out there?

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## Harry1959

Sounds like public land birds to me. I tip my hat to Anyone who regularly bags a mature Tom on public land in Ohio. After hunting Ohio public land for 15 plus years, I got permission to hunt prime private land in sciota county 2 years ago. The difference is night and day.
I always avoided opening week on public land, less pressure, but by then the birds are educated and the ones that tend to gobble a lot are shot. Also get way off the beaten path.


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## pawcat

Tough Toms = Big Toms ... I love Turkey Hunting, fun stuff


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## Jared august

True, we try and avoid it but makes it tough the first half of season you can only hunt until noon. We had strutters last year in a field, put a stalk on them and I threw a far shot at 12. I feel once the time switches to all day the birds barely gobble. Just didn't know if anyone had better or worse public suggestions. Cambridge is just the closest for me to put time into 

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## pawcat

Borrow some of your buddies cars.. say about 6 or so and use them as decoys...
Park them and cover several miles of road that way you will have the area to yourself...lol
Really thou just a few will work.. I've actually done this... lol


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## pawcat

Borrow some of your buddies cars.. say about 6 or so and use them as decoys...
Park them and cover several miles of road that way you will have the area to yourself...lol



What the crap..i think it tried to double post me..?


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## STRONGPERSUADER

Jared august said:


> Usually hunt public in Cambridge for turkeys. Have had tough luck this past year with some educated birds not wanting talk once down off roost. Feeling like trying new locations. Any advice out there?
> 
> Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk


Just because they aren’t answering ya doesn’t mean they aren’t coming in. I’ve had em come in silent on both public and private. They will do this often. If you hear them gobble on the roost, or hear them fly up the evening before and you know they are there, stick to your game plan, be patient an still. Chances are they have been making you before you seen them. They still want to breed, trust me. Good luck! I’m getting very antsy and ready to go.


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## Jared august

STRONGPERSUADER said:


> Just because they aren’t answering ya doesn’t mean they aren’t coming in. I’ve had em come in silent on both public and private. They will do this often. If you hear them gobble on the roost, or hear them fly up the evening before and you know they are there, stick to your game plan, be patient an still. Chances are they have been making you before you seen them. They still want to breed, trust me. Good luck! I’m getting very antsy and ready to go.


Appreciate the info, I guess Im guilty of wanting to hear them gobble before I shoot them lol good luck to you also

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## STRONGPERSUADER

Yep we all expect them to. In a perfect world right? Haha. It just makes it more exciting when they are hammering you with every yelp.


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## Jared august

Your not wrong there. I guess I been watching to much outdoor channel this winter lol

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## DHower08

I've killed some giant birds on public. Actually my best bird ever. 24# 12.25" beard 1 11/16 Spurs. I hunted that bird for two weeks straight. Had him patterned killed him on second to last day of season. You need to scout scout scout . Then scout some more. Roost a mature bird and get set up on him wayyy before daylight the following morning I'm talking an hour + set up within 50-75 yards. If that bird answers you right before he flys down STOP CALLING.

The only time I'll keep calling on a pressured bird is if they are going away from me or if they are hung up gobbling trying to get you to come to them then give them a few soft yelps every ten minutes or so.

If you have a bird answering you and or cutting you off then he goes silent put the call down and get your gun or bow ready. It could be 2 minutes or an hour but that bird is coming


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## Jared august

Totally understood. I appreciate the info. My biggest problem is being a weekend warrior and far drives to spots that I know have turkeys. The past few years have actually been my slow process to scouting what they do on those blocks of land. Hard to get out and scout and stuff as much as I want to with work. But I appreciate the info, maybe I'll get lucky and shoot the one dumb one this year

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## $diesel$

Like SP said, don't give up if they stop gobbling. Once they hear you and your relatively sure that he did, sit tight and wait. I've got the birds down where i hunt, and most actually come in silent. When i hear him, i let him know where i am and then shut up.
Best one i ever got 20lb.+ 11 1/2 beard.

My back yard bout 4 or 5 years ago. Not as many now since the coyotes showed up, but still a huntable population. One of the big ones i killed that year. I believe it was 2016.


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## Carpn

I doubt you'll find a magical public area where the birds act much different .

My experience is that later in the season is better than the beginning of the season on public . We hunt both private and public but don't set foot on the public spots till after the 2nd weekend of turkey season .


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## joekacz

X2 on the Strongpersuader and Carpn posts. Later into the season= less hunters and hornier turkeys. Been hunting them for 45+years. Hear the same stories every year "bird gobbled on the roost,flew down'walked off with the hen".Opening day is nice but late season can be GREAT!! Even on public grounds. IMO


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## pawcat

STRONGPERSUADER said:


> Just because they aren’t answering ya doesn’t mean they aren’t coming in. I’ve had em come in silent on both public and private. They will do this often. If you hear them gobble on the roost, or hear them fly up the evening before and you know they are there, stick to your game plan, be patient an still. Chances are they have been making you before you seen them. They still want to breed, trust me. Good luck! I’m getting very antsy and ready to go.


I Do my scouting a few weeks b4 season, I will only listen from the road and DONT do any calling to get them to gobble, I will pin point several areas where they are roosting, they will use the same roosting areas.
Call soft and sparingly to pressured birds.
x2 on roosting birds...in pressured areas I think its a must to roost them.
Man.. I'm so ready for some spring Gobblers.


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## DHower08

If you notice one thing from this post it's that we are all saying the same exact things just saying it differently. I understand being a weekend warrior as I'm lucky to get one day a week off of work. Spring turkey season was the only benefit to working second shift when I did. I would get off work and if it was late like it was most days I would drive straight to the public ground I was hunting and sleep a few hours then go hunt till it was time to head north for work


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## joekacz

DHower08 said:


> If you notice one thing from this post it's that we are all saying the same exact things just saying it differently. I understand being a weekend warrior as I'm lucky to get one day a week off of work. Spring turkey season was the only benefit to working second shift when I did. I would get off work and if it was late like it was most days I would drive straight to the public ground I was hunting and sleep a few hours then go hunt till it was time to head north for work


I should of kept a log of all my turkey hunts 'cause I'm willing to bet that I had better success in the late season and probably killed more after 10am than before.Most of my hunts were on public ground,I'd say 80%.


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## DHower08

Joe I completely agree. While I have killed a pile first thing in the AM that comes from years of hunting the same areas and learning how the birds use them. But I would guess I have probably killed more late morning that early as well


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## pawcat

I've been turkey hunting for lil over 4o years, I can say that most of my birds have came off public land 90%... most of those hunts I was done in less then an hour or so.


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## pawcat

I will say that one of the spots I use to hunt had lots of birds, not so much any more.. mead cut all the timber... same with the Grouse.


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## Jared august

That's a Texas size 10-4 guys. Thanks for the info. We will give her the ol college try come April. 

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## Harry1959

me too, I’ve only killed 6, but 5 have been after 930 am. I assume after the Tom has bred one hen and then leaves her in search of another. Also, I am fortunate to get some weekdays off. I try to avoid public land on the weekends


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## STRONGPERSUADER

Most of mine were around 10-1030. There is usually quite a few birds roosting in a general area including hens. If they are with hens the boss will usually fight or chase the others off by mid morning. Then it’s game on. Let’s go!!


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## Beepum19

How did the Indians kill them?


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## Carpn

Beepum19 said:


> How did the Indians kill them?


Probably at night , silhouetted against the sky as they stood on the limb . Lol


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## STRONGPERSUADER

I’ve read they used nets. That’s the same way a given state wildlife catches them.


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## STRONGPERSUADER

Pilgrims shot em with muskets lol.


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