New to turkey hunting

[double_D]

Im 16 and want to give turkey hunting a try this year but my dad doesn't know much about it. I am wondering which type of turkey call would be best for a beginner to learn on. I appreciate any and all advice.

thanks,
Dillon

[quackheadbp]

Thats a loaded question. Find you someone that is a good hunter and would be willing to take you. Thats really the best way to learn. But if you insist on an opinion on a call, then get you a Primos Power Crystal slate call. Practice alot at home and not in the woods. I would try a good raspy box call also. Primos Heart breaker is a good one to start. I personnaly use Woodhaven mouth calls ( Stinger, Copper Head).

Practice at home and out in your yard to get the feel for the sound. Less is more most of the time. Really though the best way is to find someone who is willing to teach you and take you hunting.

[aweyerman]

Trial and error. Oh, and you get what you pay for.

[Bonecollecter1111]

i started about 15 yrs ago with the advise my dad gave me. " go out to a good hill, hoot like an owl, run twards the gooble, when you get close, hoot again, get as close as you can. here take this old box call and only call when he goobles." that first hunt i ended up under the birds tree and watched him till he flew down across the creek and my nieghbor killed him. took me 2 yrs of trial an error to finally get a bird.

it didn't take me long to realize my dads advise was from someone who had turkey hunted only a coupla times back in the 70's and he was talking completely outta his booty
I still carry a box call and love them, but i generally use a mouth call or slate to close the deal. if you know some turkey hunters, try to get them to take you even if its just to tag along. it will save you some hard lessons. turkey hunting is always a learning experience and is as much about knowing the terrain, and turkey habits as it is about being able to call.

as far as calling, get a box, a slate, and a couple of mouth calls, the ones previously listed are excellant for either beginners or the "pros" find you a decent Xfull choke and some 3" copper plated shells, i prefer 4 or 5 shot but thats just me. if your no good at judging yardage, get a rangefinder, or practice judging 45 yrds (i am assuming your shooting a 12 ga) as this is a standard safe kill range on turkey. i know alot of folks have killed them much farther myself included, but to begin with start there until you have time and money to tune your setup to extend that range if need be. honestly most of my birds have been inside 20 yrds.

hope this helps

[camlock]

My personal opinion is that you should look at a pot call with slate face. Most people in the South refer to all friction/striker style calls as a slate call (I do too when I ain't thinking about it), but a "slate call" is a pot call and it comes with numerous different faces of different material that obviously offer different sounds/tones/etc. A slate face pot call with a med/hard wood (think diamond wood or purple heart) striker for your location and communication style calling and a softer wood (think Hickory) for softer calling and for a change of tone is I think the easiest call to learn and be effective with...

I am personally not a fan of box calls...I can hear a turkey hunting yapping on a box call from a country away...I know they work and for sending out long locator style yelps they work, but I just don't sit down to a turkey with a box call...

Mouth calls, well just buy a few with various types and numbers of reeds and cuts and see what gets you there. Some people say a double reed call is a beginner call and all that, personally I think they are more difficult as they get too high pitched way to easy...a triple reed call with a med (3000th) latex and a diamond or combo type cut to me creates the realistic rasp you find in eastern hen turkey (our area) and to me they are easier to keep in control and not go off key...but everybody is different, and do be disappointed if it takes a year or tow of practicing to get where you are comfortable calling to a turkey with a mouth call...it took me probably 10 years to get truly where I can make all turkey vocalizations and really get after it on a mouth call...

Also keep in mind, that what a calling contest judge thinks and what a wild turkey thinks are two different things. It's about what call you make and when you make it...there is no real right way a hen sounds, each one like a human voice or a dogs bark, sounds differently. Don't caught up in perfect two toned yelps and all that...just know when to call, how loud, candences, and what calls to make at what given times...that's what calling a turkey is all about.

You can check out my website linked in my signature line below...we got audio clips of our calls, you can hear the differences between the different materials and styles of calls...I'd be glad to answer any questions you got....

Good luck!

[cockandlock25]

Some beginners start out with a push-peg call because it is easy and will do the basics. I started out with a Lynch box call and eventually progressed into slates and mouth calls. I guess you could say I taught myself how to turkey hunt because my dad never did much of it, only squirrel and deer hunted. When I got into high school and got my first truck, I wanted to hunt anything that was in season. I learned mostly from watching hunting shows on tv and personal experiences. Now I'm hooked. My advice would be to buy a box call first (it's the go-to call). Then, try some slate calls out to find which ones you like and can use the best (slate, glass, aluminum, crystal, etc). Once you get good at using these types of calls you may want to practice with some mouth calls. I like Primos and H.S. Strut mouth calls myself. Learn the property you will be hunting on because setup is 90% of killing a bird. The best caller in the world can't kill a gobbler that doesn't want to go where he is calling from. Also learn how to control your volume with calling. Soft calling is 9 times out of 10 better than loud calling. Read books, watch videos, and talk to experienced turkey hunters to learn what calls to use at certain times. Never underestimate a turkey's intelligence because he is the smartest creature you will EVER chase! Have fun with it and good luck!

[vicksburg]

And when that bird gets real close and shuts up on you, and you think it's time to get up and go find him, sit for 30 more minutes...

[double_D]

Thanks for all the advice, I'm going to try and pick up a few different mouth calls since they are relatively inexpensive and maybe a friction call this weekend. I think i know someone who would be willing to let me tag along on a few hunts and I am really looking forward to learning a new type of hunting.

Thanks,
Dillon

[tommyls1313]

If you're going to get some mouth calls I would strongly recommend you buy 1-2 from several different call makers. Each brand varies in one way or another. I can sound pretty good on a few brands and sound awful on others. My hunting buddies and I all like different ones.

Vicksburg's advice on being patient is probably the best advise anyone could put to use.

Good luck and remember no matter how frustrated you get sometimes, HAVE FUN

[GordonGekko]

I have to quote my buddy the waterfowler "the best turkey call in the world is patience"....

to start out, don't overlook those little push peg calls, they work and are EASY to use...then a box or a slate (pot) call, for a beginner's box there is nothing wrong with Lynch, and although I rarely use a slate (pot) call if you get one and learn to work it you will never NEED to learn to use a mouth call...the advantage of a mouth call is that you can call with your gun on your shoulder, that and you can practice it while driving.... I'm partial to Hook's mouth calls myself, made by a great guy and won't break the bank.... but, if you can yelp you can call a turkey....

oh, and get the CD "tree top turkeys" to learn what they sound like...you want to sound like a turkey, so listen to real turkeys (pay attention to the cadence and the way a hen yelp sounds)....

[edub20]

http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/calling_tips.html

[camlock]

I'll give you the best recipe...

a - get you a friction call that you can learn to make clear soft yelps, clucks, and purr/whine type sounds on
b - find a gobbling turkey at daylight, get as close as you can (be smart about that)...make those soft yelps clucks and purrs for a few minutes after you sit down...
c - put the call in your pocket, put your gun on you knee and be patient

If you do that enough times as a new turkey hunter, you'll likely have success and you will hear what does on in the turkey woods in the mornings and learn alot!

[kevinw]

And when you buy that first call, go ahead and get you a thermacell. hard to kill birds when your swatting skeeters> You'll learn that each hunt is a learning experience no matter if it's successful or not. I've been turkey hunting for a while and I'm still learing different things.

[nufther]

This is a good post!!! Its great to see young people getting into turkey hunting. I personally have been hunting turkey's for about 20 years. Everyone of the tips on here are actually great tips. If you follow these tips close you should get yourself some chances at some toms sooner or later. One of the best tips on here in my opinion is grab someone with a little experience and tag along. You will definitely educate birds and make it harder to kill them in your location if you just try and go out on your own. You can also watch a few tapes and learn a few tricks as well. As far as the calling goes the brands everyone mentioned on here should get you well on your way. Once youve learned a little bit about calling try some natural voice techniques. Theres not very many hunters out there that can just go in the woods with just there gun. If you need any more tips pm me i'll help you all I can. Check out my video I have on youtube and see what you think "Chris Carney Natural Voice" there's actually two on there. There not great quality because they were taken with a blackberry phone but they get the job done. Later and Good Luck... Chasing turkey's is my passion and by far the funnest....

[Hambone]

Your success in killing turkeys will increase in proportion to the time you spend in the woods, particularly after you use up your "beginner's luck."

There are no shortcuts.

When you scare a gobbler away, miss (it will happen if you shoot at enough of them) or otherwise blunder, try not to take it too hard. You will do it some more if you keep hunting turkeys. Much more.