Yes, however I currently do not own one. I can see where not alerting the critters (or other hunters) for future hunts would be beneficial, but for the added expense it doesn't seem worth it. I'm patterned out to 60 yds with the 870 3 1/2" mag, and my visibility in the direction of where the birds sound off from is only about 40-50 yds.

I just learned a lot, thank you! I did not know that hens move to toms. I always thought it was the other way around. It would explain the fact that when I get a tom to sound off within 100 yards or so (the forest is dense in the woods to the right and rear of the field, so visibility is limited) they seem to shut up and disappear into thin air.

Stalking would be a good bet for the reasons you stated, so I'm giving that a shot this upcoming season. Hunter density in this particular spot normally isn't terrible so long as I get there first, so stalking would definitely be an option. To address #12, I always hunt as late as possible due to the distance I have to travel to get there. I have to make it worth it!

I have also noticed the same thing you mentioned about the birds sounding off again roughly between 9 and 10. Actually, I tend to hear them more during that time period than any other time before noon (which marks the end of the legal hunting time during the spring season here).

Thanks again for the tips; I will make good use of them in a couple of weeks! :lifter

Wouldn't a crossbow let you hunt where firearms are not allowed?

TR

Unfortunately not. As I mentioned in post #1, we aren't legally able to hunt or possess firearms (I should have included archery equipment) within 50 yds of the canal. I understand why, because there is a tow path that runs parallel to the canal that people PT on.

I've had some success with a shoot through blind on the edge of a clearing with decoys. Turkeys may have great eye sight, but they have tiny little brains, so don't over think things too much. Previous advice on not calling too much is dead on. Locator calls are okay, but I've had them respond to a squeaky door hinge when I was getting out of the car. Again, tiny brains. I'm always a little sketchy about stalking on public land, but the hunter density here is pretty high, at least at the beginning of the season.

Next time you want to bag a turkey- Get a room at the Fountain Inn in Newcastle, Wyoming. Get yourself a chair, put it in front of your room. Wait until about a half hour before sundown. Sit in the chair with your shotgun beside you. When the turkeys come down to drink in the pond in front of your room, pick out the biggest tom and blast him...

Craigpo- Good stuff!!

Lots of good advice, however I tend to disagree that Tom's always wait for the hens to come to them. Case in point...last Saturday was opening day of Spring Turkey season in Virginia. I own 120 acres of prime turkey hunting ground and my wife's family owns 247 acres next to mine (I'm a lucky guy when it comes to deer and turkey habitat that I have easy access to!)

I set up with two hen decoys in front of my position right before sunrise. I could hear hens clucking behind me and off to my left front. I called with three yelps from a box call and a gobbler responded from a distance off to my right front. I waited about ten minutes and called again and he responded, sounded like he was at the same distance. We played this game for about two hours back and forth. A hen was clucking and yelping off to my left and came straight down a fence line and then came under the fence looking in my direction at the decoys. She was clucking and yelping nonstop and came to with 60 yards of my decoys before turning into the woods in front of me. She continued to steadily make all kinds of racket and the Tom started gobbling in response moving closer and closer. I had quit calling by this time...letting the hen that was in the tree line in front of me bring him in. He came running in and came out of the woods looking at my decoys...he strutted twice turning in a complete circle each time. I had my 870 up and ready and when he got to within 30 yards I popped him. This was a Jake, not nearly as wise as an older Tom would probably be. 16.5 pounds, 2 inch beard and short spurs. I've had several times where my calls would not make a bird come to me, but a real life hen brought them in. So, from my own personal experience...I don't believe that all gobblers sit and wait for hens to come to them, especially the younger Jakes.

When you do kill one, don't just take the breast meat for eating. The wings and legs, cooked all night in a crock pot with onions, celery, carrots, salt, and pepper will have the meat falling off the bones. Remove the meat from the bones and then strain out the remaining stock. Put the stock and meat together in a ziploc freezer bag and put in the freezer. When ready, take ou the stock/meat and put in the crock pot and make some dumplings to go with it. Better than any "chicken and dumplings" you ever ate!

Congrats!

Thanks, Dusty...thought I would post this link to the NWTF. Great information and live turkey sounds so that you can practice mimicing the calls. Lots of basic stuff in there too for those that don't have a whole lot of experience and a few gems for those of us that have hunted turkeys for years.

http://www.nwtf.org/for_hunters/hunting_tactics.html

I always tell people that I go to the woods in the Fall to "kill" a deer and back to the woods in the Spring to "hunt" for a turkey. Big difference between killing and hunting. In my humble opinion, turkey hunting is one of the most challenging and complicated and sometimes frustrating hunts there is.