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another dumb question

2K views 33 replies 16 participants last post by  Hooked Spurs  
#1 ·
Once again I am asking another uneducated question. Sorry for bothering you guys. When bow season is over or around Feb. I was thinking about moving my game camera out to where the turkey are roosting. Will a IR game camera spook a turkey? Will they set one off? I would like to get some pics of them and see the size of the ones that are out there where I want to hunt them. Is this a good idea or should I leave them well alone? Thanks in advance for educating this unexperienced turkey hunting wanna be, lol.
 
#5 ·
The IR lights dont go off unless its dark and turkeys wont be out after dark. So you should only get day pics. If something does trigger it at night and they are roosted nearby I dont think it'd spook em. You should be fine.
 
#9 ·
ok, well here comes another dumb question. What exactly classifies a turkey as a "BIG ONE"?
Each hunter is different much like buck deer. To me a big one is mostly about beard length and how much of a challenage the bird was to call up. I dont care how much it weighed or how long the spurs were these to me are just Icing on the cake. By the way there is know such thing as a Dumb guestion when it comes to turkey hunting. Just when you think you know or have seen it all a ol gobbler will do something to make you ask a question!
 
#11 ·
Each hunter is different much like buck deer. To me a big one is mostly about beard length and how much of a challenage the bird was to call up. I dont care how much it weighed or how long the spurs were these to me are just Icing on the cake. By the way there is know such thing as a Dumb guestion when it comes to turkey hunting. Just when you think you know or have seen it all a ol gobbler will do something to make you ask a question!

Edawgs is 100% correct.

The only thing I can add would be to prepare yourself for failure. the good thing is you WILL learn from your mistakes in dealing with the old toms. No two birds are ever exactly the same, but you can always try things that have worked for you in the past when dealing with the big birds.

Good luck and happy hunting.
 
#13 ·
ok, well here comes another dumb question. What exactly classifies a turkey as a "BIG ONE"?
They all look huge when you see them in the woods. That's especially true when you're a newb.

By and large, "trophy" turkeys are not hunted like "trophy" bucks. I dont know anybody who calls up 2 year olds and lets them walk waiting on a big one. It's all about working them. I have never had any idea how big a turkey was when I shot it. My first bird was a behemoth, and I didnt really know til I got home and got out the tape measure.

There are 3 things that can make a turkey "big": weight, spurs, and beard.

Spurs are probably the most reliable indicator of age, although many mountain birds wear them down quick. Generally speaking, 2yr old birds go .5 to .75". I'd call an inch pretty big, and anything over that is big.

Much like deer, 90% of hunters have never weighed a turkey they killed. You're usually better off just not listening when most people tell you how much they think their deer or turkey weighed. 20lbs used to be a heavy turkey, but they seem to be getting bigger:head:.

Beards vary. Anything over 10" is pretty darn good. Over 11" is great. 12" is awesome! A more mature beard will be thick.
 
#14 ·
thanks. The more I learn about turkey hunting threw reading books and on here. The harder and harder this seems to become. I think I may have bitten off more than what I can chew, lol. Oh well, I can't wait to get out there and learn something
 
#15 ·
I have done very little turkey hunting. Plan on giving it another try. That last year I learned a lot. If a Tom don't want to work and maybe hen'd up, walk away and call ( or hunting with another hunter one walk away and call other stay behind ). Sometimes they will break and sometimes they wont ( So I was told ). I too bee reading on here to learn somethings. Carry on Carbonelement....
 
#17 · (Edited)
These are the kind of pics you can get if you find the right spot. That is the key, finding the right spot. If you set up a feeder and don't get turkey pics in a week to 10 days, move the feeder. If you still get no pics, move it again. When you find the right spot it will produce pics year after year unless there's a big change in the habitat such as logging.
 
#18 · (Edited)
I will give a little advice that is always helpful to new turkey hunters. Call to the turkey and if he gobbles wait and see what the gobbler is gonna do next. If he starts gobbling pretty good I would just sit there and wait. Maybe after awhile I would cluck or purr once and maybe scratch the leaves a little. You will know real quick if he is interested. Don't over call. That is the biggest mistake most greenhorns make. If he gobbles aggressivley when you call or cuts you off as it is known. I would clam up and wait him out. If he is gobbling pretty good and suddenly quits you better get ready. Make your adjustments with your gun quickly and get comfortable. He might be standing in front of you in just a matter of minutes. When you are approaching a gobbling bird try not to get too close. This is another common mistake made by newbies. Find a tree to sit down on and get organized before you ever make a sound. You can always get up if you feel you are in the wrong spot. Learn to use a diaphram mouth call. You don't have to be a calling contest expert to make that last little cluck or soft yelp to close the deal on a cautious tom. Another tip is to pick out a tree to sit down at before you call while walking and calling. Where you set up is of utmost importance. Never sit down where you you can't see much. If you can't see 30 yards you are probably in the wrong spot. Don't call to the birds before the season. Leave your calls at home while you are listening before the season. Don't owl hoot too much. I know they do it on tv but this aint tv. Gobblers that are ready and willing will gobble regardless. There are plenty of crows and owls to do this work for you. Don't be afraid to walk. If you know gobblers are in a particular area park a ways away and walk into the area. They get liplock pretty quick if you ride through their areas too much. Hunt through out the morning if you can. I've killed a truck load of em after 9 am. and a few after lunch. And here's my final tip and its a good one. If you've heard a gobbler in an area and you arrive there and don't hear anything. Unless you've got another area to go try, hang around in the area. Find a nice comfortable spot to sit down and just listen. You will be amazed at how many times you will hear a gobbler if you practice this often. It's one of my deadliest tactics and Im kinda lazy anyway. Hope some of these tips help and good luck this coming spring. The photo attached is my spring 2010 season in Arkansas and Missouri. One of the Missouri gobblers had a spur broken off so I left it out.
 
#20 ·
Davglo35
This is some excellant advice. For a New Trukey hunter. X2:up:
X3. That's some great turkey killing advice I would say!!!

I can't reiterate enough how important patience is. The word is beat into the ground for a reason. Just keep in mind, it does pay off to be aggressive at times, but if it makes sense at all, you can be patient at the same time you are being aggressive. Don't over analyze that. Know what call to make at the proper time. Even if you call aggressively at times, be patient to pick your moments when to do it, not just blasting away in 30 minute increments of aggressive calling. Less is usually more, especially when learning the ropes. Be patient when repositioning. It pays to relocate while working a gobbler sometimes, but choose the proper time to do it. Let the gobbler dictate when you should move, but give him every opportunity to commit to your current location. Patience will make or break you as a turkey hunter during a long season. Remain patient and persistent, because entire seasons can be frustrating, but like a light switch, it can change in a heartbeat. The impatient folks have given up a week ago, while you are placing your tag on one's leg.

All the above becomes second nature once you gain some experience.

You have gotten great advice on what is considered a "big" turkey. Consider to that genetics and weather can play a part as well. In some areas, many older, adult gobblers with 1 1/4" spurs may have 9" beards. Sometimes gobblers from the same area have very similar beard characteristics.
 
#23 ·
I just want to say thanks for all of the advice I have been given. Please by all means if you think of something else let me know. I will take any and all the advice I can get. THANKS AGAIN for all the advice and help. I am learning a lot from all of you. I really appreciate it. :thumb:
 
#24 ·
You have recieved some great advice on here. :up:

To answer your original question about camera's they wont bother turkeys. I do suggest you use feed however if you want to get a lot pics. I also suggest hen scratch over any other feed. If you feed corn the deer will eat the majority of it.

Your second question it all depends on the hunter. Personally it's all about the hooks for me. I consider anything 1.5" or better a trophy, but trust me they all get me excited.

IF you come across any obsticals this spring post them on here and someone will tell you how to overcome them. There are many people on here that know how to get it done.
 
#25 ·
If you feed to get pics on your camera I would use a feeder that controls the amount hitting the ground each day. If you pour it out and it rains it will swell and begin rotting. There's a suspicion that rotting corn is harmful to turkeys. I don't know this for a fact but I wouldnt take that chance. Plus, if you use a spin type feeder it will cost less and the birds will be in competition to get there and consume whats on the ground. The area around my feeder from January thru March looks like a chicken yard. If I go there in the middle of the day I would not be able to find one speck of corn on the ground. I have cycled my feeder in order to check the battery and literally had turkeys walk up on me while I was doing maintenance. Don't get discouraged, remember, you have to find that magical spot for your feeder. I would put only one sack of corn or scratch in it so I could move it fairly easily.
 
#26 · (Edited)
This is my longest beard. The shorter one is 10 inches long. The beard is a little over 13 inches in length. The fellow at the check station said he had never seen one this long. Most this long are measured that length because of a single strand. But not this one it is full all the way to the tip. It was killed in Arkansas in 2008 and the gobbler had a set of needle sharp 1 1/8" spurs.