Best Tactic if I Do NOT Have a Field to Turkey Hunt

I am not sure what do do here. My family has a lot of wooded land but no big fields on our property. Most if not all of my friends hunt on the edges of fields the majority of the time. The closest I can get to a field would be about 50 yds. My cabin is also on a gravel road and I have seen Toms on the gravel roads but never got any close enough. Does anybody have any suggestions? Thanks BHS

Turkeys spend most of their time in the woods, not big open fields. Scout your property, look for scratching, feathers, actual sightings. I like the woods better then fields, you have the option to move and better your position, in fields that is very tough to do.

Out of all the turkeys I've taken in the spring I can count on one hand how many I've killed in a field. 4. And two of the four didn't even come in the field I was set up in. As previous posters have said, scouting is key as well as setting up as close as you can. Knowing your land is key. Where the streams are, where they find food, where they roost, etc. They will take the path with least resistance. So if you have a large thick area, they (probably) aren't going to march through it. Scout your area and know where they travel. When your season comes around get out and listen for them in the morning and the night before see if you can put one to sleep. The next morning get out there with an hour or so before daylight like the other guy said and get set up. As you start to hear them, give a few soft tree yelps to let him know you're there. He'll gobble to get the girls around him. Sometimes if you get him to gobble a lot, another hen might slip in without you knowing and take him away. In this case, your scouting comes in because you should know his travel habits. You don't always need a field to bag your bird.

I like the the mid morning when the toms are in there strut zones gobbling there heads off. Get as close as you can without bumping the tom usually within 75 yards. Get set up and give a few calls. Be very still and keep a sharp eye,they will come in strutting. Setting up a decoy helps if you can set it up without being seen.I have shot alot of turkeys this way and it is awesome. When they are not gobbling I will walk the ridge tops calling about every 100 yards till I get a gobble then go after them depending on how close they are. Good Luck and have fun.

I would pinpoint exactly where they are roosting and which tree they are in. That is by stalking and listening the night before... Stalk well before sun rise and get right up on them. Decoy would help and get up against a good size tree. When the sun starts coming through the trees make a couple of soft yelps just to let them know you are there. I like to take my hat and beat it against the ground or my leg and usually if their is no wind that makes the toms go crazy... They think its the hens flying down. I've had them fly right down next to me without hardly making any hen calls. Remember naturally the tom is calling the hens to him so if you make a lot of calls he will stay put and gobble his head off and try to get the hen to him. Also if he is "henned up" he might not want to leave the hens and you will want to figure out which direction they are headed and set up in that spot if you do not score that morning. Good luck.

Get in their bedroom! Find out where they are roosting and set up within 30 yards of it. Yes I said 30. The kicker is you have to get up very early in the morning - no light what so ever. When I use this approach, you need to be in the woods about 1.25 hours before season. The turkey have animal walk right under them all night long and think nothing of it. Same with a human, if still night. I usually don't talk until they do and as they get more excite, I get more excited with my calling. Don't use a blind, just lean up against a tree. When the birds fly down, they are usually all ready in range!

You say your family has a lot of wooded land. I assume you have roads to get around on the property. If they are not graveled or packed down so nothing grows on them, keep them mowed. If the turkeys can walk and strut on them, they will. I have seen toms use open ridge tops for strut zones also. They have a good vantage point. If one of your roads "benches out", creates an overlook it will probably draw toms. If that bench overlooks a feeding area it WILL draw toms. They can strut, gobble and look down for hens. Use you trail cams, just set them lower than for deer. Good luck, Rat.

how do they enter the gravel drive way? I bet they come out of the woods in the same general area or areas. If its hardwoods turkeys will strut and feed in them. I hunt mainly woods and turkeys do live in wooded areas. they use the same general routes every year. I hunt in a valley they have few routes they use to cross the valley or walk right down the middle of the valley. Sometimes I get a shot and sometimes they stay out of range. Look for turkey scratchings where they feed and how they move through the woods. When they use thick stuff the turkeys usually enter at the same point. Scouting and finding ambush spots is the best way to turkey hunt in my opinion because it's just one more thing going for you. If they don't come in to calling or decoys you still have a shot at a turkey.