Turkey for a turkey

[Robhuntandfish]

Ok so someone besides Bill has to start a turkey thread.  

I have a unique situation this year.  There is a small farm next to where I turkey hunt and they now have a few turkeys. So where I got a turkey opening day last year, I plan on setting up between where the woods is and where the turkeys are on the edge of a big green field.  Last year I snuck up on one out in that field but this year gonna setup there.  

So with turkeys about 300 yards behind me at the farm and the woods about 100 yards in front of me I am hoping to catch them coming out to strut in the field. 

Dunno if I should even call or just let them get fired up on their own?  Maybe a little calling and let them get fired up to come out and strut. Or do they even get fired up from farm birds?  

[Robhuntandfish]

Was gonna put out a hen.  Prob just past me towards the farm.  So they are looking that way and pass from my left to right.  Will try some soft calls. Thinking maybe if they think a hen is closer then might try to get to it before they think farm birds might. 

[turkeyfeathers]

So birds will be roosted 300 yards from your set up ? 

[Pygmy]

Long before season, the wild birds will be aware that the farm birds are not available to them..A gobbler might sound of to a domestic gobbler in the distance, but I don't see them  going to the domestic birds..

The gobblers will be much more interested in wild hens that are closer to them...

If you have permission, set up on the edge of the woods  where the birds roost... Place a decoy  in the field in front of you.....Let the birds gobble on the roost ( which will be behind you) and then do a little soft hen calling, just enough to let the gobbler know there is a hen in the field...

If the stars are aligned properly, the gobbler may come into the field, see your decoy and come down the edge of the woods to within range...Be sure  you have good cover behind you and to your sides, in case the gobbler enters the field close to you.. Easy to get busted that way... A pop up blind works well for this, and you don't have to worry so much about getting busted squirming or shifting your weight...

[Robhuntandfish]

4 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

So birds will be roosted 300 yards from your set up ? 

I'll have prob 4-5 farm turkeys behind me about 300 yards. Directly behind me a little runoff and gully to the field edge.  Then be sitting on the field edge with woods to my front left about 100-150 yards away.  There are a lot of big pines in there and I am real sure they roost in there. Was hoping to get them out in that field in between the farm turkeys and the woods. Just thinking they might be fired up and strut out in that field cause there are turkeys so close.? 

[Robhuntandfish]

2 minutes ago, Pygmy said:

Long before season, the wild birds will be aware that the farm birds are not available to them..A gobbler might sound of to a domestic gobbler in the distance, but I don't see them  going to the domestic birds..

The gobblers will be much more interested in wild hens that are closer to them...

If you have permission, set up on the edge of the woods  where the birds roost... Place a decoy  in the field in front of you.....Let the birds gobble on the roost ( which will be behind you) and then do a little soft hen calling, just enough to let the gobbler know there is a hen in the field...

If the stars are aligned properly, the gobbler may come into the field, see your decoy and come down the edge of the woods to within range...Be sure  you have good cover behind you and to your sides, in case the gobbler enters the field close to you.. Easy to get busted that way... A pop up blind works well for this, and you don't have to worry so much about getting busted squirming or shifting your weight...

I don't have permission to hunt the woods but I can def hunt the edge of it. Line is just inside the woods.  I have the whole huge green field to hunt though.  There is a gully there I think I can set up on at the bottom of the field and be real concealed and be able to just shoot over the edge of it and have the woods to my top left. 

Yeah was wondering if those turkeys would be used to the farm turkeys and just ignore my calls or if it would help fire them up.  Those turkeys at the farm are pretty vocal.

[Robhuntandfish]

This pic is looking down the field from opposite end.  Will be looking to sit in that bottom with the woods to my left . I can setup anywhere on the field edge but thought being between the woods and farm turkeys would help?  

You can kinda see the farm below too. Was thinking of setting up by those couple of scraggly trees at the  middle bottom of field

Edited February 26, 2020 by Robhuntandfish

[Pygmy]

The farm birds may work to your advantage, getting the wild birds to gobble more and let you know where they are...

Keep in mind though that the gobblers are entering the field to meet hens....It is to your advantage to BE the first hen in the field..

Even if he enters the field in company of hens, the hens will often work to the decoys and bring the gobbler with them..

[Robhuntandfish]

8 hours ago, blackbeltbill said:

Man-- this Field and the one beyond looks Awesome to me. Those Trees on the upper Left corner of the picture could be a good setup area also.

yeah lots of turkeys out in those far fields but...... cant hunt over there.  damn it.  There is a road in between as well. 

[Robhuntandfish]

the top blue marker on map is where i expect turkeys to come out of (also where i have a treestand). I will be sitting just to the right of that on that curve and the farm will be behind me to the right.  

Edited February 26, 2020 by Robhuntandfish

[LET EM GROW]

If that field in your picture is going down hill the further down the field.. Id stay towards the top side of the hill/field. 

Also, I highly recommend getting there for a few morning scouting sits. Does Not have to be exactly there so you dont spook them. but a point where you can see and or hear them. That way you can try to pattern their movements. If you get their somewhat normal patterns down you can sit and be quiet with just a fews of tyelps or clucks. Or cut them off somewhere before or after this field .. 

Do you know if these birds get pressured by other hunters much? 

[Robhuntandfish]

30 minutes ago, LET EM GROW said:

If that field in your picture is going down hill the further down the field.. Id stay towards the top side of the hill/field. 

Also, I highly recommend getting there for a few morning scouting sits. Does Not have to be exactly there so you dont spook them. but a point where you can see and or hear them. That way you can try to pattern their movements. If you get their somewhat normal patterns down you can sit and be quiet with just a fews of tyelps or clucks. Or cut them off somewhere before or after this field .. 

Do you know if these birds get pressured by other hunters much? 

The field def goes downhill.  At the top of the field it is surrounded by fields behind that.  I think they roost about mid way on the slope in some pines. This spot is about 1/2 hour away but might try a scouting trip for a morn in late April. Good idea.  And the owner gives me a "turkey call" now and again to let me know they are out in the fields. lol  Actually last year i was coming out from my first spot that was across the road ( i can hunt one spot across the road and to the far right (not in these pics  if landowners son isnt out there) and saw a turkey out in the field by middle marker.  So i cut way around and he kept going field to field and i was tailing him and he stopped and strutted in this field where i got him.  Three years ago i sat in this field and had a roosted gobbler in the woods.  He was gobbling back at me but I also could hear a hen.  And yup about 8 oclock on the other side of woods "boom".  That "hen" was another hunter.  But since then havent seen or heard other hunters.  I have seen them turkeys in this field a few times before but have seen them in most all the fields in the area.  Hoping i hit them roosted nearby.  

Edited February 26, 2020 by Robhuntandfish

[LET EM GROW]

Im no pro but if you can get eyes or ears on a bird, I always try to answer/reply to what his mood is showing you.. 

[turkeyfeathers]

Scout early morning a few times    See where they’re roosting and where they meandor. Don’t call, simply listen 

[Robhuntandfish]

12 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

Scout early morning a few times    See where they’re roosting and where they meandor. Don’t call, simply listen 

Should I do trail cams? Def don't want to get busted there. Being opening day is a Friday the closest I would be able to scout is the Sunday before. 

[turkeyfeathers]

13 minutes ago, Robhuntandfish said:

Should I do trail cams? Def don't want to get busted there. Being opening day is a Friday the closest I would be able to scout is the Sunday before. 

Wouldn’t bother with cams but listen a few times before May 1 and you should have a great idea where to set up.   Sneak in early , hear em rip and sneak on out   

[Pygmy]

When you are scouting, leave your turkey calls at home to avoid the temptation to make " one little call"....A crow call is OK, but I'd rather just listen most of the time...As TF says, keep a LOOOW profile....

[Robhuntandfish]

4 hours ago, Pygmy said:

When you are scouting, leave your turkey calls at home to avoid the temptation to make " one little call"....A crow call is OK, but I'd rather just listen most of the time...As TF says, keep a LOOOW profile....

Gotta go up there at least once to pick out and setup a spot I can get to in the dark. Prob do that mid April so it's a couple weeks before season. Then maybe scout from the road or barn where I park for deer hunting the weekend before opener.