Spring Turkey

[DocHolladay]

I wear my muck boots until it starts getting to warm for them, usually a couple of weeks. Then I switch over to some redhead snake boots that are knee high. I used to not wear them, then I made a few trips out to some public land and saw a timber rattler and I bought some snakeboots the next week. At our lease, I have seen numerous rattlesnakes. Glad I have them.

[james7mmwby]

I am so glad I only have to worry about bears, wolves and coyotes, snakes give me the heebie jeebies.

[terminator]

Unless it is raining I usually wear black tennis turkey hunting.I have some strap on snake leggins from Gander Mountain.The tall heavy snake boots are not very comfortable to me

[aka Hunter]

I've got some snake chaps (Rattlers); however, I've never worn 'em, thinking they might be too cumbersome.  Don't know whether to use 'em or get something else (like gaiters or boots) or just continue going "naked."

[DocHolladay]

I like boots as they tend to be lighter than chaps. The gaiters are pretty good. A quality set of knee high gaiters will run you somewhere around $60-80. You can get a pair of knee high snake boots between $80-120. I paid $89+tax for mine on sale. Very comfortable, soft silent sole and water proof. I have had mine since about 2006(maybe 2005) and they have finally started leaking. I may wear them one more year and get another pair. I wear mine up until my boots and wool socks wont keep my feet warm on an all day hunt(around 35*). I then switch over to Mucks.

[DocHolladay]

Its getting close. Ill be taking a kid hunting March 25 and then our regular season opens the next weekend. I'm ready.

[grizzly340]

Good luck Doc.
I drew my 2nd choice here in MI. same weekend as the trout opener. So I will be heading up A couple days earlier Because I dont hunt to far from the river where all the yahoos will be. But were patterning this weekend. Realy I dont know why I waste A shell or 2 every year. Maybe so the box dosent get to old. But this years A little diffrent My twinn boys are both in the service now And I will be hunting With my Fiance who has never turkey hunted. Oh Boy.

[DocHolladay]

Good luck with that!!! LOL. I am sure she will blast one.

[terminator]

Mark:Good  luck to your fiance.Posts some picts.
We had a 2 day hunt reserved for opening weekend but had to cancel.A neighbor M.D. is going to Afghanistan this Spring and we wanted to have him and his family a big bbq before he left.That was the only weekend they could make it so we figured missing a turkey hunt wasnt much of a sacrifice compared to his service.

[Send_it]

Hey fellas our season starts April 23rd here in WV and man I'm chomping at the bit to get out. I just bought 3 new strikers for my pot calls and 5 new diaphragms. Box calls are all chalked up and ready to go. Benelli is all patterned in with some #5 Hevi-Shot. Turkey vest is out and organized. Decoy is folded up and neatly placed in the game pouch. The big birds we got here are formidable opponents and I prefer not use a decoy but I will if it comes down to it. I've been working on my cuttin with my new diaphragms and I must say dang it sounding pretty good. As for snake boots or gaiters, I don’t use them here. It’s not that I wouldn’t it’s just (knock on wood) I’ve never ran across any snakes that I thought would or could bite through my Rocky’s or high enough on my leg to get through my pant leg. Maybe that’s my ignorance though (my momma always said stupid is as stupid does) hehe. Aka Hunter the only thing I could add to the great advice you’ve already been given is to stay patient. Keep it to soft calling at first , and little movement. There are days you will need to run-n-gun and when you need to, do so, but for the most part set up where you know and/or think the birds are and ride it out. If you get lucky enough to get hens in and around you try to learn everything you can from them. You will see that their calling can be some of the goofiest you will ever hear, so don’t get to wrapped up in that you have to be a world champion caller to get a bird to answer you. If you’ve never been before and you can use them where you’re at buy a decoy, they really do work. Some of the guys I hunt with don’t like them, they say it’s cheating but to each is his own. I also like to hunt them around water, small lakes or really big ponds of sorts. At least around here they seem to roost around them and if trouble presents itself with a couple of swoops they can clear the water and be gone.

[aka Hunter]

I'm off this AM to my first turkey hunt; it will be a low-key, learning experience.  I figure it will be pure luck if any turkeys come into my corner of the world; hope I'm not napping if they do. 

PS I sold my snake chaps and got some gaiters.

[coreydelong]

I don't screw around down here in FL with snakes.....

I've run across a few 6' diamondbacks as thick as my calf with heads the size of my fist. They will take your breath away for sure. I had one reach out and miss my calf- with gaiters on, by less than a foot.

I now do not screw around. I wear snake boots under my chaps. Chaps come off at the bottom of the stand for comfort.

I've taken care of more than my share of diamondback bites in the ER, and it's not pretty.

Walk slow.... carry a stick and lead it out in front of you. They will warn you with an ear shattering rattle if you give them the chance. Startle them and they'll strike without notice. if you saw what I had to walk through, you'd probably quit hunting!!!

Moccasins are a different story. They will chase your ass down!!

[zonie]

Normally we hunt  the border in western New Mexico rather than our side in AZ ,  season  apr 15 th each year,  high mtns,   public land and the birds are not dumb or easy to hunt.   Very seldom do we use dekes,  and it's run and gun a lot of times.   I will bet 50 percent of the time it has snow on the ground ,  never seen a snake while turkey hunting usually too cold out,   seen bears, wolves,  mtn lions,  javelina,   deer, elk, and plenty of coyotes.   Some of the canyons we hunt I guarantee you are not going to climb down for a bird,   let them come to you.   The fun part we have is hitting a turkey call sometimes is like ringing the dinner bell for predators.   Seen guy's from the east come over here filming turkey hunts and got pretty humbled,  these are not eary hunts.   Go east in New Mexico in the flats  on private property it's a much easier hunt.   One younger friend called in a Wolf and my son believe it or not had a Javelina come to the call and got within litteraly barrel length popping his jaws at him,   every one thought he was going to stick the barrel in his face and pull the trigger.   For some reason he got real agressive with him.   One of the places we try not to camp in anymore because of the roads when they get wet,   I will almost say most nights you will hear Wolves near camp.   All Merriams where we hunt.   Electronics are illegal in NM,  most every one worth a darm uses a combination of really loud box calls for the windy conditions and deep canyons, slates and diaphrams at the same time to fire them up and bring them cross canyon.  Some old timers even use  real wing bone calls,  I never got the hang of them they were never loud enough for me in these winds.    I switched over to a  3 "   20 ga  number 5's  with an electronic red dot  a few years ago for a super lite easy to carry gun for our conditions out to 35 yds  or so it's a pretty dead bird.     

[zonie]

I should have clarified electronic turkey calls are illegal in New Mexico,    Arizona they are totally legal I do have a couple pocket models and I have to say they do work.    Electronic red dot sights are legal in both states and I really like them I have them on both a 20 & 12 ga.    I do pattern shot guns and when you put that red dot on a birds head they usually just hit the ground,  and start flopping until I can run over and pin them down.   The canyons we have is one of the reasons they reintroduced the wolves it's just rough country.   There are a few roads in there so we  normally  drive  the ridge tops and call down canyon.  Some places down a little lower aren't too terribly bad,  4x4's  or atv's are a must.   Some of these birds will come off a roost and come in 3/4  of a mile  cross canyon if they are fired up enough.   We always go out at night  and drive the ridges and roost a few birds and mark their position for the next morning.    One thing I've noticed about our birds over here because of the canyons is they like to roost on a big open branched pine tree and when they fly down it's to the nearest point which means they go up hill unless they get spooked.   We have one spot they actually roost on one smaller ridge and fly across to another ridge to the call.   Doesn't always work , but enough of the time it's become one of our honey holes,  that ridge you do have to walk in before daylight to be successful.   If someone goes in and spooks them they fly off the otherside down probably close to a thousand feet deep in another canyon, and there is not way to get in there without them seeing you.    I guarantee we are not always successful,  but it sure is fun trying to out smart   them.   

[Huntnmachine]

Here in southern Ontario our season is from April 25 to May 31, we are allowed two long beards but cannot shoot them on the same day..........we must purchase two licenses, we have had a fall season in mid October the last few years but hunters have not shown much interest
Turkey hunting has been adapted as a spring hunt and rightfully so, deer and moose are the animals of choice in the fall........not gobblers