Hey guys, general questions about these tasty birds. Been out already on first hunt in region 8, in the usual areas for turks. Found sign but also more predator sign than I’d like to see...actually had to abandon a set due to four coyotes coming in to my turkey calls to spare the new decoys from maybe taking a hit lol. My question is this - Were the Merriams I was chasing silent due to predators(my guess) or are they more vocal and respond to calls later in the mating season?
I also covered valley bottoms to around 4kms up in elevation in my first attempt. Do they stay at higher elevations in general this time of year or stay low to avoid the snows?
Any insight from those with more local turkey hunting experience would be appreciated!
Agreed. I’ve done my share of predator control but with the wife with me on her first hunt and trad archery gear in hand it didn’t seem like the right time
Turkeys should be very vocal this time of year. If not, they’ve been pushed by either predators or hunters. They will still come in to calls, just a bit quieter and slower than before getting pressured.
They will be anywhere there’s fresh greens to eat. From valley bottoms to snow line.
If I was confident my spot held birds that were staying quiet, I’d call as little as possible and just sit quietly waiting. Or not call at all, and be there before first light in hopes the hens yelping give away their location.
They have an amazing sense of direction, if they hear you call once or twice they can walk to within a couple feet of your location from hundreds of meters away.
Good luck!
Thanks for the confirmation on that. I did try some locator calls at dusk and that first set I mentioned we were set up before first light. I’ll keep at it. Fun to hunt something new just the same
This is great info guys thank you. I'm new to turkey hunting, we are gearing up and headed to west side of the Beaverdell mountain for 4 days to look for them. Any chance someone can point me in the right direction with a more specific area to begin my hunt with (should I be starting on east side of Beaverdell)? "...anywhere there’s fresh greens to eat. From valley bottoms to snow line...". - I've never been in the area but from Google maps seems like a lot of open areas they may like
Never hunted around there so no idea.
I've spent the last 13 years using 1 or 2 weeks vacation each spring chasing turkeys. Likely 25,000 or 30,000 kms on my truck (I used to drive down all the way from Prince George). Watched and read as much turkey hunting content as I could to continue learning. Came home empty handed many times. The years we tagged out early, we haven't gone home - we've stayed and scouted for next season.
It's a ton of fun, but takes a lot of time to get good.
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