How to Hunt Turkeys California, Oregon: Decoy, Call and locate Turkey

How to Hunt Turkeys: Decoy, Call and Understand Turkey Behavior for Hunting in California, Oregon



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See below on how to Call/Decoy

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 How to Hunt Turkeys: Decoy, Call and Understand Turkey Behavior in California and Oregon...

First, a couple interesting Maps (we are a little map crazy around here)

Historical Turkey Range:

  

Current Turkey Range (2019)

 Wild Turkeys were almost extinct in the USA (down to 500 birds) at one time...talk about a come back!

PART I

When stalking and calling turkeys it's wise to note their behavior. There are tell-tale signs they display in their body movements and physiological changes.

• If you notice these you'll have a more successful hunt

THE STRUT

• Does a grossly exaggerated walk "the strut"
• He has heard your call or seen your decoy and
• Means he is very interested in mating or finding a mate
• He comes straight in, no problem keep clucking
• IF he suddenly stops just out of range- he is suspicious- DESIST your calling, he senses you're so excited, he decided to wait for you
• He will then approach closer, so stay quiet, literally don't even blink

HEAD AND NECK SKIN DISCOLORATION

No kidding it goes from bluish-white (calm) to deep red (he's worried or mad) depending on his mood

• If if he stops and his head turns red he is suspicious
• If you see this you better take your shot

INFLATION OF THE SNOOD (turkey’s nose area fleshy droopy tissue is the "snood") 

• Contracts and expands depending on whether he is calm or confused
• Starts to contract  better start worry hew sees you
• Contracts all the way up past his beak take your shot

HEN'S BEHAVIOR TO DOMINANT MALES, HUMANS CAN ONLY WISH

• Upon encountering a male, Hens will lay down and submissively face away
•  Human Males appreciate this behavior in females, saying, in part, "I only wish...."

 PART II Calling and Decoys (see below):

PART II  Turkey Calling and Using Turkey Decoys

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 HOW TO DECOY TURKEYS

 Spring gobblers  have supernatural vision.  They don't have eyes, they  have dual 400-power spotting  scopes  Turkeys also seem to know your  human form better than your own  mother knows it, and can pick you  out of indecently heavy cover.  What’s needed is something to  divert the gobbler’s attention from your position while he approaches  the sound of your call. Decoys are  about the greatest boon to spring tur-  key hunting since the box call.

 Decoys preform two important  functions They are atractors: once  you have called a gobbler into view  of that decoy, he will fall instantly in  obsessive, possessive love with that  decoy.  The decoy really brings in the  toms close.

With a decoy, gobblers frequently hang up and get  reluctant at 50 to 100 yards out After  all, they are used to having the hens  come to them. Decoys bring them in  close — close enough to get right on  top of that deke!  Decoys also divert attention away  from the hunters; when he's looking  at the decoy, he can’t be looking at  you. That really takes a lot of the  pressure off.

Here are a few tips from turkey  guides on decoying spring gobblers in the North State:

 1. Place the deke in a clearing,  with good brush cover for the hunters behind it

Make sure there is a  good clear field of vision of 100  yards or so along the avenue from  which the gobblers are most likely to  approach. The sooner they spot your  decoy, the better.

2. Place the caller a bit off to the  side from the decoy, not directly  behind

3. Place the hunter on the  flanks of the caller, so they don‘t have  to move much to get a likely shot.

 Start calling when you are set  up in your blind — but stop calling  once that tom sees that lane. He‘ll  take it from there. Only if he loses  interest should you use a soft coaxer.  I The best dekes have their necks  down, not up. Down necks on a hen  communicate a kind of submissive,  come-hither sex message. Heads up  mean danger - look out.

 Make sure hunters wear full  camo, keep still and sit in position  with shotguns resting roughly in the  direction you expect the birds to be  coming from.  Plot a shot grid around the deke  so you know your range. It’s easy to  get excited about a 70-yard shot that  looks like 40 yards Pace off some  distances so you know your shot  grid.  Use these decoying tactics in your  favorite turkey hunting area and  you’l1 score! Try Shasta, Tehama,  Butte, Yuba, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Mendocino and Monterey  counties!       

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Free 2024 California Turkey hunting info, MAPS, Monterey, San luis obispo, Santa Barbara, Hunting Clubs and Ranches

 Free 2024 Central Coast Turkey  hunting info and MAPS & 500 plus Hunting Clubs and Ranches California and Oregon

 One of our Maps for Central Coast Turkey Hunting is listed here, with inside tips of where to go. We have FREE with zero strings attached hunting maps with over 500 Hunting Clubs and Ranches in California and Oregon. All have Contact info for Turkey Hunting as well as Boar, Pheasants and Fly Fishing. We also list Public Land and BLM areas for Hunting in California and Oregon

 

      Turkeys roam Los Padres forest  and more- there’s some  Merriam turkey hunting available  south of the Bay Area, particularly in Monterey, San Luis Obispo  and San Benito counties.  Turkeys are doing quite well in this  region, where birds have been transplanted by the Department of Fish and  Game.  The emphasis of the program has  been to move birds directly to public  land or to areas of private land where it is reasonably confident the plant can  expand in numbers.

We have 15 Hunting Ranches in the Central Coast region to 8800 acres, click on the information below to get more information. They are affordable and family camping friendly.

Some of the best hunting can  be found on public land in the Los  Padres National Forest, but private  property in the region is worth hunting  too.  Some of the best turkey hunting  -and pig hunting for that matter - can  be found in the Los Padres forest, particularly in the southern one-third of the  area south of Plaskett Ridge.

Prewitt  Ridge is another productive area. Both  are located between Highway l and Fort  Hunter Liggett. Campgrounds are  located at Plaskett Ridge and the gravel  roads and trails that branch out from  these campgrounds are good places to  hunt turkeys

Hunt the border of the Fort Hunter Liggett around Alder Ridge. Look for  birds around Alder Creek and Villa  Creek, or head out of the Willow Creek Campground.  Look for fresh droppings under roost  trees and you can quickly determine if  turkeys are using the area.

 Acorns will  be a key, but water will be even more  important.  Once you spot turkeys, you can bust  them up with the help of a dog. Once  they flush, take a well-camouflaged  stand and try some “peep” calls. Yearling turkeys will be quick to call and  hens will often respond. It will be difficult to fool a big, old gobbler, so shoot  anything bearded that comes within range. 

 

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