How to Find California Turkeys by Calling, Tracking Turkeys and Locating Turkeys 2023

Please note our other blogs with Hunting Maps, Fishing Maps and about decoying and calling turkeys and also places to hunt turkeys on public lands  private ranches and hunting clubs in California and Oregon.

Five Methods to Read Turkey Clues or Signs and How they Help You Hunting Turkeys

  Dragging Wings

• You'll have to look closely but a strutting Tom interested in mating often drags his wingtips through the dust and mud. 
• Look for the tracks first and if you find them you'll see the wing drag marks and this is a clear indication that  this Tom is in mating mode and might respond to calling

 Observing Tracks

•  Measure from the back of of the rear toe to the tip of the longest front middle toe
• Tracks around 4 inches are generally a hen and are more narrow than male Jake or Tom
• A mature morningmale or Tom claw is 5 inches or longer
• If you observe tracks  moving in a straight line with no dragging of the wings or indications of feeding is probably a traveling Tom

 What's the Poop? or Observing and Analyzing Droppings

• Not surprisingly a hand droppings are often smaller
• Male turkeys droppings are often in the shape of a large J
• Hen's droppings are more circular like a dog pile or in clump
• Depending on the diet  I hands droppings are often more whitish and colors

Interpreting Feathers

• A male turkey breast feathers have an edge in black
•  A hen's breast feathers are lighter in color a tannish or sometimes white
• If only hen feathers are located and no tracks or other indications of a Tom  the hens are moving or there is a nest somewhere close 
• A Tom is generally not interested in a TRULY (see "Eggs" ) nesting hen  so look elsewhere
• Sometimes the  Tom returns to a particular area for strutting so  look for tracks lots of feathers

Dust Bathing is Cool, don't knock it until you try it

• Just like pheasants and quail turkeys like to give themselves dust baths
• It is theorized it helps them keep cool and  controls parasites
• Look for indentations in the ground around trees,, stumps, and logs
• They often return to these areas in the spring

 The Egg and the Nesting Areas and be thankful this is not like an "Alien" movie

• The average size of the nest is 11 to 12 eggs
• Turkeys breeding season generally runs from the middle of March to the middle of April unless  higher elevations or severe weather - in which case it will be be delayed
• She lays an egg every 24 hours on average
• She only starts to sit on the nest after the last egg is laid and before that moves around a lot
• The problem is when she's moving back and forth,  a Tom my  hook up with her and be hard to call him away
• You have to wait till she finally sits on a nest to get him to come  

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How to Call CaliforniaTurkeys and Best Type of Turkey Calls 2023 to Use for Beginners, plus Hunting Clubs and Ranches

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How to Call Turkeys and Best Type of Turkey Calls to Use For Beginners

Here we discuss first the different types of calls and their attributes. We then discuss how to use and what we consider the best type of call for the beginning turkey hunter

So what are the types of calls ?

 Pot or Striker Call

Mouth call 

  

Box Call

 

So which of these should you use?

Well that depends, each has advantages. Our criteria rates: ease of use first, quality and variability of sound next, and functionality last.

Mouth Call

Operation:

• Similar to a dental retainer, only softer, more pliable to adjust with tongue
• Makes sound by blowing air through the space between it and the roof of your mouth.
• You can make 3 different sounds Yelp, Cutt, Cluck .

Yelp- mimics a Hen yelp (no gobble sound) just a quick noise

Use: Literally say the word "yelp" into the call, as you want an abrupt end to the sound

Cutt- excited clucking of Hen

Use: Sharply saying "tick", vary between one, two, or three notes at a time, never lots of ticks without a break..

Cluck - Single cluck of Hen

Use: Say "puhht" using your lips to make a soft, short pop sound.

Functionality: Best of all calls since no movement of hands to give you away

Sound: Probably the best sound, but you need a lot of practice to get there

Ease of use: Hardest of all three but most versatile leaving your hands free

Striker or Pot Calls- use friction of striker to mimic a hen

Operation: Keep striker in between edge and middle of the plate, never in the middle or on the edge

Yelp

Use: make circles with the striker gets a "wow" or make a hook shape for the the more natural sounding "yeeow"

Cluck

Use: Pull the striker towards you from middle like you were lighting a match

Cutt

Use: Clucks are strung together and more louder, defined or sharp sounding

Functionality: Has two parts and is not hidden from view so least functional of the three, requires visual attention

Sound: Best sound realism

Ease of use: Second of three in terms of ease of use

Box Calls

Operation: Rub a piece of chalk into lip of both sides box. Scrape lid across lip of box.

Yelp

Use:

• Hold the call in one hand a scrape the lid with the other and run the lid. You want a high and low note (two notes) in one motion
• Note how spring allows you to angle the lid
• Angle it as you begin scape, get the high note, then relax angle as you continue scrape to get low note

Cutt

Use:

• Keep lid in contact with call to avoid a rapping sound, and pull across lip of box.
• Move or allow handle to drop down to start position by gravity.Repeat call.

Fucntionality: Only one piece, can use it withour looking at it, so second best of all calls

Sound: Second best of all calls

Ease of use: Best of all calls

Overall the Box Call seems the most desirable for the new Turkey hunter. We like how the mouth call frees your hands and hides them from the turkeys telescopic vision. But harder to learn than the others.

The Striker/Pot call requires two pieces, so getting it out of you bag or vest quickly and quietly is more of a problem. Plus, until you become well practiced, you have to take your eyes away from a target to look at where you are striking.  A box call can be used while  your eyes are scanning for movement.

So in our opinion the box call is the best for the beginning turkey hunter.  One note of warning: it can be noisy in your pocket as you move through the woods. Have fun and we hope this helps you get a Turkey.  See our other blogs for maps , best guns, locating a turkey and how to decoy. And below is areas to hunt near where you live. 

 

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