Osage Roost
All Hunting => Fall Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: Dcoleinpa on August 31, 2009, 07:27:55 AM
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I would like to hear what you guys do when hunting fall birds..... break em up? cold call? break em up with dogs?
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I've never had any success breaking the flock up :(
I pattern and try to figure out where they are or going to be. Then set down and do some kee kee's, kee kee run's, and cluck and purr a lot. I was highly successful last year with this approach!
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Like Porter said. Find out where they are roosting and bring em down off the roost. Be patient, it may take em a while but they will show with some subtle kee kees and clucks. One sure fire way to bust em up is to bring em in within 10 yards, shoot and miss. Happened to my wife last season....birds were flying everywhere. ROTFLMBO
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Hun10 said it ,,,be patient.
I swapped yelps back and forth with a gobbler last fall . He went quiet . So I backed off and only clucked ocassionally . Meanwhile a gobbler in the opposite direction started calling . I chose to stay with the first bird and ignore the second . I don't recall exactly how long I waited but I know now it wasn't long enough. I backed away and got the ridge between me and the first bird . The ridge top makes a bow and the bird was near the top at the far end, probably 250 - 300 yards . I followed the off side of the ridge about 100 yards and then eased very slowly up to the top for a look. Da'gummit! There he was , with six other toms of various ages .They were headed straight toward where I had been set up and called from . The last two toms in that string of gobblers were beard draggers .
PATIENCE !
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I prefer to have the dog break em up.
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I prefer to have the dog break em up.
I know a break is all about surprising them and either I cannot run fast enough or I'm so darn ugly I scare them to go the same way each time. I see a huge advantage to a dog... one they can run a lot faster than I can and two, lower to the ground more secretive.
One question I have, how do you hide the dog when they come back? I'm sure years of training teaches them not to chase them when they come back, but a dog is always moving around...
Sorry to ask so many dumb questions... very very interesting though!
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One question I have, how do you hide the dog when they come back? I'm sure years of training teaches them not to chase them when they come back, but a dog is always moving around...
Sorry to ask so many dumb questions... very very interesting though!
Most turkey dogs go into a bag after a break.....
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If I needed to put my dog in a bag I'd spend more time training and I'd buy a darker dog to begin with.
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If I needed to put my dog in a bag I'd spend more time training and I'd buy a darker dog to begin with.
tru dat..... 8)
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One question I have, how do you hide the dog when they come back? I'm sure years of training teaches them not to chase them when they come back, but a dog is always moving around...
Sorry to ask so many dumb questions... very very interesting though!
Most turkey dogs go into a bag after a break.....
Actually, very few do. I know personally several Dog Hunters, NONE of them BAG they're Dogs, not needed. The liver color, blends in, and was bred into the dogs for just that reason. Marlin, I do not think even BAGS his Dogs, and they are Burns Hounds.
Spur,
All the Brynes dogs from Turkey Trot Acres and Marlin's dog go in a bag after the break.....I've hunted with Marlin in the fall for 6 years and the dog has always been put in a bag.....
I stand corrected for the comment of MOST turkey dogs....Sorry for the assumtion on my part.....
Zips
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I would like to hear what you guys do when hunting fall birds..... break em up? cold call? break em up with dogs?
I am still learning myself . But I cold call . I know the birds are there and it may take more walking to locate them from one day to the next , but they are there.
I've never actually had success in calling to them while they are still on the limb. I believe it is better to wait until they are on the ground ,and better yet if I can hear them pitch out and land and then start calling . They just seem to be more willing to respond early in the day , right after they get established on the ground.
The use of dogs is very interesting , but I don't see any reason for myself to own one , living / hunting in a state that allows only one fall bird .
Breaking them up is ok by me if I'm hunting with someone , but I prefer to ease around and locate by cold calling . Hugging the cedar slopes for cover and shade and casting my calls out into the hardwoods .
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yep ive never fall hunted.... i plan on cold calling and lots of walking..... being this is my first fall i will take what i can get.... all i want is to trumpet one turkey in thats all and id be *bannana*...... i'll be FOUR strokin too brother
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My expirience has been that cold calling can work if you are in the general direction the bird or birds are heading. If I am hunting a family flock I almost always try to break them up. There is nothing like the sound of 10 or so birds trying to locate each other.
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I try to NOT call from any place I wouldn't be satisfied as a good setup location . I setup in the fall just as in spring . I want enough ground cover to force the bird to COME IN LOOKIN'. Once the bird or birds have come into view they are within gun range ,,,,preferably 10 - 30 yards . But I have put some extra challenge in it for this fall since I'll be totin' Grandad's old '42 Winchester .410. Any bird beyond 20 is outta range.
For me it's about foolin' tom ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,not fillin' tags . If I do my part right , set up and calling ,,the tag will be filled .
I'm ready !
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One question I have, how do you hide the dog when they come back? I'm sure years of training teaches them not to chase them when they come back, but a dog is always moving around...
Scroll down to the last story it sounds hard to believe but I can assure you it's true.
http://trkyhntr.home.att.net/buster.html
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One thing for sure I have had the pleasure of hunting with Buster he is truely an amazing dog. He stay put better than most hunters.
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no dogs allowed in illinois.......................i do the blowhorn after they roost trick.................and than call'em in..in the morn'in..................if i cant find a flock i'll sit around and lost call a bunch.........maybe get a straggler.......or two................
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hello all:
i do hunt with a byrne dog and she has lots of white on her. in the old days john built a blind to hunt out of. i really think he did this to keep himself busy instead of calling to soon. john has killed more winter long beards than anyone alive today. anyway he and the dog got in the blind. then he saw his dog laying there cold as can be and ask his wife to fashion a bag for the dog. that is how the bag came about. i trained keekee to bag but she is such a big hound that now i just lay her on the ground on her bag and cover her with a camo cloth. i tie her leash to my leg just to make sure she does not jumb in front of a loaded gun after someone shoots. i have seen her lay there with birds 10 feet in front of her and not move. these dogs are my favorite because of their nose. i have seen them air wind birds at 250 yards and many times they break turkeys at 1/4 mile. big diffence with the hound breed into them. sooner
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Sooner could you post or email me a picture of you dog's?
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hello all:
i do hunt with a byrne dog and she has lots of white on her. in the old days john built a blind to hunt out of. i really think he did this to keep himself busy instead of calling to soon.
That's a common mistake alot of fall hunters make...."nOt calling soon enough" after a flush.
Nothing like having yer dog make a flush so far away that you can barely hear him barking....then taking a compass reading or a reading on the sun and heading that direction only to meet your dog and leash him up and let him show you where they were.
Then sitting down and calling in a long beard with'n minutes....the next one might take hours but it pays to quickly call in the close turkeys.
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bigtomscalls
i'm not smart enough to post pictures but here is a link to a web page jon freis made for me on his american wild turkey hunting dog site. http://trkyhntr.home.att.net/morgan.html
the brown and white dog is morgan my shorthair. she is not a real turkey dog but i have most likely killed 100 plus turkeys with her in the last 8 years. she is proof that any dog can be a fall turkey dog if you work with them. the diffence between her and keekee is strictly nose. morgan hunts harder than keekee but will find and break turkeys far less times. she will range 100 to 200 yards where keekee will go as far as her nose takes her. i run a garmon gps on her for this reason. i can actually see a break on the gps even if the wind is howling and i cannot hear her bark. then with the gps you can follow it to the break point. the boys at turkey trot have coined the name computer break for these occasions.
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Very good info Marlin. Thanks for sharing it..
Al
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Very good info Marlin. Thanks for sharing it..
Al
Yes Thanks Marlin, That is a good story worth sharing.
Mike
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Marlin that is amazing. I work in the technology field and why not utilize the advancement for the better? Heck I can't read a compass worth a hoot, but at least my GPS keeps me safe and sound.
I have a dumb question, but how much training does it take to get a dog ready? I was born and raised around coon hunters, so I know the amount of time we spent. Back then, we lost several dogs that we thought were ready and were not... GPS back then would have saved a lot of headaches!
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I have worked with Snuffy nearly everyday since I got him April a year ago....you can practice little things while watching TV...like sitting and staying...it has been a lot of fun training him...we got a few kills with him last year..he was 8 months old...I hope to get him polished more this year....it's a new world hunting fall and hunting with a dog....
Mr. Marlin....I sure like the name of that dog.... ;D
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hey morgan does snuffy get to wear his own tie??? 8)
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Thanks Marlin that was a very interesting read. I have a mutt that I picked up from my Daughter in TN. She loves to chase turkey's, She is a good dog but she doesn't always listen when she is called so I don't hunt with her. We have been working on the obedience thing all summer so I'm eager to try her this fall. I really get excited watching her break up the flocks around the house. When she bust up a flock she gets so excited with her yepping and yapping that it's hard to believe she's the same mild mannered house dog she is!!
Here's a picture of mr dog Princess with a couple of fall hen's that I took last year. As you can see she is very interested in the birds!!
(http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll296/BigTomsCalls/IMG_0204.jpg)
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Nice Birds, Big Tom. Love that dog also!
Mike
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Big Tom great lookin picture.I'm currently training a 9 month old Brittany for turkeys.She shows alot of promise.This will be our first fall hunting together.I am very much excited for opening day!One suggestion I may mention about the problem with your dog not coming to you is you may want to try a e-collar.Everyone has different opinions about their use but IMO they are a invaluable tool for dog training if used PROPERLY. They are just like a check cord only with more range.Good luck with your hunting and your dog.
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My first post, so Hello Everyone! BigTom, if Princess is a real sensitive dog and you want an alternative to a shock collar, boil some chicken liver, chop it up into little pieces, put some in a baggie in your pocket, put her on a long check cord (to pull her in if she doesn't come), praise her and give her a piece each time she comes. Do that enough times until she comes without the cord on. Always let her know you have chicken liver (or whatever treats) in your pocket, and she'll really pay attention to you calling her.
I enjoy reading forums like Osage, where hunters share good tips on fall turkey dog hunting in particular, but the main reason I signed up is to ask Big Tom to post more pictures of Princess? She looks just like the 'poster dog' for the AWTHDA - my dog Keena (except for the long tail). You can see Keena here: http://trkyhntr.home.att.net/keena.html
Princess looks a little thinner, but Keena inherited her Daddy's stockiness, instead of her Mom's slimness. How old is Princess, and what state are you in? Jon
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Jon Here's a couple more pic's of Princess.
(http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll296/BigTomsCalls/IMG_0338.jpg)
(http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll296/BigTomsCalls/IMG_0335.jpg)
(http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll296/BigTomsCalls/IMG_0333.jpg)
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Thanks for the pics. What a coincidence how they resemble each other. Princess and Keena certainly look like sisters. I see Treeing Walker in Princess's front legs (like Keena's Daddy's), and that would explain why she'll climb trees like Keena does too. Princess looks like she has that sweet, good nature that Keena does too. She likes any dog that likes her, and all nice people once she gets to know them. Looking forward to hearing about Princess's turkeys this fall, good luck.
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bigtom:
thanks for the picture. jon is right his dog and yours look like sisters. lots of different dog breeds will make turkey dogs. morgan is a shorthair that had 4000 birds shot over her on my shooting preserve. when we got dogs legalized in ohio i had shut the preserve down and morgan became a turkey dog. is she the best turkey dog i ever saw. not even close but she's my dog and she likes to hunt as much as i do. by the way she was a heck of a meat dog on the preserve. we now have a 6 plus week fall season in ohio. one bird limit which is fine. so i invite friends and customers from work and we turkey hunt almost everyday from oct.10 till nov. 29. that is one of the reasons i like the fall so much. it is a social experience that allows you to turkey hunt at the same time. of course we never say much when someone misses a turkey in front of witnesses or runs one off with a bad move on their part.( ha ha) have fun this fall and best of luck
sooner
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Hangin' out with friends and makin' new friend is what it's all about!! And I KNOW you would never laugh at anyone for missin' a shot.. ;D Thanks for sharing your experiences with everyone!! *cheers*
Al
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Todays training session: Shooting time was 6:10am but it was overcast and gray. I figure they'll stay up in the trees longer, so Keena and I went out a little late. 6:38am finished setting up. 6:42am Keena thinks there's something behind us! 6:45am first bird that I saw or heard flew down in front of us, then 4 more, all hens or poults within shooting range. Heard at least 3 fly down and talking behind us. Later 3 more came over the hill in front of us (a hen w/2 little poults). I let them all walk, the only shots I took were with the camera. Practiced calling gobblers and talking like hens and poults instead. Keena tells me they're calling behind us and over the hill in front. I don't hear them so I don't know what to say back, got frustrated and quit. I'll have to break down and buy a hearing aid (any suggestions?). And stop depending on deciphering the dog's signals. It was fun practice for us both.
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Wow now you guys are killing me here...
I have to admit, up until last year I snubbed fall hunting. Now I think it's more fun than Spring!
Someday I hope to hunt over dogs. I called in that tom on Saturday and well.. .I missed :) I'm having a good laugh about it now!
Keep the stories coming! Enjoy each and every one!
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Great pics Jon. 10 more long days to go.
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*up*