1st Time Turkey Hunter, Please Help! :)

2013 is going to be my year! I get out of the Marine Corps before spring & will be able to hunt and fish HARD in Utah and every state around it! I've been planning some trips out and waiting for this year for a few years now. Something I haven't planned for is Utah Turkey, I just realized that the app period is open til just after Christmas so I need to figure out quick where I want to put in for. I have 1 bonus point so hopefully can get lucky drawing a tag.

I have a huge element in my favor/on my side - I am able & willing to hunt every single day of the season until I get a bird :) I don't know if that will be enough to help me actually locate birds though. So where are the turkeys in Utah? haha

I live in Davis county, and it would probably be nice to have a tag near home, are there decent numbers of turkey in the mountains above N. Salt Lake, Bountiful, Centerville? I've never noticed any at all, but I guess I've never hunted them so who knows :s

I will be fishing the Boulders hard all spring anyways, are there good numbers of turkey down there? Or I have a cabin at Fish Lake, are those woods productive to hunt?

How do I know what areas will likely hold turkey? Can I look at a map and see things like "this area has a lot of xxxx elevation and such and such terrain so it's probably a good place to try turkey hunting"? I'm willing to go anywhere in the state that offers me the best chance at success, just need to figure out what unit to apply for and then I'll narrow my search from there.

Thanks for any and all advice!! I can't wait!
14,899
hound_hunter
Also, while we're at it. I'm definitely going to have to put turkey hunting supplies on my christmas list ;) What are some good calls that I should get and start practicing with? Or quality decoys to have, is a ground blind pretty useful or am I just as well off in good camouflage/concealment? I'm starting to get excited & I don't know if I'll even draw a tag! haha. Thanks for any tips
1
a_bow_nut
Take some time to read up on the regs. They have changed some in the last couple of years. One of the cool changes is that they have added a general season turkey hunt for the entire state. So what most people do now is put in for the limited entry season and if they don't draw then they just go get a general season tag that runs mostly in May.

Look at what dates they have on the limited entry season and apply for the part of the state that you plan on being in for that time of the year. Then if you have to go for the general tag they are set up with the same boundries that the old five region deer seasons had.

As far as equipment if you can get to a store that has calls I would try a few different types and stick with the ones that work for you. I can do pretty good with a slate calls but the box calls are my arch enemy. I would also get some diaphram calls for your mouth so that when they get close your hand are on your weapon instead of a call.

Unless you are hunting in a set spot, out in the middle of a open field or are using archery equipment I wouldn't worry to much about a blind. They can be a pain to pack up through the trees and set up quick if you are surprised when a turkey calls closer that you thought. Just snuggle up in front of some brush and let your camo do its job.

Good luck on the draw and have fun hunting.
1
hound_hunter
Very cool, good to know! Are Turkey usually still in heat or whatever in May? Like you can still hear them gobbling a lot and call them in? Or is it kind of hit and miss if they're still doing that or not? Either way that's awesome to know that I can still get a tag if I don't draw out in LE! Does it matter much where you set up to hunt Turkey? As in should it be near a water source, or specific vegitation of any sort? Should I be sitting down before it's light out or does it really matter? Do Turkey move and call throughout the day or is afternoon hunting usually unproductive? Do you usually hunt a specific spot for an entire morning, or is there a lot of moving around and moving your decoy throughout a morning? Any other random tips/advice from anyone?

Thanks a ton a_bow_nut! I can't wait
1