So you wanna hunt turkeys?

Turkey hunting has rapidly become one of my favorite activities to pursue in the outdoors. It certainly hasn’t always been that way. For years I struggled to understand the recipe of how to get birds in range or even find them for that matter. When I began hunting turkeys, we didn’t have the surplus of information readily available like we do nowadays. Back then you had to know someone who knew how to hunt turkeys who could show you the ropes. Otherwise, it meant long days in the field that resulted in bringing home ticks instead of turkeys. Not particularly ideal. Now we have a variety of channels on YouTube that offer not only tactics, but how they can determine success. The Hunting Public, Catman Outdoors, and The Pinhoti Project all provide incredibly useful information. They accomplish this by showing everything, warts and all. I personally find more value in their failed hunts rather than their collective successes. If I can learn from their mistakes, that’s one less that I am bound to commit in my pursuit. In a day and age when time is always of the essence, knowledge of what not to do is just as if not more valuable than what to do.

Effective Tactics

Decoys are one of the most implemented tactics used today, and for good reason, they work. Turkeys are social animals and tend to flock towards other turkeys (pun intended). The decoy market for Turkeys has exploded in recent years. The durability, realism, and effectiveness have without question taken leaps and bounds compared to the old decoys that somewhat resembled a turkey. Manufacturers have taken it to another level by altering size and posture to elicit a response in different scenarios one might encounter throughout the season. Decoys also are a great way to introduce new hunters to the sport, provide close range archery opportunities, or assist hunters who might be mobility impaired. I prefer to only use them on private land for safety reasons. There are a lot of manufacturers and models to choose from, so do your research and find which one will be the most effective for the time of year and the scenario laid out. Choose the wrong one, and your hunt will be over before it begins.

Run and Gun

The Run and Gun style is a tactic of actively covering ground while attempting to “strike” a bird. Essentially, trying to find and entice a gobbler that a receptive female is close by. It has quickly become my preferred way of hunting turkeys, especially on public land. It is much more interactive than sitting in a blind with a decoy spread on a field edge. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, I use this tactic when the scenario calls for it. However, public land run and gun is the pinnacle of exciting turkey hunting in my opinion. I can’t recommend this style enough once you learn the ropes. They guys from The Hunting Public constantly talk about using the terrain to your advantage, not only to locate birds but to set up on them as well. The details are in the setup once a bird is located. Moving through the timber and setting up on a turkey without being seen has a different level of excitement to it. Attempting to figure out how to coax the gobbler into range without a decoy is a pulse pounding chess match. The ability to make quick decisions and learn tendencies can be the deciding factor whether that bird takes a ride home in the back of your truck.

Scouting

One of the most challenging aspects of turkey hunting is finding birds to hunt. Let’s face it, hunting is much more enjoyable when we have the confidence that the target animal is in the area. To combat this, implement the following strategies:

• Driving and glassing fields in the morning and evening (especially rainy days)
• Boots on ground scouting by water sources (rivers, creeks, ponds, etc.)
• Past experiences or sightings (I drop pins on OnX for future reference)
• Talk with friends about recent sightings
• Scouting promising areas for Turkey sign (feathers, droppings, tracks, scratching, etc.)

Every year I knock on more doors for turkey hunting permission than any other pursuit. And for good reason, if I spot turkeys while driving, I can do some research and find the owner of that property. If they say no for whatever reason, then I’m going to find out who owns all the adjacent properties and knock on those doors as well. By putting myself in the immediate area a gobbler is using, with proper strategy I feel I can kill that bird. Turkey hunting is a game of inches, if a gobbler can hear your calls, then you have a chance. However, if they can’t hear you, chances of calling them into range are slim and none. There are days that I cover 5 miles or more on public ground trying to strike a bird, sometimes to no avail. However, this time is spent wisely by not only scouting for turkey sign, but I’m also doing recon work for deer season. I find this helps with morale if you’re having a tough time turkey hunting by switching gears mentally to a different goal and maximizing my time spent outdoors. Doing this will help you stay out longer, accomplish more, and allow you to stay mentally sharp when you decide to focus on the turkeys again.

Learning from mistakes

In Ohio our spring turkey season runs from mid-April to mid-May. So, time is of the essence for those of us who work full time, have families, and choose to save precious vacation time for our rut-cation. I firmly believe the number 1 mistake made by hunters, new or experienced, is over calling. It’s addicting to make a bird gobble like crazy every time you call to him. However, old cagey birds typically don’t approach those noisy hens without extreme caution. They gobble to let the hens know their location. In nature the hens come to the gobbler, so displaying some restraint and essentially teasing him with silence after initiating the conversation is extremely beneficial to getting him to close the gap. We’ll cover the intricacies of situational calling in a later article. Impatience is another huge mistake that leads to another year for turkeys to grow their beards and spurs. Most of you reading this are guilty of this mistake every season, me included. Whether it’s moving too much looking for an approaching bird, moving from your setup too soon, or just moving through the woods too quickly. A turkey’s eyesight is incredible, and they have zero tolerance for tom foolery. One wrong move and they are either sprinting or flying in the opposite direction without hesitation. The other most common mistake among turkey hunters is not becoming efficient with your calls. There’s nothing worse than attempting to lure in a gobbler into range and you make a call that sounds like a pterodactyl stubbing its toe. Granted, I can’t be certain what that sounded like, but I’m sure it wasn’t good. I have made God awful noises in high pressure situations with turkeys on several occasions. The best advice I can give is to brush it off and try again. Often after the initial sound that in no way, shape, or form resembles a turkey, you can find your groove and get back to calling properly. Even Turkeys sound terrible sometimes, so don’t let it shake your confidence. Always give yourself ample time to knock the rust of your calls. I begin practicing my calls months in advance, which my wife absolutely loves! I’m just kidding do not practice around the house, but if you must, do it right before season starts so when she tells you to leave you can go turkey hunting. Those who are extremely dedicated practice year-round as it is a perishable skill.

Conclusion

Turkey hunting is a frustrating symphony of highs and lows. You are bound to have long arduous days in the field with no action. To me, that’s part of the draw to hunt turkeys. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. When you hear a gobble in the timber after long periods of inactivity it’s the ultimate thrill. A distinct piercing noise that most of us rarely get the opportunity to hear. I called, he answered, game on. It took me a while to fall in love with turkey hunting, but I’m happy it unfolded that way. It has given me a much deeper appreciation for the animal and the pursuit. A passion that I can’t wait to pass onto my children.