Before, During & After the Hunt
Huntress View Highlight By Sarah Honadel
Even though many of us are still experiencing winter, Punxsutawney Phil predicted an early spring and I know I’m definitely looking forward to it. Spring means longer days, warming temperatures and my favorite… turkey season! The most exciting time of the year! Hunters across the country are getting prepped to get back out into the woods after a couple months of down time, decked out in camo and ready to bag a big ol’ tom.
The thing about turkey hunting though, is that turkeys can be jerks. They have incredible vision. They are constantly paranoid. Hunting them is both fun and extremely frustrating. It can be going well, then immediately turn bad. But with all of that, it’s still my favorite hunting season.
The following are tips for spring turkey season that can help you bring home a gobbler, then enjoy him after the hunt!
PRE-SEASON: Scouting
Scouting starts way before actual season starts. You have to find turkeys before you can harvest one. Whether you’re hunting public land or private, get out and pound the ground looking for sign. Scout food sources such as cut grain fields or areas with a lot of mast-bearing trees for tracks, droppings or scratching signs.
Once you find sign, put out trail cameras to help gather more information such as what direction they are coming from and going to, what time of day they are visiting the area, how many turkeys are in the flock and whether you’ve got hens or toms.
Learn to Call
There are several different types of turkey calls, and everyone has a favorite. Try a few different types of calls and see what you’re comfortable with, then practice, practice, practice to learn not only the basics of the call, but also how to make different sounds.
Push-button calls: These are the easiest calls to learn for a beginner hunter, since they require little effort or skill. A major disadvantage: moisture can make them useless.
Box calls: These are also fairly easy to use and can make a wider variety of sounds than push-button calls. They are especially great for long distance calling. However, since they are usually made of wood, moisture can be a problem. Additionally, these calls require two hands, which can be problematic while hunting.
Slate or Pot calls: Probably the most popular type of turkey call, these calls can be made from a variety of materials such as slate, ceramic or glass, and are paired with a striker usually made of wood or carbon. A huge advantage is these calls can make pretty much any turkey sound if you practice. Depending on the materials, moisture may or may not affect it; however, they require two hands.
Diaphragm/Mouth calls: The most difficult to learn, but the most convenient of calls while hunting, since they are hands free. They are weatherproof, but can require some maintenance since the reeds can stick together and impact the ability to call. There are different calls for different sounds—so there are a lot of choices.
Practice Shooting
Whether you plan to hunt with a gun or bow, you need to prep prior to opening day. Turkeys have a small kill zone, so you have to make sure your shot is good, or you’ll likely lose a bird.
Shotgun: First, shoot several different brands of shells to see which one has the best pattern for your gun. There’s no magic number of pellets for a kill, but you’ll definitely want your pattern centered around the head/neck area and want multiple pellets to penetrate.
Next, determine how your gun patterns at different distances and with different chokes. I missed a turkey at 20 yards because I didn’t check my gun at this distance with the turkey choke. I figured out afterward that at this distance, the pattern was only about the size of a golf ball.
Bow: Research different broadheads and determine what to use during season: guillotine, expandable or fixed blade. It comes down to personal preference, how they shoot in your bow and where you plan to aim. Study up on the best shot placement— body shot or base of the neck, depending on broadheads – and different angles.
If one is available, practice shooting a foam turkey target to get the right placement and size. If all you’ve got is a normal block-style or deer target, get a life-size paper turkey and attach it to your normal target so you can get a better idea of placement.
And don’t forget to practice in your camo and from your ground blind, if that’s how you’ll be hunting.
DURING: Find the Roost
Find out where the turkeys are roosting, and you’ll be in a better position to harvest a turkey. Head to the woods in the mid-to-late afternoon and wait for the birds to go to roost—if you’re close enough, you’ll be able to hear their wings beat as they fly up. You can do this in the pre-season too, but turkeys will likely move and won’t always roost in the same spot.
If you know where they’re roosting, get in before daylight and get set up to wait for them to fly down. Be careful not to get too close though. You’ll want to give them enough room to fly down, move around and get comfortable.
Camouflage Yourself
Turkeys have excellent vision, so concealment is key in turkey hunting. Depending on where you’re hunting—northern states, southern states, east coast or west—the terrain will be different. Northern and western areas may still have snow on the ground, and the trees and ground cover may not have budded out yet. While southern areas may be in complete ‘green up’ mode. Either way, find camo that works with your environment to provide a good concealment. If you’re hunting from a ground or box blind, wear black since the inside of the blind will appear black.
Remember to cover your hands and face too. I prefer thinner layering-type gloves so they aren’t bulky when calling or shooting. For face concealment, some people prefer face paint, while others prefer a mask. Personally, I like a combo. I don’t like walking with a mask on because I find it hard to breathe. So, I put on face paint, then use either a full mask or neck gaiter and hat when sitting.
In addition to what you wear, make sure when you get settled into your spot, you’re out of the sunlight. Set up in a shady spot with the sun at your back—that way the turkeys are looking into the sun if they’re looking in your direction.
Ignore the Rain
Spring usually means rain for a lot of areas. Fortunately, turkeys don’t mind the rain. It may make them sleep in, but they’ll come down eventually. Prepare to hunt from a ground blind, or make sure you have good rain gear. And consider the impact of rain on your calling too, as previously mentioned.
During rain, turkeys won’t be able to hear as well, so they will typically move to open fields where they can depend on their eyesight. Have your ground blind set up on the field edge and be ready for them to come in. I’ve harvested more turkeys in the rain, than not. The worst part, it does a number on their feathers so salvaging them for mounts can be difficult.
As for gobbling, I’ve found that sometimes they gobble more during rain, and sometimes they won’t make a peep. Some turkeys will gobble at every noise; so if there’s thunder, prepare to hear some gobbles with each clap. And if the rain passes and the sun comes out, some turkeys will make up for lost time and gobble nonstop!
Decoy Setup
Just like with calls, there are a lot of options when it comes to decoys, such as full-body foam, collapsible or plastic decoys; standing hens or breeding hen decoy positions; plus a variety of aggressive and submissive jake or tom decoys. While there’s no guaranteed decoy or setup, the key is finding something that looks real in order to close the distance and get a wary tom to come in.
Decoys aren’t an absolute necessity, but they can definitely increase your odds of harvesting a bird. During early season, hen and jake decoys can make a big tom jealous enough to come within range. Later in the season though, using only a single hen decoy will usually do the trick, as gobblers are tired of fighting for a mate.
AFTER: Field Dressing
Hopefully you’re successful with your turkey hunt and have a gobbler to bring home! Field dressing a turkey is fairly simple, and doesn’t require plucking all of the feathers, depending on how you plan to cook it later. You might want to save it as a whole turkey, or you can piece out the breast meat, legs and thighs. There are several tutorials online to guide you on how to butcher, if needed.
Saving Your Trophy
If you plan to have your turkey mounted, you’ll need to take special precautions to minimize feather damage. Contact your favorite taxidermist prior to season to find out how it should be prepped and stored prior to bringing it in. If you only want to mount the fan, that’s an easy at-home DIY project! And remember to cut the beard off at the skin and salt/Borax the base.
Time to Eat
And the best part… eating it! My favorite way to eat wild turkey is to cut into nuggets, roll in Italian breadcrumbs and then fry. But there are a lot of options—turkey tacos, smoked turkey breast, pot pie, turkey noodle soup, quesadillas… the options are endless!
~ Sarah Honadel of Idaho – Huntress View
