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Spring Turkey Hunting 101

Tips & Tactics for the beginner turkey hunter.

Scouting

As with hunting most other game birds location is also the key for successful turkey hunting. The first step is to start with the big picture, locating general areas of turkey habitat, and then gradually narrow it down to the best areas, or the spot on the spot. Your states DNR web site is a great tool to find federal and state lands, wildlife management areas, reservoir properties and military reservations, Most DNR web sites will also have maps you can download or print. Wildlife biologists, conservation officers, sporting goods dealers and hunting club members are good sources of information. Private lands can also a very good option. Most landowners will grant permission to hunters who ask.

Actual scouting in the field begins after you have identified several possible hunting spots. Be sure to study a map of these areas if possible before you go. Looking at aerial photos of the areas you plan to scout can also save you a lot time and work. Next drive the back roads during the first couple of hours after dawn, stopping along ridges, high points, power lines, open creek and river bottoms to listen for gobbling.

When stopping use a turkey locator call, such as an owl hooter or crow call, to try and get a gobble. When you hear a gobbler, mark the location on a map. If you get a bird to answer, don’t keep calling. You don’t want the bird to come to you or to educate him to a call. In addition, you don’t want any more unnecessary gobbling to attract another hunter also scouting to your area.

Next, scout your best locations on foot. Look for signs of scratching where birds have been feeding, droppings, and feathers. These are all signs that turkeys are using a particular area. Gobbler droppings tend to be club shaped, while hen droppings have a corkscrew appearance. Check along creek banks and around mud holes for tracks.

Spend as much time as you can scouting. Not only do you want to learn terrain, you also to locate as many gobblers as possible so you have options for opening weekend.

Camouflage

Because wild turkeys have excellent vision, camouflage is almost a must to avoid being busted. This includes camo pants, jacket, boots, facemask and gloves. Don’t forget to wear dark colored socks so that they don’t show when you sit down. Camo vests with plenty of pockets to carry calls, shells, snacks, and something to drink are also very valuable to the hunter on the move. Look for a vest that has a drop-down padded seat to add a little comfort when sitting up against a tree waiting for a Tom.

Countless patterns and colors of camouflage are available to hunters today. Select a camouflage that best matches the color of the foliage where you will be hunting. Early season patterns with mostly browns and grays usually blend in best, while patterns with more green mixed in blend in better as new leaves bud out. Just as important as camouflage is controlling movement when a gobbler is approaching. The best camo in the world can’t hide movement from the keen eye’s of a Turkey.

Shotguns and Ammunition

A 10 or 12 gauge shotgun using the right shells and choke tube combination can effectively take turkeys up to 55 yards. A 20 gauge shotgun with the right shells and choke tube can still be effective out to 35 to 40 yards. The key for maximum range is to find the right shell/choke combination to deliver the densest pattern, with the largest size pellets. A starting point for maximum range would be a full to extra full choke tube, along with buffered #4 shot. It is important to note that this combination will result in a very tight pattern at close ranges, meaning you could miss a real easy shot.

The target when shooting a turkey is not the body, but rather the head and neck. Because these vital areas are not covered with feathers smaller shot sizes such as #4, #5, and #6 shot can be used. These smaller shot sizes will also result in a very dense pattern to deliver multiple hits. However, the smaller pellets weigh less, carry less energy and provide less penetration at longer distances than pellets of a larger shot size.

Before hunting, patterning your shotgun is an absolute must. This testing will reveal which choke, brand of ammunition and shell load produces the most uniform pattern and density. These results will vary greatly with different gun, choke, load and ammunition manufacturer combinations.

Use a paper target that depicts a turkey’s head to pattern a shotgun for turkey hunting. Make or purchase several copies before heading out. The head and neck are the vitals that you should be shooting for when your turkey comes in range. Shoot the target at 40 yards from a rest. Compare the number and density of pellets striking the vital area with the different choke and ammunition combinations to see which one shoots best in your gun. The goal is to have at least 8 to 10 pellets in the vital area at 40 yards. Once you have satisfactory results at 40 yards, shoot additional targets at 25, 45, and 50 yards. These patterns will show you what patterns you can expect at different distances and help you determine your shooting limits.

Calls and Calling

Know how to operate a turkey call, and knowing when and what call to use are often critical keys to success in turkey hunting. Because Toms are seeking out hens during the spring, hunters will try to imitate hens to call a gobbler into gun range. Yelps, clucks, cuts, purrs and whines are all produced by the hen turkey. The best way to learn how to operate a turkey call is to practice with an experienced turkey hunter, or purchase an instructional video or audio cassette. You don’t have to become an expert in producing all these calls, but knowing when and what call to use in the field is very important. The basic sounds of yelps and clucks will be of most benefit to new turkey hunters.

Some of the styles of turkey calls include box calls, slate-type friction calls, wingbone and trumpet calls, diaphragm calls, push-pin and tube calls. The box calls, slate-type friction calls and push-pin calls are the quickest to learn how to use and are very effective calls in the field.

Because calls are all designed for different situations learn how to use more than just type of call. Each call will produce it’s own distinctive sound and will sounds it’s best within a particular range of volume. If one call doesn’t get a response, another call just may.

When calling turkeys, less is most often better. Try not to over call. Also remember to call as little as possible the closer a turkey gets to your position. To much calling can help a gobbler pinpoint your position.

The Hunt

Once you have located a gobbler, the next step is to move in close and call him into gun range. Try to slip in as close as possible without spooking him. Then get “set up” and attempt to call him close enough for a shot.

Heading out the night before to roost a gobbler can really help. Go out the night before and use a locator call such as a owl hooter or crow call to find the tree a gobbler is roosted in. Now head home and develop a plan to setup on him as close to 125 yards. This just depends on the terrain.

When approaching a turkey, if he busts you the game is over. You will have to find another gobbler for your next attempt. There are no second chances. Be very careful not to be seen. The terrain and amount of foliage will determine just how close you can get to a gobbler before setting up on him. Skilled hunters will rarely setup closer than a 125 yards on a gobbler. You may have to setup up as far away as 300 yards if the ground is flat and there is little foliage to conceal your movement.

Use the terrain to your advantage as you approach a gobbler. Stay behind hills, thickets or other features that will screen your movements. Walk as quietly as possible in the leaves, and don’t break any sticks.

When setting up, pick a location that offers the gobbler an easy route to your location. There should be no creeks, gullies, fences, thick undergrowth or other barriers between you and the bird. Also choose a spot that is on the same contour or slightly above the turkey’s location. Don’t try to call a gobbler down a steep slope. Pick an area that provides you with a good view of your surroundings.

Sit against a tree, stump or other object that is wider than your back and taller than your head. It will hide your outline and protect your back from a hunter who might move in behind you. Face the turkey’s direction with your left shoulder (for right-handed shooters), this provides you with a greater mobility of your gun when aiming. Above all, keep your movement to a minimum as you call. If the gobbler is working toward you, then goes silent, don’t move. Sometimes gobblers will sneak in quietly.

If you set up and a gobbler answers your call but won’t come, you’re going to have to change your game plan. You may need to circle around and call from another location. You might change to another call. If you’ve worked him a long time and he’s still hung up, you might leave the gobbler and come back in a couple of hours and try again. Many hunts require several moves and/or strategy changes.

Once you get a bird working to you, get your gun up on your knee pointed in his general direction with the stock against your shoulder. When a gobbler finally walks within range (inside 40 yards), wait until he steps behind a tree or other obstacle to move your gun. When he reappears, aim carefully at his head/neck junction, and then squeeze the trigger. When a gobbler struts, the neck (spinal column) is compressed and the head is often partially hidden by feathers, making for an even smaller target. If the gobbler is strutting, wait until he extends his neck to shoot. A clean, one-shot kill should be the goal of every hunter.