Almost as soon as the tom landed in the clearing, he gobbled and puffed up. After four days of getting beat by the birds, it was a surreal sight. It was even more surreal when he dropped out of strut and bee-lined it for the logging road I was positioned next two with my 20-gauge laid across my knee.
That suicidal two-year-old took me from a turkey hunter to a turkey killer. In the nearly three decades since that moment, there have been plenty of toms and jakes, but that one was special because he was my first.
If you are still looking to clear that first-tom hurdle, don’t lose hope. There are many ways to set yourself up for success this spring, but the first and most important is to scout.
Turkey hunting is an exciting and rewarding outdoor activity that is growing in popularity across North America. With proper preparation and knowledge, even beginners can find success in the spring turkey woods. This comprehensive guide will provide everything you need to know to start turkey hunting this season.
Getting Started
The most important first step is making sure you have the proper licenses and permits. Nearly all states require a hunting license as well as tags or stamps specifically for turkeys Be sure to review your state’s regulations and purchase what’s needed well in advance of opening day.
You’ll also need to choose your equipment. A 12 or 20 gauge shotgun is recommended for beginners. Choose a choke that will produce dense patterns at 30-40 yards. Camouflage clothing will help you blend into the surroundings but don’t get too caught up on pattern and brand. Focus more on finding clothing that allows free, quiet movement.
Other essential gear includes turkey calls, shooting sticks or a blind for concealed seating, and a rangefinder. Take time before the season to pattern your shotgun and practice with calls so you’re proficient when hunting begins. Mouth calls like diaphragms or box calls are good choices for beginners.
Scouting for Birds
Scouting pre-season is key for beginner success. Locate active roost sites, strutting areas, and travel corridors between. Arrive before dawn or dusk and listen for gobbling. Use a locator call to elicit responses. Mark GPS waypoints to return to on opening day. Trail cameras can also help pattern bird habits and numbers.
Pay attention to terrain features like ridges, depressions, and waterways that allow concealed movement Identify optimal setup locations as well as alternative options depending on how birds respond. Developing this intel pre-season is a huge advantage for beginners
Opening Day Tactics
On opening day, slip into position well before first light. Get between the roosted gobbler and his desired destination without spooking any birds. Face the anticipated approach path and sit against a wider tree to blend your outline.
As daylight breaks, use soft tree yelps and clucks to announce your presence. When you hear fly down activity, increase calling volume. The gobbler may land near the roost then strut towards you or fly directly in. Remain still and ready for a quick shot if needed.
If the gobbler hangs up out of range, avoid aggressive calling and movements. Be patient and let the decoy do the work. Calling less is often more with pressured opening day birds. Consider repositioning if you can do so subtly without spooking the gobbler.
Calling and Shooting
When the gobbler commits and closes in, have your gun rested on shooting sticks in the ready position. Avoid moving your head and torso – only rotate your eyes towards the approaching bird. Remain still and let him fully commit before even thinking of shooting.
As he enters range, wait for an open shot at the head/neck area when he pauses or struts. Swing slowly and smoothly before squeezing the trigger. If using a decoy, let the gobbler focus on that rather than your movements. Take time to aim – missing your first shot often ends the hunt.
After the shot, immediately chamber another round. Approach carefully and only when certain the bird is down. Carefully tag the turkey following your state’s requirements before retrieval and photos.
Late Season Tactics
As the season progresses, birds become call shy and hens begin nesting. Gobblers will be seeking without hens more often. Use glassing to locate birds then set up just like opening day.
Be mobile and cover more ground stopping frequently to use louder locator calls. Setting up near fields in the evenings can also be productive as gobblers enter to feed before roosting.
Expect faster responses from lonely gobblers but shorter windows to work birds before they hang up. Setting up quickly is key after eliciting a shock gobble. More aggressive calling may also be required late season.
Varying Tactics and Locations
Every hunt will be different based on bird behaviors that day. It’s important to remain flexible and adapt as needed. If your calling isn’t getting responses, try using a different call type or less frequent calling.
Be ready to reposition quickly if a gobbler hangs up out of range or starts moving away from you. Don’t be afraid to call and break position if you haven’t been detected. Just take care not to bump birds while moving.
Also try varying habitat between public land, private farms, and suburban areas. Different terrain and pressure levels will necessitate evolving strategies to match the birds. Be creative and willing to change it up based on results.
Additional Tips for Beginners
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Pack extra gear like facemasks, gloves, and mosquito repellent to stay concealed and comfortable for long sits
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Take mental notes on bird behaviors and filing patterns for reference next time
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Don’t be discouraged if you don’t tag out early on. Turkey hunting takes patience and persistence.
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Bring snacks, water, and backup batteries. You may be stationary a long time waiting for birds to work in.
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Research and scout new areas thoroughly before hunting there. Familiarity leads to success.
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Purchase good topo maps to plan access, movements, and setup locations.
With proper scouting, essential gear, and adaptive hunting strategies, even first time turkey hunters can find success. Pay attention to bird behaviors, remain patient and flexible, and call conservatively. Avoid excessive calling and movements that may spook pressured gobblers. Do your homework and hunt smart this spring turkey season.
Turkeys Now, Turkeys Soon
Flocks of hens are predictable, and where the ladies go, so do the boys. Hens have distinct feeding, traveling, and roosting patterns that don’t change much until they either get messed with or the weather warms up enough to offer them fresh food sources.
Until then, what they do today, they often do tomorrow. This means that if you want to know where turkeys should be when you hunt them in April, start watching them now. Just remember, it’s not enough to see some strutters in a field that are trying desperately to get a jump on breeding season.
Pay attention to exactly where they are in the field. Pay attention to how they walk into the field, and how they exit it. Pay attention to exactly when they feed in certain spots. If you glass turkeys enough or run trail cameras (do both), you’ll realize how tight of a schedule birds usually keep. It’s incredible, and prying into that regimented world is the first step to success.
The second is to get to know your weapon, really well.
Whether you want to take your first bird with a shotgun or archery tackle, understand what your effective range is on a turkey-sized target. Pattern your shotgun until you find a load that delivers enough BBs to ensure that if your bird crosses the magic distance line, he’s dead.
If you bowhunt, practice on a 3D turkey target, a lot. Get to know whether you’re more of a seven-yard shot kind of hunter, or maybe you can stretch it out farther. When a turkey does commit, you want the utmost confidence that it’s over when he gets into range. You do not want to be thinking about whether or not you can close the deal.
Make The First Hunt Count
Just like in the whitetail realm, first turkey hunts are your best bet. The more they get hunted on a specific property, or in a specific location on a property, the harder they are to kill as the spring progresses.
If you gather enough pre-season intel, you’ll see they are vulnerable in different locations at different times. Maybe the picked cornfield is the ticket because they fly down from the roost at sunrise and scratch away. But what if they tend to land in the middle of the field and aren’t really concentrated until they re-group and leave at mid-morning?
This means that sweet field-edge setup might allow you to see, and call to, plenty of birds. You just might not be able to get them to commit, which is likely in the early season when they are still flocked up. Maybe there is a logging road or two-track, they usually take to leave the field that concentrates their activity? While the field-edge spot might be more fun to hunt, the logging road offers far higher odds of killing. This is an important distinction because just like with whitetails, a lot of new hunters set up to see—not kill. Don’t be like them.
To fine-tune the art of picking high-odds ambush sites, take note when you start dialing in their patterns. Pay close attention to the things that might affect, and alter, their daily routine. Bright sunlight, versus cloudy or rainy weather will do it. Wind will shake things up. Where I live, ground fog around the swamps and wetlands will do it, too. Birds won’t walk through the haze but instead will fly over it to higher spots on the landscape where they can see. Use your observations to dial in multiple spots for your first hunt, so you have backup plans. Then choose wisely.
Whether you’re shotgun hunting or bowhunting, trusting your setup is huge. Second-guessing decoy spreads and calling techniques has saved a pile of longbeards over the years. If you’re on the fence with either, think of it this way. The more scouting you do, the more likely you are to be in a spot where real birds expect to see some action.
Use a quarter-strut Jake decoy, a laydown hen, and maybe another hen or two. Call to your comfort level, whether that’s hitting the mouth calls pretty aggressively, or maybe staying a little more subdued with a slate call.
When you expect to be bombarded with strutters at first light, but they don’t show, it’s tough. Stick it out. Trust your setup, and let it work for you. If you’ve done your homework, and aren’t giving away your position, the birds will show up. When they do, you’ll suddenly go from turkey hunter to turkey killer, which is a pretty sweet feeling.
How To HUNT TURKEYS: Basics With Jay Maxwell
FAQ
How early should you start turkey hunting?
How to set up for turkey hunting?
How difficult is turkey hunting?
How do I start a turkey hunt?
For new turkey hunters, getting access to private land is the perfect training ground, especially if you’re the only one hunting it. You might have neighbors, friends, or family with prime turkey habitat, which is where you should start first. The larger the property, the better.
How do you hunt a Turkey in spring?
Because spring turkey hunting seasons coincide with turkey breeding season, hunting tactics revolve around calling in male turkeys (toms) with female turkey (hens) noises. Toms gobble and strut to entice receptive hens. This dance drives the main activity in spring turkey hunting.
What should you know before a turkey hunt?
As excited as we all get for spring turkey season, safety before the hunt, on the hunt and after the hunt should be at the top of everyone’s mind. Checklist for safety: Always keep your gun’s muzzle pointed in a safe direction, never toward a person. Treat every gun as if it is loaded. Only load or cock a gun when you are shooting.
How do I prepare for turkey hunting?
My favorite tactic is to find a handful of roosts before the season starts so that you can hunt multiple areas during the first week of turkey hunting. Having multiple areas in your back pocket is very helpful. Many times you’ll find out that one spot you were planning to hunt gets too much hunting pressure.