Wild Turkey Hunting tips
Wild turkey hunting is a popular all over the continent. Even though it is not as thrilling as hunting a giant grizzly bear, hunting wild turkeys has its own share of rewarding experiences. Thriving on varied areas all over the United States, hunting wild turkeys is an enjoyable experience and offers loads of delectable meat for all the lip-smacking poultry recipes.
Let’s discuss some helpful tips and suggestions that would make your wild turkey hunting experience successful and safe –
Keep Distance – Avoid getting too close to the bird. Like every animal/bird you hunt, your game is not unaware of your moves. If the turkey senses any kind of danger, it will be gone in the flash of a second. Keep a safe distance and post yourself not more than 100 yards of the bird
Choose a good place to sit – Sit against a tree that is not narrower than you. If you sit against a wide tree, it would conceal you from the view of the turkey. It would also shield you from hunters who could be hunting in the same vicinity.
Maintain visibility when you hide – What good would it do if you hide and cannot see what is happening all around you? Using a hunting blind could be very beneficial for you, but if you have an obstructed vision, your game might just walk right in front of you, and you won’t even know.
Choose and appropriate calling site – When you are choosing a suitable calling site, choose one that would provide good visibility in every direction. Having approximately 40 to 50 yards of perception would be optimal enough for hitting the bird at this range by using a full turkey choke in your shotgun. This would also enable you to get a clear view of other hunters or birds approaching your way.
Stay Still – Try as much as you can to stay still and avoid shifting, fidgeting or jostling. This just might reveal your presence to the turkey. Likewise, avoid swinging your gun around, for getting a good shot at a bird that is behind you. It might get startled and scoot into hiding, before you even aim at it. Be patient and let the turkey walk around till it comes in front where you can take a good shot at it.
Don’t forget the other hunters – While hunting, make sure you do not ignore the fact that there are other hunters who are doing the same job as you. Even if you are unaware of their existence, doesn’t mean they are not there. Don’t shoot randomly the moment you hear a turkey; it might be just another hunter with a realistic birdcall.
Keep your sportsman spirit alive – Irrespective of the kind of circumstances you face, you should never try to work a bird other hunters have spotted already. If you do, this could bring on trouble from another hunter and a reputation of an unsportsmanlike attitude.
Always aim for the neck or head – The bird is not as big as a deer. You might ruin all the meat if you take a body shot. Therefore, in case you are an archer, it is advisable that you use an expandable broad head or Magnus Bull Heads. However, it is relatively difficult to hunt a turkey using with archery tackle, because you have lure the turkey into shooting range by using the hunting call, preferably your mouth in this case until you hit the shot. In case you are comfortable with rifles, using an accurate one, which is chambered for small calibers such as the .17 Remington could be a ideal choice.
Fall hunting – While turkey seasons arise at various times during the year, you have to follow some specific pointers for fall hunting.
One of the most important tasks of hunting the wild turkey is locating the bird. You can scout it by tracking the sounds, feathers, droppings, and tracks. This bird usually congregates with other turkeys in sparse woodlands and fields. The bird is known to spend a lot of time eating; hence it would be very advantageous if you could locate a food source. The wild turkey usually feeds on seeds and insects.
Spring Hunting – One of the best positions to be taken by the hunter would be sticking real close to the ground remaining low with good camouflage and using decoys and calls when necessary. One of the main concerns of this situation is that hunter himself may be confused as a tom and can be shot by another hunter. Moreover, it is important that you select a good parking spot, especially if you are an early riser. That’s because, the turkey flock are fully aware of their surroundings in the morning all thanks to their daily routine. Any disruption in this respect can really lower your chances of a successful turkey hunt.
Scatter – If you stumble upon a flock of turkeys, it would be advisable to scatter the birds. Once they have scattered and fled, the birds customarily start coming back to the point they started. This would the best time to single out a turkey and hunt it down.
Last but not the least, hunting a wild turkey requires the hunter to have the ability to be patient, sit still and wait for the bird. Patience kills more wild turkeys than any other technique.
As turkey is great eating be sure to try some wild turkey recipes we have to offer.
