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This Article is Brought to You By Pure Gold Turkey Chokes: Available at www.GAMEACC.net Tips for Hunting Spring Turkeys... by David Rearick
Hunting spring gobblers whether it be in Pennsylvania, Texas, South Dakota, or Florida can be one of the most exhilarating times spent in the woods. From days where they gobble like it is there last chance for a hen, to the days where they go silent and sneak through the fields and woods in search of food and companionship, they are all enjoyable. As things turn out, what looks like is going to end in success can quickly turn into one of the most humiliating and humbling experiences when things don't go right. From setting up just a little wrong and getting busted to making one move too many on a gobbler that has gone silent and is almost in range, things happen. Each of the four species, the Eastern, Osceola, Merriam, or Rio; can all be hunted the same way with some minor differences. Hunting any of them involves scouting, calling, wise decisions, and a little bit of luck to be successful. Using the right equipment and knowledge is crucial to end your season and fill your tag in the blink of an eye. While everyone hunts their own way, there are core principles that each and every turkey hunter utilizes to his advantage. Being sharp and easily adaptable will make more of your hunts successful, and using your knowledge and experience can pay major dividends when an old boss tom is in your area.
Shane is located in the Buckeye State of Ohio. Shane is not only a winner of the major calling contests listed above, he is also the Ohio State Turkey Calling champion 4 years running. Shane hunts in the state of Ohio, Kentucky, and basically wherever the gobblers strut. From hunting himself, filming for Zink® Calls turkey video "Turkey Time", or taking out his wife, son, or daughter, Shane spends a lot of time in the spring chasing spring gobblers. Simply put, Shane thinks scouting is the biggest factor when it comes to getting on good birds in any area. "Most people have limited time to scout due to work, family, and other factors; but scouting is key to not only finding birds to hunt, it is important to know the lay of the land," says Hendershot. Things like creeks, fences, rivers, and other natural barriers can pose a major problem when you are trying to work a bird in close enough to shoot. If you know what is between him and your set-up, it gives you time to adjust and make his travel to you as easy as possible. "Get them coming your way," stresses Hendershot. Shane isn't just referring to getting them to come to the call, but also tries to get in between where they roost and where they are going in the morning. If you are in their way, they are more likely to come your way and present you with an opportunity, when otherwise they may have just went about their business. Shane also feels that decoys can be hit or miss when hunting spring gobblers. "Use them where applicable," says Hendershot. When he can, he uses them, but if it risks bumping the bird or he is in run and gun mode, he leaves them in his vest or at the truck. The easiest way to spook a bird is to try and set-up a decoy when he is hot and heading towards you, so be careful if and when you decide to use them. Not only does Shane feel decoys can be a hindrance, he also says that body posture, head color of a strutting decoy, and even the size the decoy can be a factor. "With sub-dominant birds a full size strutter decoy can deter him from coming into range," says Hendershot. When you are hunting birds that have already established the pecking order, one dominant bird typically rules the roost. If the hens are still off the nest, younger birds are much more wary to get close in case the dominant bird is in the area and often times will head the other way in search of different hens. When it comes to calling, Shane doesn't feel you need to be a champion caller to be successful. With calling, its more about knowing when to call and when not to, just like hunting most other game animals. "Early season, I will be more aggressive then taper off on my calling as the season progresses," states Hendershot. Not only does the mood of the bird influence this, but the increased hunting pressure in the woods plays a role. Birds will go quiet when hunting pressure peaks out, so doing things like scratching the leaves and soft yelps-clucks-and purrs are the best way to let them know where you are.
Dwayne Padgett is a turkey hunter from the state of South Carolina. With liberal bag limits and a good plantation to hunt, he has honed his skills not just on hunting turkeys, but hunting turkeys with a bow. After increasing his skills and knowledge of how to do it, Dwayne has become quite a problem for the turkeys down his way even with a stick and string. Dwayne feels two things are important when it comes to hunting with a bow for turkeys; a blind and a decoy. While he has hunted without them, he thinks it gives you the advantage to hide the draw in areas where you couldn't have previously and also to get the attention away from you and on to the decoy giving you ample opportunity to draw unseen. "Not only does the decoy take the birds eye off of me, it puts him where I need him to be," says Padgett. All archers know that your shooting area is limited much more with a bow than with a gun due to the body position shooting a bow requires to be accurate. "If you are a right handed shooter, put the decoy 15-20 yards to the left, and vice versa if you're a leftie," stresses Padgett. This will allow you to draw comfortably and maintain good body posture while making the shot. Using what is present to draw your bow is also crucial. "If you are hunting with or without a blind, use his fan or a tree to your advantage and draw only when you can't see his head," points out Padgett. If you draw carefully and at the best times, hunting with a bow can be very successful and a lot of fun. Padgett agrees with Shane on decoys and their timely use. "I may use a full strut decoy early before the pecking order has been established, but after that, it is just a hen or jake decoy until the end of the season when birds are more willing to start a fight for the last remaining hens," Padgett says. Decoys have their place, it just a matter of when and feeling out the birds and what stage they are in, and it is crucial to understand when and where you use them. When it comes time for the shot, everyone knows what to do with a shotgun, but where do you aim with a bow? Padgett has a tried and true method, "The best shot is a little low and a tad back of center as there is less chance of shooting through his feathers. When he is in strut, go more towards the drumsticks," states Padgett. He also uses aluminum arrows and fixed blade broadheads to give a little less penetration and keep the arrow inside the bird allowing the shaft and broadhead to work. "Shooting turkeys with a bow doesn't leave much of a blood trail, if any at all, so keeping the arrow in him will make him unable to fly and easier to find," says Padgett. While hunting with a bow can be fun and very exciting, setting up to maximize you opportunity is key to being successful.
Erik Nilsson is located in the heart of Western Pennsylvania. Living around the area his whole live, he has learned to adapt to the ever changing western PA Eastern turkey. While getting out as much as possible himself, he also enjoys hunting with his son Mat, and has witnessed Mat take a tueky on each of the last two youth days. Thos hunts with Mat may well have been some of the best hunts of his life. While Erik is a die-hard waterfowl nut, turkeys have been one of his favorites birds to pursue since he first started hunting some years ago. No matter what the bird, Erik thinks scouting is the key to being successful. "Once I find them, I watch and learn their patterns every day until the hunt starts," says Nilsson. Understanding what they do each day, getting a good pattern on their habits, and locating the roost is all part of the game. "A good pair of hiking boots, binoculars, and a map are the tools I have with me," states Nilsson. If you can see the birds from a distance and then use a map to understand the terrain, woodlots, and fields; you will have a good idea on where to set up on them the next day. Being able to make the shot count is one of Erik's top priorities when it comes to turkey hunting. "You need to make sure your guns and ammo work together," stresses Nilsson. "Pattern performance will vary with different guns, chokes, loads, and ammunition manufacturers." When you pick your gun and choke, be sure to test pattern the loads and find one that works the best. It is all about the pattern and Nilsson suggests to look for "a good consistent fill of the circle at 40 yards, and very few 'flyer' pellets," to determine which one works the best. Not only does what the birds do day to day affect where Erik sets up, but he also pays careful attention when picking a spot. "Bright sunny days cast a lot of shadows so use them to your advantage so that a wary gobbler has a harder time seeing you," points out Nilsson. Exposed parts of your face, hands, and neck can all "glow" when the sun hits them just right, and that is an easy way to send your hard earned gobbler bye-bye as he struts into range. Sometimes, it is the small details like this that can turn a normally successful day afield into a horrible memory of what could have been.
Derek is a turkey hunter based out of Texas, but hunts all across the West and Midwest. Derek hunts a lot of Rio's, along with some Eastern and Merriam turkeys when the opportunity presents itself. Derek's main turkey to pursue though is the crafty Rio, and he feels they are hunted much differently than their cousins across the U.S. Using different techniques for the species he is after is something Derek has learned to do, and it makes his hunting time more successful. Once again, scouting is key to success, but Derek feels it may even be more important for Rio's. "Rio's routinely use the same trees or areas of trees to roost in due to the open country they habitat," points out Rambo. Not only is finding this area the best way to have a good hunt, but Rio's also typically travel in larger groups and finding this area will give you ample opportunities at birds. If you find this area, you should have good success filling your tags in a hurry. Another thing to look for when scouting Rio's is to find the water. "Due to the drier conditions of the Rio's range, water's not only a must to survive but it is also a daily routine," stresses Rambo. If you can find the roost and the water you are all set. Rio's typically get up and head to water at some point right in the early morning, so by positioning yourself between these two spots, you are right in their lane. In areas where you can hunt past noon Rambo feels that "setting up in the mid-day near a water hole is a good bet for some action." While their Eastern cousins can be very shy to the call, Rambo feels Rio's are the opposite. "Rio's love to talk, so be proficient in your calling," stresses Rambo. "Use a diaphragm call to minimize movement since you are typically out in a more open area and mimic the boss hen and add a little sass to make her mad and bring Mr. Redhead in tow." "Due to the terrain that Rio's live in, sneaking them isn't an option," Rambo states. Use binoculars and pay close attention to where they are heading and attempt to get way out in front of them. Like hunting all turkeys, not being spotted is key to getting the birds within range. Use the terrain to your advantage and stay out far enough until you have their exact location, it is always better to be safe than sorry. A Nice Group of Merriams...
 ©Kevin Dirk, Avery® Outdoors Pro-Staff
Josh is the Zink Calls Turkey Product Manager and lives in Port Clinton Ohio near the Zink's shop. Living in Ohio presents Josh with ample opportunity to hunt turkeys, but Josh loves to travel to chase Eastern turkeys anywhere he can. While Josh is an experienced caller taking first in many local contests, he also placed 2nd at the 2007 US Open turkey calling contest. From behind the camera to in front of it Josh is all about chasing turkeys and lives for the spring season. When you hunt day in and day out, it is inevitable that your equipment and gun will need some care, but don't forget about your turkey calls as well. One of the biggest culprits to the degradation of a mouth call is moisture, so rinsing it off to remove contamination and getting it dried is important to lengthen the life of your call. Grossenbacher recommends a simple process to keep your diaphragm calls in shape. "Use 1/2 of toothpick in between each of the reeds. This will allow the call to dry/air out and strengthen back up; as moisture can weaken latex." Keeping your mouth calls in good shape will avoid frustration the next morning and lessen the risk of a stuck call as the sun rises and the birds begin to gobble. Not only do diaphragm calls need to be cared for, but keeping your friction calls in good shape is important as well. "Every night or morning before the hunt, I condition my friction calls before I head into the field," remarks Grossenbacher. Not only do you need to recondition the surface after each day, but make sure to keep your conditioning stick or other scuff bad with you at all times. "When you are using calls and placing or removing them from your turkey vest, the call will lose its roughness quickly, so always be prepared to scuff it up before you make your next set," stresses Grossenbacher. Not only is some general maintenance required to keep your calls in top shape, but make sure to keep them protected during your travels with the use of a friction call case like the one made by Avery® Outdoors. (Game Hogg unt Club Avery Double Friction Call Case Review)
Not only are calls that actually sound like an old hen important to a turkey hunter, but various locator calls are important as well. Crow calls, owl hooters, coyote screamers, peacock calls, and even a goose call all work well for getting a bird to gobble when he won't answer the call or you are trying to locate him on the roost to move in. Turkeys tend to "shock gobble" at these calls just like they do at other gobblers and even police sirens in the morning, so having one of these with you to pinpoint a bird without giving him the location of the hen impersonator (that being you) is very important especially in open terrain. "I have a woodpecker call with me at all times," states Grossenbacher. "And in the early season we even use a short reed goose call with three or four short honks just to make them gobble." After you get them located, you then need to decide how you want to approach the bird, or if he is close, just stay put and wait a few minutes before trying to get him to answer your best impression of a lonely hen. This will give him a little time to settle down, and you time to get situated comfortably, and then the game begins.
 Mark Hoke(on right); Avery® Pro-Staff and Zink® Calls Z-Unit Mark Hoke lives in Maryland close to the Chesapeake Bay. He is an avid turkey hunter traveling to many states each year like PA, NH, Fl, Oh, Ky, Ga, SC, and beyond in pursuit of crafty longbeards. His favorite bird to hunt is the Eastern, and he does is at much as his work and family allows him to. He is also active in the PVA (Paralyzed Veterans Association) and takes out as many veterans and kids as he can to shoot their first turkey and or duck/goose.
Calling to a bird on the roost is one of the first things a turkey hunter wants to do when he gets in the woods. Not only is it a way to locate him and then move in closer to his location, but it is also just plain great to hear him gobble at your every call. Sometimes though, this can be detrimental to him actually flying down and heading your way. "The best rule of thumb is to wait until all the critters wake up in the woods before even starting to call in the morning," points out Hoke. "Once he has awoken, start out softly with some yelps, and if he answers, call again in a minute or so." Hoke also stresses that the more you get him to gobble, the more hens that will come looking for him and potentially get under his tree and take him away, so be careful and choose wisely on how you want to pursue him. Roosting a turkey is also a great way to find out where he is before you even go into the woods in the pre-morning darkness. Glassing fields and logging roads is one way to get a good visual of where he goes in at. Sitting in the woods listening for him to gobble when he goes up or just the sound of his wings beating is another way to accomplish this. "High ridge tops where you can hear for great distance works well when trying to hear the birds once they are flying up or sounding off once they are on the roost," remarks Hoke. This usually occurs at sunset or shortly thereafter, so make sure you're in position beforehand so you can clear your head and start to listen for the tale tell signs. "I may even owl hoot or crow call just before sunset trying to get them to shock gobble so I can get a location on the bird for the next morning, and sometimes I even go as far as using a boat horn," says Hoke. After you hear them, start laying out your plan for the next morning and get in early to avoid spooking him off the limb in the darkness. When calling to a hot bird, Hoke has a tried and true method he likes to use. "When a bird cuts you off when you call, he is surely interested in what you are saying. This is a bird that will most likely work in and you have good chance at. When a bird delay gobbles something like (1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi) after you call, that is most likely courtesy gobble from a bird that is hen'd up or not really interested," says Hoke. In either of these scenarios, you are not out of the game by any means. The first scenario, when he cuts you off, means he is hot and interested, and in the second example, he just gave up his location. If the bird is hot and close, stay put, and if he is out a bit try to carefully cut the distance and set-up unseen. If he just courtesy gobbles at you, you most likely need to make a move and in get in closer to him or out in front of him. As always, do it quietly and be stealth through the woods or edge of the field, because you never know just how fast or silent he may be coming to you.  Stephen Pitt; Avery® Outdoors Stephen Pitt is located in Memphis Tennessee. While Stephen likes to hunt close to home, he also makes multiple annual trips across the U.S. and sometimes even to South America in search of big longbeards. Stephen has completed the World Slam including; Eastern, Merriam, Goulds, Osceola, Rio, and Oscellated turkeys, and would love to do it again in the future. Hunting spring turkeys for him is as much as an obsession as chasing waterfowl in the fall, so you will typically find Stephen in the field hunting, planting food plots, or scouting for whatever comes in season next. Some days, birds just don't gobble. The weather, barometric pressure, and even hunting pressure can cause this to happen. When the birds stop talking, Pitt knows just what to do. "When I have scouted or hunted and area before and the birds aren't gobbling, I go right to where they usually hang out after first light," remarks Pitt. This can be a strut zone, travel corridor, feeding area, or even just a break in the fence they like to cross. If you can get into this area, you may catch the birds moving around and get a chance at one coming into range or getting him fired up at the thought of a new hen to add to his harem. Pitt likes to hunt in his strut zone the best. "A gobbler feels comfortable in his strut zone knowing that's where he can pick up hens and be safe," Pitt states. A gobbler usually has an area every year, and typically it is the same year to year, that he knows is safe and he feels comfortable in. Usually, it is in an open area where he can see well and in an area that he knows hens frequent and will come to him while he struts to be bred. If you can find this spot, sometimes it pays to sit and wait him out, as it can be a surefire way to kill an educated timber baron. The way nature intended, a bird gobbles and the hens come to him. Unfortunately, that isn't the way we hunt turkeys, so this changes the game a bit. "If I hear a bird gobbling, I cut as much distance as possible to get close to him and set-up," remarks Pitt. "When the gobbler hears the hen coming his way, the way nature intended, you have a good shot at him coming the shorter distance than you did say 200 yards out." Always be careful and use the terrain to your advantage in this situation, as he is already looking your way and can easily spot you in open areas. Use binoculars and tree lines or hedgerows to try and slip in without bumping him. After the shot, one of the easiest ways to ruin your day is to grab a turkey by the legs. Good adult birds have long curved razor sharp spurs intended to do some damage during a fight, so grabbing him by them while he is flopping is a good way to change the after hunt time reflecting on your success into a potential trip to the ER. "I always pick up a turkey by the head, if he starts to flop, I can either hold on or let go without the risk of getting spurred", says Pitt. Birds, even after they are dead can go into a spasm causing the body to convulse, and you don't want to be near his hooks when it happens.
Game Hogg Dan Bump
Dan Bump is a turkey hunter based out of Northwest Pennsylvania. With a favorable work schedule, understanding wife, and the desire to get out there every day he can, Dan spends a lot of his time in the spring in the woods and on the road. Dan hunts multiple states each year and loves every minute of it. Where Dan spends most of his time, turkeys are a little more spaced out in the bigger woods, and this presents a challenge to locate multiple good birds in an area, but Dan loves the challenge of running and gunning and putting many miles on his feet in the quest for a big thunder chicken. "Not all turkeys live around or frequent fields," explains Bump. While finding a strutting gobbler in a field is a great way to locate a bird to hunt after you obtain permission, it usually indicates turkey activity and more birds in the area. "Deep woods turkeys usually see a lot less pressure than birds seen in fields," remarks Bump. Turkeys will use different aspects of the woods to their advantage. They are a little safer from being seen from hunters and other predators, and will use things like logging roads, ridges, and small openings in the forest as their strut zone. Getting out of the truck and into the woods is a good way to find these birds; and the rewards are usually very good once you get them figured out. Hunting in the woods also offers something hunting in the fields does not. "If a bird has a 100 yards or more to cross a field and sees no movement, they will sometimes hang up outside of range, expecting your decoy to come to them as they strut and gobble," says Bump. If you are in the woods, the bird has to get in tighter to find his hen, and you have a better shot at him coming in range. Another tactic Bump likes to employ is the art of being silent. It is hard to do especially when a bird is gobbling his head off and you are caught up in the moment, but sometimes it is all you need to get him to come closer." When a bird is gobbling his head off and coming, it is time to be quiet once he gets within the 100 yard mark and wait for him to make his approach," states Bump. "Only after he is silent for a while and I haven't seen him will I let out a soft yelp to get his attention or try to figure out what he is doing"" This not only works for birds coming in, but also for birds that are hung up and wrecking your patience by gobbling like there is no tomorrow. "If a bird is gobbling at all of your calls, but isn't getting any closer, he is expecting you to come to him (the way nature intended). This is the time to go quiet and make him curious; and he may come looking." During this time doing things like scratching leaves may just be enough to let him know you are the real deal and close enough for him to want to come and take a look.  ©Terry Shields, Avery® Outdoors Pro-Staff Click the logos below to check out Shane, Josh, and Mark on Zink's newest Turkey Video "Turkey Time" or their calls:   Copyright © 2008 Game Hogg Hunt ClubTM. All rights reserved.
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