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Guide for preparing for turkey season
There are four subspecies of wild turkeys; the eastern, the Osceola,
the Rio Grandes and Merriam's turkeys. Eastern wild turkeys are
by far the most popular species for turkey hunting in the United
States. Osceola turkeys can only be found in Florida. Rios Grandes
turkeys can be found in Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Hawaii.
Merriam's turkeys can be found in Nebraska, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming
and South Dakota. The first step in preparing for turkey hunting
season is to obtain a list of areas where turkey hunting is permitted
from the state in which you prefer to hunt. You should also check
with them about their licensing requirements and any other regulations
pertaining to turkey hunting. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, the top 10 most popular states for turkey hunting are:
1. Missouri
2. Alabama
3. Pennsylvania
4. Wisconsin
5. New York
6. Mississippi
7. Michigan
8. Oklahoma
9. Texas
10. Kentucky
The prodigious number of eastern wild turkeys located in the above
listed states account for the popularity of turkey hunting in those
states - except for Texas, where the Rio Grande subspecies accounts
for the majority of wild turkeys harvested. Missouri is the most
popular state for turkey hunting because the population of eastern
wild turkeys is over 600,000. Alabama has a turkey population of
more than 350,000, and its low country swampland, rich hardwood
stands and abundant food plots make it the second most popular state
for turkey hunting. Some people believe that turkey hunting began
in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania’s turkey population of more
than 350,000 eastern wild turkeys puts it in the top five states
for turkey hunting almost every year. Wisconsin has a turkey population
of about 320,000 eastern wild turkeys. New York contains more than
250,000 eastern wild turkeys, and its rugged mountains, rolling
farmland, dense forests, many lakes and winding rivers make New
York an adventurous environment for turkey hunting. Many regions
have both spring and fall turkey hunting seasons. Others regions
may have only a spring turkey hunting season or a fall turkey hunting
season. This is another good reason to prepare by checking the hunting
regulations for the state in which you wish to hunt.
Some helpful tips on how to prepare for turkey hunting by scouting
Experienced turkey hunters scout locations at least two to three
weeks before they hunt in order find areas that have good prospects
for hunting. Turkeys do not necessarily frequent the same areas
during the winter and spring. They often migrate from their winter
habitat to their spring habitat when turkey hunting season begins.
The spring migration of turkeys will vary depending upon the type
of turkey. Eastern wild turkeys generally inhabit a relatively small
range and find most of what they need for year-round survival in
an area of several square miles. Merriam's and Rio Grande turkeys
often travel up to 10 miles or more to find better areas for spring
or winter feeding. If you discover an area that has many turkeys
in it during the winter, the chances are good that those turkeys
will not move very far during the spring. The best spring turkey
hunting occurs on clear days with little wind and no precipitation.
Research has shown that cloudy skies, rain and windy conditions
occurring as much as 12 hours prior to the time of turkey hunting
will result in decreased turkey harvests.
After you have found a general location that looks promising for
turkey hunting, look for roosting areas, strut zones, scratchings,
dusting areas, and the travel paths in between those areas. When
you begin this phase of scouting, binoculars and good boots are
essential because you may need to scout a relatively large area.
Turkeys like tall, open trees with horizontal branches that they
can easily stand on to roost. If the terrain is hilly, they tend
to roost in trees that are below the ridge line on the leeward side
of the prevailing winds. Other good areas to scout are feeding areas.
Look for open fields, grassy areas or mast areas that have lots
of turkey tracks and scratchings. A very important tool in scouting
for promising turkey hunting locations can be your ears because
the sound of gobbling and yelps lets you know that there are turkeys
in the area. One of the most intriguing aspects of turkey hunting
is that each turkey hunting situation is unique. But once you know
what the turkeys’ habits and patterns in an area are, you
will find that the favorite strut zones and roosting locations tend
to be used year after year.
Turkey hunting blinds
Turkeys have very keen eyesight but they don't pay attention to
blinds. Turkey hunting in an open field without a turkey hunting
blind is not recommended. Turkey hunting experts recommend setting
up blinds within a relatively short distance from strut zones. Setting
up more than one blind at several strut zones is also recommended
because if one location turns out to be unproductive, you can move
to other locations. One group of turkeys may have as many as five
or six established strut zones. Proper preparation by scouting in
advance of turkey hunting will allow you to find these zones and
set up accordingly.
Pop-up blinds take only a few seconds to open, put into place,
and prepare for a hunter to slip inside and begin turkey hunting.
Hub style blinds are also easy and quick to set up. Turkey hunting
blinds offer hunters many advantages, such as the ability to stay
dry and hunt comfortably for a long time. They also provide a sheltered
place for extra hunting clothing and food. Turkey hunting blinds
provide hunters with the ability to videotape their hunts without
being seen. Some turkey hunting blinds provide camera ports that
are designed so that the camera lens can project outside the blind.
Many manufacturers offer turkey hunting blinds with shoot-through
windows that allow bow hunters the ability to keep the windows closed.
Most manufacturers offer turkey hunting blinds that allow for 360-degree
viewing and eliminate blind spots. Carrying sacks that have shoulder
straps for ease of portaging your blind into the wilderness are
also available.
Some helpful tips on using turkey hunting decoys
In order to be effective, decoys must be seen by the turkeys. Open
pastures or sparse areas in the woods are good locations for decoys.
Tom turkeys are almost always searching for a hen to breed with
regardless of whether it’s early, mid or late spring. Purchasing
a hen type turkey hunting decoy is a good idea because it will tend
to attract big tom turkeys. Turkey hunting experts recommend having
several hen type turkey hunting decoys that are posed in different
positions. Placing a few standing or feeding hen turkey decoys approximately
15 to 20 yards in front of your turkey hunting blind will usually
attract the tom turkeys to your hunting position. Make sure the
decoys are facing your turkey hunting blind because toms are able
to detect the decoy’s lifeless eyes. Attaching string to the
decoys is also a good idea because it allows you to move the decoy
slightly as the tom approaches, giving your decoys an additional
illusion of being a real hen.
Realism is a very important factor in turkey hunting because of
how keen the turkey’s eyesight is. The most effective turkey
hunting decoys are the realistic, weatherproof, three-dimensional
vinyl, foam, or polyethylene styles. Three dimensional turkey hunting
decoys are available that feature lightweight, compact, collapsible
bodies that pop into shape after being shaken or punched out from
the inside cavity. Inflatable turkey hunting decoys made from vinyl
are also available that can be quickly inflated and deflated for
easy transport in and out of the woods. Most of the turkey hunting
decoys on the market are waterproof and realistic in appearance.
A big advantage of the three dimensional decoys is that they mimic
real turkey behavior in the field by moving with even the slightest
of breezes, thereby calming any wary hens or toms in the immediate
area. Three-dimensional decoys come in a variety of poses and configurations
that can all be used to improve the productivity of turkey hunting.
Some helpful tips on using calls in turkey hunting
The ability to call turkeys is a crucial skill in turkey hunting.
Many hunters consider turkey calling to be an art form, and there
are even contests with prizes for competing callers. The first rule
of thumb in turkey hunting is: It's always easier to call a turkey
into a location that it wants to frequent anyway. There are many
different types of turkey hunting calls, there are many different
types of calling devices, and there are many different manufacturers
of calling devices that are used in turkey hunting. Some names of
popular types of calling devices include box callers, striker boxes,
crow calls, diaphragm callers, friction callers, noble whistles,
owl hooters, push-button callers, snuff box callers, tube callers
and wing-bone callers. Subtle variations in the volume, rhythm and
pitch of a turkey caller can be as important as the type of call
used in turkey hunting. The following is a partial list of turkey
calls:
• The tree call: a very soft series of yelps given by a hen
before she flies down from her roost, described by some as a quiet
yawn
• The hen-turkey wing call: mimics the flapping sound of a
hen turkey's wing against brush
• The lost call (or assembly call): a call given by hunters
to pull a turkey flock together
• The yelp: a hen's complicated call which can signal contentment,
excitement, or invitation to a prospective breeding partner
• The cluck: a hen turkey's vocalization of content or excitement
• The putt: an alarm sound given by a turkey
• The kee-kee run: a young gobbler's squeal and call
• The gobble: the mating call of mature tom turkeys, used
in the spring to attract hens
• Drumming: a vroom sound that tom turkeys use to attract
hens during mating season
• The cackle (or fly-down-cackle): a yelping call hens make
when flying off their roosts or when excited
• The purr: another contented call of a hen
Audio tape recordings of most of the major calls are readily available,
and some call manufacturers provide these with the purchase of their
calling device.
Camouflage clothing
In the sport of turkey hunting, camouflage is mandatory if you
want to avoid revealing your location. It is commonly believed that
wild turkeys are able to perceive everything within their field
of view. This means that unnecessary movement should be avoided,
and also that full head-to-toe camouflage clothing is necessary
to blend in with the surroundings and to help mask all necessary
movements. Specialized camouflage clothing is needed to accommodate
different weather conditions and also to avoid being seen by turkeys.
Many turkey hunters wear an entire outfit of camouflage clothing,
including a camouflage cap, boots, shirt and a vest. Many hunters
even wear camouflage undershirts. Turkey hunting usually spans a
wide range of temperatures, so wearing layered camouflage clothing
is the preferred method of dressing. Layered camouflage clothing
allows a hunter to add warmer clothes as needed during the cooler
morning hours and shed layers later on during the day when the temperature
rises.
Lightweight, lightly insulated hunting boots are among the most
important items of camouflage clothing because walking several miles
a day in search of turkeys is very common in turkey hunting. A camouflage
turkey hunting vest is an essential item for many turkey hunters.
The numerous pockets that a good turkey hunting vest contains allow
hunters to store many different turkey callers. There are even turkey
hunting vests available that feature a built-in back cushion and
a game pouch for carrying home a turkey. Many turkey hunters own
a camouflage hunting backpack that allows them to carry extra clothing
and/or a camouflage hunting fanny pack to carry other small items
that they may need.
The face and hands are two areas of the body that turkey hunters
sometimes fail to camouflage even though these areas require concealment.
A human face can actually appear to be a big, bright beacon to a
wary turkey, and a hunter's hands are often moving while calling
or preparing to shoot. Because of this, camouflage gloves and some
type of face covering are very important. A wide variety of light
camouflage gloves are available for turkey hunting. Some are thin
enough to allow the hunter to feel the pull of a trigger or a bow
release, while others are thicker but have the fingertips cut off
for dexterity. Camouflage facemasks or head nets made of a very
thin, see-through mesh are often used to cover a hunter's face.
These are available in different lengths that range from full pullover
style head nets to half-masks that start below the eyes. A light
camouflage hat is the most popular choice of head covering used
in turkey hunting. Some camouflage hats are available that have
a mesh facemask already attached. Among the newest inventions for
use in turkey hunting are camouflage glasses. Some enterprising
hunter discovered that when a wary turkey is very close, the turkey
can see the whites of a hunter’s eyes. But that won’t
happen if you're wearing camouflage glasses.
Ten tips on turkey hunting safety
1. Never stalk a turkey. The chances of getting close enough for
a shot are slim, but the chances of becoming involved in an accident
are increased.
2. Eliminate the colors red, white, and blue from your turkey hunting
outfit. Red is the color most hunters count on to differentiate
a tom's head from the hen's blue colored head.
3. Never move, wave, or make turkey sounds to alert another hunter
to your presence. Instead, yell in a loud voice and remain hidden.
4. Never assume that you are alone in the woods, even if you are
the only one on the land with permission to hunt.
5. Discuss turkey hunting safety techniques with your hunting companions.
Many accidents are caused by people in the same hunting party.
6. When selecting your calling position, don't try to hide so well
that you cannot see what is happening around you.
7. Never assume that other hunters are acting responsibly.
8. When turkey hunting, think and act defensively. Avoid all unnecessary
movement. You are visible to both turkeys and hunters when you move
even slightly.
9. Be 100% certain of your target before you pull the trigger.
Don't ever shoot at a piece of a turkey. You must see the whole
bird in order to determine whether it is safe or legal to shoot.
A good rule of thumb is to not shoot until you can clearly see the
gobbler's eye. That way, the bird will be in range and you will
be sure it is a turkey.
10. When turkey hunting, assume that every sound you hear is made
by another hunter. Once you pull the trigger, you can never take
that shot back.
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