In our recent Shooting 101 installation on bird hunting, we intentionally omitted the wild turkey, regarded by many as one of America’s greatest game animals. That’s because there are hardly any similarities between hunting the wild turkey and hunting upland and migratory game birds. In fact, just about the only similarity is both types of hunters utilize shotguns, but typically not the same shotguns for the two different types of hunting.
Turkey Hunting 101
Let’s discuss the ins and outs of turkey hunting for beginners, including equipment needs many might not expect.
Pursuing The Wily Gobbler
The wild turkey, native to the United States, ranges to 49 of the 50 states, including Hawaii. These large birds, majestic like the eagle; Benjamin Franklin once proposed turkeys chosen as America’s national symbol. Hunted in the U.S. from coast to coast, turkey hunting ranges from Canada to Mexico. Serious turkey hunters rank among the most avid sportsmen heading afield.
While they have a tiny brain, wild turkeys have a keen sense of hearing and even better eyesight. Bagging one, especially for a beginner, is definitely an accomplishment that will yield a lifetime memory.
For the purposes of this discussion, we’ll concentrate on spring turkey hunting, which is by far the most popular turkey season. That’s because it is the birds’ mating season, when gobblers (also called Toms) are pursuing hens to breed. This timing makes them vulnerable to being called into shotgun range by hunters pretending to be hen turkeys, appealing to their reproductive drive.
Finding a Spot
Of course, to begin you must have property to hunt on, whether private with landowner permission or lands open to public hunting. Hunters typically begin by sitting quietly in the woods where they believe turkeys live and making quiet calls like a turkey hen. If a Tom gobbles back, the game is on and it’s a battle of wits to see whether the hunter can entice him to within shotgun range. If after a while no gobbles are heard, it’s time to move to another location where birds could live. Repeat until you succeed, which might mean killing the first Tom you hear gobble, or it could take several seasons. When you do get a gobbler within shotgun range, a shot to the head usually does the job.
We’ve previously mentioned the sense of accomplishment that comes with a successful gobbler hunt. Equally impressive is the delicious meal that results from the hunt, as wild turkeys provide exquisite table fare.
What You’ll Need
As with most new sports you take up, there are several equipment items you’ll need to successfully pursue the wild turkey. In fact, it is a fairly gear-heavy sport, requiring more equipment items than hunting upland or migratory game birds.
First off is a turkey shotgun—preferably a 12 gauge, although a 20 gauge will do. Shorter barrel guns are more easily manipulated in a blind when a gobbler is coming your way, a good turkey shotgun must have changeable choke tubes. Many turkey hunters use purpose-made choke tubes in Turkey Extra Full or a similar constriction.
Concerning ammunition, many ammunition companies manufacture specialized turkey loads made specifically for downing gobblers. Check companies like Federal, Remington and Winchester, who all have purpose-made loads that will do the job on wild turkeys. Once you choose a load, be sure and pattern it through your shotgun using your turkey choke to ensure you have a good, dense pattern out to 40 or 50 yards.
Camo Up
Because of the turkey’s keen eyesight, camouflage clothing is probably more important for turkey hunting than just about any hunting type. Camo from head to toe will help you blend into your surroundings, making it more difficult for a gobbler to spot you. Even camo’d up, any movement you make is likely to catch a Tom’s attention and send him on his way to the next county.
Many hunters sit with their backs against a tree and successfully harvest birds. A good pop-up blind makes it easier though, as it will hide both your silhouette and your movement. Carrying a blind along, as well as putting it up and down at different locations, is a little more labor intensive, but it can yield dividends.
It’s hard to kill a spring gobbler without a good turkey call or three, since ambushing them is nearly impossible. There are several kinds of calls on the market, including mouth calls, box calls and slate calls. While all work differently, they all make the sounds of a hen turkey in order to draw a gobbler’s attention. Find one or two you like and learn how to use them before heading afield.
Trick ‘Em with Decoys
A turkey decoy can also help bolster your success, although sometimes gobblers tend to completely ignore them. One proven decoying tactic is to set a hen decoy out in front of your position about 30 yards away while making hen calls. If a gobbler hears the hen and then gets visual confirmation there’s a hen in the area, he’s liable to head your way.
While it might sound strange, a good pair of boots is also critical for successful turkey hunting. Spring turkey hunting is often a run-and-gun affair, and a serious hunter might cover several miles in a day chasing gobblers. Top-quality, good-fitting boots ensure more comfortable feet back at camp and the next day when you start hunting again.
Finally, while not necessary, a good pair of binoculars can help you identify turkeys from long distances and determine whether they are gobblers or hens—or something else. When my second son was little we were hunting turkeys from a blind and saw some more birds about 500 yards away. Instead of staying put like we should have, we stalked to within 100 yards of the bird before realizing they were turkey vultures. If that wasn’t bad enough, when we turned to head back to the blind there was a gobbler strutting around the decoy right in front of the blind! A set of binoculars would have saved us that frustration.
