 But for many of us, a spring day can be just as picture-perfect,
because there is one can't-miss hunting experience that every hunter
should have every spring. That, of course, is a turkey hunt.
Chasing gobblers is a rite of spring. Hearing a big tom thunder out
his "Good morning" after departing his roost tree is an
awe-inspiring sound. It really gets the blood pumping, especially if
he continues gobbling when you start yelping on your turkey call.
To help you put more turkeys in your lap and into the roasting
pan, I thought I'd provide a few tips that have helped me over the
years. Some I've learned on my own by observing live birds and
enduring countless trials and errors. Other tactics I've learned
from far better turkey hunters than I. That's one of the best things
about fellow hunters: Aside from maybe giving up their favorite
spots, hunters are quick to share their successful strategies with
others to help them be more successful too.
A key tip when tackling toms is to talk turkey. The best way to
learn how is to get out into the wild woods and listen to the sounds
live birds make, and observe every nuance of their language and
behavior. You can do this in the preseason, with your shotgun or bow
at home in the case. Inside metro areas, within parks and other
no-hunting areas, there are often healthy populations of wild birds
that you can observe. After all, a city turkey and a country turkey
are the same critter with the same vocal cords.
While you're out, listen to the specifics of every turkey sound.
How loud is it? What are they doing when they make certain sounds? A
lonesome hen standing in one spot to attract other birds can sound a
lot different than one who's walking and talking at the same time,
or scratching and feeding, or dusting and preening.
When a live hen does yelp, purr, cluck or cut, what effect does
it have on other birds in the area? What seems to rile up the toms
more than anything? And what other variables are in the mix when
these reactions happen -- weather pattern, wind, visibility, etc.?
Keeping a diary of your observations can help you commit your field
knowledge to memory.
As you listen to the turkeys, try to exactly emulate the sounds
of other hens. Really get to know the subtleties of every diaphragm,
friction and box call in your turkey vest -- so you know which one
to reach for when you want to duplicate a particular sound quality.
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 Which leads me to another great tip to use when you're actually
hunting. If there's a vocal hen, and a nearby gobbler or several
males are responding to her, don't try to compete with her. She
sounds better than you. Plus, she's got that feathery body attached
to her voice and, well, you don't.
Instead, become pals with her. Talk to her. Every sound she
makes, duplicate it. If she goes "yelp, yelp, yelp, yelp," starting
loud and crisp and tapering off to low and raspy, do exactly what
she's doing. In many cases, you can call in the hen by mimicking
her. And if she comes in vocally, chances are she'll lead in a tom
right behind her.
If a turkey approaches but hangs up outside of range, try a
simple tactic that a great turkey hunter once taught me. Slowly turn
away -- without getting busted by movement -- and make your next
call sequence away from the bird and on the opposite side of
your body. This will create the audible effect that you (as a
turkey) have begun walking away. In some cases, this can trigger a
sense of panic in an approaching bird that his girlfriend is leaving
the party. Often it will be just the kick in the feathery butt that
it needs to close the distance.
Now, let's say lady luck does not smile on you. Your hunt is not
over for the day. Nope, stay out there until roost time and locate
(with your eyes and ears) where the birds are going to bed that
night. Watch them go up to the roost trees and keep your eyes on
them until sunset. If they're satisfied with the roost and haven't
been spooked by sundown, then it's a good bet that they'll go
undisturbed all night and will wake up on the same tree limb.
Set up the next day, before sunrise, in a likely fly-down area
near the roost. Be sneaky and quiet going in. Get settled and
well-concealed long before the sun starts peeking up, and resist the
urge to start calling before the real hens have flown down and have
started talking. It can be a crap shoot about where the birds will
opt to fly down, but if you're lucky, a big tom will descend into
your area and respond well to your calling as soon as his spurred
legs hit the ground. And if you sound like a real hen? Well, then
heat up the oven!
Good hunting.
[By BABE WINKELMAN]
Babe Winkelman hosts "Good Fishing" and
"Outdoor Secrets," the most-watched fishing and hunting programs on
television. Tune in on NBC Sports Network, Destination America,
Velocity, Time Warner Sports Texas & New York, and many local
broadcast channels. Visit
Winkelman.com for air times and more information.
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