‘No way that’s the same bird,” I thought while steadying shaking binoculars focused on a feathered monster waltzing through a familiar cherry orchard.
I never get too excited or depressed during pre-season scouting efforts. Call them an excuse to shake winter’s monotony while taking a drive and smoking a good cigar because not seeing anything doesn’t mean they’re not there, and spotting a big flock doesn’t mean they’ll be there on the opener. That said, it’s always exciting to see some birds.
But for the week leading up to that first morning, a bird that looked and acted like on old tom that had eluded me for several years was back to his old tricks. No way of telling for sure, of course, but habits offer a familiar glance into a particular animal’s makeup, something tough to teach but intrinsically observable if you spend enough time in the woods. Convinced he was the same guy, I left the old playbook in the truck on the second afternoon and, singing a new song I’d been practicing all winter, the old gobbler that gave me the slip with my son and father on several occasions since 2021 finally strutted within 15 yards. The spurs were over 1 1/4 inches and as I looked over his feathers and struggled to hold him at arm’s length, his whole body radiated one word — tough. It was a remarkable hunt and took everything I knew to entice him close.
Waking up bleary-eyed for turkeys for almost 40 years has taught me one invaluable truth — never think you have it all figured out. Once that sobering reality is understood, you learn to never stop learning. Wild Turkey 101 — the hunt, not the bourbon (though 101 is the best “stand by” on the market) — will always be about the basics: good camouflage, being quiet, learning to yelp on a box call, and trying not to lose your cool if a bird actually approaches. In a nutshell, it’s rudimentary information necessary to bag a gobbler, like introductory college classes required to progress to upper-level learning.
Now a few days into the second (May) season, the next three weeks are a series of hurdles, speed bumps, difficulties, or downright frustrations that the 101 hunter just isn’t ready for save the odd old bird that makes a young-bird mistake and falls victim to some lucky hunter. This is 301 time, where you’ve passed the pre-requisites of calling to understand the differences between a yelp, cluck, purr, and cut. You’re proficient with a friction call and can handle a diaphragm call with enough confidence to start learning what they’re really made to do. You’ve shot some birds over decoys and maybe one or two without, which is, as Obi-wan said, your first step into a larger world. You have also practiced trigger discipline now and then, meaning you don’t “need” to kill that bird, understanding it’s OK — and sometimes the best play — to back out and fight another day. You’re ready to learn more.
After all these years, one of the most important tips I remind myself of is that, with a one-bird limit, there are some birds that are too tough to hunt, at least the way I want to hunt them. Surely, ambush is an option, but I can’ think of a less-satisfying way to fill your turkey tag. Once you’ve lured in a bird with either calls, decoys, or both, using your knowledge of the turkeys and the terrain, you’ll never want to do it another way. And if so, then there has to be an understanding that some birds aren’t capable of being fooled. Whether it’s experience, old age, trauma, unsociability, or preference for the bachelor way of life, some toms resist everything, and it’s easy to dedicate every hunt to a bird that never intends to comply. Smart hunters learn this quickly, admit defeat, and move on to one more willing to listen.
After this shock to the hunter’s ego, begin with improving your understanding of hen turkey vocabulary, and having passed that course in advanced-level calling, hunters who get big birds year and year out realize their success also lies in other subtle areas:
Hiding. Shadows are another form of camouflage, so instead of sitting with your back against the tree closest to the field, try getting a few trees back and placing one in front, between you and the approaching bird, just far enough away that your barrels won’t hit it. Hunt from one knee while resting on the other foot to aid in pivoting quietly.In an attempt to be quiet, avoid vest/seat combos because they make too much noise. Just pull up some dirt, remove all leaves and sticks that could cause noise should you need to move, and park it.Hunt woods instead of fields. Toms seeking hens can’t see as well in hardwoods as they can in a field, and they’ll consequently do more walking to locate her instead of hanging up.Leave the decoys in the truck. More often than not, when a mature old bird sees a decoy, even if he’s still interested and gobbling his head off, he’ll stay out of range and wait for her to come to him.Rely on good camo instead of a ground blind. You’re more mobile this way.Time of day is crucial. First-light hunts are great for enjoying all the animal activity in the woods, but for bagging old gobblers, it’s probably the toughest time.They know where their hens are and gather them quickly to head for a breeding/feeding/strutting area, leaving you to throw your entire calling playbook at their back. Surely you can score off the roost, but everything has to be perfect as opposed to later in the morning or afternoon when hens steal away to work on a nest, lay an egg, or incubate, leaving gobblers lonely and willing to come to a call.Pattern your birds to know where they’ll be at certain times of day. My son shot his gobbler recently by knowing the flock of birds he was hunting was coming through between ten and noon, so he brought extra food and coffee and stuck it out. At 11:45, he punched his tag.Resist using locator calls. They allow a gobbler to pinpoint your location, but if you’re patient, an old tom will sound off early enough to let you know he’s there and move close to set up unde-tected.Scratch in dry leaves when a gobbler gets hung up out of range. Combined with soft yelps, this can be too much to resist.
So do some advanced learning this May. You might just find you’re ready for turkey graduate school after all.