Turkey Taking Tips: From some “Not-so-Pro” Hunters!

Turkey Taking Tips: From some “Not-so-Pro” Hunters!

By Aaron Stonehocker

There are a lot of “give-Me’s” the creator worked into our daily lives. The sun always rises. The sun always sets. Spring heats up to Summer, mellows out to Fall, cools off to Winter, before warming back up to Spring again. There are thousands of examples of things that just seem to happen, but one thing I never bank on, is batting a thousand on my annual turkey hunting excursions.

Turkeys are one of the smartest, quietest, most talkative, obvious, unpredictable, dumbest animals that Iowa sportsmen have prime opportunity at each year. No matter how much a hunter thinks they know about these birds, they seem to hold a trick under their wing to leave hunters scratching their heads and a tag still in their pocket.

I have taken my share of Iowa gobblers, but am in no way implying that I have these birds figured out. No matter how many years I hunt, I always find myself asking around for tips and how-to’s from people I regard as knowing as much or more than myself on any hunting subject. Here is a collection of tips from some of my favorite “not-so-pro” hunting buddies who have chased these birds all over the country to help you take your bird this season:

James Whitaker (MO):
“SCOUT! Know where they roost and where they go to strut. You can pattern turkey like you can a deer.”

“Find the hens and you will find the toms. That is what it is all about for male turkeys. They are seeking a mate so it only makes sense to locate hens and soon the toms will show up.”

“All calls are not created equal that is why I carry and use several varieties and kinds. One box call may not be working, so I will give them a shout with another one that produces a different pitch and sound. Mix it up and find what works!”

Steven Thomas (AL):
“Be very woods wise, know the land (you hunt) the best you can and be patient.”

“Shock them! Use locator calls to get the whereabouts of hard to find toms. Shock gobblers, owl hooters, and crow calls are a great way to get a tom to shock gobble. Once they do, devise a plan and set up to shoot that bird.”

Bonce Stanley (DE):
“Do not be afraid to get in close to turkeys on the roost either. I love to slip in when it is still dark, get within 40 yards, get ready to shoot, and sit perfectly still. When Ole Mr. Long beard wakes up, you’ll have a show like no other and an easy shot when he lands in your lap.”

“Less is more when calling. There is a time and place for aggressive calling, but more times than not I keep it simple and fight the urge to hammer the calls. A tom naturally wants the hen to come to him. To fight against this keep him guessing and on the look for you with sporadic calling.”

Matt Blymire (PA):
“Put the birds to bed the night before from a distance and the next morning, get into your hunting location near their bed long before daybreak and sit still. Sit still and be quiet. Remember the birds will call naturally and fly down naturally. Don’t spook them with calling or movement from the ground too early. Patience grasshopper. Don’t over call once birds are on the ground and if a bird is hung up on a hen try and move your position to cut them off between their food.”

“I use hen decoys more than anything else. Toms are on the search for hens so for me it only makes sense to imitate what they are looking for.”

Kevin Young (KY):
“Reaping will provide you the biggest adrenaline rush you have ever had while hunting Turkey.” Kevin isn’t kidding. The last two turkeys I have taken in IA were behind a “Tominator” decoy. I don’t know if I would ever head to the turkey woods without one now!

“Know how to use a mouth call (diaphragm). In my humble opinion knowing how to operate a mouth call is a must. Not only for the sounds that they can produce, but for the reason that they are key in keeping movement to a minimum. If you have a tom out in front of you the last thing you want to be doing is fiddling with a box or friction call.”

Scotty Wales (IA):
“Blend in with your surroundings. You will never get a turkey close to you if you are sticking out like a sore thumb. Turkeys can see color to some degree, so blending in with similar color clothing as your surroundings is a must. Also keep the movement to a minimum, especially if you are not hunting from a blind.”

“Keep an eye on the weather and know how it will effect a turkey’s behavior. Snow will slow down breeding, but they still need to feed. A light to steady rain works against a turkey’s sight and hearing and they flee the timber for open fields. Wind usually causes turkeys to seek out low lying areas that are protected from wind. Calm and sunny days are dynamite!”

“Hunt all day. A lot of hunters get hung up on when is the best time to hunt. Simply put, every hour of the day can be the best time. If you know the patterns and behaviors of birds in the morning, afternoon, and evening it doesn’t matter when you hunt.”

Derome West (TX):
“Spend the time and money on a strutting Jake decoy. Mature Toms can’t resist it and they will come in madder than a hornet.”

“Don’t be afraid to use more decoys in your spread too. The added decoys adds realism to your spread as well as gives more visuals to any tom passing by. I like to place a tom or jake around my hens in known strutting zones. This will be certain to get a dominant tom’s attention and send him your way.”

John Landrus (MN):
“Get a Tominator and sleep in! Turkey Reaping is an incredible experience and is a great tool to get on late morning or early afternoon birds. This new way of hunting is the ultimate rush!”

“Figure out the language. Turkeys have many different sounds they use to communicate with each other. These sounds even have variations to them with differing pitch and volume depending on what kind of mood is trying to be expressed. If you know what each sound and variation means you can use that to your advantage when calling to birds and deliver them the message you want them to hear.“

Aaron Stonehocker (IA):
“Spend time patterning your gun and know its effective range. Take ethical shots.”

“Move when needed. If you have a hung up bird you can’t see get up and either move closer or get in front of him if you believe he is moving away from you.”

One last tip that I can provide, and arguably the most important. Turkey hunting is a game of matching wits with one of the most instinctual species we can hunt. You are going to lose, that is a given. Remember though it’s what you do with those losses that matter. Take your failures and learn from them so you are prepared the next time a turkey tries to make that move on you.

Good luck this spring!!!!