With spring just around the corner, many hunters are looking forward to one of the most exciting seasons in Central Texas…spring turkey season. Unfortunately, less than half of those hunters will bag a spring turkey. Their failed efforts will certainly not be due to lack of enthusiasm, but rather, lack of technique and patience.
After successfully hunting turkeys for 25 years in five states, I am convinced the single most important factor is the setup location of your hunt. Calling, while important, is only about 25% of a successful hunt. Throw in a tremendous amount of patience (sitting still is harder than it looks!) and a little luck and your turkey hunt is headed for success.
Spring gobblers like to travel where they have gone before, as they are definitely creatures of habit. Old ranch roads are great turkey “highways” as they offer the turkey unobstructed views in which they can spot potential lady friends. Turkey tracks are easy to spot, especially in a wetter-than-normal spring. Visit your potential hunting site prior to the season, and be there early, as in daybreak. Listen quietly and carefully. Turkeys roost each night in the large branches of tall trees. You’ll be able to hear the turkeys gobble while they are still on their roost. If you’re lucky, you’ll even be able to hear the hens clucking and chattering. If you don’t find turkey tracks near where you’re planning to hunt, and/or don’t hear any turkeys at daylight, you’ll have a long and disappointing opening morning.
With your pre-hunting scouting trips behind you, you’re ready for opening day. After you hear Mr. Longbeard gobble on his roost at dawn, hurry to the nearest lane within 200 yards. Find a tree about 10 or 15 yards back, sit down with your back against the trunk. If you are a right hand shooter, point your left shoulder in the direction you expect him to emerge. Lay your shotgun across your lap so all you have to do is raise it, aim and fire. Don’t climb into heavy underbrush thinking you can hide better because you’ll never get a shot when he gets in close.
The next time he gobbles, make four or five “hen yelps” with your call. If he is still in the tree, his gobbles will sound loud and clear. Don’t make any more calls until he flies down. You will hear the wing beats (sounds like an umbrella being opened and closed rapidly) or his gobble won’t sound as loud. When you think he is on the ground, make four or five more hen yelps with your call. If he answers, you may be in business!
Now it’s time to practice your patience. Don’t call anymore until he gobbles the second time as he knows where you are now located. Expect him to gobble several times without moving in your direction. It is natural for the hens to come to him, so he is simply waiting for some action. If things go silent, he probably has girls keeping him busy. Don’t call anymore, as he remembers your location. Be patient as this may take an hour or more for the hens to wander off to feed or nest.
Sooner or later he will be alone and he will remember the hen that called him at daylight. At this point, he may gobble for you again, or he may be headed in your direction at full speed. By this time, I’ve usually dozed off and am startled awake by his booming gobble just over the hill. Now is when you find out if you have done your homework correctly.
Your decoy should be placed beside the lane facing away from you and not at the gobbler. (I use a full-bodied fiberglass decoy named Henrietta who doesn’t say much but sure looks cute.) The camouflage you are wearing should match the spring growth as much as possible, and should cover everything, including face, hands and shotgun. When the gobbler comes into sight, switch from your box call to a small push-button type caller and make only soft putts. Turkeys have excellent vision and can spot movement from a remarkable distance. Don’t even think about winding your nose or picking at your watch at this point in the hunt.
In a perfect hunt, your gobbler will focus on your decoy and move to within forty yards or less from where you’re sitting. Slowly start to raise your shotgun as the gobbler is introducing himself to Henrietta; any sudden movements will startle your bird and he’ll take off like a 747. If this happens, and he spooks, don’t shoot at this tail feathers, as you will only succeed in wounding him. If he crosses left or right, you’ll need to lead your shot like you would with quail. Turkeys may be big birds, but they are surprisingly agile.
Sometimes when you are calling the boss gobbler, one or more young gobblers, called jakes, will show up. The jakes will come in silent because the dominant gobbler has kicked their rears for showing interest in his hens. If you enjoy smoked turkey like I do, you may want to take one of these for Sunday dinner. Jakes weigh about 12 to 17 pounds, with 3 to 6 inch beards. Their tail feathers are longer in the center. They are almost one year old in the spring season and very tender.
If your shot was successful, pat yourself on the back! Now you’re ready to take photos and clean your bird. After years of trial and error, this is how I do it. Begin by placing the bird on a large cutting board. With a sharp hatchet, remove the head, wings and feet. Starting at the base of the neck and the top of the breast, skin down the breast to the tail, using both hands. Then work the skin first left, then right over both cut-off wing stumps and down the back to the tail base. Cut the tail off and pull over the legs. After a little practice you will have a complete skin in one piece to use later. Now take out the entrails, rinse and you are ready to cook.
Gobblers don’t always respond to your calls but keep trying, as practice makes perfect. Last year I hunted four days before a turkey came in. I used the same calls each day, but on the fourth day the set up was just right. The gobbler was alone and flew down near a ranch road. When he got on the lane, he saw Henrietta and marched right over to her without even a glance in my direction.
Every turkey hunt is a challenge, as these birds are intelligent, cautious and beautiful to watch. There are few hunting experiences that offer as much excitement, anticipation and satisfaction as an early morning turkey hunt in Central Texas. Good Luck!
Pictured above is successful 10-year-old hunter Steven Smuthers who bagged his first and second turkeys a youth hunt hosted by the National Wild Turkey Federation recently.
