Rule the Roost- Planning for Gobbler Season Success
Rule the Roost:
Planning for Gobbler Season Success
By Tyler Frantz
Hannibal from the 1980s hit action series, The A-Team, regularly used the catch phrase “I love it when a plan comes together.” Spring gobbler hunters with the foresight to put in time before the hunt just might have a chance to wittingly mutter these words when their pre-season efforts lead to in-season rewards.
Distant gobbles noted before work, evening drives past woodlot openings, and low-impact jaunts off the beaten path all can contribute to well-informed “game day” decisions. While these and other advanced preparations require a small investment in time, they can pay big dividends with a big old tom flopping on fresh spring soil. As opening day draws nearer, now is the perfect time to put one’s excitement for the season to good use, organizing gear and planning strategies ahead of time. What follows are several items to knock off the pre-season turkey prep checklist.
Scout it out
Obviously, the number one priority is to find birds. Some areas reliably hold turkeys year after year, but it’s important to ensure nothing has changed in the layout of the landscape, food availability or cover, as all of these can impact a turkey’s home range.
Do a little legwork ahead of time, hang trail cameras, and listen in the early morning for gobbles to pin down a few hotspots ahead of time. Do not call to the birds before the season, as this only educates them. Save it for the opener!
Make ready your weapons
Whether hunting with shotgun or bow, it is imperative to go through a few practice runs with your weapon of choice to ensure it is lethally accurate.
Shotguns will need to be patterned to learn which loads fire well from your barrel. Experiment with a variety of turkey-specific loads and chokes to find what works best. Most hunters prefer full or extra full chokes to extend their maximum effective range, but it is important to practice shooting longer shots at a turkey silhouette target to see how many pellets actually strike the neck and head area.
If few pellets are in the kill zone, try a different load, change to a tighter choke, or acknowledge the shot is likely beyond your maximum range. When in doubt, allow the birds to close the distance for an ethical shot.Closer is usually better when using the bow too. Even with regular target practice, it is important to test shoot your arrows with the broadheads you plan to use for hunting. Some larger diameter broadheads may fly differently than your field tips, especially at greater distances, so be sure to check this ahead of time. While you’re at it, practice shooting from a seated position to prepare for realistic hunting scenarios.
Establish the blind spot
Blinds conceal movement and help hide hunters. Though some turkeys will walk right up to a fresh blind plopped in the middle of an open field, the conservative approach would be to blend one’s hunting blind in with natural vegetation.
Breaking up the blind’s outline with a natural backdrop and placing some cut vegetation in front will help make a blind more approachable. Be sure to clear the area ahead of time, and even consider setting out the blind early for birds to get used to it. Just be sure to have it anchored firmly to the ground with reliable stakes.
Fine-tune calling
Turkey hunters who call well kill more birds- period. While you don’t need to be a national grand champion turkey caller to be effective, you should have a variety of go-to calls with which you are reasonably proficient. A few diaphragm calls and a friction call or two are always good options to produce a reliable range of sounds.
Work on purrs, cuts, clucks, yelps and cackles for the basic gamut of spring vocalizations. Practice calling while driving to work or when no one is home to avoid driving your family crazy. Several how-to videos are available online.
Upgrade gear
Gear wears out over time, and boots with lots of miles eventually need replaced. Take a quick inventory of what you have in your vest, and make upgrades as needed.
A few years ago, I finally swapped out my old foam decoys for a brand new Avian X mating pair, and the realism is unmatched. Making simple upgrades as time and money allows can certainly help take your game to the next level.
Mentor a Youth Hunter
Hunting memories are only as good as those with whom we share them. If you have an opportunity to mentor a youth hunter this year, please consider it, but make arrangements early. Practice shooting prior to the hunt, and be patient and clear with expectations for in-the-field dress, strategies, and behaviors.
Remember, most youngsters have never done this before, so explain things clearly. If done right, it’ll be the experience of a lifetime, and they’ll keep coming back for more. After all, we need to prep the future of our sport too. “I love it when a plan comes together.”
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