Turkey season will open statewide on March 25
February 28th, 2006 by Administrator
Turkey hunters urged to prepare for next month’s season opener . Turkey hunters are quick to blame lack of success on “call-shy” gobblers.
Gobblers already with hens and gobbling jakes that lack the nerve to make a final approach mimic truly call-shy birds. Unless you see them you never know.
Nevertheless, the modern increase in turkey hunting pressure does create extremely wary, call-shy gobblers. The best tactic is a complete change up. Move into your hunting area by different paths, or better yet, no path at all. Don’t always hoot or call from the same places. Switch to call types that aren’t popular in your area.
As to calling style, the best general advice is to back off and tone down. Don’t use bold, loud and aggressive calls - that’s what the gobblers have been hearing all season. Many old-timers merely cluck not too loudly and not too often.
A gobbler that has survived into the latter part of turkey season is no dummy. To hunt him successfully, you have to be just as cautious as he is.
And it’s not too soon to start practicing with your turkey calls for the upcoming season. You don’t have to be an absolute master of the call to be a successful turkey hunter, but being competent sure doesn’t hurt your chances for success.
Start out with your old favorite calls to get back in the groove. You might want to replace some of your diaphragm or tube calls because latex deteriorates with age. Better to break in a new call early on than have last season’s favorite go sour on you in midseason. Also by starting early you can experiment with new calls (both makes and call types) and maybe find something that works better for you.
With all the excellent video and audio tapes available, good turkey call instruction is widely available and learning effective techniques is not the slow curve it once was. Visiting turkey calling contests is also a good idea. Hearing top-ranked competition callers and attending their seminars might help your technique.
Many hunters favor the early season, particularly on public land or where a large number of turkey hunters hunt. While it is true that some, or even most, gobblers may not be totally turned on, they are all still out there and are not yet terribly wary or call shy. After a few days of hard hunting, some gobblers will be gone and what’s left will be much wiser.
Try incorporating some deer hunting strategy into your turkey hunting. Scout in the preseason and continually read the signs and pattern the gobblers as your hunting them. Knowing where they are likely to be and, even better, where they are likely to go is a tremendous advantage early on.
It’s up close and personal turkey hunting that calls for a high degree of caution and woodcraft. However, a gobbler that is not yet completely fired up is more easily turned on and called into range when he hears seductive hen talk close by.
Turkey season will open statewide on March 25.
The Associated Press