The sport of turkey hunting is becoming more and more a contagious pastime to many outdoorsmen. The sound of a roaring gobble, followed by the tale tale spitting and drumming of a lovesick tom closing in to the sound of a call can be simply heart pounding. Matching wits with one of these wary birds can be both frustrating or pure joy according only to how a hunt unfolds. Wild turkeys can be hunted in the fall in a lot of states, but it is the spring time ritual of breeding turkeys that put most hunters into the woods. In the months leading up to the spring season, the household of a turkey hunter is interrupted from its normal everyday sounds. Clucks, yelps, cutts and many other high pitch, two toned notes that usually drive most wives to near insanity are practiced everyday by the hunter to better perfect his imitation of a lonely hen looking for love.
Turkey hunting has always been a rich tradition in American society dating back to the Pilgrim and Indian days when turkey was served for the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey populations however took a major decline in the early eighteen hundreds as they were almost wiped out due to over hunting and loss of habitat. Settlers were forced to live off the land in these days heavily depending on wild game and farming to get them through. Clearing off land to make fields to plant crops really hurt the wild turkeys habitat. It is said that the gun and the ax nearly eliminated the wild turkeys. Now days through the hard work of the departments of natural resources and organizations such as the National Wild Turkey Federation, there are huntable turkey populations in forty-nine of the United States fifety states. (Alaska is the only state in the US without a turkey season). Habitat is now being protected and continually improved to ensure that the wild turkey will be in North American to stay.
The Sub-species
The North American Wild turkey is split up into five sub-species. The Eastern, Florida’s (Oceola), Merriams, Rio Grande’s, and the Gould’s. All of these sub-species or found in the United States except for the Goulds which is found only in Mexico. A turkey hunter lucky enough to bag all five of these North American birds achieves the Royal Slam status. A Grand Slam is when the hunter takes the four birds found only in the US. Some hunters even go as far as to hunt the Occelated turkey found only in the Yucatan peninsula of South America. When this bird is taken along with the five other sub-species it counts for a World Slam.
As you can see there are a smorgasbord of opportunities for a turkey hunter. Even though one can usually find great turkey hunting right out his back door it is becoming more and more popular for die hard turkey hunters to venture out of their base areas to hunt different terrain testing their skills and perseverance while chasing these longbearded monarchs. If you are one of those hunters who are thinking about planning a turkey hunt for the road there are plenty of tips that can make your trip more productive.
Picking the right outfitter
No matter what sub-species of bird you think you might be interested in hunting, there are plenty of different operations that have great resources to pool from.
However be careful before committing your checkbook to any outfitter—– because there are just as many shady operations as quality ones.
David Blanton who has been the executive producer of the Realtree Outdoor television and video department for the last ten years has always had a knack for finding top-notch setups for longbeard birds.
“I take finding a quality outfitter very serious. I want to make sure before committing our camera’s and staff to a hunt that I feel confidant about endorsing their services. Not only do I look for great potential hunting but also for quality people who are interested in making a hunt a success despite what the kill tally might be at the end of a hunt,” David said.
David Blanton’s research priorities:
- Make sure when using references for an outfitter—-talk to not only the hunters who were successful, but also those who did not take game to see if they can still talk positive about their hunt.
- Find out-How many acres are available to hunt? What is the limit of game that can be took? Will you be hunting private or public ground? What is the average harvest and percentage of success of the outfitters hunters in a given year? Is the hunt physical demanding or fairly laid back? Is the lodging and meals part of the hunt, and what can I expect them to be like.
- Another great idea is to find out what the hatch was like for the turkeys in that area two years prior to your hunt. This will let you know if there should be a good population of two-year-old longbeard gobblers.
“The most important factor in all of this in my opinion is to trust your gut instinct. I have found this to be a great final decision-making tool, David explained. “In the past we have been treated with some awesome turkey hunts, but no matter how thorough you are there is nothing that is foolproof. You can however by doing your homework make your chances of going on a hunt of a lifetime a lot better.”
The All Stars of Spring turkey video series will give you a head start on some of the places that might float your boat for the upcoming spring season.
Hunting different birds and the terrain they live in
One of the most notable differences in hunting turkeys across the country is getting accustomed to how the birds use and live in the various land habitats.
Even though parts of North America remain similar, there are many areas that are as different as night and day.
Wild turkeys that inhabit these ever changing geographies adapt their living and everyday routine to these environments.
I first realized this when I visited South Florida on my first out of state turkey hunt form my home state of Georgia. The thick green vegetation combined with the walled off palmetto bushes almost made the softer gobble of the oceola turkey un-hearable. On several occasions I misread the distance between me and gobbling birds by a hundred yard are so. This error sent many of what would have been turkey dinner flying or running away unscaved.
The same similar thing happened in reverse when I hunted the hardwood hills of Iowa for the first time. These long-spurred gobblers were not afraid to gobble and spit and drum on average a lot louder than the other eastern birds I had hunted in the past. The open hardwoods to boot made some birds sound only fifty to a hundred yards away when in reality they were more like three to four hundred yards.
Turkeys that live most of their lives around swampy terrain ankle deep in water usually are more prone to cross creeks and walk through pools of standing water. I have had turkeys in parts of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina that have literally make ripples in standing swamp water as they strutted their way to my hen talk. On the other hand, I have had longbeards in South Dakota hang up on a rain puddle that they could have easily walked around.
Turkeys that live in thick terrain feel more comfortable in places that a Rio Grande turkey in the open mesquite trees of Texas would not dare to venture into.
The most important thing to remember is whatever environment a particular turkey lives in, is the same environment he will feel confidant coming to your call in.
Battling the weather elements
One thing that I have learned to predict is that nothing is always predictable, and that always is the case when your dealing with the weather.
It is a great idea to watch the weather channel or go to the Internet to get a forecast of the area you are planning on hunting. It is also wise to prepare your self for both ends of the spectrum when you pack your bag no matter what the weatherman says.
One of the coldest days in my life was spent in Mexico hunting Gould’s turkeys. I did not watch the weather or question anyone as to what the weather would be like on our hunt. I just automatically assumed that the weather would be warm and dry just like it is the majority of time in South Texas. My first morning on the hunt cold and windy weather greeted me as walked out of the lodge. We were at a very high altitude and it was nothing at all like South Texas. It was somewhat embarrassing for me. The one who works at a camouflage company and has access to as many garments as he needs to have to borrow clothes from other hunters. I had not packed the first insulated gear. It was a mistake that taught me a very valuable lesson.
Things to always pack for the weather and elements:
- At least one pair of thermal underwear—preferable polyprobalene or something light weight that can be worn while running and gunning for gobblers. In traditionally cold weather country you might want to throw in something even heavier.
- Always bring a medium to heavy weight insulated jacket—you may not need it, but it want hurt anything if sits in your bag. If it gets cold you will kick yourself if you did not bring it.
- Some kind of rain gear—thunderstorms and rainy weather can pop up at any time in the spring of the year. There is no way to hunt efficient if you are miserable, and if you are wet, you will surely be miserable. Also rain gear can be used for a wind-breaking garment if the weather turns cold and windy.
- Bring a lightweight jacket and a super light one, like those made out of a net type material. When the weather is hot you wont something that is cool to keep you skin covered form the turkeys eyes.
- A comfortable pear of hunting boots. Depending on where you hunt, it could be possible to walk several miles any given day. A solid pear of boots that won’t rub blisters and keep your feet dry is mandatory.
- Bring both medium to heavy weight gloves as well as lightweight ones.
Again, never take anything for granted when it comes to dealing with the weather in any one area.
Planning the travel arrangements to get to your destination
Wherever you decide to hunt, you will always have to decide what means of transportation to take to get you there.
The quickest way to get to most destinations is by the use of a plane. Now days there is a commercial airline that will usually get you within an hour of your final destination. Most of the time this is the means I take to get to my favorite out of state hunting grounds. Airlines are so competitive that if you book at least twenty-one days in advance, you can most of the time get a decent fare. A fare can range anywhere from $200.00 to $800.00, all depending on where you are going. The negative thing to traveling via airplane is that you have to be more conservative in what you bring along for the trip. Most airlines will accept three bags per ticketed person and the bags can not exceed seventy pounds per bag. All guns must be flown in an airline approved gun case and locked up with the ammo carried in another bag. You also have to take into consideration who will pick you up at the airport or will you be renting a vehicle to make the final leg of your journey.
Driving can be also very fun and cost efficient especially if you have a hunting buddy or buddies that will be going with you. You can split up the cost of the gas money and switch out on drivers as the other tires out. You can also drive right to the steps of any lodge or headquarters the outfitter might be working from. It is also easier to bring what ever it is that you want to bring and more.
The negative thing about driving is that it can make for some long hours on the road. It can also put tons of wear and tear on your vehicle. You also have to take into consideration the time issue. Driving can easily add a day or two to your scheduled trip.
Conclusion
There is no doubt the sport of turkey hunting has come along way over the last century, and it is safe bet to say that Gobblin Fever will continue to bite avid sportsmen driving them to all parts of our great nation to hunt these wary birds.
For me turkey hunting represents not only tasty breast meat and beard and spurs. But it also reminds me of time spent with good friends and family. It makes me remember cool spring mornings as I waited for daybreak on my Uncle Morgan’s farm. The sound of the whipper will singing, barred owls hooting and then the thundering gobble of a long beard turkey looking for love and representing his dominance.
As long as there are turkeys and a turkey season I will always look forward to the hunt. HAVE TURKEYS WILL TRAVEL!!!
To Michael and the crew: Safe Travels and Good Luck! To our Brotherhood: Let the arrows fly - Ashley
