All turkey hunters know there is no magic call, tip, or tactic that results in calling a gobbler into gun range every single time it is used. Aren’t you glad that is the case? I know I am. After all, if that “turkey kryptonite” existed we wouldn’t go turkey hunting – we would go turkey killing. I believe that turkey killing would get old after the first couple of seasons, and we would all probably quit going into the spring woods and opt for some crappie fishing instead. The joy in turkey hunting is the hunting, and the hunt doesn’t have to end with a turkey riding in the back of your truck to be a success. In his book, Better on a Rising Tide, Colonel Tom Kelly says just that. “Turkey hunting is a magical, intellectual, tactical exercise conducted out of doors. It is a personal, contemplative sport, and does not require the production of a dead turkey to be classified as a success.” That quote sums up the sport of turkey hunting into a couple of sentences for me.
Despite the fact that no real turkey hunter wants to kill a turkey every time he or she goes into the turkey woods, none of us want to get skunked each and every time that we go into the woods either. There is not much else that would turn you into a crappie fisherman any quicker than going home empty handed every time you went into the woods with your shotgun.
So, we need to balance some turkey hunting success with some turkey chasing to keep our journeys into the woods interesting. This page will hopefully help those who are having more success chasing turkeys than killing them to reverse course and fill some tags. I have a laundry list of turkey tricks up my camouflage shirt sleeve that I use quite often in the spring. There are days when I probably use every single one of these tricks and go home empty handed, and there are days when the only trick I use is waking up and driving to the turkey woods. Some days it just comes easy, and other days figuring out a turkey is more frustrating impossible than figuring out a woman. Anyway, I am sharing these tips and tricks that have helped me to find success hunting turkeys on this page in the hopes that one of these will help you to fill a tag and in hopes that I’ll come back here and read them myself before opening day every year. Yeah, I need subtle reminders every so often too – just don’t tell my wife I said that. And, for those of you who are killing turkeys every time you go into the woods in the spring, you probably want to read on as well because all I can tell you is to wait a minute and your luck will change… big time!
I wish you safety and much success on your next turkey hunt. Speaking of safety, some of these tips can be dangerous when used on public land or on private land where you know others are hunting. As with everything in life, think before you act! Don’t ever wish you would have done something differently when it comes to being safe. No turkey is worth getting shot over. Happy Hunting!