Call of the Wild Turkey

by LOU MARULLO | TF&G Hunting Editor

LISTEN: (5 minutes, 41 seconds)

SPRING IS HERE and with it comes the promise of not only warmer weather, but it also ushers in the spring turkey season! Halleluia! I love it! One of the main reasons I love it so much is the fact that you are not hunting the turkey. He is hunting for you. 

 That is correct. You try your best at mimicking a lonely hen turkey that is looking for some lovin’ and listen for that male gobbler to sound off with his mating call. Then the real fun begins. You call, he answers. 

So how often should you call? It has been my experience to call quietly at first and a little more aggressive in the late morning hours. As a matter of fact, I have a certain ritual that I follow as soon as the morning light arrives. My good friend Chester Moore can confirm this. It is exactly what I did when he came to my neck of the woods to hunt these beautiful birds. 

As soon as I can see my sights, I do some very soft tree calls. It resembles a hen just thinking about waking up. If I hear a gobbler sound off, then I get my gun or bow up and get ready. It’s game on! 

If I do not hear any response, then after 10 minutes or so, I will yelp a few times. Usually, these are a little louder than the tree calling, but I still try to keep it as soft as possible. This is followed by a fly down cackle. And get ready for this, I take my hat off and slap it vigorously against my leg, then slow the speed down to nothing. This action sounds exactly like the wings of a turkey flying down to the field and my decoys. That usually will cause a roosting gobbler to immediately fly down and investigate. Believe me, it has worked many times for me. Not so much for the turkey! 

As late morning approaches, I will get aggressive with my calls. I will yelp 3 or 4 times followed by a cackle at the end of the last yelp. This action simulates a hen that is excited and ready for action. If there is a tom within hearing distance, he is heading your way.  

Many times, a smart tom turkey will come in silent. If he has been fooled a few times and has heard way too many calls, he will sneak in to your set up as quiet as a church mouse! This usually happens in the later morning hours. You really need to stay alert and try not to move around too much. That bird will see the movement from a long way off and will not return to your area any time soon. 

Such was the case when Chester and I hunted turkeys. A big tom entered the field a few hundred yards from our set up. One look with the binoculars confirmed that it was indeed a mature tom turkey. That bird never made a sound and suddenly, there he was! The only time he gobbled was after he saw the decoys and slowly headed in our direction. Now, when I say slowly, if he walked any slower, he would have been going backwards! Occasionally, he would gobble, strut, look our way and take a few more steps. Chester was so busy taking pictures of the approaching bird that I had to finally tell him to shoulder the gun and get ready. Before too long, the boom sounded off, Chester had a big smile, and the bird had a bad day! 

 If you decide to hunt these majestic birds with a shotgun, a 12 gauge is a good choice. A 20 gauge will do the job nicely, but the bird must be much closer for a clean, humane shot. I use a Remington 1187 specifically set up for turkeys. I have a special choke that screws in the barrel. It shoots a very tight group of pellets which is what you want. You need to aim for the head of the turkey. This will ensure that no pellets will be found in the breast of the bird.  

I have seen number 6 turkey loads, and many hunters use them. I prefer a number 5 magnum shell to put the bird down. It is a personal preference and whatever works for you. Most guns today will accept a 3 or even a 3 ½ inch shell. My suggestion would be to use the biggest shell that will fit in your gun. Sometimes you may have to reach out a little further to down the wariest bird.  

If you decide to try your luck with a bow, I tip my hat to you, my friend. This is not an easy task, but one that can be one of the most exhilarating hunts you will ever experience. There are a couple of places to aim with an arrow. One, and the one I prefer, is at the base of the wing where it meets the birds body. Another killing shot is right up the butt. If the tom is strutting and offers his butt to you, take the shot. He won’t like it much, but you will get your bird! Of course, you can always aim for the neck and join the “decapitating club”, but you really must be an expert shot to pull that off. 

I have taken birds with an expandable broadhead and a fixed broadhead. Both will work and work well. I suggest an expandable one. A fixed blade will go right through the bird and the turkey may fly off. He will die but you will never find him. An expandable blade will open on impact causing the arrow to have less energy entering the turkey. The result will be an arrow that goes about halfway through the bird making it impossible to fly off. 

Hey! Turkey hunting is fun. Even if you do not bring home a bird, it is still exciting to hear the gobbles getting closer and closer. Just make sure of your target and what is beyond. Turkey hunting can be a dangerous sport so be alert and be careful and be mindful that you may not be alone in the woods.  

Have fun and hunt safe.

 

Email Lou Marullo at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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