May 16 2012
Picking a Spot when pursuing Turkey
As soon as you discover a gobbler while turkey hunting, the first thing you need to do is to move in close and call him into range. Your objective is to slip in as close as you can without spooking him off. Then you “set up” and try to call him close enough for a strike.
Bear in mind: when approaching a turkey, if he locates you, he’s gone! Be mindful not to be seen. Landscape and foliage usually dictate how close you can get before setting up. Veteran hunters seldom approach inside 100 yards. They may set up as far away as 300 yards if the earth is flat and there is little foliage to cover up their movements.
Use the land to your advantage as you approach a gobbler. Stay behind hills, thickets or other features that will screen your movements. Walk as quietly as possible in the leaves, and don’t crack any sticks during the turkey hunt.
When setting up, pick an area that offers the gobbler an uncomplicated course to your place. There should be no creeks, gullies, fences, thick undergrowth or other barriers between you and the bird. Also choose an area that is on the same contour or to some extent above the turkey’s location. Don’t try to call a turkey down a hilly slope. Pick an area that provides you with a considerable view of your background.
Sit against a tree, stump or other object that is wider than your back and taller than your head. It will hide your outline and protect your back from a hunter who might move in behind you. Face the turkey’s direction with your left shoulder (for right-handed shooters), this provides you with a greater mobility of your gun when aiming. Above all, keep your movement to a minimum as you call. If the Old Tom is working toward you, then goes still , don’t move. Sometimes gobblers will sneak in quietly .
If you set up and an Old Tom answers your call but won’t come, you’re going to have to change your game plan. You may need to circle around and call from another location. You might change to another call. If you’ve worked him a long time and he’s still hung up, you might depart the Old Tom and come back in a couple of hours and try once again. Many hunts require several moves and/or strategy adjustments.
Once you get a bird working to you, get your gun up on your knee pointed in his general route with the stock against your shoulder. When an Old Tom finally walks within range (inside 40 yards), wait until he steps behind a sapling or other obstacle to move your gun. When he reappears, aim very carefully at his head/neck junction, and then squeeze the trigger. When a gobbler struts, the neck is compressed and the head is often partially concealed by feathers, making for an even smaller target. If the Old Tom is strutting, wait until he extends his neck to shoot. A clean, one-shot kill should be the purpose of every single hunter.
It’s a great moment when a long beard answers a hunter’s call. This is when all the scouting and planning pay off. It may not always end in bagging the bird, but that’s part of the chase and the memories. If you listen to a veteran turkey hunter, you’ll note that the hunts most often remembered are those where the gobbler, and not the hunter, won.
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