Getting the Most from your Spring Turkey Hunts

Getting the Most from your Spring Turkey Hunts

Jarrod E. Stephens

The Ashland Beacon

Most everyone I know has some type of hobby or passion that drives them. Some hobbies come and go only to be replaced by another. However, most of my hunting friends agree that spring turkey season can bring some of the most action-packed, in your face fun of any outdoors activity.

Since the first spring season for Greenup County in 1996, I can say that I have been hooked on turkey hunting. When it comes to hunting most wild game, the woods are quiet, and you wait for the game to pass by or you try to sneak up on it to get your shot. Turkey hunting on the other hand allows you to be in the driver's seat and literally call the birds to you. It’s like reeling in a fish without the line.

Whenever the gobblers are active and “talking” it is such a rush to call them and listen to them gobble. Words can’t describe the rush. Even whenever the turkeys are not vocalizing you can still hunt them and wait for them to approach your area.

The key to an exciting hunt is being well prepared and knowing where the birds are. Seeing birds along the roadside in a field isn’t typically enough scouting and preparation since every other hunter who drives by has seen the same turkeys. Try to get access to as many plots as possible so that you have options of where to hunt if other hunters pressure your area. Locating their roosting area can help you get close to them whenever they fly down.

When it comes to calling a turkey, it’s good to have a small arsenal of calls. You can locate a gobbler with a crow call or owl call by simply making the call and hoping he’s close enough to hear it. Many times, the toms will gobble as a natural response to the sound. Knowing how to use a box call and slate call can give you varying tones. My favorite calls are diaphragm mouth calls. I keep several different types of to give an array of tones. I never have to worry about the gobblers seeing me move when using a mouth call as well.

It is always amazing to me how many hunters tell me about the turkeys that they shoot at only to see it fly away. Knowing the limitations of your firearm and the ammunition that you are using can save you time, money and embarrassment. Spend some time shooting at paper targets at varying distances to find your proper aim point. With the price of turkey loads, I only shoot turkey loads at turkeys and regular game loads to practice.

Getting to the turkey before someone else has a chance to bag it or spook it is a key. Using a ground blind to conceal your outline is optional but can help you get away with some movement. I simply like finding a large tree or log to lean up against.

Another piece of my turkey hunting setup is a healthy flock of decoys. I have several but only use three or four each time I go out. My favorite decoy is an aggressive jake decoy with a freeze-dried form head. Its brilliant colors make it appear to be aggressive, and larger toms can’t resist attacking it. It is responsible for dozens of harvests between me and my sons. In fact, my youngest son bagged a 22lb tom on April 5th using the decoy.

Perhaps my most important tool for a successful turkey hunt is patience. I never get in a hurry with a turkey, and I like to let them do the walking and talking. Turkeys have some of the keenest vision of all animals which makes stalking them nearly impossible. Simply allowing them to get close enough to see my decoys and calling only when necessary has always worked for us. To view some of our hunting adventures and see some of our tactics you can visit our YouTube channel. It is called G Brothers Outdoors. We’ll be adding content from this spring very soon.

This year’s youth season was April 5th and 6th but the much longer spring season for Kentucky begins on April 12th and continues until May 4th. Hunters can take a total of two bearded birds, only one on a given day. Be sure you respect all landowners and always ask permission before entering someone’s property.

Spring is here and if you are an outdoorsman, there’s no grander time to get into God’s creation to experience the thunderous gobble of a turkey. If you are not a hunter, get out and hear the gobbles of the turkeys and you may well become a hunter.