Do not imagine all the things you hear on the subject of turkey searching with a bow. It may be completed — and really efficiently at that — it doesn’t matter what some folks could declare.
March 13, 2023
I can not dive headfirst into debunking 5 turkey myths and count on you to imagine me with out telling you somewhat about my turkey tenure. Over the previous 25 years, I’ve hunted turkeys nationwide, totally on open-to-anyone dust with archery sort out and my trusty increase stick. Throughout that point, I harvested the Grand Slam and hunted with a few of the greatest turkey hunters on the planet. I’ve chased birds in each terrain possible, from Merriam gobblers at 9,000 toes within the coronary heart of the Rockies to swamp-dwelling Oscelolas.
Here is what I learn about these 5 turkey tales and why you should not purchase into them.
Turkeys Hate The Rain
That is pure bullbutter, and also you should not imagine it. Whereas I do not know the way a lot turkeys like or dislike the rain, I do know that turkeys depend on their eyesight, listening to, and talent to fly to keep away from hazard. When rain falls, sheets of water scale back a turkey’s visibility, particularly in a timbered atmosphere. Birds within the woods know their eyesight is lowered as a result of rain and climate, and so they know they’re a better goal for bobcats and different predators. Rain additionally creates a ruckus within the woods, dampening a turkey’s listening to skill. One other sensory system goes down when water splatters on leaves, sticks, and different vegetation. Lastly, turkeys are massive birds and wish a runway to take flight. Dense woods aren’t the very best place to get a working begin, spring into the air, and glide effortlessly away from hazard.
Turkeys usually transfer to open areas in periods of rain in order to not be such a simple goal for a toothy predator, making discipline edges, open pastures, small meadows, and open logging roads alongside ridges nice areas to kill a tom at any time through the day. Plus, when searching public floor, I’ve discovered most turkey goers to be fair-weather hunters, and on wet, windy days, I usually discover solitude and birds prepared to work.
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Roosted Gobblers Are Roasted Gobblers
Nothing is for certain in searching, ever, particularly not a roosted boy hen. Turkeys will swap bushes through the evening, and could also be a few hardwoods over from the place you left them, which is not a giant deal, however I’ve additionally come again to hunt roosted birds and located them gone.
What occurred?
There is not any telling what explodes a roost through the evening — predators or different hunters strolling again from one other location through the darkish — nevertheless it does occur. Do not financial institution your whole day on a roosted hunt. Do not wave the white towel in case you present as much as hunt perched birds and so they have flown the coop. The day is younger, and it is time to modify your techniques.
Additionally, boy birds will tail a passel of hens within the morning, particularly through the early a part of the season when birds are nonetheless flocked up and the ladies aren’t sitting on nests. In case you’re not proper on the X, that means inside 150 yards of the place birds have been coming into or exiting a longtime morning locale, even essentially the most lifelike decoys, and attractive hen discuss will not break a gobbler off.
You Cannot Kill A Turkey With A Bow Outdoors A Blind
Not solely is that this assertion not true, however I additionally discover it humorous. I not often use a floor blind to bowhunt birds anymore, and I do not cloak myself in a ghillie go well with and lay in wait within the woods like a sniper hoping a longbeard will wander bowhunting shut.
Video That Might Curiosity You
Today, I take the combat to the turkeys and develop into the decoy by lashing a bow-mounted pretend to my riser. My favourite is Final Predator Gear’s MerRio Turkey Stalker. With this full-strut decoy mounted to your bow, you need to use your optics and calls to find birds after which transfer towards them. I prefer to discover a dominant tom with hens or a few toms roaming collectively. A single two-year-old hen might be passive, however discover a pair working collectively, and also you get a dynamic bully duo that often will not hesitate to return to a full-strut decoy. As for a longbeard with hens, if the hen is sizzling and he catches a glimpse of a fan transferring about within the brush, it isn’t unlikely for the tom to return in search of a combat.
Be a versatile turkey hunter. Whereas I do not suggest a bow-mounted decoy on public floor when shotgun seasons are in, I really like them on personal land, and even when your plan is a floor blind hunt, a folded-up material turkey decoy that mounts to your bow in seconds provides you choices.
Field Calls Do not Work On Public Floor
I’ll personal it; I wrote these phrases in a turkey e-book I penned a couple of years again. I’ve additionally been destructive about field calls in seminars. Consuming crow isn’t enjoyable, but when it helps you be extra profitable within the spring woods, I am completely happy to do it.
The issue with a field name is that it is the commonest kind of name, and one of many best to make use of, so birds dwelling in public areas usually hear them. What I’ve found, although, is that in case you study to manage the decision’s quantity and pitch, it might lure in a wanting-to-breed tom pretty much as good as any slate or diaphragm. In case you grasp the decision and perceive methods to create tender yelps, clucks, purrs, and louder slicing yelps, you possibly can run a field name all spring anyplace within the nation and kill many birds.
World Champion turkey caller Billy Yargus shouldn’t be solely the very best caller I’ve ever heard but additionally the savviest turkey hunter I’ve had the pleasure of sharing the woods with. Yargus informed me as soon as, “Grasp tender single yelps, and you’ll name loads of birds in.” His recommendation has confirmed true. Within the turkey woods, the extra pure and easy you retain the calling, the higher, and in case you can grasp a single tender and refined yelp on a field name, you will attraction to the ears of the wariest tom within the woods.
Public Floor Is not Value Searching In Late Spring
False! I’ve had a few of my greatest searching on public dust throughout Might. Why? Most turkey hunters have tagged out or known as it quits late within the season. I’ve discovered public areas crawling with hunters throughout April to be ghost cities come Might, particularly over the last two weeks of the month.
Birds that have been as soon as call-shy and timid can warmth up shortly if left alone, and with most hens sitting on nests, toms shall be roaming, so even when the parcel you are searching does not have loads of recent signal, give it an opportunity to provide if birds have been utilizing it earlier within the season.
My go-to tip on public floor late within the season is to get off the crushed path on extra important properties and take note of small acreage chunks. Typically, small-acre turkey properties get ignored altogether and may have a couple of birds calling them residence late within the season. In case you’re searching a bigger property and that property borders personal land, transfer towards the boundary. Do not be a fence sitter, however know that many birds within the space are possible staying on the personal dust. Turkeys don’t have anything to do through the day however stroll, eat, mud, and breed. Get 100 yards from the boundary and tease a hen in.
Do not fall for myths; they may lead you down the mistaken spring path. The trick to constantly killing turkeys is staying versatile and being prepared to do issues different hunters aren’t doing. Typically, those that step outdoors of established norms have repeat success.
