Outdoorsmen Adventures.com

Turkey hunting has been in my blood since the early 70’s when I first hit the woods in pursuit of the long beards.

Over the years, I’ve managed to take over eighty birds bagging every species in the U.S.  except for the Osceola of Florida.

As spring approaches, my excitement builds and as the season begins to draw down, I feel as if something will soon be missing from my life.

This year it was different, as I had tagged all three of my Nebraska birds early in the season, two in northeast Nebraska and one in the southeastern part of the state.

I’d also called had the opportunity to call in a couple of birds for Team member Larry Myhre while we hunted together.

Since I’d tagged all of my birds and there was plenty of time left. I decided to give my cameraman Kyle Nickolite, Yankton, the opportunity to shoot his first bird.

Kyle had been on several turkey hunts with me, but he was always on the other end, running the camera.

His first filming in he field had been a spring turkey hunt where a Tom came in behind him without making a sound, startling both he and I.

This is one of those things that will either scare the heck out of you or hook you on turkey hunting for life.

As most turkey hunters do, on our first trip, we headed out long before the sun rose and set up where we thought the birds would be traveling from the roost.… Continue reading

Reprinted from the Outdoor Wire

Link

We all look forward to opening day with excitement and anticipation. A brand new season brings renewed hope and a slew of naive birds that haven’t been called to or hunted in months. But the novelty soon ends. Birds that don’t get culled out early soon wise up. Then, as the days grow longer still, the randy toms’ breeding instincts start to wane, making them even harder still to hunt. Yet hope springs eternal in the turkey woods.

Some of the same tactics you used early on may work, but in order to boost your odds of being successful in the late season, you may need to modify, adapt and overcome.

Be Quiet

That aggressive cutting and loud yelping that worked magic on those early-season two year olds just won’t cut it now. Gobblers have heard more clucks, yelps, putts and purrs from hunters in the last two or three weeks than they’ll likely hear from real turkeys over the next 11 months. It’s also likely they’ve had at least one negative encounter with something, or someone, making those sounds and may be a tad call shy.

Tone it down, big time. If you call at all, make it soft and sparing. Do a little tree talk before fly down, then maybe utter an occasional soft cluck and purr. Or, just go old school. Yelp three times then wait an hour.… Continue reading

Reprinted from the Outdoor Wire,

EDGEFIELD, S.C. – With wild turkey hunting season still in full swing in many states, the National Wild Turkey Federation has the safety of turkey hunters in mind.

Safety is a key element when you’re in the woods mimicking the sounds of wild turkeys. A safe turkey hunter is much like a safe driver — you must be defensive minded. Also, keep in mind that a safe hunter is an effective hunter. Here are 10 tips to consider when you’re in the woods:

* Leave the area if you suspect there’s another hunter already working the same bird.

* Resist the urge to stalk turkey sounds. It is nearly impossible to sneak up on a turkey. It is also unethical and could lead to an accident.

* Select a spot that is in open timber rather than thick brush: wearing camouflage clothing and eliminating movement is more critical to success than hiding in heavy cover.

It was early morning as we relaxed on the deck at Big Blue Ranch & Lodge near Burchard, NE.

We ‘d just come outside to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee when the gobbling of a turkey disturbed the morning silence.

Nothing unusual, since we’d been at the lodge for a couple of days and whenever we’d been on the deck we not only heard turkeys, but also coyotes, prairie chickens and Canada geese announcing their presence.

It was both Larry and my second hunt of the spring turkey season; Larry had tagged one bird in Northeast Iowa while I had put down two birds in Northeastern Nebraska.

We were in S.E. Nebraska as we’d been invited down to film and hunt the 2,000 acres owned by Scott and Billie Kay Bodie.

I’d met them last fall while hunting in the Nebraska Governor’s Pheasant Hunt, which was headquartered out of Beatrice, NE.

Southeastern Nebraska is a beautiful place as not only is there an abundance of game in the area; there are numerous ponds and small lakes dotting the countryside.

The property we were hunting had several lakes, one, located just below the lodge was 25 acres and was stocked with bass, crappie, bluegill and pike.

When we arrived shortly after lunch, we met with Scott who directed us into the lodge and gave us a brief description of the land we’d be hunting and the birds that called the area home met us.… Continue reading

Reprinted from the Sioux City Journal

These two jakes came running into our hen calls at the Big Blue Ranch and Lodge near

Burchard, Neb. (Journal photo by Larry Myhre)

BURCHARD, Neb. — Like so many times before, it was a gobble that first alerted us that a tom turkey was coming in.

Gary Howey motioned that the bird was downhill in front of us just in case I hadn’t heard.

I had the video camera running and began looking for the bird.

The first indication was the tip of his tail, spread in full strut, and slowly rocking back and forth as the bird stepped forward.

Then he was there, all puffed up and drumming. It was a glorious sight and one that sets a turkey hunter’s heart to pounding.

He was 15 yards out when Gary “putted” sharply on his diaphragm call to make the bird come out of strut and stick up his head.

Just like that it was over.

Less than two hours into our hunt on the Big Blue Ranch and Lodge south of Burchard, we had both filled turkey tags.

Gary, from Hartington, Neb., and I were guests of Scott Bodie and his wife Billie Kay. Their 2,000-acre working cattle ranch is the backdrop for a retreat for hunters, fishermen, horse enthusiasts, bird watchers or anyone just seeking relaxation.

Their cedar log lodge sits above a 25-acre, spring-fed pond stocked with largemouth bass, crappies, bluegills and northerns.… Continue reading

Reprinted from the Outdoor Wire

Link:http://www.yamahamotor.com/outdoor/events/dynamicevent/2/1199/yamaha_outdoors_tip_of_the_week.aspx

Scouting for turkeys involves several steps. In a previous installment, we looked at what you can do at home in terms of studying maps and photos, and scouting from a distance. If you’ve been studying your maps and riding the roads and trails at dawn and dusk you should have at least some idea where turkeys occur. Now it’s time to stretch your legs and begin looking for clues to help close the gap between you and success.

Turkeys begin and end their day on the roost. You can often locate roosts by listening for gobbles at dawn, or owl-hooting at dusk to shock a bird into gobbling. You can also locate roosts any time of day by finding the right sign. In general, roost trees will be among the biggest in the area. In the northeast, it’s often big white pines; in the Midwest, cottonwoods; down south, in Texas and California, look for big live oaks. Now look for an accumulation of droppings and feathers, or simply an abundance of other sign. Bear in mind that turkeys may have several different roosts so you’ll want to confirm one particular site is active before you hunt it.

As soon as they leave the roost, turkeys set about the business of feeding – at least the hens do. Toms often follow along, strutting and displaying in an attempt to win the favor of a particular hen. Turkeys feed by scratching the ground with their large feet. As they do, they turn over leaves and duff. These scratchings are often very obvious. By observing which way the leaves are pushed, you can also determine which way the turkeys were traveling. This can be a good indication where you may want to set up.

There are other types of signs that can be helpful. When toms strut, they drag their wings along the ground. If they strut in bare soil, you can sometimes pick out the drag marks.

Reprinted from the Sioux City Journal

It was opening day of Iowa’s first turkey hunting season.

My two hen decoys were sitting 20 yards out in a picked cornfield and I sat, back against a tree along the timber’s edge.

I was a couple miles northeast of Linn Grove, Iowa, widely known for the good fishing below the low head dam over which the Little Sioux River flows.

A thunderstorm was forming over the valley and I counted after the lightning strikes to the sound of thunder to determine how far away the storm was.

One mile. That was close.

I could tell rain was pouring out of that little cell, but so far it was only a light sprinkle here.

I hen-yelped on my slate call but drew no answering gobble.

Then the sky opened up.

I was dressed in camo rain gear but this was too much. I jumped up and ran 50 yards back into the timber and took shelter in a deer house.

When the rain let up I went back out and set up again.… Continue reading

Reprinted from the Sioux City Journal

The wild turkey is a big bird, often weighing 20 pounds or more.

For that reason, you might think that killing one would be a fairly simple operation.

Wrong.

The kill zone on a turkey is about the same diameter and length as a wooden pencil. That would be his spinal column.

Perch on top of that pencil a large marble. That would be the brain cavity.

Unless you can place three or more shotgun pellets into that pencil or marble, you will not have killed your bird.

That’s why you should coax that tom turkey in as close as you can.

Shotgun pellet patterns are most dense at close ranges. The farther you go out, the less dense the pattern is and the more likely you are to miss the kill zone.

It’s important to have as many pellets as possible in your shotgun shell. Yet those pellets need to retain

make a killing shot.

I have always used number 6, copper-clad, buffered 12 gauge premium shotgun shells for my hunting. Sure, 7 1/2 shot would give you more pellets, but the smaller shot will not retain enough energy for shots at longer ranges. Number 5 shot would, but fewer pellets mean more holes in the pattern.… Continue reading

Reprinted from the Outdoor Wire

By: Steve Hickoff

Link: http://www.yamaha-motor.com/outdoor/events/dynamicevent/2/1190/yamaha_outdoors_tip_of_the_week.aspx

One shot should be all it takes in spring turkey hunting.

How far is too far? How close is too close? Most turkey camps I’ve visited around the country inevitably involve a supper table debate about the best shotgun range for dropping a spring gobbler.

My generic answer: 20-35 yards.

The payload stays tennis-ball tight with shots taken at under 20 steps, and misses are more likely, especially with that serpentine turkey head juking around. True enough I killed four in-your-face birds in as many states last spring at distances between four and 15 yards, but more breathing room would have been preferred. This season I could whiff four times at those putting distances.

Reprinted from the Outdoor Wire

By Bob Humphrey

According to the formula for turkey hunting success, there is an inverse correlation between preparation and implementation. In other words, the more time and energy you put into scouting, the less will be required once the season opens. The first of this two-part series will address what you can do before the soles of your shoes hit the turf.

Several of our recent Web tips have covered reading and using topo maps. Those were primarily directed at the deer hunter; but topo maps can also be invaluable to the turkey hunter, if you know what to look for, and what it looks like on a map.

What you should look for depends, to some extent on where you live; or more correctly, what type of habitat you hunt in. If it’s predominantly open country like agricultural fields, plains, chaparral or mesquite flats, you want to look for the green patches or bands that indicate trees. Trees mean roosts and where options are limited they’re easier to locate.… Continue reading