By Kaleb Comstock
Growing up in Nebraska, I’ve been blessed to be able to hunt in what I believe to be one of the best turkey hunting states in the country. Every year, the anticipation ramps up to start chasing gobblers in the spring. It is one of my all time favorite things to do. Over the years and hundreds of hunts and too many encounters to count, I have learned a lot when it comes to chasing turkeys. In this blog, I am going to dive into three turkey hunting tips that will hopefully help you be successful in the woods this spring season.
Patience is King
I feel like this is probably the number one tip when it comes to turkey hunting. Turkeys can be such finicky birds. Sometimes a hunt can last a total of 20 minutes, other times a tom will hang up outside of a shooting range for an hour. Being patient and having patience is one of the things I still struggle with today. This year, the birds have been essentially nonverbal. This makes things so frustrating as a turkey hunter, and has made me rely on being patient more than I would like to. Oftentimes birds will come in completely silent and if you’re not patient and get up too early, then you are likely to bump that bird that was slowly coming in silent.
Don’t be Afraid to Get Aggressive
Now you might be thinking this contradicts my first tip of being patient and it definitely might! I am a type of hunter that likes to be aggressive. My hunting style is different from my dads. He’s a hunter that will set up in a spot he knows he can call a bird to, whereas I have a style that’s more of an aggressive style. I absolutely love running and gunning. When I am running and gunning, I am walking high points and calling every so often trying to strike up a hot bird. This style of hunting is more aggressive and can surely leave you putting a lot of miles on the boots. Another way I am an aggressive hunter is if a bird is hung up, but I know I can make a play on him to cut the distance or calling at him from a different angle, then 9 times out of 10 that’s what I am going to do. Turkeys can be very aggressive birds if you get in their “bubble” which is why I like to hunt them aggressively when it’s possible.
Scout
This tip is simple - scout. If you put your time in scouting, your success will reflect that. Just because you saw turkeys on your property during deer season does not mean they are going to be there in the spring. Turkeys move throughout the year which is why scouting can play such an important role when it comes to being successful in the field. A lot of times when I am hunting, I am constantly looking at the ground for scratching, droppings or tracks in the dirt. If you aren’t finding the sign then there most likely aren’t turkeys there at that particular time of year. As the season rolls along, hens will often branch out to nest which will leave turkeys roosted in random places away from their main roost. Scouting is such a vital part of all hunting, turkeys included.
Conclusion
Turkeys can be some of the most fun yet also frustrating animals to hunt.Hopefully you find these tips helpful and will help you be successful this spring as you are chasing turkeys.
