Mike Fivecoat tells Joey from Kissimmee about Spring Turkey Hunting Tactics

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) April 9, 2008 -- Midmorning Tactics

Mike Fivecoat tells Joey from Kissimmee the most widely used hunting technique for spring turkeys is to locate a tom on the roost before sunrise, setup nearby, and use decoys or calls to get the tom to come into range. Mike Fivecoat explains, what do you do if you don't get a tom within a couple hours of sunrise? You adapt, and keep trying. Although gobbling activity drops off after daylight, toms that are not with hens may continue to gobble throughout the morning, and they may answer your calls. If you don't get a tom in the early morning, you can slowly work your way through the woods, or near feeding and loafing areas, calling intermittently as you go. When you hear a tom get as close as you can without spooking it before you set up to call. I like to set up in a small opening if I can, where I may have seen birds before. Then I put out my decoys and start calling.

When you are calling midmorning toms you can use the same calling routine as you do when you call a bird off the roost, except that if the tom is any distance away you may have to call louder, and use the Cutt more often. Try to imitate a lonely hen looking for a flock, or a tom. If the tom is not with a hen he usually becomes interested and starts to come in. Once the tom responds it's back to playing the game, trying to figure out which calls to use, how loud to call, and how often to call, to keep the tom interested and coming.

I set up a flock of decoys, as many as six including a jake, and make a day of it. If you are in a "high use" area you can use the calls and decoys to attract the tom into shooting position. This is the same technique used by many deer hunters who sit long hours on a deer stand. You have to be patient and have perseverance. The key is to be in a spot the toms use regularly.

One of my favorite techniques is to scatter the birds off the roost after they have flown up in the evening. Then I go back the next morning and wait until the toms start gobbling (so I know where they are). If the toms don't gobble by themselves I try to get them to shock gobble. Then I setup nearby, put out a couple of decoys, and use a Flydown Cackle, a few soft Yelps, some Cutts, and try to get the toms to come in. Well Turkey season is here in Arkansas already and youth hunt we did not harvest a bird opening day.

Hunting wild Turkey is truly awesome whether you harvest a bird or not.
Just to get the opportunity to work a tom is truly amazing.

Mike Fivecoat
UOIS