In much of the country, snow has been on the ground for three or four months. This has locked down most, if not all, bird hunting opportunities. Sure, there’s some late season pheasants at the end of November and some winter grouse hunting in the northern tiers. Then, of course, there is preserve hunting for game birds nationwide too, but the first sense of spring puts most serious hunters into a case of spring turkey fever.
The preparation you take today can have a profound effect on your success over the next few months. Here are some tips to make sure you’re ready for when Mr. Gobbler flies down the first time…
Clean Out Your Vest
I don’t know about you, but my turkey vest seems to accumulate all manner of things – snacks, wrappers, leaves, dirt, and debris, miscellaneous pieces of equipment that haven’t been seen or used since last season, and somethings that are in explainable such as a random piece of plastic or rock…
Start by removing every item from every pocket of your vest and giving it a good shake. If you’d like to, wash the vest on a gentle cycle with a premium delicate “hunting” detergent, such as those from Nikwax or Sport-Wash. Commercial detergents have color (UV) brighteners. These UV brighteners will make you stick out like a sore thumb when backed by foliage.
Be sure to hang the vest somewhere out of direct sunlight to dry. This will preserve the coloring of the camo as well as prevent shrinkage. Best of all, you avoid many a sarcastic comment in Turkey camp when you can’t button your vest anymore.
Prep Your Calls
Turkey calls don’t require a lot of maintenance, but there are several things you should do before opening day that will ensure they are ready to perform flawlessly. If you use a box call, ensure all the parts are together, tight, and the call is ready for use. Use a high-quality chalk designed for box calls to ensure the highest quality sound for that cagey gobbler hanging up just out of range.
Slate calls should be examined to ensure there are no cracks or damage to them. Additionally, you should touch them up with a medium-to-rough grade of sandpaper. Now is a great time to grab some that you have on hand or purchase some at the local hardware store that you can keep in your vest so that you are prepared no matter the situation.
If you use mouth calls, examine them for damage. In particular, look for damage to the latex portion of the call, which tends to happen after it was stored in both hot and cold areas between uses. Brittle latex does not produce good sound and will likely fail when trying to call that gobbler you heard over the next ridge.
If your calls are damaged, now is the time to purchase and become familiar with new ones. To avoid heat or cold damage to your latex mouth calls, purchase a call case, and store them in a temperature-controlled area. I have turkey calls which are over 10 years old that still perform flawlessly due to being stored in this manner.
Prep Your Ammo
Find your leftover turkey hunting ammo from last year. If you can’t find it, or don’t have any, purchase some more. Place it in your vest so that it is ready to go for opening day. There are many new types of turkey hunting ammunition on the market today, much of which can extend your range well past the magic 40-yard mark that most turkey hunters are used to.
Yes, this ammo comes at a premium price. However, it can definitely come in handy for those birds that just won’t commit. Harvests out to 75–80 yards with some of the modern non-toxic shots are becoming common, rather than the exception. Additionally, utilizing the new breed of tungsten turkey loads can allow you to use one of the smaller gauges and still have the same effective killing range as a 12-gauge.
Clean and Pattern Your Gun
The last thing you want on opening morning is a firearm failure, whether that is a failure to discharge, failure to chamber a round, or the inability to properly cycle the action. If you are agreeable (there are a ton of YouTube videos for almost any shotgun), disassemble your shotgun to the level that you are comfortable. Check for corrosion or debris in the firing mechanism, hammer, and trigger area. Spray it with a quality action cleaner, followed by proper lubrication with a high-quality lubricant designed for firearms.
Give the exterior of the gun, a thorough once over — again, searching for any corrosion or issues. If you have a screw in chokes, ensure the choke that is installed is the proper one for the type of hunting that you will do. If you don’t have or have not tried, a specially designed turkey choke, you owe it to yourself to try one.
These chokes are designed to provide the most effective patterns at turkey hunting ranges. The right choke can have a direct impact on whether you roll that gobbler with one shot or wind up, chasing it across Hill and Dale, due to a lack of pellet strikes. Just as important, know where your gun hits by taking it out and patterning it.
You can purchase “splatter” targets that show highly visible pellet strikes. Use a target that is properly proportioned to the size and dimension of a turkey’s head. You may also be able to download one off the internet and print it. Use several targets and pattern your shotgun at various ranges from 10–40, 50, or greater ranges. By doing so, you will know exactly where your gun hits and exactly how many pellets will result in a lethal strike, thereby estimating your effective harvest range.
Scout
As the weather warms, scouting is a great excuse to get out into the woods. Look for areas where the birds might be scratching for feed, dusting themselves, and even water sources that have turkey tracks around them. Glass roosting areas in the evening to see if you can view birds flying to roost. As the season gets closer, drive to your hunting areas near sunset and listen for birds flying to their roost. Utilize either a turkey, owl, or crow call to cause the birds to shock gobble and reveal their position. This will help you pinpoint their exact location.
Check Your Hunting Vehicle
This is one thing many hunters overlook, especially if you’re hunting vehicle is driven frequently. Perhaps there’s a bit of maintenance that has been put off. Maybe you’ll find that you are leaking fluid, or a tire is suspiciously low. Make sure your vehicle runs well, has all the proper maintenance performed, and is ready to perform both on and off road at least a week before you want to take it out.
These are all things you do not want to discover at 4 a.m. opening day, putting you behind schedule, and perhaps, causing you to miss your morning hunt.
The most important thing to remember is that the anticipation of the hunt can be as exciting as the hunt itself. Enjoy the time you spent pursuing the things you love in the great outdoors, and by being properly prepared, you will increase your chance of a successful harvest.
Interesting reading thank you for the article.