5 Easy Mistakes Turkey Hunters Make

Motion sensor cameras were invented by a wild turkey. LOL, if you hunt them long enough you may think so. The person in the above photo has two natural looking decoys, is in position early in the morning, yet because he is on the skyline, his slightest movement will be magnified.  For safety and seclusion, always sit against the trunk of a wide tree and orient your body so that the tree trunk will mask your silhouette.  If you are right-handed, scoot around the tree so that the turkey approaches from your left side, Crossbow hunters can rest their bow on their knee and watch the gobbler through the scope such that taking the shot requires very little movement.

Rely on One Call Type

Like human voices, turkey sounds vary, and the trick is to make sounds that duplicate a local hen.  Most successful turkey hunters use a variety of callers- box calls, diaphragm calls, and pot or peg-and-slate callers.  It’s probably better to be good one all three than to be exceptional with just one.  By mid-season, gobblers have heard many turkey sounds that are often followed by human interaction.  As a result, they become much more skittish about approaching and you may need several vocal options to attract one.

Get Too Close to a Roost

Merriam’s and Rio Grande turkeys often roost in the same tree and it’s tempting to sneak in close for an early shot.  Approaching too close to the roost is problematic for several reasons.  First, if you make an errant sound or they see you from their “sky box” they will pitch down far away from the tree.  Secondly, hunting the roost may cause them to change locations eliminating a predictable travel route.  Finally, posting a couple hundred yards away from the trees allows you the ability to intercept their feeding route.  As toms gobble and begin to move, circle well ahead of them and set up an ambush.

Shoot a Blind Window

Pop-Up hunting blinds greatly increase your chances of getting a quality shot at a wild turkey.  As you see above, a hunter can use a tripod rest for pin-point accuracy and by using decoys, you’ll know the distance down to the inch.  However, with a compound and a crossbow, the line of sight is higher than the path of the arrow and one of the easiest mistakes to make is to aim through the window and have the arrow strike material on the way out.  You not only miss the turkey but educate the tom that these motionless birds and that big bump of camouflage must be avoided in the future.

Be Careless with Decoys

Gobbler decoys with real feather are very dangerous to use in Eastern forests and small woodlots anywhere.  A fully spread fan and a red head are triggers that an excited hunter can easily mistake for a real turkey and blast away with very lethal turkey loads.  Rifles are legal in some states, making the practice even more dangerous.  When using a jake decoy, hunters must be careful to set the bogus bird well out of range of any potential approaching hunters.  Should you see another hunter, yell in your loudest voice to warn him.  Take no chances!

“We don’t learn from success, but from failure” is a common self-help expression.  If you hunt turkeys with a bow and arrow, you will make plenty, yet the challenge is what makes success so rewarding.  Good Luck!