You’ve probably been hunting turkey for a while now, but believe me there’s still plenty for you to learn.
It’s a complex sport, so the more strategies and knowledge you can add to your arsenal the better.
And today I’m going to share a few of the lesser known tips which will help you shoot more gobblers than ever!
Two Hens Are Better Than One
If you’re hunting turkey with a buddy then it’s going to be pretty frustrating if your first few hours results in zero shots.
However, you can’t give up too easily! It’s simply time to shake your tactics up!
And, after the morning period, you have the perfect opportunity to get into those gobblers’ minds and grab hold of their attention.
You see, gobblers can’t get enough of hens, but sometimes they’ll be a little wary of a hen’s call. But if there are two hens calling at once they simply won’t be able to resist.
So, if you and your buddy are struggling to tempt out the gobblers then try the old double hen call approach.
Insect Repellent Can Be Your Best Friend
Yes, believe it or not, but one of the most important things a turkey hunter should carry is some insect repellent.
Turkeys have excellent vision and are more than capable of spotting you swatting at a mosquito. Luckily, their sense of smell isn’t as sensitive as a deer, so you don’t need to worry about the smell spooking them.
Keep yourself suitably protected from pesky, biting insects and you’ll find you can remain more discreet and get closer than ever to those gobblers
Don’t Stick to the Same Decoys
One thing that I’ve learnt over the years is that you can’t get complacent with your decoy setups.
Sure, for the first couple of weeks they’ll bring in decent results, but that’s only because you’re drawing in the less clever gobblers. The one’s with a bit of sense who don’t fancy going the same way as their fellow gobblers will stay well away.
That’s why you need to shake things up every now and then. Say, for example, you had success with a two hen setup near a feeding area. Well, maybe it’s time to change that to a one tom, one hen setup instead.
This sort of change creates less suspicion in the minds of gobblers and will bring better success in the long run
Don’t Fire at a Displaying Gobbler
A strutting gobbler with all his feathers puffed up may look like an inviting shot, but it’s not the best option.
You know as well as I do that the best area to aim for on a gobbler is their neck and head area. But when a gobbler is displaying they keep their neck and head tucked down.
And this limits your chance of getting a decisive shot in.
However, you don’t want to just let that gobbler strut his stuff and get out of there! Far from it! What you need to do here is suddenly deliver a call – preferably a cluck – to break the gobbler out of their strut. If you give the right call then that gobbler will raise his head back up and you can pull the trigger
Back Away from That Turkey
It might sound counterintuitive, but sometimes you should actually back away from the gobbler you’re calling.
But why would you do this?
Well, some gobblers may come close, but their wariness prevents them coming any closer. However, if they think there’s just the slightest chance of a hen being present they’ll stick around.
And you need to exploit this by backing away, but continuing to control the situation. If you time this correctly you’ll spark off a feeling of fear that this ‘hen’ is getting further away.
The old gobbler won’t be able to resist giving chase and suddenly he’ll be in range
If They Spot You First, It’s Not All Over
Every now and then you’ll find that a gobbler walks straight into you path when you’re least expecting it.
In these situations you’re unlikely to have your gun up, so surely there’s no chance of making a shot? That gobbler’s going to be out on there in a heartbeat, right?
Well, no, not always and I’ll tell you what to do in this situation.
You need to keep your movements slow and steady as turkeys have trouble picking up on this type of motion. If you do this correctly then they’ll remain in place and you can make that shot.
These 6 tips should help you push your turkey hunting game that little bit further and I’d love to hear what you thought in the comments!
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