The Mind Ramblings of Turkey Hunter

…I have not been able to get out to chase the turkeys since last Friday – which is 4-days too long to be absent from the turkey woods during this time of the year…I am getting some tasks accomplished at work today, but my mind continues to wander…so I figure the best thing to do is blog about turkey for a short time as I break from my other job-responsibilities…

…even with the archery season already open, many turkey hunters have not yet gone afield – they are missing out on some great time to get outdoors and do a little scouting as well…don’t forget the this year’s Spring Turkey Permit is the best yet! – it’s good for one male or bearded hen turkey and you can harvest that bird from now until the end of the season (May 31) with bow and arrow, or beginning on April 17, you can fill it with a shotgun…and if you get lucky and fill it quickly you can buy two more permits…

…also, don’t forget the youth shotgun season that will open up this weekend (April 10) to give turkey hunters 15 and younger, a chance at the birds before the rest of us – their permit only costs $5 (plus $1 agent fee) regardless of their residency status – just don’t forget the habitat stamp if needed…

…so why be in the turkey woods right now?…simply because there is no better way to learn about wild turkeys than being out amongst them…I have heard many experienced turkey hunters state that they learned a whole bunch more about the big-birds once they started bowhunting them – and I would have to agree…if you are like me, when you have a shotgun in hand you get the birds within range and take the shot at the first opportunity – with a bow in hand you usually find that you need to work them a bit more to get them another 15-25 yards closer…this means you get a chance to observe how they react to your set-up, calling and decoys…this forces you to hone your turkey skills that will pay off regardless of the method you hunt…something as simple as how a tom approaches hen and jake decoy differently can make or break your chance at a shot…

…even if you don’t connect on a long-beard now with your bow, your time in the woods will pay-off once the shotgun season starts and you have the whereabouts of the local flock figured out…

hershy