Play a little hard to get
TURKEY HUNT (cont.)
hunt.
“Sometimes it can sound like a hootfest out there with all the owl calls people are blowing to try to locate a gobbler,” Young said. “But if you’ll just go out before sunrise, find a good place to sit and listen, and let the woods wake up on their own, you’ll learn where the birds are and where they want to be without ever letting them know you’re around. I don’t even bring a locator call with me. There are plenty of things that will make a gobbler sound off without me adding to it and maybe tipping him off that something isn’t right in the
woods.”
While the subject of calling is being discussed, Just because you bought a new call or practiced for hours on end to get just the right volume with that new split reed diaphragm doesn’t mean that turkey is going to be impressed with more noise. Young stresses the importance of taking it easy with the amount of calling you do once the season is open. Just as in life, sounding a little too eager is a dead giveaway that there’s a red flag hiding just out of sight.
“You really have to start slow and take that bird’s temperature with a few soft yelps or clucks. Let the gobbler’s response dictate how you handle the hunt,” Young said. “If he responds quickly, he might come in on a string with some aggressive calling, but if he has some hens roosted with him or has been pressured by hunters, he may spook if you call too much.”
If you locate a bird and know where he’s roosting, it can be tempting to get close with the notion that you’ll be able to get him even if other hunters hear him gobble. Young advises to keep a little distance between the roost tree and where you set up in the morning.
“It’s rare that I’m ever setting up closer than 80 yards from where I think that bird is roosting,” Young said. “That gobbler may be roosting with hens nearby, who can spot you sneaking in and ruin the day. You also have to give the birds the opportunity to fly down and walk to you. Even if you don’t bump the birds off the roost, they may glide right on top of you, not letting you make adjustments until they’ve passed. It’s always easier to work the bird where he wants to go then try to get him to turn around to where he’s been.”
Another area where many hunters fail is giving up on a bird as soon as they stop gobbling.
Young says that just because a bird isn’t hammering back at every call you make doesn’t mean it’s gone.
“He may be heading your way, or he may be distracted at the moment, but he knows where those sounds came from and if it’s going to happen you don’t want to give up too early,” Young said.
Patience doesn’t just mean waiting an extra 10 minutes before giving up on a bird that got quiet early in the morning, it means coming back after a bird that you know is there another time and giving it another shot.
That turkey may be with a bunch of hens one morning and not willing to come to you, but they may go off to nest the next day or even that afternoon, leaving him lonely and looking.
“Patience has probably killed more turkeys than anything else,” Young said. “When everything goes right, that bird will come running, but more often than not, you’re going to have to wait and know when to stay put. On a recent hunt, I set up at 6 a.m. and didn’t seal the deal until 2:30 that afternoon. That was an extreme case, but I knew there were birds in the area and it was a matter of timing.”
Turkey hunting can be a solitary pursuit, and Young still enjoys solo hunts when he’s pursuing a trophy bird, but he also takes time to share experiences with his family.
“Everyone in my family loves to get out and turkey hunt; it’s a true family tradition,” Young said. “My wife and daughter really enjoy it and have taken good turkeys, and my son can’t wait until he’s old enough to join us.”
In addition to the added benefit of company on those sometimes long drives, having some family and friends along can really create those moments you’ll look back on fondly in later years. Hunting stories are always better when there’s someone to share the tale.
