Braden,

Quick question, how long is still worth my while to track and call turkeys? I've been out a few times now calling and tracking and learning the lay of the land. I've had numerous responses and have called in a tom and a jake since my first hunt. I took my kids out the other weekend and got a gobbler to respond and later found a pile of tail feathers of two birds who apparently had a fight about my calling!

Sheffield and Paulding WMA are in my backyard and I'm planning this summer to camp and backpack the land to get a good feel of the land before the seasons begin to start up. I'm just wondering about how much longer calling would be worth my while or if I just need to practice my basic woodsmanship.

Thanks for your advice and feedback.

Loving Life!

Ken L. Hagler, Assoc. PastorDue West UMC




Ken,

Woodsmanship is the name of the game for any animal you hunt. There are some great turkey callers who are horrible turkey hunters. Hiking and camping are a great way to get your feet wet. Take it in stride. There is allot to learn. You won't learn it all in one season. However, you don't have to be an expert at it all to be successful. If so, I wouldn't be able to have a career in writing about it. I have spent 22 years in the woods and still make rookie mistakes and bad judgements. Fact is, every animal is different. What works today may not work tomorrow.

If your able to spend some time in the woods, learn the area you are hunting. Start learning where the birds are and WHY they are there. Is it food? Is it a roosting place? Is it a strut zone? Go ahead and find the deep woods food plots that the WMA plants. Also, look for the long ridges that lead up to a roosting area that will be a good place for birds to strut in mid morning.

Now, to calling. This is what I do. When I get a new call that has a new sound, I will take it in the woods and set up a hand held recorder about 20 yards away and go through a sequence of calls and then play them back. Watch some videos and compare. Remember, you sound better in the open woods than you will in the car. With that being said, practice practice, practice! As far as going in the woods and calling turkeys, they need to be left alone I suppose in the areas you are hunting. It is a good time to get out and find a food plot where the birds frequent and sit and just listen. Learn the sounds they make and pay close attention to the cadence and learn to mimick those cadences. Its not necessarily "what" you say, but "how" you say it.

Hope this helps. Let me know how it is going for you. Look up Yellow Yelper and purchase one of their 3 Reed Double Diamonds. Good call to learn on and it doesn't take a mouth full of air to play it. Learn to use a diaphram. The advantages are endless.

Full Force Outdoors
Braden Arp