Beginners Guide To Hunting Today's Pressured Gobblers

A Beginners Guide To Hunting Today's Pressured Gobblers

By H. "Bumper" Bauer

What you are about to read are my opinions based on forty-five years of hunting the Pennsylvania woods in pursuit of the wild turkey. I am writing this to hopefully create another “Turkaholic” like myself and, with any luck, allow you to learn from my mistakes as well as my triumphs.
I do not consider myself to be an expert caller. I have never been in or wanted to be in a calling contest. I admit, however, on my way to becoming a true “Turkaholic,” I had the honor of making a few friends that are calling contest champions here in PA. Thanks to their advice and coaching, which at times cost me a few cold ones or a promise that I “would go away,” I learned a great deal. I have honed my calling to a point that the turkeys seem to like.
I have killed many gobblers in PA and, like most other hunters, I have been skunked, too. I know it’s hard to believe, but at times I have actually been delighted by the manner in which some old gobbler fooled me, just when I was gullible enough to believe things were going my way. That is something any turkey hunter who’s dedicated to this sport can and does appreciate. Those new to turkey hunting will learn and come to understand this as time goes by.
How does one begin this task? Calls are the first step.

There are hundreds of calls on the market, but from personal experience, I have discovered a box or slate call is the easiest to handle for anyone new, and produces decent-sounding clucks. Some of the sweetest-sounding hen talk produced by successful hunters is done on slate or box calls. Most calls have instructions that are supplied by the manufacturer. They’re easy to follow and soon, with some practice, the “newbie” will be delighted to hear he is actually creating turkey sounds. If you can learn to do a simple cluck, you will kill turkeys.
Forget that fancy turkey talk you may hear on a video or at a calling contest; leave that to the Pro’s. It sounds great, but rest assured that when the Pro’s are in the turkey woods, they don’t use half of that stuff. Some of the best gobblers I killed were brought in by nothing more than a short series of soft clucks and my rustling some leaves with a stick, imitating feeding hens.
Less is best in today’s pressured woods. Think about this. How many times have you heard a hen screaming her head off? They don’t do it. With repeated calling, they’re alerting every predator in the area to their location. Think like a turkey and you will kill turkeys, it’s as simple as that.
Then, as we well know, it’s practice, practice, and more practice.
What about diaphragm calls? These take a lot of practice. They are good, but do not give the learner fast results. For someone learning to call, it’s best to stick with the slate or box calls.

Now…. onto the camouflage needed.
There are many patterns from which to choose. Most of the patterns are great, but whatever pattern you choose, it is of utmost importance that it fits the area you are planning to hunt by blending with the vegetation at that particular time of year. A lot of pattern is not needed in the spring. I use a brown leaf pattern for my pants and something that has a touch of green in the shirt or jacket. Please keep in mind that full and complete camouflage is a must from head-to-foot, including your firearm. Make sure nothing that is shiny shows anywhere. A rule of thumb is to put it all on, then look into a full-length mirror. If you see anything out of place, correct it then. It’s too late when you’re in the woods. A seemingly minor thing like the sun reflecting off of a hunter’s watchband or ring, or white socks showing between your boots and trousers, has caused many hunters to be busted at the moment of truth by a gobbler. One mistake that cost me a gobbler was forgetting to remove my sling from the shotgun. Old Mr. Gobbler saw it swaying under the shotgun and I was busted. On another occasion, I was busted because in my haste to get set up, I forgot to put on my facemask or gloves before I started calling. He snuck in on me and saw the reflection from my glasses or hands. Never start calling until you are sure that you have everything covered and a set-up position picked out. I could write a book about things that get a turkey hunter busted, but that’s all part of the learning experience.

When locating turkeys in the spring, “Let Nature Do The Work For You.”
Today’s turkey woods are not that of our Grandfather’s. If a turkey was spotted back then, it became the subject of conversation for weeks. There are more turkeys today than there have ever been, but there are also more hunters. In turn, the turkeys are becoming educated and adapting to the manner in which they are being hunted. Someone is always coming up with some new gadget or placing new “bells and whistles” on something that’s supposed to improve your turkey hunting. I guess that’s progress, but the basics always have and always will get your gobbler, if you stick with them. Locating birds is not, and should not, be looked upon as some dark mystery. To accomplish this task, simply go out in the evening about dusk, stand quietly along a power line or ridge top, and listen. When a gobbler roosts in the evening, he announces it by gobbling. If you’re close enough to hear him, you will have an idea where he’s located. In the early spring, the gobblers become arrogant loudmouths who freely announce their locations morning and evening to the hens. That is the nature of things in the spring turkey woods.
OK - you have found the birds. Now what?
A word of caution: Today’s birds are overworked by loud repeated calls and knocked off their roosts by aggressive locator calls on a daily basis. No wonder they are shy to the call. You’re in their world. Let it work for you. After locating birds, rather than calling, sit back and listen to them. Observe their behavior; listen to their flock talk as they go about their routine. Note the emotion the birds put in their flock talk and observe the reaction of the other birds to them. What may be learned during one of these sessions is priceless. Let them be your teacher. I cannot emphasize this enough! Today there are just too many people going into the woods prior to the season and making the mistake of hammering birds with calls. In most cases, they are the very same calls that they will use during hunting season, hunting these same birds.

While still in the egg, a turkey learns to recognize its mother’s voice by a method called “imprinting.” When the hen rolls her eggs over during the incubation process, she softly clucks and purrs to them. The poult in the egg hears this repeatedly; her voice becomes imprinted in its brain. By the time the poult is hatched, it has the ability to pick out her voice from fifty turkeys feeding in a field, instantly pinpointing her location in that flock. When calling a turkey in, even if you don’t alert the bird to your presence, but have it come to your calls repeatedly, that gobbler will soon tire of coming, only to see nothing when he gets there. “Imprinting.” The season arrives and you go to that same spot, thinking you are going to call in that big gobbler. It’s not going to happen! During the early spring, there’s a lot of competition from real hens that have not bred and gone to nest. Why would he ever come to that same hen that had disappeared on him so many times in the past?
If you need to work some birds, go someplace not open to hunting and have at it. Many folks will gladly give you access to their property if they know you are only calling and photographing the birds, not hunting them. I shot some of my best photographs in these areas. Get to know the State Park and Municipal Park employees in your area. They will help by pointing you in the right direction. Locate those areas you can call the birds or film them to your heart’s content without ruining your chance or someone else’s come hunting season.
Choosing a shotgun. I have seen turkeys killed with everything from a 410 shotgun to a bow. Today’s most popular choice is either a 20-guage or 12-gauge shotgun. There are many to pick from, depending on your individual needs. If you are a woman or have a small build and don’t want much recoil, the 20-guage should be your choice. The 12-guage has a bit more recoil and its only saving grace is that it carries a few more pellets from the shell to the target. With the new screw-in chokes available today, the possibilities are unlimited for finding a gun to suit your needs. My suggestion to anyone starting out is to go to a local gun dealer and ask for his or her opinion on selection. Whatever you select — and I cannot emphasize this enough — get out and pattern it, get used to the weapon’s recoil so you know what to expect. Use various shotgun loads to see which one your shotgun likes best. What may be good for someone else with the identical set-up you have may not be good for your gun. Every gun is different. Don’t go by what works for someone else. Get a gun that fits you and delivers the pellets needed in the turkey’s kill zone and you have already won half the battle.
Last but no way least is safety. With turkey hunting becoming more popular, there are more hunters in today’s woods than ever before. When walking to your stand, moving from place to place, wear the required fluorescent orange. Use an orange tree band near your set-up position. It only takes a minute to put on and take off. It could save your life. I have NEVER had a turkey balk at the orange, but movement will get you busted in a second.

A final suggestion: if you’re new to the sport and want to learn more about it from others, join your local chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. It will be some of the best money you will ever spend. Not only will you meet others who share the love of turkey hunting, but you will also help the tradition of turkey hunting continue to prosper in Pennsylvania with your annual dues. You will also receive “The Caller,” a great magazine filled with colorful photos, tips, stories and information pertaining to the wild turkey. Make it a point to attend a NWTF banquet, also. They provide a great time and a good place to meet some new hunting buddies.
I have covered the basic points; ones that I pass on to my friends when getting them started in this wonderful sport. I hope that this has been a help to you and I hope you grow to love the sport as much as I do.
Hunt hard, hunt safe and hunt fair; and please, be safe out there.
There is no substitute for being in the woods, listening to the wild birds. It’s the best teacher you will ever have. When you can’t, rather than sitting in front of the TV, take time to read some of the fine sporting publications available today. Many have stories and articles about turkey hunting. Go to a sportsman’s show where call manufacturers have a booth. Walk up to them and say, “I want to be a turkey hunter.”
When you see a far-off look coming into their eyes, you’ll know you have came to the right place to get your questions answered. That’s the look of a true “Turkaholic.”