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Turkeys are some of the best tasting game birds we hunt. The key to eliminating any “gaminess” in the meat is to take proper care of it in the field. After your shot, you’ll want to field dress your bird as quickly as possible. The goal is to cool the bird down by removing its internal organs and allowing air to circulate in the body cavity. Gutting a turkey All you need to gut a turkey is a simple pocket knife. Cut through the thin skin of the stomach from the bottom of the breastbone to the anus. Keep your

For hunters, spring marks the beginning of the “turkey year” so let’s trace turkey activity through the year beginning in the spring. Spring nesting season The peak of the breeding season has already passed by the time the spring turkey hunting season opens April 15. Toms will breed with multiple hens throughout the spring and early summer. As the eggs develop, the hen will build a ground nest in a place with good cover and close to good brood habitat, which is normally an opening in the forest cover. Once she starts laying eggs, a hen will lay one egg

While turkey hunting is one of the safest forms of hunting, there are some safety tips hunters should follow. Be visible when you need to be The biggest risk in turkey hunting is being in the woods with other turkey hunters. Remember, everyone will be wearing camouflage and sounding like a turkey as they try to call in birds (including you). Therefore, you’ll want to make sure you and your location are visible while you’re walking to the blind or setting up, while you’re set up behind a tree and while you’re carrying your bird out of the field. A

A box calls is the most popular turkey call, and is a good choice for new turkey hunters. Box calls not only are easy to use, but they can sound very realistic. A box call can create a wide range of yelps, clucks, purrs, fighting purrs, cackles and gobbles. If you can get yelps, clucks and purrs to sound good on a box call, you’ll routinely bring in birds. Parts of a box call Box calls come in two parts – a narrow rectangular box with a paddle attached at one end. Attached with a single screw in the center

Pot calls, often called slate calls, are friction-style calls that are easy to use and produce a range of turkey sounds. Parts of a pot call A pot call consists of three parts: a pot, a calling surface and a striker. The pot holds the slate and acts as a sound chamber. There are holes drilled in the bottom for sound to escape. To keep from covering the holes, hold the pot with the tips of your fingers, keeping it away from the palm of your hand. Pot calls can be made to be all-weather, with the right striker. The

These calls have nothing to do with calling in turkeys, but everything to do with finding toms. Owl, crow, peacock, woodpecker and hawk sounds all can elicit a reactionary gobble from a tom – sometimes called a “shock gobble.” These calls are usually used when birds are on the roost early in the morning or late in the evening. Using a hen call to locate a tom can put the tom on the move before you’re ready to set up. If a tom comes in too quickly, it can mean a blown opportunity. Locator calls encourage toms to gobble without

Whether you ’re turkey hunting with a bow or shotgun, you’ll need to know when to take the shot. If you’re using a shotgun, the best shot will be at the head, preferably when it’s outstretched away from the bird’s body. Bowhunters will want to know something about turkey anatomy so they’ll recognize when they have a clear kill shot to a vital organ. Make sure it’s safe to shoot In addition to having a good shot at a bird, you’ll want to make sure there are no other hunters, livestock or other turkeys nearby that you could hit by

There are many options when it comes to choosing arrows and broadheads for turkey hunting. If you already hunt big game, you can use the same arrow shafts for hunting turkey. If you’re new to bowhunting and buying arrows for the first time, select an arrow shaft made of a lightweight, fast-moving material like carbon fiber. An arrow that weighs about 6 to 8 grains per per pound of draw weight (on a compound bow) is a good guideline. This will maximize kinetic energy, accuracy and penetration. There are three styles of broadheads popular with turkey hunters: Expandable, or mechanical