Wild turkeys are not only fun to hunt, but with their growing popularity and paranoid mindset, they are also quite a challenge. They are quick, yet they are easily fooled once you know how to get them into your sites.
If you're planning to hunt these birds this spring, the best way to ensure success is to be prepared! Although there are hundreds of things to remember, we have compiled our best tips and strategies to put the odds in your favor this spring.
Here are six easy-to-remember tips to keep in your back pocket to help you land a nice tom.
Tip 1: Pre-Season Scouting Is Never a Bad Idea
Now, this tip truly goes for any game that you are hunting. If you want to be successful, knowing your land and locating the areas of interest is important.
Scout for food sources such as cut grain fields or acorn-filled flats. Locate droppings and scratching.
Taking the time to understand your land by locating signs of "the flock" will help you better locate gobblers to hunt later in the season. Any free time you have before spring hunting begins, whether the weather is ideal or not, will help you better understand a turkey's mindset based on understanding how they navigate their land.
Tip 2: Remember That These Birds Are Quick
Wild turkeys are very quick, soaring at speeds up to 55 miles per hour in the air and gaining speeds up to 25 miles per hour on the ground. So, it's safe to say that you have to be ready to take your shot at all times.
There are many ways to help you overcome the speed of a turkey. However, one of our favorite ways is by using what we'll talk about in the next tip!
Tip 3: Use a Pop-Up Blind
A pop-up hunting blind is more than just an easy-to-use piece of equipment that keeps hunters warm. Although there are many good reasons to use a pop-up blind, our favorite reason is that it helps us hunters more easily blend into various types of vegetation that turkeys might not be as "alert" in.
For example, if you plan to hunt a specific field, you might sit near an edge and set your pop-up on that edge. This will allow you to be there among the birds. While they can't see you, you might see them casually walking the field.
However, if you spook them with your presence, we have already learned they can fly away quickly. So, locate the presence of these birds in pre-season scouting and then be ready to take your shot out of your pop-up blind.
Want deeper insights into when and when not to use a pop-up blind. Check out the National Wild Turkey Federation's insights into using pop-up blinds.
Tip 4: Plant a Food Plot For Turkey
Yes, you read that right. Food plots aren't only valuable for our beloved whitetail but can actually be very beneficial if you are looking to harvest a nice tom this turkey season.
Not only are these green, luscious food plots attractive to turkeys, but they also provide them with various foods within one food plot. For example, many types of food plots thriving with wheat, clover, and other forage will attract many insects.
Hens require a lot of protein to produce their spring eggs, and those insects will help them out during this time of year. Although there are many types of food plots that you can plant, a plot with a lot of protein (insects) and vegetation in one place will be your best bet.
Not sure where to plant? Try using your HuntWise app to mark where you plant your food plot or multiple plots. Using this tool will help you better manage your food plot, stay organized with multiple food plots, and see what areas will be more successful for your hunts.
Tip 5: Try Calling In a Hen
Sometimes, to harvest a gobbler, you need to get a hen nearby. So, try to think like a turkey.
It is spring. It is mating season – which means, most likely, that the gobbler wants to breed a hen, and he is probably strutting his stuff.
Granted, this tactic doesn't work in every situation. However, if you can get a boss hen fired up, more times than not, she can bring a gobbler into range.
Remember: Gobblers do not like hens talking with other turkeys. Have patience, and master your call.
Tip 6: Don’t Be Afraid To Hunt the Weather
The weather will not always be ideal. Somedays, it seems as if it will never stop raining. On other days, especially in the Midwest, you might endure some late snow when you plan your hunt.
Successful hunters learn to work with the weather. If you understand how it changes the birds' behavior, a rainy hunt might do you some good and fill a tag.
Often, snow will slow down breeding behavior. However, they still need to eat. So, keeping your eye on your food plots despite the weather can help you tag a bird.
Additionally, the rain will work against a bird's sight, so they will often seek open fields. If you understand the patterns they resort to, you can succeed in almost any scenario if you are willing and patient.
Use Expert Tips and Tools For Spring Turkey Hunting Success
We could give you more than just these six tips today, but these are an excellent start toward a successful turkey hunt this spring! A
long with these tips, make sure you have the right tools to find land, plot turkey activity, and maximize your days in the field. Download the HuntWise app to guide you through the spring (and year-round, no matter what you hunt).
Good luck, hunters, and shoot straight.
Content updated February 14, 2024.
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