A Beginner's Guide to Turkey Hunting
Know the basics before heading out in the field.
A 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation found that there are more than 14 million hunters in the United States. While deer are the most popular animal to hunt, turkeys come up next in line, drawing nearly 3 million people to the field looking for a longbeard to take home.
Turkey hunting is about patience, strategy, and knowledge of turkey behavior. Successfully mastering your approach, as well as developing a comprehensive selection of calls, leads to one of the most thrilling aspects of the turkey hunt: Two-way communication between you and a turkey in its natural habitat.
As with all hunting, a little preparation goes a long way.
Scouting and Locating Wild Turkeys
Scouting, or the act of observing and studying the behavior and patterns of turkeys in their natural habitat, is a crucial step before you go out hunting. Turkeys spend much of the day walking and searching for food (bugs, seeds, fruits, grasses, crops) and water sources, calling to each other, breeding, preening and just hanging around. By scouting, you can identify wild turkey territory and confirm there are actual turkeys there. While turkeys might have the advantage in this game, scouting can help tip the scales in a hunter's favor.
A Successful Approach to Spring Turkey Hunting
Turkeys have vision 3X sharper than typical human 20/20 vision. Add as much camouflage as possible to your firearm, clothing, and other gear. Limit your motion, and the noise you create.
When approaching a potential turkey hunting site, if you hear a turkey, it's time to stop moving and wait.