Expert turkey hunter Tracy Groves was getting ready to climb onto his four-wheel ATV to scout Pennsylvania woodlands for turkey when interrupted by cell phone to pass along spring turkey hunting tips.
Groves, from Eldersburg, Md., has also scouted Carroll County for a month. He has not yet decided where to hunt on the Maryland April 18 opener of spring turkey season, which continues through May 23.
At 39 and an avid hunter, Groves has been hunting turkeys for 14 years and representing Red Head, the Bass Pro Shop hunting brand, for two years.
“A spring gobbler is probably the hardest animal in the woods to harvest,” he says with conviction, pointing out that they are warier and don?t herd up as in the fall.
Of his top tips, he lists patience as No. 1. Turkeys take time responding to a call. “When you think that it is time to move, wait 20 more minutes,” he said when gobblers answer but then stop responding. “He?s close.”
His second tip is to scout more than hunt ? both before and during the season. Listen for gobblers, and look for scratches and droppings.
Knowing your calls and starting early to perfect calling comes in at No. 3. Wait too long and mouth calls stretch and become weak; box calls can crack or be off-key. Wait too long to call and you can?t get the right sound perfected.
No. 4 is to know your gun and shells.He used to consider his maximum range for spring turkey at 35 yards. After patterning his gun with his favorite shell ? a Remington Premier Magnum with No. 6 shot ? he increased his range to 50 yards.
No. 5 is a biggie ? have fun. “It?s an extreme challenge,” he said. “Concentrate too much on the bird and you forget to have fun.”
Of bad things that spring turkey hunters do, Groves lists a bunch. They include calling before the season opens (scares and educates the birds), walking and busting birds off the roost (you end up hunting where they aren?t, since they relocate), trying to hunt too close and see the bird (scares them), setting up a blind area wrong (you can?t call across a road, ditch or stream), and movement (they can see you blink at 80 yards).
Want more? Groves and other spring turkey hunting experts will be at Bass Pro Shops at Arundel Mills Mall this Friday through Sunday. Call 410-689-2500 or check www.basspro.com for more details.
C. Boyd Pfeiffer is an internationally known sportsman and award-winning writer on fishing, hunting, and the outdoors, and is currently working on his 25th book. He can be reached at [email protected].
