Scout early and late. Do minimal calling. Wait. Listen. Sounds like a turkey-hunting method for a lazy procrastinator, but these tips outline the best way to get a spring turkey, according to local pros and guides.
With spring turkey season opening April 18 for a five-week run (to May 23) in all counties, there are things that you should be doing right away. One of these is to pattern your gunat your favorite range and decide between the various shot choices available. Restrictions are between size 4, 5 and 6 shot, but within those choices, there are still lots of selections available. These include lead, copper-plated lead, tungsten and the dual loads of shot sizes in the 4, 5 and 6 specs.
For patterning your gun, guide Gene Hyatt of Glen Burnie likes a range from 30 to 35 yards. “If you know your gun, you can stretch that to 40 to 45 yards,” he said. “But spend a day on the range.”
Hyatt, who has been turkey hunting for 39 years and guiding all but four of those, suggests exploring your chosen hunting area.
“Get out ahead of time and absolutely do not call before the season opens,” he said, with emphasis on the “absolutely do not” part. “Listen. Just listen. See where they are roosting. See where they come off the roost.”
Jared Kanouse of Towson, who advises turkey hunters from his sales position in the hunting department at Bass Pro Shops in Hanover, seconds that idea. Even though he?s only 22, he has been hunting since he was 12 and knows his way around a turkey woods.
“You?ve got to do your homework,” said Kanouse, who has done most of his hunting in the more prolific woods of Michigan. But he has spent the last two years hunting Maryland turkeys.
“Don?t overcall a turkey,” he said, as hens move toward gobblers in the natural scheme of things, and too much calling spooks a turkey or even causes other area turkey hunters to increase their calling. Neither is good.
Hyatt agrees. With minimal calling, he scratches around in the leaves to simulate the sounds of a hen searching out food. This adds another audible attraction to lure Toms to the blind.
“Curiosity killed the cat, and curiosity has killed a lot of turkeys too.” said Hyatt.
Both Kanouse and Hyatt agree it is important to stay a reasonable distance from a roosting tree. Walking right up to a tree on a hunt day only spooks turkeys. You will see turkeys but only from the rear as they flee.
Both men like the increasingly popular hunting supports that allow for a stable and accurate shot. Of these, the favorite seems to be a monopod support that Kanouse noted can be leaned to the side to adjust the horizontal shooting angle and range without spooking a turkey by moving a bipod or tripod support or adjusting your head.
While spring turkey season limits are two bearded turkeys, or one if a turkey was taken last fall, you can extend your hunting across the state if not successful early.
Hyatt suggests that peak spring turkey hunting starts early on the Eastern Shore, then extends across the state as spring progresses, ending up around Deep Creek Lake close to the last day (May 23).
Overall this spring, don?t expect too much different ? good or bad ? from last year, or even the last several seasons. Bob Long, turkey biologist for the Department of Natural Resources, notes: “Where we had plenty of turkeys last year, we still have plenty of turkeys. Where we didn?t have lots of turkeys, we still don?t have many.”
C. Boyd Pfeiffer is an internationally known sportsman and award-winning writer on fishing, hunting and the outdoors. He can be reached at [email protected]
