Wild turkey trucking

By BROCK RAY
ITJ

5/23/2008

When the days become noticeably longer, and pastel green buds begin peaking through the drab grey mantle of the woodlands, you know that spring turkey hunting season is close at hand. Professional drivers have the best and worse when it comes to hunting these wary game birds. If you’re a long distance driver, you pass millions of acres of public hunting land where the wild turkey is abundant. Unfortunately, finding the kind of time we all wish we had to hunt these birds is rare.

Wild turkeys are found throughout the United States. There are four subspecies of these game birds: the Eastern, Merriam, Rio Grande and Osceola that all look quite the same in most respects. Eastern wild turkeys are found primarily east of the Mississippi River, but also found in the western edges of this great basin. Rio Grande turkeys are found in southwestern states like Texas and Arizona. Merriam wild turkeys are found mostly in the western states. The Osceola wild turkey is the rarest and found only in southern Florida.

Most turkey hunting occurs during the spring when gobblers use loud vocal calls to attract ready-to-breed hens. Seasons open earlier in the South, in late February down in Florida and as late as mid-May in northern states such as New York and Michigan. Spring hunting seasons are scheduled when breeding activity is at peak level to give hunters an opportunity to call in an eager-to-breed gobbler.

It takes many seasons to become a highly experienced wild turkey hunter, but every turkey hunter starts out as a novice. If you have never hunted these animals, you will soon discover they have incredible hearing and sight. Learning how to locate birds, setting up to call them, calling them in close enough to kill, and knowing where to shoot to make a clean kill are all skills every turkey hunter must master.

Locating birds in a new area is fun. I like getting out in my Jeep, driving back roads in state and federal forests, often stopping and just listening for calling activity by resident birds. I have talked to many drivers who take breaks from the road, at rest areas in public lands, and often located birds just a short walk in the woods. One word of warning though, if you plan to return to hunt the turkeys you’ve located and you know where they are; leave them alone until hunting time. If you practice calling to them, they may answer then, but be wise to your calling efforts in the future.

Set-up is a big key to bagging a gobbler. When you’re hunting and locating what you hope is a cooperative tom, the first thing you need to do is locate a good set-up spot. Presumably, you are wearing head to toe camouflage clothing and a head net that blends with your surroundings. A good set-up location is one that breaks up your outline and preferably gives you a little concealment cover. The most common set-up is with your back to a tree and some brush in front of you. However, depending on where you are and the availability of such cover, you might have to lean against a rock or fence pos, or even crouch down in a weedy ditch. The objective is to blend in and not stand out where you can be easily spotted by the keen eyes of these birds.

Calling is usually regarded as the most difficult needed skill to master in successfully hunting spring season gobblers. Contrary to what many say, calling is not difficult to master well enough to call in gobblers, but it can be as complex as you wish to make it. In nature the hen seeks out the gobbler when she is ready to mate. Mating must occur each time a single egg is laid. This means that hens come and go during the month throughout the long mating season, laying an egg and then returning to mate again and so forth.

As is the case in nature, the gobbler is always ready to mate, and if a hen will not actively seek him out, a tom will respond to seductive hen yelps in an effort to find her. If you have never called a gobbler, all you need to do is learn to make simple hen yelps on a turkey call. If you don’t move and give away your human presence, or make some noise like a cough or banging a shotgun barrel against a tree, the odds of a gobbler strutting within shooting range is about 50/50.

The easiest beginner calls for making hen yelps is a push button box call or a swing arm call. Many companies make these, and they all work well. Get an audio cassette on the different calls to make. If you’re adventurous, try using a mouth diaphragm call or a slate call. These take longer to learn and master, but they are more effective, especially on shy toms. Learning when to call and when not to takes practice, but like a great pick-up line… when it works, it works really well. For obvious safety reasons, only use hen calls, and never male. Making a tom’s gobblers might make another hunter think you are a gobbler ready for him to kill.

Shooting a turkey is not difficult, but you need to know what your effective killing range is and when and where to shoot. I use a full choke, 10 gauge shotgun that will enable me to effectively kill a gobbler at up to 75 yards. Even the best 12 gauge shotguns that are designed for hunting wild turkey are rarely able to dispatch a gobbler at over 60 yards, with many effective only at 50 yards.

Killing power boils down to how many shot pellets you can put into the head of a gobbler. If you body shoot one of these birds, its likely to get away before it dies and you find it. Most experienced wild turkey hunters only shoot them in the head when its head is held aloof. Here is one piece of advice: the instant you shoot a gobbler, run to it as fast you can to subdue the bird if it is still alive.

Safety is a huge issue when turkey hunting. Because you are dressed in camouflage to blend in with your environment to avoid detection by wild turkeys, it’s often very difficult to see or be seen by other hunters that might be nearby. Never wear red or blue, two colors closely associated with a gobbler. When traveling in the woods, wear hunter orange, removing it when you set-up (where it’s legal.)

For professional drivers whose livelihood takes them through prime turkey hunting all across the country, cashing in on the advantages of travel while making a living are possible. If you’re in your home state, virtually all publicly owned land such as national and state forests and wildlife areas can be hunted anytime during statewide hunting season dates. This is the most affordable method, and since little in the way of gear is needed, only a locked case for transporting a shotgun is necessary (if you’re trucking company permits you to carry cased firearms.)

Wild turkey hunting outside of your home state is a little more costly. Non-resident hunting licenses cost more than your resident state license. Just as every state sets its own season and regulations for hunting wild turkey, the same is true for what they charge non-resident hunters. You can visit our web site; www.interstatesportsman.com for a link to any or all states for the latest information on season dates and non-resident license cost.

Booking a guided hunt is another option that’s attractive to on-the-go-drivers wishing to take advantage of their time away from home. Outfitters offering such hunts provide everything from pick-up rides where you park, furnish firearms, and access to prime hunting areas. Shipping your birds to your home, are available all across the country. Of course, this adds a bit to the cost but it sure makes for a great way for a driver from New York to take a Rio Grande turkey in Texas.

If you have not added spring season wild turkey to your “to do” list, or if you think you are on the road too much of the time to get your share of hunting time, think again. Most of us drive through great wild turkey hunting country all season long from February until June. It’s a matter of making the time and effort to take advantage of some great opportunities. Remember to share the love of nature with a child and take them with you on your next trip.