Practice and Patience Kills Turkeys
Success! The sun was rising behind the blind when this turkey was shot, allowing the hunter some extra leeway when drawing and aiming at the bird.
Practice and patience are paramount to turkey hunting success.
No matter what equipment and methods you choose to use this turkey season, practice is everything! Shoot your bow often and make sure you have established personal limitations for taking an ethical shot. If you choose to use a ground blind, set it up and shoot from the seated position if possible, or at least make sure your seat’s position inside the blind is oriented for an easy shot. If you plan to hunt without a blind, practice shooting while seated on the ground. Make sure you can draw with minimal movement and your shot sequence is uninterrupted by your position. Spend as much time in the woods scouting as possible. Both preseason and in-season scouting is invaluable when it comes to successfully hunting turkeys. Turkey season may seem short, but turkey activity and patterns often change as the season evolves.
Finally, BE PATIENT! Turkeys are on their own schedules. Sometimes gobblers come running into a decoy set from over a hundred yards after your first calling sequence and your season is over within a few hours. Other times they meander through the woods with little urgency or attention to calling. Sometimes, they don’t even gobble as they approach your setup, and suddenly there’s a tom basically sitting in your lap. Be patient, stay ready, and don’t give up on periodically soft hen yelps even if you’re not hearing gobbles. Toms can pinpoint hen yelps very well, and often return to an area where they heard yelping earlier in the day. Give each spot at least 45 minutes to an hour before packing up and moving on. Keep in mind turkeys have exceptional vision and will see your subtle movements if you’re playing with a cell phone.
Bottomline, there’s tons of fun and challenge to be had bowhunting gobblers. Get out there, find what works, be persistent, and create some memories this spring.
The author with his spring archery turkey.
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