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Turkey Tips from the Pros Tips from the experts may improve your chances for a successful spring turkey harvest. BY P.J. PEREA
Many tom turkeys have become seasoned veterans, wary of calls and even decoys. So with more than 35,000 Illinois turkey hunters heading into the woods for the spring turkey hunt, there will be lots of competition to gain the attention of the elusive eastern gobbler. At some recent outdoor shows, I was fortunate enough to talk with three of the top turkey hunters in the country, Alex Rutledge, Eddie Salter and Ray Eye, who shared a few tips to outwit these wary birds and possibly harvest a trophy of a lifetime. Rutledge is a HS Strut Prostaff member, has 31 years of experience hunting turkeys, stars in numerous popular turkey hunting videos and is an expert turkey caller. "Preseason scouting can make or break a hunt," Rutledge said. "Hunters need to be aware of every potential hang-up location whether it's a creek, fence or fallen tree. Once hunters set up on a bird, they need to make sure that there is a clean path from the bird to the hunter. Otherwise, they are liable to hang up." Rutledge commented on using locator calls to find active birds. "Use a barred owl call in the early morning to locate roosting birds. Later in the morning, hunters can use a crow or hawk call and even a coyote howl to trick the birds into revealing their locations. Hunters who are near waterfowl areas will find that their favorite goose or duck call will also make turkeys gobble."
Eddie Salter (l), (Photo courtesy of H.S. Strut), Ray Eye (c), (Photo courtesy of Ray Eye).
He emphasized the importance of carrying a variety of calls into the field because many birds have heard the more common calls and have learned to stay silent. Sometimes it's the uncommon sound that will get the birds attention. Rutledge says Illinois hunters should use decoys whenever possible. Hen and jake combinations are best. He recommended placing the hen decoy at ground level with the jake behind her. This placement of the decoys simulates a mating situation that likely will attract the attention of a male turkey. Often the bird will be so transfixed on the two decoys that it will quickly close the distance in an attempt to mate with the hen decoy. On the topic of patterning your shotgun before the season, Rutledge said: "It's simple. If you don't have a gun with a tight consistent pattern, you risk losing or wounding a bird. Shoot and try out different ammunition loads and choke tube combinations. Every combination will shoot a different pattern. Eventually you'll find one that works." Salter started in the turkey business as a barber selling his homemade turkey calls to patrons of his shop. His customers were primarily farmers and would often talk with Salter about turkeys while he was giving them a shave and a haircut. "That straight razor got me more hunting spots than anything else," said Salter. Salter is an HS Strut Prostaff member, has 37 years of experience hunting turkeys and developed his own line of calls for the company. Salter is often asked what to do when a bird hangs up on you. His reply: "If you have a bird hang up on you and you don't want to get into a calling contest with it, stop (hen) calling and see if you can reposition on the bird. Using your crow call, aggressively call to the hung-up bird and keep it at least 200 yards from you while you move. Try to reposition yourself where the bird originally was roosting or in the direction where you first heard the bird. Since the bird is familiar with his original route, he will be less wary of this mysterious hen that has appeared behind him. Start (hen) calling and get ready to shoot." Another option Salter mentioned to free up stuck birds is changing calls or using two calls in combination to sound like several hens. Salter offered this tip on increasing the hunter's odds of harvesting a bird: "While everyone would like to harvest that dominant tom turkey, the satellite birds (birds lower on the pecking order) are more likely to respond to calls. They usually don't have hens with them. Focus on these birds, especially when the dominant bird has hens with him." Salter added that satellite birds suffer from "Lonely Gobbler Complex," and are very motivated to find a hen. Hailing out of Dittmer, Mo., Eye is a well-known hunter from a state known to produce some of the nation's top turkey hunters. Eye, another HS Strut Prostaff member, has more than 35 years of turkey hunting experience. A veteran of 25 years on the seminar circuit, Eye hosts an outdoor radio show in St. Almond Turkey Bake
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Blend cheese and flour. Combine 1/2 cup almonds, 3/4 cheese and remaining ingredients except pastry. Mix well. Fit pastry into 11 3/4" x 7 1/2" baking dish. Trim to 1" beyond edge and flute edge. Fill with turkey mixture. Top with remaining cheese and almonds. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Yield: 6 to 8 servings. Wild Turkey Chili
3 pounds ground wild turkey
In a large stock pot, brown turkey. Add celery and next 10 ingredients in order listed. Simmer for 60 minutes. Add pinto beans, and simmer for another 60 minutes. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.
Louis, and is a frequent guest on hunting shows. "It's very important that hunters get out prior to the season and quietly listen to the birds," Eye said. "Keep activity to a minimum, but try to figure out the patterns of the bird you are hunting." Eye emphasized that hunters should track when the birds move off the roost, which direction they fly down and where they move when they hit the ground. Once the pattern is established, hunters should have an easier time getting the birds to work into them by taking advantage of their daily habits.
Another common error, which Eye pointed out, is that many hunters set up nearly 200 yards from the bird once they locate it. "Get in as close as the terrain will allow—within 50 to 75 yards if possible," Eye said. "Being that close convinces the bird very quickly that you are a hen. The turkey doesn't have time to be distracted by other hens or hunters." By listening to the sage advice from three turkey experts, hunters should have an easier time harvesting a spring gobbler. However, they also should remember to practice safe hunting techniques when entering and leaving the field. Using blaze orange flags on vests or blaze orange game bags is recommended as an easy way to avoid being mistakenly shot by another hunter.
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