re: Turkey hunting for idiots

Lot's of good advice here...

My two cents..

What separates the good/average turkey hunter from the great ones is not being a great caller but rather knowing when to and when not to call. I'm convinced that a rusty nail and a tin can is equally effective as a competition caller when a willing bird is on the other end. Identifying the willing bird comes with experience.

Good woodsmanship kills a lot of turkeys. The most successful strategy is often being between where a turkey is and where he's going. This means doing your homework and scouting. Some guys say ambushing turkeys isnt real hunting. I say you've not lived until you've succesfully bellycrawled into a field after a turkey that wont respond to calling.

The other secret is this... You cant kill birds that arent there. Having turkeys in numbers is key to consistently successful hunting. It sounds like you've got this covered.

Accept now that a bird with a brain the size of a field pea is going to outsmart you pretty often. If turkey hunting was easy everybody would be doing it. Hunting side by side with someone is tough and with a child its even moreso. Buy some good blinds and place them strategically in places with high traffic before the season starts. If catching a bird off the roost doesnt work out(it normally doesnt) the blind is a good place to sit a bird out and allow kids to wiggle or move about.

I know a guy in FL who'd love to come up and chase Easterns with you(i.e. me...)



Good luck..