Some Spring Turkey Hunting Tips
Turkey season opens in New Hampshire on May 3rd and runs through May 31st. The hunting hours are a half an hour before sunrise until 12 Noon. The bag limit is one bearded or male turkey. Check the Fish & Game Department for all the complete rules.
Grafton County was, again, the top county last spring for taking turkey followed by Cheshire, Hillsboro, Sullivan and Merrimack. There were 2,593 gobblers taken last May which was a 16.4% increase over the previous spring. Here are a few tips that may help you in the field this spring.
Turkeys spread out into different areas in the spring. Don't expect the place you saw a huge flock of wintering birds to have those same birds now.
If you find where they’re roosting, fight the urge and don't try to get too close when setting up before daylight. There’s no hard and fast rule about the proper distance is but try and get within 100 - 150 yards if it's possible. You want to get as close as possible without scaring them off the roost. If you do, it could be a long morning.
When your shot comes, don’t shoot a strutting gobbler. Try and wait until the bird comes out of strut and extends his neck. If he doesn't do it by himself, give him a "cluck" or two and that is usually enough for him to come out of strut and raise his head to see who is there. The goal is to take the best shot possible and cleanly harvest the bird. A shotgun pattern is most efficient when
the bird extends its neck, enlarging the target area.
Spend much time hunting turkeys and it’s a sure bet you’ll have tom that "hangs up" on you. He’ll stop out of your range at 60 yards or more, but he’ll keep gobbling and refuse to come close enough for you to get a good shot. What are the reasons for not coming in? He could be behind
some obstacle like a fence or brook... he might be in his favorite strutting area or he has some hens with him. Or maybe you’ve just found a stubborn one and the more you call, the more he’ll just stay and wait for the "hen" he keeps hearing to come to him.
When he “hangs up”, try very soft "clucks" and "purrs" to entice him in a little closer. Another way is to lightly scratch the leaves with your hand, imitating the sounds of a turkey scratching the ground. If that doesn't work, stop calling and wait. Turkeys have their own sense of time and it's nothing for a gobbler to stand and strut for an hour or so in the same spot before finally giving into curiosity and coming the rest of the way in. In real estate, it’s Location, Location, Location. In turkey hunting it’s....Patience, Patience, Patience - The ability to sit still and wait out a gobbler can be the determining factor between filling a tag or going home empty-handed.
If the bird is still far enough away or hidden enough to allow you some limited movement, try switching calls. And, finally, the most risky option is to change your calling location either by moving back 50 yards or so and calling again there so the gobbler thinks the hen is going away, or
simply circling the gobbler and trying to call him in from a different direction.
If you have found a gobbler on a sidehill or part way up a ridge, try and get above them so you call from a position above or at least on the same level as the Tom. Turkeys are not as likely to come downhill to a call.
Much like deer hunting, when you can't stand sitting
anymore and you think it's time to get up and move to another spot, stay where you are for fifteen more minutes. Patience kills more gobblers than any other tactic.
If you see another hunter approaching you in the woods, never move or make turkey sounds. Simply call out "Hello" or "Hey there". The sound of a human voice safely alerts the hunter that someone else is in the area. You may spook a gobbler in the area by doing this... but it beats the alternative!
Instead of looking for gobblers when you are out scouting, find an area that has lots of hens and the gobblers won't be far away. It's like looking for the big buck during rut. Find the does and he'll be around. Look for areas that have good nesting habitat nearby and you'll usually find hens and the gobblers also.
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us
