North American Outdoorsman
    What's Hot

    Garmin’s New Lineup of Outdoor Navigation Devices

    March 15, 2023

    Lake Texoma: Queen of Inland Striper Fisheries

    March 6, 2023

    How to Pick a Fly Box

    March 3, 2023

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    North American OutdoorsmanNorth American Outdoorsman
    • Current Issue
    • Publications
      • North American Outdoorsman
      • North American Deer Hunter
      • North American Bowhunter
      • Crossbow Magazine
    • Authors
    • Partners
    • Newsletter
    Facebook Instagram YouTube
    SUBSCRIBE
    • Hunting
      • Whitetail
      • Bowhunting
      • Big Game
      • Stories
      • How to Hunt
    • Fishing
      • All Fishing
      • Fly Fishing
      • How to Fish
    • Gear
      • Gear Reviews
      • New Outdoor Gear
    • Field to Table
      • #eatwhatyoukill
      • Recipes
    • News
      • Conservation
      • Editorial
      • Press Releases
    • Book a Trip
      • Hunting Trips
      • Fishing Trips
    • Login
    North American Outdoorsman
    Home » All Articles » Some Tips And Tactics For Spring Turkey Season Preparation
    Hunting

    Some Tips And Tactics For Spring Turkey Season Preparation

    Ryan FairBy Ryan FairFebruary 6, 2022Updated:October 3, 20227 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Telegram Tumblr Email
    sunset
    Calling at sunset is the most effective way to roost birds the night before. (Photo credit: Matt Jennings)
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
    hunting
    Hopefully you can use something from this article to have a successful day afield. (Photo credit: Eli Gain)

    It’s the night before spring turkey season opens. The sun is just setting, and you’re sitting on the ridge of a field. You hit your owl call with a “who, who, whoooo.” You wait and listen.

    There it is—the gobbler you were hoping to hear! You hit the call again, hoping to pinpoint his location, and you glass the trees along a creek. There he is, roosted in a big oak tree. Now you’ve got him roosted for the night, and hopefully you’ll have a game plan for the morning.

    Here are a few things I like to do before season opens to be best be prepared for that opening morning gobbler, and a few tactics I like to use to bag him.

    The first thing I usually do around March is pull out my trusty Mossberg 500. I know there are guns made just for turkey, but this gun has never let me down. I change my choke tube out to a xx full choke. Then I like to pattern my gun to about 40 yards. I make sure my true glow gobble stopper red dot is hitting right where I want it to. I will shoot at 20 and 60 just to be safe, but 40 is about the farthest shot I like to take. As far as my gun setup goes, it’s a good gun at around $500 for a combo, and the red dot is around $70. The red dot has red or green optics and a dot or crosshair. It takes a beating all spring and still is accurate. If you are in the market, I would consider it.

    tru-glo
    The Tru Glo gobble stopper is a good red dot sight that won’t break the bank. (Photo credit: Kenny Davis)

    Practicing Calls

    hen-decoy
    A single hen decoy and light calling can do the trick to bring in that lovestruck tom. (Photo credit: Aj Ogden)

    Starting around February, I’ll get out my calls and start to practice. I will look up wild turkey sounds on YouTube and try to recreate them with my calls. They say, “Practice Makes Perfect.” I have several different box calls, slate calls, and mouth calls. The easiest for me to learn was the box call or a push-button call. My favorite calls are slate calls or mouth calls. I use the Woodhaven turkey Ninja mouth call the most. Though it took a lot of practice to learn, it’s worth it. I like the fact that I can call hands-free when I have a turkey in range. I use box calls a lot when trying to blind call, too. I like to use a Flextone Si Series Jacked Up Turkey Call, too.

    They are cheap and easy to learn. While on the topic of calls, it’s good to get a nice crow and owl locator call. They are perfect for roosting birds. At the end of March, I’ll get all my gear together. I make sure my camo is all ready to go. I use Scent Lok Savanna Aero in the bottomland pattern. I have found it to be the perfect camo to layer up or down, and you can’t beat the pattern in the spring. I also get my vest out and make sure it’s clean and get it organized for the upcoming season. I also get all my decoys out and dust them off. I touch up any paint spots that might need it and fix any brackets that might need repair. I use Flexatone turkey decoys, too. They are priced right and are good-quality decoys. I also have an old turkey fan that I put in my pack.

    There are a few different tactics I like to use when turkey hunting. I only have experience in Eastern, so that’s what my tactics are based on.

    Scentlok Savannah Aero
    Scentlok Savannah Aero is a highly effective camo pattern in the Turkey woods. (Photo credit: Brian Wensel)

    Roosting Ahead

    tom-decoy
    Using a tom decoy at the right time can be highly effective. (Photo credit: Brian Wensel)

    The first and favorite tactic is to roost the birds the night before. I take a good pair of binoculars and my owl call and head out to my favorite spots. I usually start near a water source. I like to get as high up as I can to be able to scan 360 degrees around me. I hunt a lot of ag land with pockets of timber intermixed. I will hit the owl call a few times if I don’t see anything, and then listen. Turkey shock gobble at loud noises like the owl call, and it’s like they can’t resist it. I will wait about 10 minutes, then hit the call again.

    If there is no response either time, I’ll move to my next spot. If I get a response, I’ll try to get close enough to see the birds without spooking them. Once roosted, I’ll start there first thing in the morning.

    The next spot I like to look for is preferred food source areas, and I know these locations from scouting. If I still can’t get eyes on a gobbler before sunset, I usually look over my trail camera data to help me pick a location for the morning. Trail camera data can be just as good as roosting a bird if you can pattern the flocks of hens.

    Mossberg
    Mossberg makes a wide variety of shotguns perfect for turkey hunting. (Photo credit: Hunter Bonner)

    For my setups, if I have a bird roosted the night before, I like to get in a few hours before light. I will place a bedded hen with a Tom over top of her. I place this close to cover so I can conceal myself, but also be in his line of sight. I will hit the owl call to make sure he’s still close about 45 minutes before sunrise. Sometimes this step isn’t needed. Once one turkey gobbles, every one of them who is close by will do the same thing. There’s nothing like having four different Toms all gobbling before the sun comes up!

    About 30 minutes before sunrise, just as light is coming up over horizon, I’ll start to let out a few hen yelps. I’ll continue this until the Tom pitches down. This is usually enough to get him to commit, and at first light, I’m ready. It doesn’t take long for them to pitch down after they can see. If he is close but won’t commit, I’ll fan him with my fan and hit a gobble call. This will usually seal the deal, but be ready, because they are fast.

    If I have no roosted birds the night before, I like to set up where I think they will want to be. I will place a few hens with a Tom close by and call and listen. I will also place a lone hen out if I know a Tom is somewhat close by. If I don’t have any luck within the first couple of hours, I’ll move. I use a crow call to try to get a shock gobble. Sometimes, the gobbles will be very vocal, especially early in the season. As the turkey are pressured, they will vocalize a lot less after they pitch down.

    turkeyMake Ready

    The key things to take away from this are to make sure your gun is on target and your gear is ready to go. Make sure your calling effort is top-notch by getting in plenty of practice. And make sure you do plenty of scouting.

    Once you find and locate the birds, and if you are prepared, your effort should be easy. I mean, a turkey’s brain is the size of a pea after all. I guess what I mean to convey is that, if it was only that easy!

    Best of luck this season.

    By Ryan Fair

    February 2022 turkey hunting
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleA Guide To Rediscovering Family Showshoeing
    Next Article Conservation Hunts For Spring Snow Geese
    Avatar photo
    Ryan Fair
    • Website

    My name is Ryan Fair I live in northwest ohio. I am married with 2 daughters who are my life. I am most passionate about chasing whitetails. If I’m not doing something whitetail related you can usually find me turkey hunting or on a boat somewhere with a rod in my hand. My main focus on writing is hunting whitetail and turkey. I also enjoy writing about gear reviews and fishing articles. In 2013 I helped start whitetail junkys with my good friend Dusty Kroft. We promote all things outdoors. You can find me at www.whitetailjunkys.com, on Facebook at whitetail junkys, or on my writing page droptine hollow outdoors.

    Related Posts

    For Goose Hunters, the Best Kind of Snowstorm

    February 19, 2023

    Getting Back to the Basics of Turkey Calling

    February 17, 2023

    A Family Affair: Women and Family Range Days

    February 16, 2023

    Snow Goose Hunting: Seeding Success

    February 13, 2023

    15 Best Late-Season Deer Food Plots

    February 13, 2023

    Revisiting the Use of Bismuth Shot Shells

    February 8, 2023
    Don't Miss
    Gear

    Garmin’s New Lineup of Outdoor Navigation Devices

    March 15, 2023By North American Outdoorsman Staff3 Mins Read

    Garmin announced the GPSMAP® 67 Series and the eTrex® SE – the latest additions to…

    Lake Texoma: Queen of Inland Striper Fisheries

    March 6, 2023

    How to Pick a Fly Box

    March 3, 2023

    Venison Tacos on a Pellet Grill

    February 21, 2023

    Subscribe to Updates

    Be the first to know about new issues, premium industry gear discounts, access to exclusive content, & more!

    Stay In Touch
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    about
    NAO is the window into the outside environment for readers pursuing their passions in hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing/kayaking, rock climbing, and all pursuits in the outdoors on the North American continent. We will present stories, tips and techniques to be a better outdoorsman, and be completely at home in the outdoor environment for a day, week, or a lifetime.
    Recent Articles
    • Garmin’s New Lineup of Outdoor Navigation Devices
    • Lake Texoma: Queen of Inland Striper Fisheries
    • How to Pick a Fly Box
    • Venison Tacos on a Pellet Grill
    • Armed and Responsible: Sweetheart Grips, Significant Others and Self-Defense
    Quick Links
    • Current Issue
    • Authors
    • Partners
    • Advertise With Us
    • About Us
    • Contacts
    Useful Tools
    • Join Our Newsletter
    • Save On Gear
    • Hunting Resources
    • Where to Hunt
    • Where to Shoot
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    © 2023 Outdoor Specialty Media. Designed by Crossroads Marketing.
    • North American Outdoorsman
    • North American Deer Hunter
    • North American Bowhunter
    • Crossbow Magazine

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.