The Evolution Of Turkey Decoys

© By Othmar Vohringer

When I started turkey hunting some 20 years ago, we had few decoy options available to use that were easy portable and realistic. Today turkey decoys are offered in a vast variety of materials and configurations to suit any hunters need and wants. Some of the decoy models are so lifelike your heart would skip a beat each time you look at it in the field. The available decoys range from the regular resting hen, attentive hen and Jake we had back then to a large variety of decoys depicting every imaginable situation, including decoys with adjustable heads to mimic just about every position a real bird could take. While the first decoys where painted in simple colors that resembled somewhat the real colors we now have decoys that are, right down to every feather, realistically painted with iridescent paint. You even can purchase decoys that are colored to mimic a specific sub-species of turkeys.

My choice of turkey decoys have to be easy to transport, meaning, they are collapsible and be stuffed into a pocket of my turkey hunting vest without taking up much space. I also look for quality materials that are not likely to crack, like some of the older models did, or had paint jobs that easily chipped off.

Here are some of the current decoys on the market that hunters can use to fool gobblers and fit my criteria of a quality decoy.

Avian-X

The Lifelike Collapsible Decoy (LCD) line of turkey decoys with incredible natural feather detailing and many true-to –life body postures it hard to tell the decoy from the real birds.

Crafted from Dura-Rubber the decoy folds tightly and springs back to its original form. A unique stake design that is 24-inch high assures that the decoy stands higher and better visible to approach birds while at the same time allows for natural decoy movement without the unnatural spinning in the wind common some other decoy models. Avian-X decoys sell at over 100 Dollars which makes them a little pricy but in my opinion are worth every bit of the price for the avid turkey hunter.

For more information visit Avian-X Turkey Decoys.

Montana Decoys

Montana Decoys have been a favorite of mine for many. I started with their photo-realistic deer decoys and then began to use their turkey decoys too. What I particularly like about the Montana decoys that they are photos of actual animals, in this case turkeys, which are printed life-size onto a lightweight fabric. The spring wire frame lets you fold the decoy to such a small size that it will fit into a small pocket on your parka or pants. To give the decoy more realism Montana Decoys added feather cut fabric to the decoy that provides just the right amount of movement and 3-D realism.

The Montana Miss Purr-Fect™ 3-D Hen Decoy features PERFECT POSE TECHNOLOGY™ so you can match the pose of the decoy to the situation. Choosing one of two leg pole slots will change the position of the hen decoy to a feeding pose or looker pose. The head position of the turkey decoy can also be fine-tuned as its wire construction allows hunters to change the heads pose. I like to use these decoys by themselves or in conjunctions with other decoys to set up a flock of decoys.
With a suggested price tag of just under 50 Dollars every hunter can afford to purchase several decoys without breaking the bank.

To see the variety of turkey decoys Montana Decoys has on offer visit their website.

Flambeau Decoys

One of the first folding turkey decoy set I purchased was the Flambeau Master Series™ Breeding Flock™ set and I still use these decoys to this day in my decoy arsenal. The Master Series set includes an intruder Jake, attentive hen and feeding hen. With these three decoys you can create a decoy spread that is not likely ignored by approach toms. If you use the feeding hen and the Jake decoy you can perfectly mimic a breeding scene that will get every boss gobbler fired up with rage and anger.

The body shell of the decoy is made of soft rubber foam that won’t crack or tear even after years of relentless use. The decoy heads are crafted with molds form real turkeys for realistic impact. A unique stake system will make sure that these extremely lightweight decoys don’t move too much, or spin, even in high winds. At a suggested retail price for just under 100 Dollars for the set this is a very affordable starting kit for the beginning turkey hunter.

For more information on Flambeau decoys and other turkey hunting products visit their website.

Turkey Decoy Tip:
Most turkey decoys come with plastic stakes that can be difficult, or even break, when you try to push them into compacted or rocky soil. Many decoy manufacturers offer metal stakes for their decoys and it is well worth the extra cost. If you have basic welding skills, or know someone that can weld, you can make decoy stakes from metal rods very easily yourself at a fraction of the cost.

The Best Turkey Hunting Setup For Bowhunters

© Othmar Vohringer

The biggest problem bowhunters face is drawing and shooting the bow without the approaching gobbler detecting the movement. One of the solutions to this dilemma is to use a ground blind. However, if you’re like me you too are not too keen on the time and effort it takes to set up a blind. The drawback with ground blinds is that the hunter is tied down to one spot. Mobility and unobstructed field of view is another reason why I prefer to use natural available cover such as brush and trees to hide behind. One of the best turkey bowhunting setups I found is, what I call, the triangle formation.

Here’s how it works.

In order to make this set up work you need to determine where the roosting tree is, use a locater call right at dawn and listen from what direction the gobbler answers. Find a wide tree trunk, bush or small extension of dense vegetation into an open field that provides you with good natural cover. You do all these things preferably the day before the hunt or by roosting the birds (observing where they go to roost) in the evening before the hunt.

On the day of the hunt, before dawn, stake out a hen decoy about 100 yards from the roosting tree and 20 yards to the side and ahead of you. On what side of you the decoy will be staked out is determined by the direction from which the tom approaches (See the graphic of the setup bellow). When the tom approaches his attention will directed to the decoy as he passes by you. This lets you draw and shoot the bow without being detected. As you can see from the graphic, the location of the decoy, the route the tom comes in and your shooting lane form a triangle, hence me naming this setup for lack of a better word “triangle formation”.

How to hunt the set up.

Right at dawn when the toms fly down start with soft yelps, clucks and purrs to get him interested. Don’t over call, call just enough to keep the gobblers attention. When the tom comes in and sees the decoy quit calling, pick the bow up and get ready to draw the string. If you keep calling the tom will pinpoint your position in heartbeat, and you do not want that to happen.

If the tom loses interest and walks away call him back with clucks and purrs, depending on the situation peak his attention with a short series of exited yelps to turn him around.

If the gobbler has committed and heads straight for the decoy he will walk right past your set up. As soon the head of the gobbler is obstructed by the tree trunk, bush or other cover you sit behind, draw your bow. Alternatively you can wait for the tom to spin around to face the decoy while the fan will obstruct his view behind him. This is another good reason why bowhunters should set out the decoy in such a way that it faces them directly. Toms that approach a decoy almost always will face it head on.

Turkey Hunting News

Alabama Launches Comprehensive Study as Turkey Population Declines.

Alabama's wild turkey population is in steady decline since 2010. Earlier this month the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division (WFF) announced that it will be launching the most comprehensive long-term wild turkey study in the state’s history, alongside Auburn University. The five-year project is aimed at analyzing the reproduction, survival, and harvest rates of the species in Alabama, which is seeing a significant decline of wild turkeys over the past five years.

Read more about it here here.

Lymphoproliferative disease virus causing tumors on turkey are now in 17 U.S. Sates

A potentially deadly virus once only found in European domestic turkeys has found its way to North America, and according to a recent study by researchers at the University of Georgia, is much more widespread than previously thought.

Scientists with the Southeast Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study said that wild turkeys in 17 states from Maine to Colorado have tested positive for lymphoproliferative disease virus (LPDV), which can cause tumors and wart-like growths on the heard and neck area. However, researchers also stated that they had determined the virus was much less dangerous than it was originally believed to be.

Read more about it here.

Best Public Land Places for Southern Turkey Hunting.

Hunting turkeys on public land can be very though, not only have you to deal with great numbers of other hunters but also hunter educated birds.
The list in this link will provide you with information about the best public land places to hunt turkeys in the southern part of the USA.

Read more about it here.

News items have been provided by Outdoor Hub

A Voice For Canada’s Wild Turkey

© Othmar Vohringer

(Originally published in the Merritt Herald)

It is no secret that organizations like Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wild Sheep Society of British Columbia and a long list of similar organizations right down to the many local Fish & Game Clubs across Canada pour millions of dollars and countless volunteer hours into wildlife conservation. Some of these organizations concentrate on a single species and its conservation needs. One of these is the Canadian Wild Turkey Federation; it is the new kid on the block of Canadian operated wildlife conservation organizations and was founded, like most, by concerned hunters.

Until last year the conservation efforts for the growing Canadian wild turkey population has been represented by the American based NWTF (National Wild Turkey Federation). When the NWTF closed its Canada branch in the spring of 2014 to concentrate on turkey conservation issues occurring in the U.S. the vacancy was taken up by the founding of the Canadian Wild Turkey Federation (CWTF). This new, not-for-profit organization’s mission statement is to promote the establishment, restoration, preservation and sustainable management of wild turkeys and their habitats across Canada. As well, to develop conservation and research programs and engage in projects to preserve and enhance wild turkey hunting practices, traditions and heritage. It is also to focused on working with governments, other organizations and stakeholders to develop programs and engage in projects to protect wild turkeys and their habitat though education and youth conservation programs. The CWTF, with head office in Ontario, has many chapters across Canada and is hoping to set chapters up in British Columbia too. CWTF chapters are concerned with fundraising events, public education and other programs to aid the conservation needs and CWTF mission on a provincial level.

Canada has a thriving turkey population with the main population residing in the province of Ontario, however, here in British Columbia turkey populations also exist. The presence of these birds has been ongoing for probably a century or more; turkeys have been migrating from the south and entering Canada in a fairly recent natural expansion of their range.
Unlike in other provinces, British Columbia has yet to establish a conservation program for wild turkeys and in fact, regards the birds as an alien species. Yet, there are records going back to 1910 of wild turkey sightings in BC. Other records state that in the 1960’s flocks of turkeys migrating from America established themselves in the East Kootenay range.

When I emigrated from Switzerland to America and encountered wild turkeys I was instantly mesmerized by these fascinating animals and joined the National Wild Turkey Federation in an attempt to learn more about this remarkable bird and do my bit to aid in their conservation. Turkeys soon became my favourite bird species to hunt and to study. When news broke last year that a group of Canadian hunters founded the Canadian Wild Turkey Federation I signed up as a member of the new organization here in my own home country. It is my hope that in the near future the CWTF can set up several chapters in BC. Education is important since there are still many misconceptions about wild turkeys. Two of the most persistent myths are that wild turkeys have a devastating effect on agriculture and to other upland birds, such as the Ruffed Grouse and Pheasants. However, locally based studies conducted in the mid 1990 have addressed these issues with the conclusion being that turkeys do not inflict more damage on agriculture than any other wildlife and they do not cause any threatening effect on other upland bird populations.

The Canadian Wild Turkey Federation hopes to work closely together with provincial and federal governments to ensure a secure and prosperous future for the Canadian wild turkey. To achieve this goal the CWTF relies on memberships and support from the conservation and hunting community. To learn more about the CWTF and how you can help visit their website www.cwtf.ca

Revisiting Turkey Shotgun Choke Tubes

© By Othmar Vohringer

It is around this time of year when I get a fair amount of queries about recommending a choke tube for a turkey shotgun, or emails that go something like this. “I purchased an extra full turkey choke tube but my shot pattern is all over the place.” It never fails, every year some hunters buy a chock tube labelled “turkey special” or “super full” and think they have the magic solution for a tight shot pattern. Little do these folks know that they have fallen victim to hype and are handicapped before they head to the turkey woods.

In the past I’ve written on these pages about the proper chock tube choice for a turkey shotgun. I also have written a feature length article in one of Canada’s leading hunting magazines about detailing a turkey shotgun.

With that said, for all you that haven’t read the previous articles on the subject let me rehash the important steps in finding the perfect marriage between chock tube and gun load that will yield the consistent pattern needed to make a clean kill shot on any turkey from point blank out to 30 yards and beyond.

With everything being equal the choice of the perfect choke tube is one of the most important decisions you can have to make in order to achieve a reliable pattern. The process of choosing a choke tube begins long before the turkey hunting season begins. It begins with choosing the brand of ammunition you want to shoot. Purchase several boxes of loads with shot sizes considered effective for turkey hunting (No 4, 5, and 6), and of each pellet size get boxes containing 3 inch shells and 3.5 inch shells (provided you gun is chambered to hold 3.5 inch shells).

Try a few shoots of each load combination at distances between 15 to 35 yards with one choke tube. I usually start with a moderate choke tube and then move up to a full choke. If I do not get the desired result. Only if none of the regular available choke tubes performs to my satisfaction do I move on to  specialty turkey type choke tubes. The performance of the load-choke combination also depends on the length of the shotgun barrel. For example my Mossberg 535 has a 28 inch barrel and performs perfectly with a regular full choke and Federal Premium Mag-Shok High Velocity, whereas my Mossberg 535 Turkey Special with a 22 inch barrel requires an extra full turkey choke tube with the same ammunition to give me the same performance as the Mossberg with the longer barrel .

The bottom line is this. To achieve the best pattern for your gun-load-choke combination you must experiment until you get a satisfactory result. To kill a turkey instantly you need at least 6 pellets in  the vital area (brain and spinal cord) of the bird. The general rule of thumb is 100 pellets in a ten inch circle. However rather than relying to the 100 in ten rule I prefer to shoot at life-sized turkey targets with the vial zone highlighted and then just count the pellets that hit the kill zone.

When you pattern the shotgun you also want to pay close attention to pattern holes. My preference for a tight pattern has less than 3 inch holes, any larger and you may miss the vital area of a turkey completely. If you encounter one load with large holes in the pattern despite changing choke tubes move on the next lower pellet size, smaller pellets often provide a more even spread that larger pellets.

Don’t ignore the choke tube at the business end of your shotgun barrel this season as it can spell the difference of holding a turkey in your hand or seeing it running from you.

To find out how to create the ultimate turkey shotgun read my article “Detailing Your Turkey Shotgun”.

Hunting Turkeys In High Elevations

© By Othmar Vohringer

Hunting alpine turkeys is different from hunting lowland turkeys. The first thing you will notice in the alpines is that birds are much more scattered throughout the landscape than you would encounter in the lowlands. Flocks of alpine turkeys are much smaller too. While it is common in some lowland areas to encounter turkey flocks of up to 60 birds their alpine cousins prefer to live in small flocks that number seldom more than ten.

High-country turkeys can be amazingly adaptable. There are records of turkey sightings as high up as10,000 ft. above sea level traversing steep mountain slopes and traveling many miles between feeding and roosting sites. If you ever feel the urge to pursue Merriam’s wild turkeys in the alpines here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Funnels:
In the mountains turkeys use canyons, saddles, gentle slopes and other features in the terrain that permit them relative ease of travel. Key in on these features and look there for turkey sign.

On the sunny side:
In the spring nights still can be frosty and days are cool. High-country turkeys don’t like frost and cold, therefore they prefer to travel on the sunlit side of a canyon and that is the side you want to set up when calling. In the morning the sunny side of the canyons and other depressions are on the northern side.

Be mindful of the wind:
In the mountains it is almost always windy. In the morning the winds are uphill as cold air rises and in the afternoon, as the air cools off the winds blow downhill. Keep the prevailing winds in mind when you call or use locater calls. Turkeys will hear your calls much better if you call with the prevailing wind then against it.

Use optics:
In the wide open country of the alpines and mountains you can save a lot of walking time with a set of quality binoculars or spotting scopes. I like to get high up in the morning and glass the landscape below me for traveling turkeys.

Call the tom uphill:
In my experience and from what I heard from other mountain turkey hunters, it seems that toms are much more responsive to calls if they can approach uphill, rather than having to come downhill to the calls. Of course there are exceptions to this, but still many hunters seem to have better luck coaxing a bird uphill than downhill, something to keep in mind when you set up on a gobbler.

Get a rest:
In the alpines and mountains is not always possible to rest your gun on your knees to steady the gun for a good killing shot. A gun rest comes in very heady in these situations. I use wooden cross-sticks that I made myself, they also serve as a very sturdy hiking stick in steep country.

Preparing For Opening Day

© By Othmar Vohringer

As turkey hunting season approaches avid turkey hunters are raring to get out in the woods. The following these tips will help you to get the season off on the right foot.

Shoot Straight:

It’s always a good idea to spend time shooting your shotgun at the range before the hunting season opens to stay in good shooting shape. If you purchased a new gun make sure you spend the appropriate amount on the shooting range to pattern the gun, you don’t want to do that a day before the season opens. Here is one of my articles on how to properly detail a turkey shotgun.

Calling:

Calling turkeys is like speaking a different language. If you do not know what to say and when to say it nobody will understand you. It is no different when you call to turkeys. Every sound these birds make has some kind of meaning. To understand what turkeys talk about it is imperative to learn their language and learn how to replicate the sounds on the call of your choice. If you are a beginning turkey caller listen to natural sounds of the birds and then try to produce them on your call. When I started turkey hunting I spent hours and days sitting near filed edges listening to turkeys communicating and deciphering the meaning of the sounds. You will notice that turkeys not only have special “words” they use but also change cadence and rhythm of the calls. Practice your calling cadences and rhythms until you sound like a real turkey and not just almost like one.

Scouting:

The most important aspect of hunting success is scouting. Let’s face it you can be the best shot and the best caller in the world, but it all will be for nothing if you do not know the birds daily routine, where their roosting trees, strutting zones and feeding areas are. For me scouting begins at least a month before the season opens. I walk the woods and fields looking for turkey sign and from a distance observe the bids daily routines. Come opening day of the season I know where the birds roost, what route they take from the roost to the feeding area in the morning and the route back to the roosting three in the afternoon.

Check your Gear:

A few days before the hunting season check all the gear you intend using and getting it ready. The morning of opening season is a bad time to look for your decoys or your lucky hunting hat. The day before the hunt my turkey hunting vest is loaded with all the gear I need, the gun, ammunition, camouflage clothing and boots are ready too right next to the vest.
Here is a pack list of things I use on any given turkey hunt.

Keep these tips in mind and you should be well on your way to fill your turkey tag this coming season.