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.