Turkey Hunting Tips | Wild Turkey Hunting Strategies, Techniques & Guides

Turkey Hunting Tips - When you are hunting turkeys, being able to estimate the age of the bird you are is important. Hunters generally like to avoid killing hens (female turkeys) of any age, and when going after male turkeys, the fully mature turkey is considered to be fair game. Likewise, after a kill is made, most hunters would like some idea of the age of the turkey they have taken out. Of course, deciding that you want to know the age of a turkey and actually figuring it out are two different things. After all, turkeys don’t exactly carry ID. The good news is that there are away for you estimate the age of a bird, even from a distance. One of the best rules of thumb is checking out a turkey’s spurs. The spurs can give away the age of a turkey relatively easily, as long as you know what to look for.

Before you can start measuring up the spurs of a turkey, however, you need to know the right way to look at the spurs. Spur measurements can be taken by looking at the side view of the turkey. The outside edge of the spur is the guide for measurements – the spur runs from the outside edge up the back of the leg right until the actual leg scales start. Of course, taking this kind of measurement is easy after you have made the kill but a bit more difficult when you are trying to gauge the age of a turkey on the run. When trying to age a turkey while hunting, make sure you check it out from the side and do you best eyeball estimate.

But once you have a measurement of the spurs, what does it all mean? A general rule of thumb is that the spurs get longer as a turkey ages. The shortest spurs are on jakes – one year old turkeys. The spurs on a jake grow to a maximum length of 7/16” – and often can be quite a bit shorter. By the time a turkey gets to be two years old, their spurs usually range from ½” to 15/16”.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - If you would like to preserve your turkey kill as a trophy hunt, there are several steps you should take before and after the hunt in order to get the best results from your taxidermist. Here are the steps you should take to prepare your turkey kill for taxidermy.

Shop Around for the Best Taxidermist You Can Find

The first step to preserving your trophy hunt should take place weeks before the actual hunt. You want to begin by shopping for the best taxidermist you can find. Shop around your area for professional taxidermists. Get a feel for the quality of work that they do. Ask how much they charge. If you live in a smaller area, there may be fewer taxidermists to choose from. However, if you cannot find an adequate taxidermist in your local area, scout other taxidermists across the country. There are many fine taxidermists that you can find simply by asking other hunters or doing a bit of research. Taxidermy is one of those fields where you don’t want to skimp. Paying a little extra can often go a long way.

Considerations Before the Hunt – Things to Pack

There is a lot of prep work to be had previous to the hunt. There is a list of things that you should pack with you for the hunt. There are many things you should consider packing, which includes a large plastic bag, a cooler, paper towels, and cotton balls and used pantyhose. Some taxidermists recommend used panty hose so that it can be used to keep the birds feathers in place. To use panty hose, simply cut out a section from the thigh area and tie it up on one end. After shooting the bird, make sure to slip the bird carefully into the hose or bag headfirst. Using a plastic bag is another alternative.

Getting Your Kill to the Taxidermist in the Best Possible Condition

The secret to getting the best possible taxidermy mount is to keep the animal in good condition before getting it to the taxidermist. There are special considerations that you should take in order to ensure the best possible results at the taxidermist. A lot rides on how you shoot the wild turkey.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - Have you been waiting for the day of your big wild turkey hunting expedition, but wake up to pouring rain on the scheduled hunt day? What should you do if you find yourself in this precarious situation? Should you cancel your hunt date and reschedule, or should you brave the rainy weather and proceed? Here are some tips and guidelines for turkey hunting on those rainy wet days.

Don’t Cancel Your Hunting Date, Just Prepare for the Rain

Most determined hunters would not let the rain put a damper on events, especially if you are experiencing a light or passing rain. However, here are some tips for dealing with turkey hunting in case you should find yourself caught in the rain. First, you should move out towards the fields and open pastures. Old roadbeds and fields are ideal for rainy weather because turkeys tend to gravitate to open spaces when it is raining. This can be a boon to the dripping yet determined wild turkey hunter.

Switch Your Calls Accordingly

When it rains, you will want to adjust your turkey calls. The general rule of thumb here is to switch to friction calls rather than traditional mouth calls. This is because friction calls can be heard at a much greater distance than conventional mouth calls. Use carbon and acrylic strikers if you have them, as these can help greatly with friction calls when it is raining.

Protect Your Box Call in the Rain

If you know that you are heading out to questionable weather circumstances, carry with a use a plastic bread bag or something of the sort to cover your friction or box call. The box and frictional call will not sound effectively if it is not dry. Keep it dry inside a plastic bag.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - Many turkey hunters hunt eastern wild turkey, the turkey that inhabits the United States in the greatest of numbers. It is widely distributed across the United States and is one of several subspecies that cover the American continent. Roughly speaking, it inhabits the eastern half of the United States. The Puritans first described the turkey in 1817 and back then, named it the forest turkey.

Some of the birds of this subspecies of wild turkeys can grow very large. The male adult turkey, also called tom or gobbler, can grow up to 4 feet tall and weigh more than 20 pounds. It has a covert tail and the tips of the tail of the long feathers are tipped with chestnut brown color and a dark buff or chocolate brown. The breast feathers of the Eastern turkey are black, while other feathers on the rest of the body have an iridescent sheen. The iridescent sheen ranges in color from rich metallic copper to bronze.

The upper set of wing feathers has white and black bars all the way from the tip to the shaft. The lower set of feathers is predominantly white and is white edged and form a white triangular area when the wings are folded up. Male turkeys also have a fleshy flap close to their beaks called caruncles, which expands due to blood rushing into the flaps when the turkey is excited. Males also often display a beard and a spur as a difference to female turkeys.

Female birds can get almost as tall as the male turkey, but in general they are much lighter than the male turkey only around 7 to 12 pounds in weight. The female turkey is called hen. Even though coloration is similar, the colors are less bright in their iridescent sheen and many female turkeys are of browner color. Female breast feathers are rather brown instead of black tipped and the heads of female Eastern turkeys are covered in a certain amount of feathers, while males ones are not. Female turkeys also do not possess the caruncles around the beak.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - So you have just gotten off a successful turkey hunt. What do you do next? Field dressing is often the most important and crucial part of a turkey hunting expedition. Here are some general guidelines for skinning and cutting up your trophy turkey prize.

Removing the Feathers from Your Fowl

The first step to preparing your turkey kill is to remove its feathers. Maybe you think you can hand-pluck the feathers from your turkey kill. Although theoretically this is possible, keep in mind that most wild fowl carry around nearly 5,000 feathers on them. Hand-plucking fowl feathers are often simply not an option. One of the easiest ways of getting rid of wild fowl is to dip the bird in hot water. Some people swear that dipping the bird in water at a temperature of 140 degrees is the most efficient way to loosen all of its plumage for easy removal. However, any level of boiling water will tend to work well in removal of the feathers. Removing your fowl’s feathers by dipping the bird in hot water also prevents the plumage from drifting around the room. Set up a large washtub where you can work by dipping the dead bird into the water.

Steps for Skinning Your Turkey Kill

Here are some general guidelines to get you through the process of skinning your turkey kill. First, make sure to remove the tail fan or cape of the turkey if you plan on saving them. This should be the first removal. Then you can remove the beard before starting to clean your kill. However, if you are not planning on saving the bird’s cap or tail, you can begin by laying the turkey on its back.

Beginning the Process of Cutting Your Turkey

One of the easiest ways to begin to cut your turkey is by starting with the removal of the breast filets. You will want to pluck some feathers from the middle of the breast area. You can do this by making a small incision through the turkey’s skin. Then you can work your fingers underneath the skin. Make sure to pull the skin back from the breast and peel them back toward the sides of the turkey.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - The Rio Grande wild turkey once came very close to extinction, but thanks to several Federal programs that preserved the turkey, it is now thriving and is allowed to be hunted again. The Rio Grande turkey has certain preferences that make it an ideal bird for hunting if you live in one its habitats.

As the name might suggest, the Rio Grande wild turkey does call west Texas near the Rio Grande home, but its territory is much larger than that. George B. Sennett first identified the bird in 1879. Sennett described the turkey as being an “intermediary” between the Eastern wild turkey and wild turkey species more commonly found in western parts of the US. This intermediary tag stuck, helping to earn the turkey its scientific name, Meleagris Gallapavo Intermedia.

In Bennett’s days, the Rio Grande wild turkey roamed in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and even down into parts of northern Mexico. When Bennett first came across the turkey, it is estimated that its popular ran into the millions, but within a few decades, the bird on the verge of extinction. In the early 1930s, several Federal programs were put into place to help protect the Rio Grande turkey. The main procedure followed involved capturing the turkeys and moving them to protected areas where they could reproduce and thrive. Although the turkeys are not thought to have reached their previous numbers, they are believed to have rebounded considerably and are no longer protected. Texas is home to the largest population of Rio Grande turkeys. Thanks to the relocation programs followed during the protection period for the birds, you can find Rio Grande turkeys further a field than their natural habit, including in Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, California and Utah.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - When a hunter plans a hunting trip, he cannot just grab a shotgun or whatever other arms he owns and walk into the fields and bushes with his jeans, t-shirt and sunglasses. The reason this is not a very good choice in clothing for a hunter is that turkeys actually have very good eyesight. Therefore, to fool a turkey’s eye, much disguise is needed to succeed in shooting a bird.

Besides the fact that turkeys can see color, some studies have shown that a turkey seems to be able to perceive everything within its range of vision in an instant. Therefore camouflage is just as necessary as the skill of holding and sitting still.

Hunting gear and apparel is a big business—and for good reason. The appropriate dress when hunting can mean the difference between failure and success. Take a look and you will see what is available and recommended to wear when going for a turkey hunt. Start by discussing different boots options. It is important to say that generally, it is best if camouflage-colored boots are used instead of regular black or brown boots. If the hunter is able to pull the pant legs down or have other precautionary covers that will hide the boots well, he might be able to use a pair of the brown and black variety.

It is also important to note that turkey hunting season is in many states in spring and fall and temperatures, as well as rainfall, can vary greatly. In spring, for example, a hunter might need lighter boots. In the fall, closer to winter, an insulated pair of boots might be the best choice. There are also rubber boots available, which are preferred by some hunters that hunt in the more moist areas of the Deep South. If the budget is an issue, the midway, a lightly insulated boot, might be the way to go. Warm socks might be more economical for the wallet. Also keep in mind that the hunter might have to walk many miles in his boots to get to the hunting place and back and this is why comfort is one important factor. Also, if the hunt is in an area where there is a snake problem, snake safe boots or snake-proof protection around the lower legs is highly recommended.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - Are you interested in going turkey shooting with a bow and arrow? If so, here are some tips for getting you started. Turkey hunting with a bow and arrow is, after all, very different than shooting with a shotgun. Bow and arrow hunting requires many different considerations than conventional shotgun hunting. Here are some tips to get you started.

The Ultimate Challenge for Turkey Hunters

Why is bow and arrow turkey hunting experiencing such a renaissance with hunters? More and more hunters are reaching for the bow and arrow because this type of hunting is often one of the biggest challenges that you will experience. Turkey hunting tests your accuracy, patience, as well as your nerves. It is a challenging experience that requires a new mindset and set of skills. It is no wonder that so many turkey hunters turn to bow hunting when they are looking for a new challenge.

Remember that Bow Hunting is Different

One of the classic mistakes that many newcomers to bow hunting tend to make is that they forget it is much more different than conventional hunting, which relies on a firearm. If you can remember that bow hunting requires a new set of skills and attitude, you will fare much better than if you resist the differences between the two hunting styles. Be prepared to learn more about the animal’s anatomy and a whole different set of physical skills.

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Wild Turkey Hunting - Turkey, part of one of the biggest family dinner traditions in the United States, is a bird native to North America. But not everybody knows much more than how to carve and eat the turkey, let alone how or where to hunt it. To help those that aren’t aware about the facts, here is a gathering of information that might help anyone get up to speed on wild turkey facts.

Fully-grown wild turkeys have a small head, which is of red color and bears no feathers whatsoever. Long reddish-orange to grayish-blue legs, a dark brown to black colored, feathered body are common to most turkeys. Male birds additionally have a red throat. Most turkeys have caruncles on their heads and fleshy flaps close to the bill that expands when the turkey is excited. This happens due to blood flowing into the flap and expanding.

A turkey’s foot has four toes and in male birds, there is usually a spur found on the lower leg of the bird. Fully-grown wild turkeys are often called a tom or longbeard. Generally, turkeys have a dark colored, long and fan shaped tail. The color of the overall feather dress is of dark color. As with so many other birds in the wild, turkeys display big differences in their overall shape and color when it comes to sex. The male turkey is generally much bigger than the female turkey and his feathers also display great iridescence in such beautiful colors as copper, red, bronze, purple and green. Female feathers are overall more dull and in the range from brown to gray. Most male turkeys have white coloration on their wings, lower back or tail tips.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - There are numerous ways to pluck wild fowl, and nearly every experienced hunter has his or her own preferred method. One of the most popular methods of plucking wild fowl involves cleaning the wild turkey by plucking all the feathers off, and the gutting the bird afterwards. This method allows for the skin to remain on the turkey, which many preparers prefer because they say it gives the turkey more moisture and flavor when it is cooked. This method also allows you to save the giblets—the gizzard, heart and liver—of the bird and use these to make a traditional turkey graver after it has been cooked.

Why it is Preferable to Pluck the Turkey Before Removing the Entrails

The main reason why you want to remove the feathers from the turkey before removing the entrails is that it helps to keep the inside of the bird cavity clean. In general, the entire process is cleaner if you do it this way. However, if you are accustomed to field dressing your wild fowl kill, you should not worry about plucking the feathers. Instead, be certain to rinse out the bird cavity in order to remove any feathers that may have gotten inside during the plucking process.

Tips and Hints for Plucking Your Wild Fowl

Did you know that wild turkeys have over 5,000 feathers on them? In general, wild fowls are often prized for their plumage. One of the easiest and most treasured ways of plucking wild fowl is to dip the bird in hot water. There are many thoughts on the ideal temperature for using this method. Many people swear that dipping the bird in water at a temperature of exactly 140 degrees is the most efficacious way to remove its plumage. Others believe that any level of boiling water will work just as well. Whatever method you choose, it has been proven that the bird’s feathers will be removed much easier if you dip the bird in hot water. Wild fowl also becomes much easier to handle if the feathers are damp. Otherwise, plumage has been known to fly and drift around the room. The best method for dipping a bird in hot water is to use a large washtub where you can fit the entirety of the bird. There are certain areas of the bird where the plumage is more difficult to remove. The primary wing feathers, which are quite large, often pose a problem for people. Many people opt for removing the wing in order to avoid problems with those large feathers. You can remove the primary wing by moving it past the first joint at the shoulder.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - What is about the worst thing that can happen to you in the middle of a good hunt? No, it is not missing the shot and scaring your prey away. Instead, the worst thing that can happen is getting the perfect bead on the perfect animal, only to discover that you have left something crucial that you need at home. Of course, getting caught outside in a storm without any rain gear is not walk in the park, and you don’t want to be walking through heavily wooded areas without your snake proof boots. What is the best way to make sure you don’t get caught short as turkey hunting season roles around? Making a list, of course! A nice organized list of all of your turkey hunting needs will help you avoid hunting trip disaster.

One of the easiest ways to think about your turkey hunting needs and to make sure nothing is left off of your list is to group your needs into categories and go from there. Category one could be the proper clothes for turkey hunting. You need to make sure you have all of the proper camo gear ready to go, from camo shirts and pants to camo makeup/paint, facenets, hats, gloves, socks, jackets – whatever you need for your climate and your hunting ground. Add to your camo clothing lists other needs like rain gear for those spring showers that often pop up during turkey hunting season and boots that will keep your feet dry in the rain and safe from the snakes. Consider whether your hunting trips are one-day adventures or several day affairs and make sure you have enough clothing for your needs.

Next, check off all of the equipment you will need for successful hunting. Of course you will need your shotgun, but don’t forget turkey loads, shotgun slings, a flashlight, trail ribbons, knife/ratchet cutters, binoculars, a map, a compass, a cooler and a first aid kit. Some of the equipment you need may depend on what is legal in your area. For instance, you may want to have a turkey decoy or camo blind if they are allowed where you do your hunting. Some other things may be a matter of personal preference, like a cushioned stool to sit on (beats hours on the cold, hard ground) or patterning targets.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - Should hunters be required to take an education class as a requirement for getting a turkey-hunting license? This is controversy that continues to rage in many wild game hunting circles. Here are some guidelines for understanding the basic requirements that many states have put forth regarding hunter education classes and requirements for turkey hunting licenses.

Do Most States Have Hunter Education Classes as a Requirement for a Hunting License?

The short answer is ‘yes.’ Most states do require some sort of hunter education before an individual is granted a license. However, in most states these requirements are waived if the individual who is applying for the hunter license was born after a certain date or are already of a certain age. Most hunter education classes are only required for young hunters. Check with your local game, fish and wildlife management department to see what the hunter education requirements are in your state.

When Should You Take a Hunter Education Course?

What is the best time to take a hunter education course? Most hunters make the mistake of waiting until the hunting season is over to take a course. This will usually be too late. Most courses that are offered in the late summer and in the early fall are offered just in time for the start of the hunting season. Most of these classes are staffed by volunteer instructors and have a cap on the amount of people who can register. Thus, it is imperative that you register early if you are serious about taking a hunter education class, or if it required as a part of your hunting license permit. There are many types of hunting education classes, and the weekend courses tend to fill up fast, for obvious reasons.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - Many wild game hunters choose to preserve part of their trophy kill as a remembrance of the hunting expedition, and to have a sort of conversation piece. The turkey beard has become one of the favored parts of the turkey to salvage and preserve as a kind of conversation piece.

Why Do So Many Wild Game Hunters Preserve the Turkey Beard?

Just why do so many wild game hunters choose to preserve the turkey beard, of all things? The reason that the turkey beard has become such a popular part of the turkey to preserve is because it is probably the easiest part of the turkey to remove and save. Many experienced hunters have their own method for removing and preserving the turkey beard. In general, however, the easiest way to remove a turkey beard is to just cut it off, let it dry and then store it in a clean, cool box. The turkey beard only has a little flesh attached to the end of it, which means that there is little chance the beard will become infested with insects and destroyed. Although the process of removing and preserving a turkey beard is relatively easy and intuitive, there are many small steps that you can take in order to ensure that your beard is well preserved.

How to Remove the Beard Safely

Here are some tips and guidelines for easy and safe removal of the turkey beard. First, pull the beard away from the turkey’s body. Using a sharp knife or hunting scissors, pull the away as you carefully cut through the skin all around the beard. You want to separate the beard from the turkey’s body as cleanly as possible, and without taking as much skin as possible. Many people don’t bother with clean incisions. They simply get a firm hold on the beard at its base and give a hard jerk. Although this can certainly be an efficient way to remove the turkey beard, and it often works for very experienced hunters, your best bet is to remove the beard safely and cleaning using a knife or scissors.

What to Do Once You Have Removed the Turkey Beard

After you have removed the turkey beard, use your sharp knife to trim away as much of the flesh and skin as possible. You simply want to leave the cartilage that is holding the beard together. Any excess skin or flesh should be cleanly excised from the beard. Once you have this clean beard, prepare a small container with Borax. Place the flesh base of the beard into the small container and let it dry and preserve for at least a week. You can use many different types of Borax products. The easiest one to use is the 20 Mule Team Borax that you can purchase as a laundry additive at your local store.

The Next Step in Preserving Your Turkey Beard

After the week of Borax preservation has passed, you can remove the beard from the box. Make sure that it has dried thoroughly. Brush off the turkey beard and prepare it for display. There are many ways to display your turkey beard prominently. Use your imagination for creating a memorable and prominent display for your turkey beard. If you are creating a collection of turkey beards, consider purchasing or making a wooden beard rack that allows you to put on display all your turkey beards in an organized display case. Another easy way to display your turkey beard is to simply hang it as part of a mount of the wild turkey. Many hunters display their turkey beard along with the spurs and fan mount. Some hunters glue their turkey beards into decorative shotgun shells. There are many different ways to display your turkey beards. The only limit is your imagination.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - Turkey calls are often the wild game hunters best friend. However, improper care and maintenance of your turkey calls can lead to less than stellar performance out in the woods and fields. Here are some tricks and hints for taking care of your turkey calls and keeping them in shape for maximum effectiveness.

Slate Call Maintenance

Slate call boxes are some of the most popular kinds of calls. Slate calls are often also referred to as pot and peg calls. They are made of a variety of materials and come in a variety of different surfaces. Slate calls can be made of aluminum, slate, glass or other materials. However, no matter what kind of slate call you happen to own, there are many several general guidelines that you can use to keep your call boxes in optimal condition so that they will last you through several hunting seasons. In general, you want to make sure that you always keep oil off the striking surface. Watch out for fingerprints from excessive finger handling and field dust. You can keep your slate call box as clean as possible by storing your call box in a specially designed storage pouch, plastic bag or holster when it is not in use. Make sure to store your slate call in a dry, cool place when it is not in use. This will help to prevent warping of the wooden chambers in the call box. You may also want to keep the surfaces of your call box sanded. You should make certain to only sand in one direction. Do not sand back and forth, nor should you sand in a circular motion. When you sand in one direction only, you are ensuring that you are creating that special ’sweet spot’ on your slate call box. What kind of sandpaper should you use? Light steel wool or a sanding stone can be used. However, you should ideally opt for light grit sandpaper for true slate call boxes. For other surfaces, opt for heavier grit sandpaper. This is a general rule of thumb. Also, you may want to use an emery board on a semi-regular basis to clean the slate call box of dirt and oil. You will want to try to sand the striker tips in one general direction as well.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - There are many things to consider after a successful turkey kill. Many hunters choose wild turkey hunting for a variety of reasons. After a successful turkey hunt, you will be faced with a variety of choices. If you are interested in preserving the turkey kill, should you choose a professional taxidermist? Or should you proceed with dressing in the field?

Taxidermist or Dressing in the Field – Making the Right Decision

The decision between using a taxidermist or dressing your kill in the field depends on what your final goal is. If your final goal is to mount your wild turkey kill, you should not dress your own kill in the field. However, if your goal is not to mount the wild turkey kill, then you should go ahead and dress your kill in the field, especially if the day is not especially cool and you are far from home.

What to Do If You Would Like to Mount Your Wild Turkey Kill

What if you are planning to mount your own wild turkey kill? If this is your final goal, begin by shopping around for professional taxidermists? Visit all the local professional taxidermists in your area in order to get a feel for their work and prices. Check on their work and prices. Play it safe—never choose a taxidermist that appears to do work at a discount price or whom you suspect may produce uneven or even shoddy work. There are many fine taxidermists across the country, so it may take a bit of travel if you do not have a good taxidermist in your immediate area. Do not attempt to mount your own wild turkey if you have no experience in taxidermy. Taxidermy relies on the experience of the taxidermist you are working with, so make sure you find someone you can trust to mount your hunting trophy prize.

What You Should Do After the Kill

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Hunting season for turkeys is generally in early spring or late fall. Both seasons can be very cold and wet. This makes the proper gear to stay warm a necessity. Just checking the weather channel might not be the way to go, since weather is fairly unpredictable. Going out with too little gear to stay warm can ruin the whole hunting trip. The warmer a hunter is during his hunt, the more comfortable he will be and the longer he can patently wait.

Advice from many experienced hunters is to have layers of clothing. Each layer is another layer of insulation and just with a house, or any other insulated object, the more layers the better. Also, layers can be taken off if necessary. If the day started out very cold, but the spring or fall sun heats the day much more than expected, the hunter can always take off one of those layers. Some hunters like to wear one-piece suits, thick and warm like a snowsuit, but that can sometimes actually be a bad decision. While the day gets warmer, the hunter will not be able to take any clothing items off. There is only the one piece and maybe a thin layer of undergarment underneath. When buying those clothing items, the hunter should not look at the price tag, but rather feel them for quality. Try them on for comfort and if it feels right, then perhaps look at the price tag to see if you can afford the item.

One of the first things that will ruin a hunt is cold or wet feet. Therefore, the proper pair of boots is essential. For many hunters that are walking miles to get to their hunting spot, the comfort is essential for long walks. Many hunters will use boots that are appropriate for the weather they are going to be in and sometimes add insulation by adding a few pairs of socks. Should the hunter be trying to hang out in the very cold, a good suggestion might be a boot blanket. These boot blankets are like big socks that are wrapped around the outside of the boot. The hunter then can add some sort of warming blanket or warming device into the blanket close to his toes and the feet will feel toasty for a good amount of hunting time.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - Take a look at your turkey’s beard. If you are looking for an easy way to age your turkey kill, the beard is a good place to examine. Turkey beards grow at an average rate of four to five inches a year, so this can be a good factor to study if you are interested in dating your turkey’s age. Also helpful is the fact that a turkey’s beard never stops growing. Turkey beards also grow thicker and wider as a gobbler ages, which can also be helpful in giving an age to your turkey kill. There are certain factors that you can take in order to determine the turkey kill’s age by observing its beard growth. One general rule of thumb is that a turkey with a beard of less than five inches of growth is approximately one year old.

More Guidelines for Determining Age through Beard Growth

There are certain guidelines that you can use to determine your turkey kill’s age according to beard growth. Although this is a readily acknowledged way to date the typical turkey kill, there are many important factors to keep in mind. For instance, some mature birds can lose most or all of their beards for many reasons, so sometimes it can be tricky to date your turkey kill. Here are some tips for examining the turkey’s beard for age.

Consider the Turkey’s Natural Habitat

When using the turkey kill’s beard for aging purposes, consider the turkey’s natural habitat. There are some areas that have softer ground than others. This can often cause less beard tip wear. In some places, where the turkey lives in an area with hard ground, their beard may appear shorter because of environmental wear. Keep this in mind when using the beard in order to age the turkey kill. Another thing to consider is leg length. Some birds have longer leg lengths than others. Those with longer leg lengths will typically experience less wear of the beard. Another thing to keep in mind is the type of climate that you are hunting in. For instance, Northern birds will tend to lose the tips of their beards if ice builds on them. You should not automatically assume that your turkey kill is young because of a short beard.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - Most people do not know that game recovery is one of the most important parts of the hunting trip. It is the crucial in first seconds after the shot. The hunter will have to find the turkey and it is a very serious part of the whole hunting experience.

It is very important that right after the shot of a gun, or the release of an arrow, the hunter looks exactly at what happens. It is important to see if the turkey is down or if it is running. Should the turkey be running, it is important to see in which direction the turkey ran and what the bird looked like. Even better is if the hunter was able to see where he hit the turkey. Then he is more likely to know what is going to happen next. If a perfect shot into the head or the neck of a turkey was achieved with the gun, then the hunter knows that the bird will most likely die instantly. On the other hand, if the turkey was hit somewhere in the rest of the body, it is most likely only wounded and will be on a wild run after the shot. Depending on where the hunter shot the animal, he might also have a small blood trail that he can follow.

After seeing where the turkey was hit, or even if the hunter did not exactly see where the turkey was hit, it is important to follow the bird’s direction of run with the eyes. It is of utmost importance to follow the bird with the eyes until it is completely out of sight, to be able to determine where to find the bird. Should the hunter carry binoculars, this is the time to use them to see exactly where the gobbler is headed.

Additionally, as just mentioned above, it is important to remember what the bird looked like, since the hunter wants to make sure that the gobbler he is about to tag is his and not anybody else’s.

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Turkey Hunting Tips - Whether a first time hunter or an experienced one, there are many basic rules that a hunter should know and keep in mind whenever he goes hunting. For many, turkey hunting is a fun sport and a very exciting activity to undertake. Many states allow turkey hunting and even have a season in spring and fall. Most turkeys however are hunted in the spring season, when hunters are also out for other game. During spring, due to mating season, only male and young male turkeys are allowed to be harvested, while in some places in fall, male and female birds can be harvested.

In general, it is fairly easy to tell males and females apart from each other. The overall color of a male turkey is much darker than the ones of a female turkey. Additionally male turkeys are generally bigger than female ones. But one of the most visible difference is the so-called beard. It is a feather formation growing on the chest of male birds and can grow on average 9 inches long for a fully-grown bird.

For hunters, the sizes of the bird as well as the lengths of the beard, are measures for the trophy status of the bird. This is somewhat similar to the size of a fish that everybody talks about when fishing, no legal rules are bound to this.

Rules pertaining to hunting include the months, the time of the day and the areas hunters are allowed to hunt are different from state to state. It is helpful to make calls and exactly find out what the rules are at the location chosen for the hunting adventure. It is also necessary to find out what the so-called bagging limit for a particular game is at the place chosen to hunt. For many states, that is one or two turkeys per season, but for some it is that amount per day.

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