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

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 - For many hunters, the thrill of hunting is all about the chance to show off some of your kills. Some hunted animals lend themselves easily to being made into trophies, like deer and moose, but other animals are a little trickier. In fact, one of the hardest animals to figure out a way to display is a turkey. If you are a turkey hunter interested in making a trophy out of your latest kill, then caping might be for you. Caping is relatively easy to do and much less expensive than having a trophy mounted. In fact, unlike mounting a deer head, you can easily do the caping process yourself at home.

If you want to give caping your turkey a try, the first thing you need to do is completely skin the bird. To do this, grab the top of your turkey’s head and run a very sharp knife under the skin on the back of the neck, where the feathers on the back meet the turkey’s head. You can follow that incision down the back of the bird, all the way to tail feathers. The ideal strip you should be cutting off the back here is about two inches wide, but once you start cutting, you will see how the pattern of the feathers come together and a natural place to cut.

Once you reach the tail feathers, continue cutting the tail skin until you reach the end of that row and remove all of the feathers and skin you have carved – make sure you remove the tail skin completely.

From that swath you have removed from the bird, pick away at the flesh and fat that is attached to skin. This process may require the use of a smaller sharp knife and a spoon to scoop away large pieces. Make sure to remove as much flesh and fat as possible; if you leave these things on, you final product will not come out right, and it may have an unpleasant smell to it.

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Advice for the Newbie Spring Turkey Hunter

Are you a newbie spring turkey hunter getting ready for your first hunt? If so, here are some tips for getting started in this often-exciting activity. Spring turkey hunting is prime time for gobblers, and it is the time of year where many new hunters experience the first thrill of hunting. Here are some guidelines that can help get you started.

The Fine Art of Wild Turkey Scouting

One of the most difficult things about turkey hunting is just being able to locate the wild birds. Turkey scouting is something that takes practice. With time, an experienced hunter will be able to scout for wild turkeys in many different locations. What is the easiest way to get started in wild turkey scouting? First, begin by locating general areas where you think you suspect (or perhaps you have been told) wild turkeys reside. This is a wild turkey habitat, and you should begin by noting the general areas where wild turkeys keep their habitat. Using this as a starting point, you can begin to refine your search for wild turkey habitats. Narrow down a larger area to a more specific are. Then move to certain part of woods or a specific field. If you do not have the benefit of experience, there are certain resources you can always turn to find out where the biggest wild turkey populations reside. Consult with conservation officers, wildlife biologists, hunting club members and sporting goods dealers are good places to ask about local wild turkey populations and habitats. You may also want to check for state and federal lands, reservoir areas, wildlife management areas and military reservations. If possible, you may also want to consult with private landowners. Some landowners will actually grant hunters permission to hunt on their lands.

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