Early hunters more likely to get their birds
They say the early bird catches the worm, which has a ring of truth. However, to be a spring gobbler hunter, you need to be even earlier than that bird.
I've found that if you are hunting a particular gobbler, you need to be in a position near him before he wakes up and leaves the roosting tree.
When turkeys settle in for the night, they generally like to find a high roost and they can fly very well. A few days ago, two hens visited our yard and wandered around the flower beds and the edge of the woods.
My wife was in spring-cleaning mode and was eager to get outside when I told her to sit tight and wait for those two birds to wander away.
My greatest fear is to have a turkey flush wildly into our large windows and cause serious damage to themselves and our homeowner's policy.
The only saving grace is that my agent, Chuck Eshenbaugh, is a big outdoors enthusiast and likely would understand. Deer collisions, mice eating wires and squirrels in the attic don't faze him at all.
Well, Renee went out and was working on a flower planter when she and the two hen turkeys walked into each other. All I heard was "Whoa!" and the crazy flushing of wings beating and cackles as the turkeys flew over the neighbor's house. All Renee had to say was that those girls really can fly!
Over the years, I've found that if you study animals, you can learn a great deal of what to expect from them. It's also the case that you learn to expect the unexpected.
I've found that you need to be in the turkey woods well before the songbirds start their morning concert. If you hear the first tweets of the day, you are late and likely won't have the element of surprise with the gobblers.
You do have a few advantages, though, and can make them work for you. You have the advantage of technology with camouflage clothing, specialty shotguns and ammunition geared for turkey hunting, as well as assorted calls and the knowledge of turkey behavior to be the super predator.
Then why is it so hard for so many hunters to get their turkeys?
I believe it's due to the failure of many hunters to think like a turkey. Gobblers need hens, water and strutting areas. They don't give much of a hoot for food when chasing hens and they would love to gobble, show off and fight with other gobblers if given the chance.
Unless, of course, you are the gobbler that received a flogging. In that case, you likely will l low and keep to the outer fringes of the flock of hens in the area.
Good hunters know that there are only a few things that will get your superbird away from the hens. He must be fending off a challenger, he must be looking for more hens or he is not connected with the hens and is seeking to join them after the morning roost flydown.
That's why it's so important to be in the woods before the first bird sings and to have a basic pattern for how the flock operates.
Many turkeys are out there but few are picked to be the mating birds. That leaves a big selection of bachelor birds that are seeking companionship, which is the Plan B of turkey hunters.
Many harvested turkeys are the fringe birds that are waiting for their chance to pick up stray hens and challenge the dominant bird. That usually leads to their demise, as savvy hunters use this weakness to their advantage.
I recently observed four long beards and 12 jakes following a flock of hens. In the ensuing weeks, the jakes and two of the long beards became fringe birds run off by the two dominant gobblers. The last time that I saw the group I was able to witness the twin trophy gobblers in a full fan display and a chest-to-chest standoff to determine the king of the glade.
Jay E. Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.
