HollyIt’s spring time so turkey season is opening up here in Tennessee. Hunters will be hitting the woods in pursuit of a nice long-beard gobbler with their shotguns or bows. Those who don’t hunt turkeys won’t understand the adrenalin and challenge of the chase. So, allow me to share a gobblin’ adventure.
The Gobblin’ Adventure begins…
Just before day break, you get to the woods and tuck in among the pines. When the sun begins to rise over the treetops, you hear a gobble in the distance as a turkey wakes up for the day. He flies down from his roosting spot to go search for his hens who usually roost a little ways away. If you’re lucky, you might hear multiple gobbles in many directions from other birds as well.
A hunter tries to learn where that bird is generally roosting so they can cut him off before he connects with his hens. Once they get with their hens, they become a little harder to call in. That’s when you switch tactics and work the boss hen. If you get her attention or even make her mad enough, she might come check you out. If she does, that male gobbler will follow.
Turkey Hunt Flashback
For example, back in spring of 2016 I harvested my first ever turkey. My brother and oldest niece went with my husband and I that morning. We found this gobbler in a field strutting in the midst of his hens. We got set up against the trees while my husband started calling. He used a few different sequences until he ended up making the boss hen mad.
After waiting for several moments, two of the lead hens came around the ridge in front of us. I suddenly heard leaves rustling over the ridge to my left then seen his fan peaking over it. My adrenaline shot up as I quickly adjusted my position before his head came into view. Once he lowered his fan, I aimed for the base of his neck and pulled the trigger.
When he dropped, my mouth dropped too from shock of what just happened. My husband hollered at me to get him as he runs and tackles the bird. I didn’t know at the time that they could still fly off somewhere after being shot. He was such a gorgeous bird with a red and white stripped neck and a bluish colored head. He had a 10 inch beard and 1 ½ inch spurs. God created wildlife to be beautiful in all aspects and every hunter should respect the game they are blessed to harvest.
Challenging yet Intoxicating
Turkey hunting is challenging yet intoxicating when you hear the gobbles echo through the woods. It’s a learning process in how to use the calls and finding out what sequences work. There’s many calls for different situations. The sounds you want to make with them are: clucks, purrs, yelps, and cuts. You can even get a call that makes the gobble sound to get the male really mad. There’s no perfect method and every bird you hunt responds to calls differently.
I’m no expert nor will I ever claim to be, though I still enjoy going. I’m always learning through experience on what works and what don’t. However, since the 2021 tornado hit our area, the turkeys seemed to have changed their routines completely. Turkeys might have a small brain physically, but they outsmart even the most experienced of hunters. Hunting them is an adventure like no other and I encourage anyone, especially the youth, to give it a try.
