Michael Waddell's Bone Collector

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Turkey Hunting | Challenges and Techniques for Hunting Call-Shy Gobblers

The Best Turkey Hunting Calls and Tips Throughout the Season

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Whether you primarily hunt heavily pressured public lands or you’re doing some late season turkey hunting, you’ve no doubt encountered a few call-shy gobblers at some point. Sometimes they don’t respond to calling at all, and sometimes they just hang up outside of gun or bow range. It’s unbelievably frustrating to see them strutting in circles and not be able to take a shot at them. But you’re bound to run into the situation eventually. Why is hunting call-shy turkeys so difficult?

Lone Star Thunder Chickens | Bone Collector Season 4, Episode 18

(Video) – Michael is invited to hunt both Texas and Louisiana for springtime turkey hunting. Michael and Mason Waddell are hunting some hard headed, stubborn birds, it takes a lot to be successful in these situations.

As we mentioned, wild turkeys get pretty wary towards the end of the season. After they’ve been called to and shot at by hunters in every field opening, woodlot, and food plot, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they would get a little tight-beaked and distrustful. But there are other natural reasons why gobblers get call-shy throughout the spring months. It could be that a subordinate bird had his feathery butt handed to him by a mature tom a couple times, and he’s nervous for another confrontation. Or perhaps the peak breeding period is over, which means there’s no urgent reason to respond to calls. Maybe the bird you’re trying to hunt just has a weird personality and is naturally a very quiet and solitary creature. Who knows? Luckily, there are several techniques you can use to hunt call-shy turkeys more effectively this spring.

Strategies for Hunting Call-Shy Turkeys

One of the best ways to get after a quiet and nervous gobbler is to use a deer hunting tactic. Simply sit still and wait for the bird to come to you. That’s obviously much easier said than done, but it’s not hard in theory. Spend some time getting to know your hunting property and the birds that live on it by doing some pre-season turkey scouting. Use trail cameras to gather critical details while you can’t physically be out in the woods watching and observing in-person. Learn where the birds primarily roost and where they feed, and set up in between those two areas. Try to find a place that’s closer to the feeding area than to the roosting trees, so that you can sneak in and get set up without a reasonable fear of spooking the turkeys. Driving your Bad Boy Ambush iS side-by-side to your hunting location, and switching to the electric drivetrain to sneak even closer is a proven tactic time and time again. Also, if there is a natural bottleneck or funnel location between these two areas, that is exactly where you need to be. Use vegetation and topography to your advantage by sneaking behind such structure to within striking distance.

Turkey Hunting | How To Locate Spring Gobblers

Turkey Hunting Tips and Tactics | Turkey Locator Calls

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The time is here. Dark silhouettes on branches, thick foggy air, and the first sunlight sparkling on the dew. For some the number one time of year has come, spring turkey hunting! Chasing spring turkeys is an amazing experience that everyone should try at some point in their life. “For me it’s just something special about the spring time of the year… I heard a lot of people say, that really, turkey hunting is like a disease…” – Michael Waddell

Bone Collector | Turkey Hunting Teaser

(video)- This week, it’s all about the birds! Catch an all new episode of #BoneCollector this week on the Outdoor Channel!

There are many aspects to spring turkey hunting that makes it a very special time. From the budding plants to strutting gobblers, we all have a vision of what spring turkey hunting is to us. If you were to ask, what the one thing that spring turkey hunters look forward to each and every year, aside from squeezing the trigger on theBeretta, they would likely tell you it is hearing the sound of that ole’ long beard spitting, drumming, and gobbling. While the sound of spring gobbler sounding off at daylight is a magical thing, it can also be a turkey hunter’s biggest advantage when it comes to making that perfect set up.

One of the greatest advantages that you as a hunter can have at your disposal is a good selection of locator calls. Locater calls are often underrated in terms of their importance but have aided turkey hunters in introducing that weary long beard to aHeavy Magnum Turkey load on many occasions.

Michael Waddell’s Take | Spring Turkey Hunting, The Beauty Of Our God Given Right

Simple Thrill: Narrated By Michael Waddell

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The woods are sprawling with life during spring, and if you are familiar with hunting you know what we are talking about…turkey hunting is our beautiful god given right!

Simple Thrill: Narrated By Michael Waddell | Knight & Hale Turkey Hunting Brand Video

(video)- “For me it’s just something special about the spring time of the year… I heard a lot of people say, that really, turkey hunting is like a disease…” – Michael Waddell
As a turkey hunter you know that the feeling associated with hunting turkeys is “Indescribable.” Michael Waddell narrates our latest brand essence video and explains the “Simple Thrill” associated with chasing gobblers. Enjoy.

Whether you are in it for the time, the beauty, the success, or just to get away from the hustle and bustle, turkey hunting offers something for all of us. Anyone who has got the fever for hunting, god’s creation, and the outdoors is ate up with it… and it’s strong. Apart of this thrill is not only the ole longbeard gobbling, it is testing your skill,calling him in talking the talk, using decoys, spending time with friends, and at the end of the day…the success and harvest is just the icing on the cake.

The Spring Outdoor Trifecta | Turkey Hunting, Trout, and Morels

How You Can Enjoy All Three Wild Edibles

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Have you ever stepped into the woods filled with the hope of harvesting the spring trifecta? You probably don’t recognize it by that name, but we bet you’ve thought about all of the activities involved once the snow disappears and the temperature starts to climb.

If you’re wondering what we’re talking about when we say “spring trifecta,” it includes turkey hunting, trout fishing, and foraging wild edibles like morel mushrooms. That’s a tall order, and most would consider it a personal challenge to accomplish in a single day. It’s very easy to let the optimism of a beautiful spring morning convince you of your outdoor prowess. But finishing all three in even a single weekend can be a real challenge.

But if you can manage to do so, you can enjoy the ultimate satisfaction that goes along with taking and harvesting all three natural and renewable resources while feeding your family the perfect outdoor spring feast. If you’re up to the challenge, we’ve got the steps you should take for each activity outlined below. Study up and then get out into the woods near you for the amazing opportunity that we are privileged to have in this country. If you’re successful, you’ll also find tips at the bottom of the article to prepare your bounty and amaze whoever partakes in your feast.

Turkey Calling Guide | The What, How, and When, of Turkey Calling

Bone Collector | Fully Loaded Turkey Calling Guide

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Whatever level of turkey calling you are currently at, whether you sound like an eerily sounding sick, crippled hen, a near perfect lonesome lady, or a sweet sounding, seductive, fluent turkey talker, you could always use a little more practice in the final weeks before turkey season. Lucky for you, we have compiled some intensely detailed information on which type of call does what, how to use them, when to use them, and extra tips on selecting the right type of call. This is to better your turkey calling techniques and strategies, no matter what level you are at, beginner, intermediate, or advanced.

Figure Out Your Calling Level

This might be obvious to some, but harder for…well let’s face it, the hard headed turkey hunter. If you think you are an expert turkey caller, than you might want to re-evaluate and think again! How many turkeys have you killed, how many turkeys have you busted, and how good do you really sound? If you think you are that good, get you’re most successful turkey hunting buddies and put on a show…the comments might be more negative than you would have thought.

For some it might be harder to admit, but figuring out whether to label yourself at the beginner, intermediate, or advanced calling level will help you by the time you are finished with this article. From selecting the right call, to using the more advanced mouth calls in the right scenarios, and in the right tone, particular information will be more valuable to you depending on how much or how little you know.

Selecting the Right Call

There are several types of turkey calls on the market. Friction, tube, locater, and the well-known diaphragm calls all have their place among turkey hunters. Here is a quick overview of the style, when, why and how to use each call.

The Most Effective Turkey Hunting Decoy Strategies

Spring Turkey Hunting 101 | Bring on the Flop

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It doesn’t matter where you live in the country. The flop is coming to a field or woodlot near you. You’ve probably been seeing the #cantstoptheflop2016 campaign winging its way around the internet the last few weeks. That can mean only one thing: turkey season is coming. To celebrate this wonderful time of year, we want to explore some turkey hunting decoy strategies that are proven to work time and time again. While calling and camouflage are very important pieces of the puzzle too, effectively using decoys can make or break your day in the woods. There’s no doubt that turkeys are easier to call in when they see a “live” turkey near the commotion. By utilizing this turkey hunting guide, you too can experience the flop

Turkey Hunting Locations | Bone Collector

Turkey Hunting Seasons and Locations

First, let’s recognize that turkey seasons occur over a very wide time period across our nation. While folks down in Georgia are placing their best turkey decoys and sitting in a ground blind, hunters up in the northern Midwest states could still be out ice fishing. As a result, there’s a lot of timing variability between them. But you can still implement the turkey decoy techniques outlined here whenever your particular turkey season arrives.

The other thing to note is that turkey populations have exploded in recent years. Northern states that historically had very few, if any, turkeys have now seen dramatic increases in numbers. This opens up a new and exciting type of hunting for more hunters across our nation, who might not be familiar with turkey tactics. Use online resources to key in on your local sub-species of turkeys. Each region is a little different, so knowing the key differences could make a big impact on your success as a hunter. Now let’s discuss one of the most important turkey hunting tips for beginners: decoys!

Pre-Season Turkey Practice | Calls You Need To Learn and Master

Turkey Hunting | Calling Strategies You Should Practice Right Now

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How fluent are you in turkey talk? Can you effortlessly speak the language and entice lonely birds to stroll into your set? Or do you sound more like a psychotic chicken squawking away in the woods? No judgment here. But if the latter is true, the offseason is your friend. You’ll have months of down time, often with no other hunting seasons to distract you, to practice your cackles, yelps, and purrs. And if those terms sound foreign to you, you’re definitely the psychotic chicken clucking away in the woods and not seeing turkeys. Do yourself a favor and change that before next spring arrives.

Let’s start with some basic turkey vocabulary, so we’re all on the same page. Turkeys make an incredible number of vocalizations, far beyond what most people know about. They each have their own place, and it’s to your enormous benefit to know when to make each one.

Gobble – This is the most commonly associated turkey hunting call. Males gobble to attract hens and challenge other tom turkeys. You can easily produce a gobble using ahand-held call.

Cluck – This call is used in short bursts by both males and females. It is a basic “come-here” call that can be done with a slate, glass, or box call such as the Dual Threat Glass and Slate Turkey Pot Call and Switchblade 3-in-1 Turkey Box Call.

Yelp – Turkeys use yelp vocalizations for a variety of reasons. They’ll use them when they’re lonely to find other turkeys, to assemble after the flock has disbanded, and to simply comfort each other. Turkey hunters can use a slate call to make yelps, as well, which are slightly longer than clucks.

Cackle – You’re probably familiar with this call, but turkeys use it when flying down from a tree roost. It is a series of 10 to 15 short bursts that starts and ends slowly. You can use a box or slate call for a cackle.

Purr – Turkeys make purring calls to simply stay in contact as they travel in their flock. It is a short purring noise that is best done with a diaphragm mouth call.

Kee kee – Used as an alarm call, this high-pitched whistling noise consists of 3 to 4 short bursts. It is best done on a slate call to get the right W or M motion with the striker.