“This Is The Way” – Turkey Hunting Lies
By Todd Helms
Turkey hunters love it when a big boss tom struts into our setup, spitting and drumming, looking for either love or a fight. It’s the show, the crescendo, the ultimate experience in turkey hunting. It’s what we envision when we think about turkey hunting, thanks largely to what we’ve been led to believe happens by hunting shows and social media. “This is the way.”
However, the truth of the matter is that we would all be more successful turkey hunters if we ditched that lofty ideal and focused on hunting turkeys instead.
Now, before you throw up your hands and scream, “Blasphemy!” Here me out… I’m not talking about sniping gobblers with rifles or bushwacking them from vehicles. I’m talking about adapting to the conditions and situations you’re given so you don’t come home empty handed from a difficult turkey hunt. Afterall, most of us don’t get to hunt nearly as much as we’d like and making the most of our precious hunting days should be what we’re all after.
Turkey hunters love it when a big boss tom struts into our setup, spitting and drumming, looking for either love or a fight. It’s the show, the crescendo, the ultimate experience in turkey hunting. It’s what we envision when we think about turkey hunting, thanks largely to what we’ve been led to believe happens by hunting shows and social media. “This is the way.”
However, the truth of the matter is that we would all be more successful turkey hunters if we ditched that lofty ideal and focused on hunting turkeys instead.
Now, before you throw up your hands and scream, “Blasphemy!” Here me out… I’m not talking about sniping gobblers with rifles or bushwacking them from vehicles. I’m talking about adapting to the conditions and situations you’re given so you don’t come home empty handed from a difficult turkey hunt. Afterall, most of us don’t get to hunt nearly as much as we’d like and making the most of our precious hunting days should be what we’re all after.
Unfortunately, the gobbler didn’t budge but luckily for us our improvised tactic worked perfectly and got us within 30 yards of the bird before he realized the gig was up and by then it was too late and he got a free ride home in the cooler.
If I’d stubbornly kept setting up and calling I’d either have had to settle for a naive jake or go home empty handed. I wasn’t willing to do either and the end result was a challenging but successful turkey hunt that didn’t look anything like what you see held up as “The Way”.
My point to all of this is simple. Don’t get so stuck in one single way of hunting turkeys that you’re one dimensional and rigid. Mix things up and try new methods, the more tools in your toolbox the better turkey hunter you will be. Again, I’m not purporting the stretching of fair chase, I’m telling you to expand your horizons and become a more well rounded turkey hunter.
The next time a gobbler isn’t cooperating, survey the scenario and if you can, try something different; no decoys, stalking, different calling tactics or calls… Each of these can be a difference maker and result in a fried turkey dinner.
