Turkey Hunting Hacks | Game Changing Tips

Turkey season might be several weeks away, but it will be here before we know it! Before a hunting season starts, any prudent hunter will take some time to prepare for the upcoming season…and it’s never too early to start preparing.  Experienced turkey hunters know that it takes patience, skill, and a bit of luck to be successful in the turkey woods. We’ve compiled a list of turkey hunting hacks from our ambassadors and partners to help you bag a big tom this spring!

Daniel Groce

The number one biggest mistake new hunters make is calling too much and too often. I see it time and time again, new hunter goes to the local sporting goods buys a shiny new call or calls, and as soon as he gets that first gobble on that crisp spring morning. It’s one of the toughest decisions a new turkey hunter must make…when to shut up. “Playing the quiet game” has killed more long beards than any call of the shelf will. In nature the hen goes to the Tom, and as a turkey hunter you are trying to reverse nature. As soon as you get that Tom so hot and bothered, he is gobbling on his own, shut it off, get real still, and get ready to click the safety off.

Follow Daniel on Instagram @mojobuck80.

Ryan Baudhuin

Turkey Tip 1: The hunt is not a bust just because the birds don't play off the roost.

We have all had birds come off the roost and act as if our decoy spread does not even exist; toms go to strut and bred hens head back to the nest as the birds begin to disperse.  Hold tight (it is the perfect time for a nap at the base of a tree) waiting for the 10-to-2-time window.  Toms will be on the move looking for hens that have not yet been bred and will be more responsive to calling.  

Turkey Tip 2: Find the Strut Zone

Want a layup bird?  Find the strut zone and pattern the time the big boy is in it and beat him to it.  Set up on one full strut tom decoy and it is game over.  He won't like another tom on his turf.

Follow Ryan on Instagram @ryanoffthegrid.

Mike Stroff

Host of Savage Outdoors and The One

Turkey Tip 1: The best advice I can give turkey hunters is to not over call! The biggest mistake I see my clients make each year is over calling. Once you get their attention and they are coming in most cases it is time to shut up or maybe only call enough to keep their interest. I know it is fun when they are gobbling like crazy but remember they will lock in where the sound is coming from and if they don't see the turkey talking to them sometimes, they will hang up and just not come in or close the distance so you can get a shot. If they are coming let them come! 

Turkey Tip 2: When hunting Rios in Texas it can be a lot different than hunting those tough Easterns! If you haven't hunted Rio's before one thing you need to know, is they typically will roost in the same location each night. (as long as you are not putting pressure on those roost!) If you find a good roost location and plan to hunt all season at times it can be best to back off the roost and work the birds to come to you, but at a minimum don't hunt around the roost in the evenings or you will change up their predictability. It is nice knowing where they will end up each night! 

Follow Mike on Instagram savageoutdoors_theone. 

Sallie Doty

The best decoys are actually live birds if you can get in a group of hens/jakes. If you cannot into a group of birds, use an old turkey fan on a decoy instead of a fake one. The real feathers really shine in the sun and attract the toms the best.

Follow Sallie on Instagram @sallie_doty

Justin Olk

Use a turkey choke. A great turkey shotgun, like the Savage Renegauge Field, can be taken to the next level with the addition of a great turkey choke tube. Specialized turkey choke tubes not only allow for tighter patterning, extending your effective range, but also felt recoil may be reduced by some ported models. I like the JEBS Ported Head Hunter in a .660 restriction. Installation is a breeze, and the benefits are certainly worth the investment. Be sure to find the recommended restriction for your preferred turkey load.

Follow Justin on Instagram @justinolk.

Allie Butler

Use a turkey choke tube so you can shoot out to further distances.

When the birds have been called to and that’s not working, I like to sit quietly in a blind and put a decoy out instead.

Follow Allie on Instagram @alliembutler.

Eastmans' Hunting Journals

When hunting without a decoy always set up so the bird has to be in gun range to see you. Turkeys in hilly or broken country will quite often peek over a ridge or sneak around the toe of one when closing the gap to what they think is a hot hen. Thick cover can produce the same results. Don’t give them a chance to see where you’re calling from without offering you a shot.

Follow the Eastmans on Instagram @eastmanshuntingjournals

Lee & Tiffany Lakosky

Hosts of The Crush with Lee & Tiffany

Turkey Tip 1: The Strut Zone 

Don’t forget to use your trail cameras - especially your Reveal cell cameras. Don’t take them down after deer season; we leave them up for shed season and it’s a huge advantage. When we have our #TeamLee vs. #TeamTiff turkey competitions with our production company, Copeland Creative and our friends, we always have the advantage because we know exactly where the turkeys are. Of course, you could go out and listen, but knowing exactly where they are out strutting every day before the season, you can then set up right on top of them. A week before the season even starts, I can pretty much tell you where we are going to shoot one because of the Reveal cell cams, you can see where the strut zones are day after day, so you know that is where they are going to be on opening day. 

Turkey Tip 2: How to Beat Getting Busted 

We always put out a couple of Hen decoys and a Jake decoy and you can always depend on a Tom coming in and start beating up the decoy. So many times, people get busted when they are coming in to the decoy because the turkeys are still checking out their surroundings to get to the decoy. But once they start beating up the decoy, then you could basically almost stand up and do jumping jacks. When the turkeys are coming in, people will get all set up, adjust their seat, angle, etc. and once the turkeys pick up the movement they are gone, just like that. When I was bowhunting them, I would just set my bow down and cross my arms and sit there like a statue. Once they start beating up the decoy, then you can pick up your gear and get set up to shoot. Same thing with a gun; you can keep it on your knee, but don’t need to get in a full shooting position until they are beating up the decoy. 

Turkey Tip 3: Ticks Can Take a Seat 

Turkey season can bring ticks and even worse, Lyme disease, so you will want to avoid that while hunting as much as possible. What we do to help prevent ticks and chiggers is a few days before hunting season, we take our UA Hunt pants and jackets and spray permethrin on the outside, let it dry a few days and then turn them inside out and spray them again on the inside and let that dry a couple days. That will give you protection from ticks most of the season. On top of that, we spray our BOG Folding Turkey Chairs with the permethrin and it’s amazing how few ticks and chiggers you will get just from being off the ground 6-8 inches. As an added bonus with the BOG chairs, if there’s not a perfect tree around to sit against, like on our field edges, or where there is a lot of brush, you can just pop the chair down and you don’t need to be up against a tree. A BOG turkey chair provides great maneuverability…. and less ticks! 

Follow Lee and Tiffany on Instagram @thecrushtv

So, there we have it – turkey hunting hacks from the experts! Whether you’re learning how to turkey hunt or looking to pick up a new turkey hunting tip, we hope you learned something to help you be more successful this spring. And don't forget to check your crevices for ticks!