Spring Turkey Tips

What to Do When Your Turkey Hunting Plan Blows Up  

By: Brian Lovett  

Having a plan always results in better turkey hunting. And sometimes, gobblers follow that plan. Other days, however, they toss the playbook aside and leave you scratching your head.  

But the game shouldn’t end there. When a longbeard throws you a curve, switch tactics to keep your hunt alive. Let’s examine several common broken-plan scenarios and look at how you can adapt.  

Destination Denied 

Instead of chasing gobbles or slipping under roost trees, many hunters prefer to set up at likely spots or places they’ve observed birds — food plots, ag fields, acorn-strewn flats or shady loafing areas — and wait for turkeys to come to them. It’s a solid strategy — until your gobbler doesn’t show up. That prompts a question: Do I wait longer or pursue another bird?  

The answer depends on turkey activity and the quality of your scouting information. If you’ve seen nothing at your hotspot but a bird is gobbling his wattles off 150 yards away, the answer is obvious: Go to him. Conversely, if you’ve seen a longbeard and hens cross through a pasture gate several consecutive days, you’re probably better off to sit there patiently. Solutions are rarely that obvious, though.  

Typically, I try to resolve the dilemma by provoking a gobble. That doesn’t mean I hammer an area with incessant yelping or locator calling. Instead, I run through several calling series with various calls, gradually building the intensity or trying to portray different scenarios. If one call or series generates a reply, I gauge the situation. Did the turkey cut me off? If so, I might fire him up. Was he relatively close? He might be coming, or I can at least work him from that setup. Was he distant, or was his response tepid? Then it’s probably best to course his location and make a move.  

Whatever you do, make a decision. Hesitation and uncertainty never serve you well in the turkey woods. Resolve to stay put or strike out elsewhere, and then analyze the results.  

The Tease 

Every turkey hunter has battled a bird that flew down, gobbled lustily and then seemingly drew a line in the sand and wouldn’t commit. It’s frustrating, but you have many options to save the hunt.  

First, try to determine why the bird won’t approach. Hearing scratching or soft yelping near the gobbler provides an easy answer: hens. In that case, stop yelping at the tom and try to engage his ladies. If that doesn’t work, determine where they’re headed, and try to circle around them and cut them off.  

Solo gobblers that won’t commit offer a tougher challenge. Often, we blame obstructions such as fences, creeks or thick cover. However, turkeys cross such obstacles every day, and a fired-up longbeard will duck under a fence or fly a creek. Still, changing setups is never a bad idea. Turkeys move throughout the day, so yelping as you move to or from setups seems natural. Calling frequently from one spot might seem unnatural. Sometimes, easing 50 yards to another tree, calling as you go, might prompt a gobbler to break. Walking away while calling and then slipping back toward the turkey can also work, provided you’re careful not to bump him.  

I usually figure a gobbler stops advancing because of something I’m doing, so I’ll switch tactics. If I’ve been calling sparingly, I’ll ratchet up the intensity, trying to work the bird into a lather. If I’ve been calling a lot — usually the case — I’ll tone down my approach or stop calling. That might be the best approach to breaking a stubborn bird. By shutting up for a half-hour or longer, you can play on his social curiosity, prompting him to come closer for a look. Be careful, though, as he’ll often do so silently.  

If nothing works, I let the situation play out and see what the gobbler does. Observing his reaction puts me closer to tagging him later.  

Bye-Bye Bird 

Some turkeys have a sense of humor, gobbling at your calling as they travel directly away from your setup. That’s maddening but not impossible. As with a stationary gobbler, try to determine if the tom has hens. If so, call to them. If that fails, figure out their travel route, plan an intercepting course and try to cut off the group.  

If the gobbler seems to be alone, refer back to your scouting and guess where he might be going. Perhaps he’s headed toward a meadow or open ridge where he can strut or find hens. Beat him to the spot, and wait at least an hour for him. Maybe he’s just meandering. Back out, switch spots and try to strike him again. Remember, movement is natural, and perhaps you were calling from a spot where the turkey didn’t feel comfortable.  

When a turkey walks away gobbling but then shuts up, be patient. It makes no sense to pursue a bird when you don’t know or can’t guess his whereabouts. Let the turkey do his thing, and try to strike him later. Or ease out, find another likely calling setup and start the game again.  

If you fail, replay the hunt in your mind, and plot a new approach for the next day. Eventually, you might stumble onto his destination or travel route, or figure out what he likes to hear.   

The Boys Club 

Now and then, especially later in the season, two or more gobblers might ignore your calling but sound off frequently as they join forces. If you’re between those birds, great. Let them do their thing, and hope they come closer. If not, switch gears.  

Try gobbling or jake-yelping at them. A longbeard might not be interested in hens, but he won’t forget his place in the ever-dynamic turkey social structure. Gobbling or jake-yelping might prompt a gobbler to rush in, looking to kick the tail of a rival. Or, it could reassure a turkey that seems more interested in male company that his buddies are waiting for him. Remember, gobblers hear the vocalizations of male turkeys as often as those of hens, so this strategy seems natural. Of course, you must be prudent when gobbling or jake-yelping. Don’t try it on public land or heavily hunted private ground. Be certain no other hunters are close enough to mistake your calling for the real thing.  

If switching up doesn’t work, try to keep the turkeys gobbling with turkey or locator calls, and determine their travel route or destination. You can always relocate and try them again.   

Mother-Ship Evacuation 

You’ll often encounter large traditional roosts where turkeys spend the night but leave soon after flydown and don’t return until fly-up. Such spots are especially common in areas with lots of open fields. Setting up near these sites and trying to yelp birds in works sometimes, but turkeys are often in a hurry to find feeding or strutting areas away from the roost, leaving you behind. If you can’t find good ambush sites, you have two options.  

First, plan a pre-dawn roost invasion. Slip into the area well before dawn — sometimes two or three hours before flydown — and wait. Try to get directly underneath turkeys in hopes that they fly down in range. This can be extremely difficult, especially during a bright moon, in wet or brushy spots, or when dealing with large groups of birds. Scout the area at midday to determine the easiest, stealthiest approach and setup. Use a rake to remove leaves and debris from your planned approach. Set up a blind to hide your movements the next morning. Turkeys won’t always hit the ground in front of your barrel, but you’ll likely see or hear where they go, which might provide the missing piece of the puzzle.  

If a fly-down ambush isn’t viable, hunt the birds during the afternoon or evening. That doesn’t mean you should sit at the roost tree and kill a gobbler as he prepares to fly up, although that works. I prefer not to hunt them that way, as one gunshot or ill-timed move can blow up a roost for several days or even the season. Instead, sit at a likely approach route, and try to intercept birds as they meander back to roost. You can usually determine their travel path by glassing feeding turkeys during afternoons or listening for them right before flyup. Then, set up at a good spot, call sparingly and see what happens.   

Why’d He Do That?  

Turkeys don’t read hunting magazines or how-to advice. They’re turkeys, and unpredictability is in their nature. Sometimes, there’s no apparent reason for their playbook-busting behavior. Watch. Listen. Think. Consider the conditions and phase of the breeding season. Try something different. The only sure-fire way to not kill a gobbler that foils your best plans is to be stubborn and stick with an unsuccessful strategy.  

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Targeting Basin Crappies

 

Basin Crappies

Winter is in full swing. Panfish, and crappies in particular, are some of the most targeted species throughout the winter months. 

In general, crappies are a relatively nomadic species and can be found across countless types of structure throughout a body of water. This includes weeds, wood, rocks, and basins to name a few. Perhaps the most consistent bite throughout the winter months occurs in the main basin of lake.  In fishing terms, a basin is the deepest, relatively featureless portion of lake. 

(Map courtesy of Garmin ActiveCaptain)

A typical fall will drive schools of crappies from their summer haunts to the basin of the lake, where fish can be found suspended throughout the water column.  Predictable depths for winter basin crappies range from approximately 20-40 feet of water. However, crappies can be found at depths much shallower or deeper. 

Most relatively small, natural lakes share a similar pattern so replicating results can become increasingly easier. These patterns and techniques related to winter crappies can also apply to flowages and impoundments, although they may not prove to be as consistent. 

(Map courtesy of Garmin ActiveCaptain)

Using a handheld GPS, I start my search in the deepest portion of any main lake basin. My first hole is typically in the center of the basin and work my way towards the edge of the hole. On an average day I will drill around 20-30 holes before I start looking for fish.

If you’re fishing a heavily pressured lake with a lot of fishing traffic, I would recommend starting the search on the least populated portion of the basin. I personally won’t venture within 100 yards, give or take, of the closest shack. 

Prior to actually wetting a line, rely on your electronics to determine if fish are present in the vicinity. Swing the transducer back and forth across the hole to see if fish are nearby. This can also help determine which hole you should proceed to next. Travel hole to hole until you start marking fish.  If you’re not marking fish, keep drilling. It’s not uncommon for anglers to drill more than 100 holes in search of active fish. 

Presentation is key to success on the ice. Tungsten jigs in the 3-5 mm category excel in situations involving deep water crappies. Micro plastics are absolutely king when it comes to basin crappies, in my opinion. Most major brands have countless options designed to imitate food sources crappies commonly eat. They also allow for fish after fish without replacing “bait.”

Recommendations for fishing with plastics: (1) Pair the plastics with appropriately sized jigs.  (2) Fish the plastic as designed. If it’s meant to be fished horizontally, then ensure the lure remains horizontal. If necessary rotate the knot on the hook so the entire setup remains perpendicular to your line.  (3) Have confidence. Confidence is key when fishing artificial lures. 

Rods & reels are often overlooked when it comes to ice; but having a quality set up is just as vital on the hard water as it is on the soft water. Opt for something stout enough to handle quality fish, yet sensitive enough to feel and see the lightest bites. There are countless options on the market that’ll meet the average anglers needs. I opt for rods around the 30” range because they allow me to fish comfortably and effectively both inside and outside of a fish house. Power Noodle style rods, as well as rods tipped with spring bobbers make a huge difference in detecting the lightest bites. 

Inline reels also offer some advantages when targeting finicky panfish through the ice. The reel is specifically designed to prevent line twist which in turn won’t result in a presentation spinning 25 feet below the surface. 

From a conservation perspective, it is vital to be cognizant of the depths you are fishing in. Pulling fish from depths of greater than 20-25 feet can result in barotrauma. Barotrauma incidents are likely to be fatal to the fish. Even though a fish swims away, that doesn’t mean it’ll necessarily survive. If you’re fishing in deeper water, plan to keep some fish for a meal. 

These patterns will typically remain pretty consistent throughout most of the winter months, until panfish make the move to skinnier water in the spring. Rely on the tools available, drill some holes, offer the right presentation for the situation, and you’ll be sure to put some fish topside this winter.

Good luck out there!

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Happy Valentines Day…

Loves in the Air…

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Food Plots

Are Your Ducks in a Row? 

By: Steve Jordan 

Planting food plots is done in many different ways.  Some very serious food plotters have two or four-row corn planters to plant corn or soybeans, and some also have six to eight foot grain drills for the smaller seeds.    

For years, I have been broadcasting seeds exclusively.  This method can be done by hand by throwing seeds (almost like feeding the chickens on old western movies).  You can also use a hand held crank or electric seed spreader or a pull behind wheel driven one.  For bigger projects, you can hook up a PTO driven spreader to a mid-sized tractor.   

One question I often get when I talk about broadcasting is, “Doesn’t it hurt the seeds when you drive over them while covering and/or culti-packing the seeds?”  The answer is always, “No!”  If you spread the seeds on concrete and run them over a couple of times, I would say you would do some damage.  In the soil, the seeds just press down nicely without getting harmed.  

I also get asked why I don’t use a grain drill for the turnip mixes, alfalfas, and other small seeds since I plant so many food plot acres in central Wisconsin.  The main reason I don’t use a grain drill is that the average food plot is a half acre or less.  One half acre of turnip mix is about a coffee can of seed which would barely cover the bottom of a six foot grain drill, and it just wouldn’t work.  To fill up the grain drill with seeds and plant several different food plots at once is just not practical.  Everyone’s land is different and is ready to be planted at different times.  As expensive as these seeds are, hand spreading seems to be most efficient. 

In the spring, when I am planting corn or soybeans for a fall or winter feeding of deer, I go through these steps: 

1. Work up the soil well. 

1. Spread your fertilizer and seeds as uniformly as possible, leaving plenty of room around the seeds to not overcrowd your plants 

1. Then work the seeds and fertilizer in lightly, to an inch or two, with a disk or tiller 

1. Culti-pack or pack soil down the best you can. 

 

For my summer planting of a fall plot, I do it a little differently.  In the past, I have written about planting soybeans every three weeks during the growing season right up through August.  This keeps the deer eating on the young, tasty plants all summer and early fall.  This allows for the older patches to seed out for winter feeding.  Once my window for planting a good turnip mix comes along (mid-July through mid-August), I still have the chance to plant soybeans.  Here’s how I do it: 

1. I work up the ground really good. 

1. Then, I spread fertilizer on the surface along with a light spreading of soybean seeds. 

1. Then, I disk or till to cover up the seeds and fertilizer to approximately 1-2 inches in depth. 

1. Next, I broadcast a good turnip mix over the top. 

1. I culti-pack or pack the soil the best I can. 

The soybeans come up and attract the deer immediately and will keep them coming to the plot daily up until the first frost.  After that, the soybeans die and the turnips thrive.  

When talking about a good turnip mix, variety is the key.  My custom mix consists of three varieties of turnips, two varieties of canola (rape), Swiss chard, two types of sugar beets, kale, two different brassicas, Korean lespedeza, crimson red clover, rutabagas and a forage radish.  A turnip mix with this much variety encourages the deer to graze through the plot picking out different kinds of plants as the fall progresses.  The deer hit this plot a lot earlier than a straight turnip mix.  Now having soybeans coming up with my turnip mix really gets them in the plot early. 

Now let’s move on to row planting.  I am starting to become more of a fan of row planting.  I have a one-row wheel driven planter that hooks up with a three-point hitch and works great.  I like to plant 45-inch wide rows for soybeans.  This leaves plenty of room for a late turnip planting between the rows.  The turnips will have plenty of room and sun to get started.  If you did a good job of weed control all summer, and just have soil showing between the rows, then all you have to do is broadcast a good turnip mix onto the soil.  The first rain will start the growth of these new plants.  Wheat or rye can be broadcast between the rows as another option with good results.  You may want to alternate wheat and turnips every other row. 

Forty-five inch rows planted in a pumped out reservoir in the spring for fall duck hunting works well.  The wide rows allow the ducks to land and take off for a quick escape in the fall when flooded.  

One disadvantage of row planting over broadcasting is in high deer density areas the rows tend to get eaten off clean because there is not enough plants to withstand the grazing.  Broadcasting will hold up better in these areas.  

Diversity and variety of different plants, along with row planting and broadcasting seeds can add to the quality of your food plots.  There is no right or wrong when it comes to broadcasting your seeds or row planting.  You can get your ducks in a row or use the shotgun method.  Do what works best for you and your circumstances.  Both can be very productive.   

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Turkey Season

Spring Is In My Step!

By: Joe Jankowski

Well, here we are again. Spring is right around the corner. We have good ice, but all I can think about is getting out in the woods after those dam stinky birds! 

I apologize if I offend anyone when I refer to turkeys as “stinky birds,” but let’s face it people, those rascals are gamey and smelly. Ever gut one without gloves? I did and my hands stunk for a week! The smell was so burned into my sinuses that even “me Lucky Charms” tasted like that stinky turkey! Since that day I have discovered other ways to clean the birds and trust me when I say that I’ve never stuck my hands into the cavity of one of those creatures again! 

My true reality is that although I have learned to prepare the meat properly, food is not the motivation! It’s the hunt! I love to call and chase these stinky birds as much as I enjoy any other hunt. One of my favorites is hearing the toms break the morning silence with their thunderous serenade of gobbles. Also, knowing that their eyesight is unmatched in nature adds to the pursuit. They are afraid of everything including, it seems at times, their own shadow. These birds, be it a jake or a tom, pose a great hunting challenge. 

I hunt land in Southwestern Wisconsin. We have a solid turkey population for sure. Being a landowner, I have the additional advantage of being able to draw a tag for my primary season choice. Being that my kids are in that really active sports phase, my season preference has changed over the years. I am glad to say that I have bounced around on seasons so that I can experience them all. I have discovered that I absolutely love each season!

The early birds are less spooked, but the weather is such a wildcard that you never know what you are going to get. A very close friend, Mike, is an absolute turkey-hunting freak and swears by the early seasons. He loves being the first human these birds have seen in months…and if all goes according to his plan, he’s the last one as well. Mike will trudge through the open muddy fields on foot if need be. He’ll suffer through the notorious spring snows. Freezing temperatures mean nothing to him it will not keep him from pursuing one of these stinky birds! For me, I love the hunt but it’s not beyond me to whine and moan every step of the way when the conditions are bad. 

The middle seasons would be my favorite if I had to choose. The weather, although at times can be rainy, is usually more temperate. The foliage is just beginning to pop creating an indescribably intense beauty of the undergrowth and aroma. Gone is the smell of the fall decay replaced by the sweetness of new greens and floral buds. The birds are typically more aware of the hunting pressure but remain reckless in their pursuit of the ladies. Often times, the big boys are henned up and gangs of marauding jakes and immature toms become the focus of my running and gunning. It’s not to say that the big ones are an impossibility for a hunter like myself.   They are certainly out there to be had. I just figure that in my estimation why hold out for an old bird that tastes even worse than the young ones! No offense to those of you who love the flavor of these stinky birds…

The late seasons hold my interest for many similar reasons as stated above. I enjoy the increasingly heavy understory of the springtime woods. Of course the sauna like moist heat created when the forest floor is warmed by the intense sunlight brings another challenge. Regardless of season, the birds maintain their sight advantage. They easily pick out the impatient hunter, guilty of an imprudent movement while they remain hidden in the thick brush invisible to human intruders. The lone gobbler is quiet and cautious sure, but he’s still not a dummy. Although I have bounced around seasons for a long time, I am always in the woods this time of year…it’s MOREL MUSHROOM SEASON! Now there’s some good eating! But that’s a tale for another time. 

Happy hunting this spring my friends! Be safe, shoot straight and introduce someone new to the sport. It’s an easy hunt to fall in love with!

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Weekly Morning Trail Mix

Monday Morning Trail Mix 

We’ve got a good one for you today

 

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