5 Turkey Hunting Tips to Prepare for Turkey Season

Turkey season is here. But before you grab your bag and hit the field, here are a few quick tips to help you increase your chances of putting a gobbler on the ground this spring.

1. Pattern your gun – fire at least a round or two at a paper target. This does two things…makes sure your gun and ammo are spraying a lethal pattern. It also builds muscle memory so your shooting process is natural.

2. Check your calls – give all of your owl hooters, gobble tubes and slate calls a few blasts. Make sure they all work properly, especially reed-style mouth calls. Over the years and extensive use, the latex used for the reeds becomes stretched, brittle and will tear. Make sure you check those and they sound right.

3. Inspect decoys – if you use decoys, make sure the bodies didn’t get smashed over the winter in storage. And make sure you have the decoy support poles. I took all my decoys out one morning only to realize all the poles were in a different bag.

4. Bug repellent– I know this sounds minor, but make sure your aerosol bug repellent is full and working. I spray a generous amount of repellent on my clothing to not only keep mosquitos and sand fleas from biting, but to help minimize tick attachment as well. I’ve found that repellents with higher concentrations of Deet work best. I spray Deep Woods Off on my clothing and use Repel Wipes on any exposed areas of skin like my hands and back of my neck.

5. Pack smart– make sure you have the essentials in your turkey pack in case it’s a long day. Bring calls, ammunition, decoys, bug repellent, turkey permit and plenty of water. And your camera phone to take some pics!

These tips are super simple and will help increase your chances of tagging your bird this spring. Good luck!