Jack O'Malley Interview w/ Dave Richey
"I've turkey hunted this area since the Department of Natural Resources staged their second or third modern hunt, and I've never seen so much sign," said Bob Smith of Detroit. "It looks like every wild turkey in the Baldwin area has been dusting and scratching nearby. This is part of what turkey scouters must find."
Work birds properly & shooting a gobbler is easy.
We wandered around, spotted four gobblers from a distance and studied an abundance of sign while discussing preseason scouting for these big game birds. Preliminary scouting of individual birds and the hunting terrain are key points to a successful spring hunt, especially when the first turkey season opens.
"These birds are exciting to hunt and it's the only spring hunting season where bow or shotgun hunting is legal," Smith said. "But there are too many sportsmen who think calling is the most important key to killing a wild bird. Those that believe calling is the major shortcut to success are only partially correct."
Smith has hunted turkeys for many years in many states and guided some friends and relatives to birds. He is an accomplished caller, but feels too many people rely on calling and know too little about the bird, its habits, the terrain it favors and how to turkey hunt. He feels preseason scouting and woodsmanship are the biggest secreta to success.
"Scouting is so vital because it gives the hunter a look at the birds and an over-all view of the terrain," he said, as we look at feather marks in the sand. "I look for roost sites, and for food sources along oak ridges, and dusting sites like this. All offer clues to birds having been in the area but I never hunt near a dusting area. I prefer knowing where birds roost, and then setting up on them on opening day an hour before first light."
If birds can be patterned, and not spooked by hunters before the season opens, chances are very good the Boss Gobbler and his lady friends will be nearby on the opener. Knowing how to work into an area, and how to set up for the fly-down, is of the utmost importance. Smith looks for somewhat open areas within 200 yards of turkey roost areas because the open cover gives gobblers and hens plenty of time to look around for danger as they come to the call.
Find good food sources.
"Don't overlook food sources," Smith said. "Birds will head out to feed an hour or so after they fly down, and it's quite easy to find their travel routes. The test is to get there before the birds, sit down and don't move. Let the birds walk well within range.
"Birds often fly down from a roost tree in the morning and land just below the ridge line or on the ridge. This can be a hotspot for hunters to sit but don't crowd roosted birds. Birds will fly or walk up a ridge to a call but will seldom fly or walk down."
He believes spring turkeys wander more than many hunters believe. We had followed two gobblers the previous two days before the opener, and they covered two miles in just over one hour. These birds can be tough to keep up with if they know where they are going.
Smith feels hunters who scout between now and the season opener should carry binoculars, wear camo and study birds from a distance to avoid scaring them. He also says that hunters should leave their turkey calls home during preseason scouting periods.
Nothing can mess up a turkey hunting area more than a neophyte toodling on a turkey call before or during a hunting season. Smith said the problem is that calling, even with a person who calls well and uses a good call, may attract a gobbler. If the hunter moves, and is seen by an approaching gobbler or hen, it could spook the birds from the area.
Scouting often can be done from a car or truck without spooking birds. Just stay in the vehicle, and if birds come close, allow them to pass the vehicle without making any movement or noise. The trick is to keep the windows rolled up, noise and movement to a minimum, and allow the birds to move past without alarming them. Often, if this occurs just before dark they will be heading for a roost site.
Avoid hunting on windy or wet days.
"Weather plays a very important role in turkey hunting," he said. "Hope for cool, crisp days which turn out to be clear and bright. Overcast days offer poor scouting, and heavy wind or rain will keep birds on the roost later in the day. If it's raining, it's a toss-up; go out and get wet, and probably not see any birds, or stay home where it is warm and dry, and still not see any birds.
Scouting, when properly done, is a meaningful learning experience. It also is hard work, but those hunters who put in some time before the opener arrives, often are the ones who thrill to a mature gobbler standing 30 yards away with his tail fanned, wing tips dragging the dirt, and the shotgun bead nestling right at the base of the skull before the trigger is pulled. Do everything right, and success can be yours.
