Turkey season is right around the corner and it’s time to break out the turkey decoys and calls. I have four decoys two hens and two jakes. The hens are made by Primo’s, ones a regular standard hen and the other is their bobble and sway hen. One jake is the Primo’s jake-b mobile were you can put a real fan in or the plastic fan they give you. The other jake is just a standard Primo’s decoy. Last year I learned a lot about where and how to set up my decoys. I was putting all four up with the standard jake over top the standard hen and the jake-b mobile and bobble and sway hen off to the side. I didn’t know that by putting both jakes out I was scaring most young jakes and toms away. This year I plan on doing things different, I talked to people that are turkey hunting fanatics and they gave me some pointers. One told me to only set out one jake which he recommended the jake-b mobile and both hens. He said set up the standard jake and hen together and the other hen off to the side looking like its feeding. The other suggested just the two hens making it seem like their alone and feeding, which will make the big gobbler I want to strut in more relaxed. Taking in all of this information made me pay more attention to how turkeys act. When I see them in the fields around my house I watch them and make memos to myself on how they walk through the field and stay alert to the surroundings. I do the same when watching TV and reading magazines.
I have my favorites and then sum I just picked up here and there. My dad always told me it’s good to have a variety of calls because if you use the same call in the same places they will get use to it and not come to it. I have some that people have made for competitions and also some by Primo’s and Hunters Specialties. I have a few mouth calls but I haven’t mastered them yet but by spring turkey season rolls around I will be ready. When I call I like to use short yelps and purrs, I like to not call a lot when I have one coming in because some say you can make it sound like you are coming to the tom rather than the tom coming to you. When I’m trying to locate a turkey in the morning I like to use a hoot owl call and in the afternoon a crow call or by using a turkey call. I have been practicing a lot and making sure I sound like a turkey. I don’t want to be out in the field and mess up and scare one off.
I hope to have a good year and for you to have a good year too. So dust off your decoys, break out your calls, because spring turkey season is right around the corner, so get set up, I know I am.
