You may be asking yourself, what exactly is the draw of Spring turkey season? Why do these animals act the way the do? The short answer is for “girls” and well, the long answer is “girls”. During the winter, fall and summer months, turkey are driven by their stomachs, always looking for the next meal. In the Spring, the motivation is much different and can spur on some interesting behavior. If you have ever had a turkey decoy mounted not 15 yards away, you can’t help but chuckle to yourself.
Something that can give you a leg up during Spring turkey season is to understand some of the mannerisms of tom turkey during the mating season. Much of turkey hunting is positioning, finding a roosting area and setting up in the vicinity, giving you the best opportunity to call a gobbler in.
Here are a few general rules of thumb to guide you through turkey behavhior during the Spring season:
- The main purpose of the tom’s gobble is to draw hens to himself. It’s like a beacon broadcasting his location to all available hens in the area. In essence, you are attempting to do the exact opposite, bring the tom to you. The best way to do this is to take on his mood in your calls. Going full bore from the outset is bound to set off an alarm in the tom’s head and he is likely to stay put or quiet down all together.
- Generally, a more dominant tom is going to be more vocal than younger or less “alpha” turkey.
- Jakes (young tom turkeys) will also strut around and gobble. In many cases though, they are hesitant to due to the fact that they risk incurring the wrath of dominant toms in their range. Keep that in mind if you think things are a little too quiet. You may just have a turkey nearby that has gotten roughed up a few times for being a little too vocal.
- The more dominant turkeys are going to be surrounded by hens after leaving the roost. Typically, about mid-morning, the hens will depart to go and sit on their nests. This is the perfect striking time to reel in a mature tom.
- Despite what you may have heard, turkey mate in the rain. Don’t be afraid to maintain your position and continue to attempt to call a bird in. With a little patience you may be pleasantly surprised by pulling in a rain-soaked tom. In particular, you should look for turkey in pastures and open fields when it is raining.
These are just a few tips for Spring turkey hunting. If you have any to share, feel free to leave a comment below. Also, check out some of the gear and resources below to improve on your chances of taking a better bird this year.
Primos 69041 B-Mobile Gobbler Decoy
3 – Pk. Knight and Hale® Spit’n Image Diaphragm Turkey Calls
Primos 251 Double Box Cutter Turkey Call
KillZone Hunting Pop-Up Ground Blind Turkey Deer 3Y
Wild Turkey: Expert Advice for Locating and Calling Big Gobblers (The Complete Hunter)
Tags: hunting tips, spring turkey, Turkey Hunting