As any seasoned turkey hunter will tell you, few things are more gratifying than tricking an old mature gobbler into walking inside gun range. However, accomplishing this task often requires some solid tactics and a little luck. We will break down the tactics we use every spring when we run up on a smart old Gobbler.
Managing Emotions
Turkey hunting is one of the most exciting types of hunting on earth! A hunter can experience many different emotions throughout a hunt. Often, turkey hunts can be full of highs and lows. Turkey hunting can be fun and fulfilling. However, if you turkey hunt long enough, you will eventually encounter a wise old gobbler which can be extremely challenging to bag.
Back in my early years of turkey hunting, I got lucky and experience success the first couple of seasons I hunted. In fact, I got a little overconfident. My third spring of turkey hunting however, my season was full of humble pie. My early success hinder my ability to bag a mature bird. I can remember hunting a particular gobbler in a specific area for weeks. It seemed like he anticipated my every move. It was so frustrating. I would get so irritated and discouraged when that old bird would put the slip on me time and time again. Before I knew it, I was ready to give up on turkey hunting all together. I let my emotions get the best of me that season. I did not fire a shot that entire season. Don’t let this happen to you! Manage your emotions and learn from your mistake!
There are so many emotions a hunter can experienced when hunting any type of game. Turkey hunting, in my opinion, requires extreme discipline when managing your emotions. You have to remember you are out there to have fun. Enjoy the challenge, but don’t let the challenge of bagging an old bird consume you. If that old gobbler frustrates you, leave him alone for a few days and try hunting another one somewhere else. Taking a break from hunting a tricky bird is actually one of the tactics we use as well as other we talk about in this article.
Learn From previous hunts
I am a firm believer that biggest key to any successful hunt is good scouting. Scouting and reconnaissance are keys to bagging an old bird. The more information you can gather about an old gobbler, the better you can form a plan of attack for the hunt.
However, if you have hunted a wise bird a couple times, you probably have a decent idea of his daily habits. Take advantage of the knowledge you have gain from past attempts at bagging that old gobbler. There can be several factors that contribute to missing out on a shot at a old gobbler.
I am not an expert on turkey hunting nor do I claim to be. However, I have been turkey hunting over fifteen years. Most of my hunts have took place in Louisiana, turkeys in Louisiana are a huge challenge to hunt. I can tell you for a fact, bagging an old educated gobbler in Louisiana is not an easy feat. Through my years of turkey hunting, I have learned the best way to kill an old educated gobbler is by learning from my mistakes. After each unsuccessful hunt, I find myself trying to dissect each phase of the hunt and think about where things started to deteriorate. Of course, hens always play a factor but at times I realize the bird simply knew I was a hunter and purposely avoided my setup. Once I think I understand why things went wrong, I begin to think about creative ways avoid the past mistakes in order to trick the old gobbler. I believe you have to try and understand why he will not cooperate then get creative and be strategic.
Strategy #1 Intercepting
Intercepting a gobbler before he gets to his flock of hens is the oldest trick in the book. I have found patterning an old gobbler for a couple days prior to your hunt works great. Setting up well before daylight and intercepting an old gobbler before he gets to his hens is a great strategy. But in order to successfully intercept a gobbler, you better have him patterned. You better have a very good idea of when and where he is most likely to fly down.
Another key to this strategy is knowing the terrain and knowing exactly which tree mature gobbler is roosted in. Knowing the tree the old bird is perched up in and the surround terrain will allow you a better chance to get setup undetected. I also caution you to be very careful shining any kind of light when getting setup. Make no mistake, a turkey can see flash lights and will avoid flying in the direction they last saw lights shining. As always, be as stealthy and quiet as possible when approaching your setup.
Strategy #2 Trailside Ambush
Oftentimes, educated old gobblers simply will not respond to a call. I have experienced this phenomenon time and time again. I have seen some great callers come up empty handed because the gobbler refused to come to the call.
When in pursuit of a mature gobbler, sometimes less is more. Sometimes, hunting without decoys and little to no calling is the best way to bag that old bird. One of the biggest gobblers I ever killed was ambushed from a pile of brush. I never used my calls nor did I use any decoys. I simply positioned myself in a pile of brush and waited for two hours for him to pass by.
Understanding daily travel routes an old gobbler uses can be great for setting up an ambush. This method requires patience at times and can be very boring when compared to running and gunning. However, this method is extremely effective for killing old experienced birds if you can be setup around the time that old gobbler passes through. I love to use trail cams for getting an idea of when the turkeys typically pass through a specific area each day.
Strategy #3 The buddy system
This strategy is great for wise old gobblers and gobblers that love to hang up just out of range. Hunting with friends can be so much fun. The bonus to having a hunting partner is both of you can team up against an educated gobbler.
If an old bird continues to hang up or won’t break from the hens, two hunters can call simultaneously replicating a flock of hens. This method will get an old gobbler fired up and coming quick!! Another great trick is letting your buddy setup behind you, out of site of the your setup. Once you are in position, let your buddy call from behind you. The old bird will be focused on that replicated hen sound behind you. This setup also works great when hunting field gobblers.
Calling Wise old gobblers
Old gobblers are extremely difficult to call at times. Most mature gobblers will quickly pick up on unnatural sounding calls. It is critical to sound as natural as possible when attempting to call an experienced gobbler.
I highly recommend you listen to wild turkeys calling in the wild. You can go online and find videos of hens making sounds in the wild. If you are lucky, you might get the chance to hear a hen in the wild this spring while you are hunting. Take note of the pitch and frequency a wild hen uses when calling in the wild.
Also, some of the best advice I can give you is limit your calling. Do not over call. When hunting an old bird, I recommend you call a couple times then wait at least forty-five minutes before calling again.
Summary
Hunting an old wise gobbler can be extremely difficult. A hunter has to be on top of his or her game to accomplish this challenge. You have to be smart about how you chase an old bird. They are old for one reason. They know how to avoid a predator better than most other turkeys. A hunter is the apex predator in the woods. If you keep a positive attitude and accept the challenge of hunting an old educated bird, your skills and determination will be tested like never before in the turkey woods. However, if you overcome this huge challenge, you will experience one of the best feelings any hunter could ever possibly have. You will also become a better hunter when trying to bag that mature old gobbler.
I hope the tips on this post help you guys this spring. I encourage all of you to have fun when turkey hunting. Turkey hunting is a special experience that takes place in a very special time of the year. I hope you all get out there and fill them turkey tags! If you want more tips for turkey hunting check out Americanhuntingsafari.com. You can also subscribe to Americanhuntingsafari.com for the latest tips on hunting, fishing and cooking wild game!
Thanks for reading!