"Early Season Gobblers"
 

A lot of new hunters to the turkey hunting sport apply for the first hunt as their first choice, believing like deer hunting that if they don’t get out opening day they will not see their quarry.  As they often learn after a couple of years, this is not the case.  Each Michigan turkey hunt period has its advantages and disadvantages.

The obvious advantage to the first period is that the birds have not been worked over by other hunters and if caught alone or in a bachelor group, the gobbler(s) can be very vulnerable to the hunters calling.

The disadvantage, in my opinion, outweighs the advantage.  First of all, it is very difficult to draw the first period as a lot of hunters apply for it.  Secondly, the gobblers at this time frame are, for the most part, henned up and don’t respond to the calling as well.  The response is much better in the next week to ten days following.

To combat their lack of enthusiasm in your calling I would suggest patterning the group(s) you are about to hunt.  The first step is to find their roosting area.

The best place to look is by any rivers or creeks.  Turkey absolutely, hands down love rivers.  No matter which state you hunt, no matter which subspecies you hunt, and no matter which hunt period you draw, you can find turkey roosting along flowing water.  These areas produce the larger trees, and many times grow one of their favorite wild foods- acorns.  All of their basic needs of life are found by water; food, water, and sleep.

            Once you find turkey signs in the river area such as tracks, feathers, droppings or scratchings; you will most likely locate a roosting area nearby.  Now to locate that roosting area, go out before daylight in full camo to the area where you found turkey signs.  Just sit against a tree and listen as daylight approaches.  The gobblers will gobble on their own, thus revealing their location.  You can also stimulate a gobble out of them by using a loud locator call.  I prefer locator calls that are non-predatory, making the sounds of animals or birds that are natural to the woods I hunt.  The two I use the most are the sand hill crane and the bared owl.  Both are loud, non-predatory, and natural to the woods I hunt here in Michigan.  After they gobble and I get a fix on their location, I listen to the gobbling activity after the gobbler hits the ground to determine his travel route from the roost.  This bit of information is extremely valuable, especially on tight-lipped early season gobblers.

            Once I have located the general roost area and the direction he travels when he leaves the roost, I will set up 80-100 yards away from the roost, in the direction the gobbler usually travels.  You now have several factors in your favor; you have already located where the gobbler wants to be and are already set up there.  You do not have to solely rely on your calling.  Should the gobblers by chance answer your calling, but then the hens lead him away he will generally come back to the roosting area close to noon to find the hen (you) that he heard earlier.  He may gobble announcing his return or if this is a state land bird he will most likely sneak in silent, so you best stay alert.  Usually around 10-11:00 the hens will leave the gobblers to lay an egg in their nest.  At this time frame the gobblers are alone and more vulnerable to your calling.

            Typically the second hunt period produces one of two peak gobbling periods.  The first peak gobbling period usually takes place prior to the open as the gobblers are gobbling more to attract hens.  Once they have their harem of hens (usually the first hunt period) they don’t need to gobble as much because they have what they want and are not eager to leave them.  Towards the end of the second hunt period the hens start sitting on their eggs.  With more hens out of the picture the gobblers become more vocal again.  Therefore, you are more likely to experience the “classic” turkey hunt, where the gobbler comes in strutting and gobbling.

            At times during both periods you may encounter warm and sunny days.  These are the days when turkeys like to dust themselves in sand to cool off and keep their feathers from sticking together.  There is no mistaking a dusting bowl, as it is a round bowl-shaped hole in the sand with tracks in and around it.  I like to sit and wait at these locations in the late mornings and early afternoons.  As the sun peaks at its warmth, you can find the turkeys scratching in the shady and cool river locations.  You can either set up and wait while giving out feeding purrs on your call occasionally or, walk ridge above giving our calls to try and stimulate a gobbler to talk from the river bottom below. 

            Now that you can hunt until a half hour before sunset, there is the possibility of intercepting the gobbler returning to the roost area.  They usually return about an hour before dark.  I suggest keeping well clear of the roost again, 80-100 yards, if you plan on hunting this area more.  Should this gobbler happen to spot you at the roosting site, he may never return.  Whereas if he spotted you a hundred yards away he would most likely loop around you and roost where he normally does, thus allowing you to hunt him again in the morning.

            Last year I guided Scott Malone and his daughter Whitney, a first time huntress.  They drew the first hunt period.  After locating several different flocks I concentrated my efforts on the group that we were to hunt on opening day.  They roosted in the same trees and did not deviate from that pattern.  However I did observe them twice going in to the west where normally they would go east, as they were leaving the roost.  I decided to bring along Chet Loar, one of my assistant guides along and split up the two hunters.  Chet and Scott went and set up 100 yards to the west, while Whitney and I set up 100 yards to the east.  I figured at the very least, one of them would get a bird at first light.  The best case scenario would be a delay double, meaning the second hunter would get a shot as the scared birds retreated.  I love getting kids and first time hunters hooked on this sport, and desperately wanted Whitney to get a gobbler. 

            As the dark still night gave way to the morning light, the forest came to life with gobbles.  First one, then two, three, four, no less than six different gobbles broke the crisp, cool morning air.  My heart was beating a mile a minute.  The hens were now tree yelping, meaning they intend to fly down shortly.  First one flew, then another and another, then all at once.  There must have been 15 birds on the ground.  At first they hung out by the roost, then the lead hen started to the west.  It looked as though Scott and Chet would see the first action.  All of a sudden we heard a loud KABOOM!  At first the birds scattered in different directions and then the lead hen started back east, our way, the other way she knew well.  The rest of the group followed.  Only taking about five minutes for them to get to us, it seemed like an eternity, as we were so excited.

            I spotted three jakes and a really good trophy bird.  I was surprised by Whitney’s young calmness and alertness to her surroundings.  As the group approached us at 30 yards, I whispered to Whitney to let the jakes pass by and wait for a shot at the long beard.  It was not to be, as the old experienced long beard detected danger and did an about face on us.  So I instructed Whitney to take the nearest jake as the group was now taking the cue from the long beard and started alarm putting and retreating.  Whitney had the presence of mind to notice that there were two jakes lined up and that a shot would down both creating an illegal situation.  When they separated Whitney’s 20-guage rang out and the jake tumbled to the ground.  The jake had taken a jake and her father a long beard. 

            Scott was so happy to see his daughter successful on her first hunt of any kind.  I too felt the thrill of being part of a situation that takes place only once in a person’s life-their first harvest.  No doubt Whitney is now hooked on this sport for life.

            An early season double was made possible on this hunt through persistent scouting and patterning of the flock and knowing where to find the birds at different times of the day.  You too will experience success where others fail if you take the time to pattern early season gobblers.

Greg Abbas