Welcome back to Year 2 of howtoturkeyhunt.com! I hope we can add to your knowledge on turkey hunting by blogging some really good hunts. I am hunting two new properties in Tennessee this year so that should add for some excitement and good tips on scouting.

I started counting the days to the Tennessee opener about 2 months ago when deer season ended. After organizing my turkey gear, re-organizing my turkery gear, sighting my gun, practicing on my calls, and scouting my turkey properties, it was finally time to go.

This year for the opener, I was invited to hunt at the farm of my good friend, Chuck Bean. Chuck has a beautiful property about an hour of west of Nashville where he practices quality game and fish management. To learn more about his property and practices, go to his website: trophybasslake.com. Chuck is also a youth wrestling coach, former TN state wrestling champion, and Division I wrestler. He has coached both of my sons, Russell and Christopher(Smiley) and has been instrumental in their success as wrestlers. Also on the hunt were my son Smiley, and longtime friends of Chuck: David Thoni, Tim Terry, Chris Mattox, and son “Puddle”. Special guest was Mike ” 4 toe” Huffine. Mike is an expert in Quality Deer Management and has been instrumental in the development of Chuck’s farm.

We showed up Friday night where a fine wild game meal of venison chops was enjoyed along with a blazing camp fire and the NCAA basketball round of 16. Friday was a windy, rainy night with a low of about 48. The weather forecasted for Saturday was not much better with overcast skies, a chance of rain, and gusty northeast winds.

5:00 came early Saturday morning and everybody jumped out of bed………..except for Chuck, Tim, and David. David was finally dragged out and off we went. Chris was hunting with puddle while David was teamed up with “4 toe”. Smiley and I eased into the woods and worked our way down one of Chuck’s wooded ridges occassionally stopping to owl hoot. This was not a morning to hear a lot of gobbling as it was cold, misty, and windy. Based upon past scouting, I knew some spots that I had seen a lot of scratching. I was also looking for a wooded hollow where Smiley and I could drop out of the wind. Smiley and I soon found what we were looking for: a blown down tree top at the edge of a hollow protected from the wind that led down to the headwaters of Chuck’s bass lake. We had elected to bring our chair blinds as Chuck’s woods have been “select cut” and are very clear. The chair blind is a great tool for turkey hunting as they are light, easy to set up and very comfortable. We set up our chair blinds and our hen decoy. This year, I am testing different motion devices and I connected a battery powered remote controlled contraption that moves any decoy up and down in a pecking motion.

After being sure we were ready, I elected to start calling with my box call. Typically, I start with a softer pot call but the a box call really cuts through the wind and this was a morning where I would need to be as loud as possible. 4 cuts and 1 yelp were immediately answered by the roar of a gobble at the bottom of the hollow. I whispered to Smiley to get ready and he got his gun up to his shoulder. Now that I had his attention, I hit a couple of more cuts but mainly remained silent. When searching for an approaching gobbler, I always look for his head. The head of a sexually aroused Tom will turn very white and I find it to be very visible in dim light of early morning. I spotted the bird about 70 yards out in full strut as he came over the rise on the edge of the hollow. I whispered to Smiley, “There he is. Do you see him?” “No!” was the answer. I purred softly on my pot call. He immediately sounded off with a gobble. “I see him now!” Smiley whispered. The big Tom strutted and drummed in to about 30 yards moving in front of our bobbing decoy from left to right. When he stepped behind a tree, I whispered to Smiley, ” Take him when he steps out” When the Tom stepped out, Smiley whispered that he didn’t have a shot and the big Tom started to put as if something was not right. Not wanting to take a chance, I aimed the ole’ 870 and let the Hevi Shot and Primos Jelly Head do the job. The big Tom catapulted over backwards and flopped down the draw.

Have you ever tried to get out of a chair blind in a hurry when you feel the need to chase a flopping Tom? The instructions say to lift the front edge back over your head. Right. After unsuccessfully trying to get the stakes out of the ground and lift the front I simply laid my gun outside and dove out the front. The Russian judge would have definitely given me a 6.5 but who cares. I picked up the gun and ran to my turkey which was flopping in his final throes. He sported a 9.5 inch beard, 1 inch spurs, and topped the scales at 21 lbs. A great start to what is hopefully a great seaon!

Keys to the Hunt:

1. Everybody loves to read about and watch turkey hunts where quiet, warm spring mornings are full of the sounds of gobbling and singing birds. However, it is not uncommon in the early spring to have to deal with rough weather: cold temperatures, snow, blustery March winds, and rain. When these conditions occur, gobbling can be slim to none. You better have a plan and this is where scouting comes into play:
a. Based upon past hunting and scouting trips, we headed for an area I knew
turkeys frequented. Turkey scratchings, droppings, and feathers are a
sign post for travel routes for turkeys
b. In windy conditions, turkeys like to get into quiet areas where they can
hear. The hollow we set up on was an ideal place for a Tom to frequent and
be out of the wind.
2. Box calls are my preferred call for windy mornings. They are really loud and cut through the wind.
3. Chair blinds or other ground blinds are effective tools on cold, windy days as they keep the wind off and allow you to move to stay comfortable.

Smiley’s keys to the hunt(a beginner’s perspective):

1. Always have a place to hide before you call. That way, you know where to go if a gobbler answers nearby.
2. You don’t have to call very much if their nearby and moving towards you.

Until Next Time,

Tight Lines & Struttin Toms,

Lou & Smiley