First tip, scouting your hunting area 2 to 3 weeks before your hunting season. If you can try to make it out before the sun raises, you can see the turkeys getting out of the trees and see where they are heading and also try to make it out when the birds are getting ready to roost. Watching the turkeys for these couple of weeks gives you the perfect spot to place your blind or where you want to sit on the ground. If you do end up walking out to where you might want to sit make sure to clear away all the leaves and branches, so when you do go out you won’t have all that noise.

Second tip, making sure you are wearing the right clothing. Some people think sitting in a blind means they can wear whatever dark clothing they want but that is not the case. You want to make sure you are wearing the right camouflage that suits the foliage around you. When wearing dark clothing in the blind you create a shadow figure when you have the windows opened. I know some of you are thinking you don’t have the windows wide open but even when you have them half way opened, there is enough light to create a shadow of you and the turkeys can see that if they look into the blind. Plus wearing camouflage gives you the choice to hunt in the blind or on the ground.

Third tip, having some turkey decoys to sit out is really helpful. Some hunters want the top of the line turkey decoys but you don’t need top of the line decoys, just ones that are realistic looking. Some may ask how many decoys do you put out, well that is up to you. Some hunters will put out 2 to 4 hens with a jack decoy or a full strutting tom. Having a jack or tom decoy helps draw in a jack or tom as they don’t want that other bird getting the hens. But in the end putting out the turkey decoys the way you want is what is important.

The final tip. using the right turkey calls. There are 5 different types of turkey calls and they are the push button call, box call, friction/slate call, diaphragms/mouth call and locator. Push button calls make a realistic yelps, clucks and purrs with a simple push of a button. Box calls are versatile, great sounding and relatively easy to use. Putts, purrs, clucks and yelps come to life with box calls. Friction/slate calls are known for their realistic high-pitched sounds that carry well over distance. Diaphragms/mouth calls allow hunters to produce soft clucks and purrs that can reach high frequencies. They serve as great long range calls. The locator call does just what the name says, it locates where the gobblers are. All of these calls are good and will take some practice. But in the end you use what will work best for you.

Now that you have the basics for turkey hunting, get out there and start scouting and practicing on those calls. Turkey season will be here before you know it or is already going on. As always be safe and good luck.