Thanksgiving is coming soon.
While most people will get a frozen turkey from the grocery store, hunters know that a wild turkey, harvested from a nearby field, tastes so much better.
It’s rewarding to serve your own turkey on the holidays, so take the time to bag your own this season.
Where to Hunt Turkeys
You will find turkeys in a wide variety of habitats, but the best areas have a combination of open fields and dense woods. Like all animals, turkeys need food, water, and shelter, and areas that hold these three elements will often have the most game, including deer, pheasants, and bears.
Turkeys need trees for roosting, so wooded areas with tall, thick trees will often hold the largest populations of gobblers. While they prefer the heavy woods, they can also thrive in thinly wooded areas, as long as there is enough shelter to make up the difference.
Public land is often the go-to place for many hunters, and thanks to a rising population of turkeys, it remains a common source for these animals. Turkeys on public grounds will face more hunting pressure, but you can still have a successful season by working state wildlife areas.
When to Hunt Turkeys
Every state, with the exception of Alaska, has a spring turkey season. Many also have a fall hunting season, giving turkey hunters two chances to pursue their gobblers. Most states will have a fall season that starts in October and lasts through early December. In northern areas, the spring season will start around early March and last into May, while southern regions are usually finished with turkey hunting by mid-April.
How to Get Your Turkey from the Field to the Feast
Now that you know the when and where of turkey hunting, let’s work on the how. Start in a location where you have found signs of turkey before. Maybe you’ve heard gobblers in the area or maybe you’ve seen them roosting.
Once you pinpoint a location, find a large tree to sit against. This tree must be wider than your shoulders, providing protection if a hunter behind you takes a shot.
Sit and listen. What do you hear? If it is particularly quiet, you may be able to hear flapping wings or gobbling. Now is a good time to try out your turkey calls. With a lot of patience, a little skill, and a sprinkling of luck, a turkey may wander within range.
Remember that apparel matters in turkey hunting. Turkeys have keen eyesight, so you’ll want complete camouflage from head to toe. Because you are fully-camouflaged, you’ll want to tie a blaze orange marker to your tree, which let’s other hunters know your location.
It’s also important to never wear red, white, blue, or black while turkey hunting, as these colors may attract other hunters. If another hunter comes near your location, call to them, but don’t move. Waving to alert another hunter could be dangerous.
Complete Camouflage for Turkey Season
To be an effective turkey hunter, you need the right apparel. Visit the online store from NOMAD and you’ll find top-quality items that will help you become a more successful hunter. From pants to headwear, we have all the hunting apparel you need to take a turkey from the field to the Thanksgiving feast.