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The sun was already high in the sky when Bill and I saw our first Nebraska turkeys. They weren’t in the wooded ravines where I expected them; they were just off the highway that ran through the Sandhills region of north central Nebraska. I had just been commenting on the lack of trees, except for those around the numerous abandoned and occasionally occupied farmhouses. Then I saw the two tom turkeys, strutting 20 yards from a highway department sand pile, 50 yards from a farmhouse, complete with a dog lying in the dust near the front porch and several cats. Because of the amount of white on their tail feathers and rump I thought they were domestic turkeys. But, when we passed a flock of fifteen turkeys walking across the prairies 15 miles down the road I realized I was seeing my first Merriam’s Turkeys.

I couldn’t understand what the birds were doing on the open prairie until a few days later, after I had been hunting. Because of the limited habitat available to the big birds in Nebraska, turkeys have learned to adapt to their environment. On the Great Plains the forested areas usually associated with turkeys and turkey habitat occur mainly along the major rivers and their tributaries. In general, the only areas with trees large enough for turkeys to roost in are along the rivers or near the widely scattered farmsteads and small towns. Several farms and towns in this area have their own resident flock of turkeys.
I’d chosen this area to hunt because a map provided to me by the National Wild Turkey Federation showed that one of the highest concentrations of Merriam’s, and Merriam’s/Eastern hybrid turkeys in North America occurs along the Niobrara River near the town of Valentine, Nebraska. The area is primarily wooded bluffs and river bottoms, west of Valentine you are likely to see more pine forest than hardwoods. The change doesn’t seem to bother the turkeys however, because we found birds in both types of forest. On top of the bluffs, away from the river, the surroundings change to the endless rolling plains of grass common to the Dakotas and Nebraska, which is more suited to sharptails, prairie chickens, long billed curlews and coyotes than to turkeys. Water is limited and trees are scarce on the prairies, which explains why the turkeys I saw earlier were near the farms.
Turkeys prefer to roost in trees where possible, and the groves around the farms may offer the only trees for miles around. The farm sites also offer feed in the form of grain for the cattle and insects associated with cattle droppings. The overflow from stock tanks and the stock ponds on the farms provide needed water for the birds. Since many of the local people don’t hunt, the turkeys move right in and become semi-tame. Many of the farmers and their wives look upon these birds as pets, and don’t allow hunting. Even if they did, trying to get within range of these “yard bird ” turkeys on the open prairie is next to impossible. There is just no place to set up. Hunting their “country cousins” along the river bottoms, however, is much like hunting turkeys anywhere else. After obtaining permission to hunt on a 12,000 acre ranch we began scouting along the tops of the bluffs adjacent to the river, where we could four wheel drive from one ravine to the next along five miles of the river.
In open country I prefer to locate birds by calling from the top of a ridge that falls into a ravine or valley on one or more sides, so I can hear any answering calls from as many directions as possible. I use a crow call or owl hooter to try to get the birds to “shock gobble’ in response to my calling. If I don’t get an answer I wait five to ten minutes and try again. If I still don’t get an answer I drive to the next ridge and continue until I get a bird to answer. When I use turkey calls in wide open country I use a high pitched mouth diaphragm, or one of the new aluminum striker calls, because the high pitched sounds of these calls carry farther than other calls. Recent turkey research shows that the calls of Merriam’s, Rio Grande and Gould turkeys are higher pitched than the calls of their eastern counterparts. When I am calling I like to sound as much like the local birds as possible, and can do this with the new aluminum calls.
When you hear a bird in this country you have to realize that sound carries a long way. I have had birds respond, and heard them, from as far away as a mile and a half. You also have to realize that calls echo off the bare canyon walls in this country; one lone tom may sound like a whole flock. On more than one occasion I have gone to look for a flock of toms I though was in the next ravine, only to find out that it was one bird, and it was two or more ravines away. When you put birds to bed at night be sure you know the exact location of the bird before you leave, or you may start hunting the next morning only to find yourself in the wrong ravine.
Hunting this wide open country presents some problems that eastern hunters may not be prepared for. Spring weather on the prairie may change from blizzard conditions with temperatures in the 30’s one day, to clear skies with temperatures reaching the upper 80’s the next. You should take along both heavy and light camouflage clothing, and rain gear. A good pair of comfortable, lightweight waterproof boots are a must when you walk miles across the prairie and cross low lying boggy areas and streams to get the birds. Because of the distances traveled on foot I also take along a combination back pack and folding seat to sit on.
After getting a response from a nearby tom on the second morning of the hunt Bill and I decided to set up a flock of Feather Flex turkey decoys and try to call the bird in. I took the three decoys out of my back pack and set them up in a small clearing in the pines. After choosing a couple of trees for back rests I set up the hens on a small rise slightly to the left of where I expected the tom to come from. Then I placed the jake within shooting distance, where it could be easily seen by an approaching tom. I like to place the decoys off to one side of my shooting position, so that when a bird comes in it is attracted to the sight of decoys, which keep the bird from looking in my direction. I place the jake decoy in a clear shooting lane, because I’ve found that a tom will often attack a jake before it will go to the hens; when the tom approaches or attacks the decoy I have a clear shot.
After the decoys were setup Bill and I positioned ourselves so that we could each watch a different approach to the setup. Then I yelped a couple of times on my Haydel’s mouth diaphragm. A few minutes later Bill whispered that he could see two toms strutting below us on the next ridge. I called a couple of more times and heard the birds gobble back, but they were unwilling to come any closer. We waited a half-hour while the turkeys continued to gobble, but they didn’t come any closer. Finally we decided to move to the top of the next ridge, closer to the turkeys. When we got there I set up the decoys again and called. Almost immediately there was a thunderous gobble with an echo, and then another thunderous gobble; I was sure at least one of the birds was coming in.
After twenty minutes of calling the bird hung up just below the rim of the ridge. I knew the bird was close by the sound of its call but I couldn’t see it. In an effort to bring the bird in I started a series of fast clucks, simulating the “cutt” of a turkey. The cutt is the sound of one bird telling another that if the two are going to get together, the other bird will have to do the walking. Almost immediately a double gobble echoed up from the valley below us. I waited a while then let loose with another cutt; cluck...cluck...cluck ... cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck … cluck … cluck cluck. There was another double gobble from about twenty yards away.
With the sheer drop of the ridge and the echoing I couldn’t pinpoint the tom, but I knew it was close. As I looked over at Bill I could see the excitement in his eyes. I motioned for him to get ready. I clucked softly; cluck. Then I moved my head slowly to search for the bird. I saw a bright red and glowing white head appear over the lip of the rim off to my right. I looked at Bill, to see if had spotted the tom. He raised his eyebrows as if to say, “Where is it?” When I looked at the bird there were not one, but two heads peering over the rim. The double gobble I heard had come from two birds. They were about ten yards away, and I was sure that Bill could see them. I looked at him again, but he still hadn’t seen the birds.
I had two turkey tags and was thinking that this would be a great time to fill one of them. But, Bill had never hunted turkeys before, and I wanted him to get the first shot. Although we were both well camouflaged, I was afraid that at this range the birds would spot us. They were staring right at me, and I heard one of the toms putt; putt...putt...putt. Not really an Alarm Putt, more like the bird was nervous. The bird's necks crossed as they tried to locate me, and I clucked softly to settle them down. Bill's bow was still down and I motioned to him with my hand to get ready. If the birds saw us there wouldn’t be much time to draw and shoot. He shrugged his shoulders slightly. He still didn’t see the birds. I was glad that I had stopped using my striker call earlier and had begun using my mouth diaphragm; using the mouth diaphragm reduced the chance of the birds spotting my hand moving and left both hands free to hold my bow.
One of the birds putted again and I clucked in response. The sound was so loud I half expected to see Bill’s hat blow off. Fortunately he saw the bird and had the presence of mind to let an arrow fly.
When I got up to see where Bill's bird was I heard him say, “Well I rolled that one.” I said “You sure did.” as I watched the bird roll down the ridge. Then I heard Bill say, “He’s going to go all the way to the bottom.” And that’s exactly what happened. I watched in amusement as Bill tried to catch up with the bird as it cart-wheeled, wings flopping wildly, 150 yards down the steep embankment. It finally hung up in a yucca plant, 20 yards from the bottom.
A couple of days later Bill and I spotted a flock of fifteen turkeys near an abandoned farm. Through a break in the trees we could see three toms strutting in the grove behind the old house. I knew there was no way to call the birds in because they were already with a dozen hens. As we watched, the birds began to walk toward the far end of the grove, and I noticed a small brush choked ravine that began near the grove. I told Bill that we should work our way done the ravine to the far end of the grove, to try to intercept the birds when they came by and he agreed.
We quickly worked our way through the brush and up the ravine toward the grove. No sooner had we gotten into position than the first hen walked by at about fifteen yards. Behind her the flock slowly fed and walked it’s way toward us, with the toms taking up the rear. It wasn’t long before the hens walked out on to the prairie. I told Bill to wait until the toms were within range, then pick out the largest tom. Before I knew it the toms came out of the grove, and I just had time to draw and release. At my shot the tom fell down, and the rest of the flock scattered across the prairie.
When we got back to Valentine we registered our birds and weighed them. Bill’s tom weighed 22 pounds and had a 9 1/2 inch beard. My bird weighed just under 21 pounds and sported a 10 1/2 inch bird and long spurs. He now sits in my living room, in a full strut pose, a reminder of hunting Nebraska’s prairie longbeards.

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Some of Nebraska’s best turkey hunting occurs along the rivers, where the land is privately owned. There are also a number of Wildlife Management Areas in the Sandhills Region with turkeys, deer and ducks on them. Anyone planning a hunt in the Sandhills should allow a couple of days for scouting and getting permission to hunt on one of the ranches. We found the landowners cooperative as long as we were respectful of their property, didn’t bother the cattle during calving time, and remembered to close all the gates. Nebraska holds both spring and fall turkey hunts. In the Sandhills hunters are allowed two toms in the spring, and two birds of either sex in the fall.
Nebraska also has excellent whitetail and mule deer hunting. There are 130 to 170 class whitetails taken often enough to make me go back. For bird hunters the Sandhills offer sharptailed grouse, prairie chickens and pheasants, and a number of species of ducks on the potholes that abound in the area.

If you are interested in more turkey hunting tips, or more turkey biology and behavior, click on Trinity Mountain Outdoor News and T.R.'s Hunting Tips at www.TRMichels.com. If you have questions about deer, elk, turkey or waterfowl log on to the T.R.'s Tips message board. To find out when peak gobbling occurs in your area click on Peak Turkey Gobbling Dates.

This article is an excerpt from the Turkey Addict's Manual ($14.95 + $5.00 S&H), by T.R. Michels, available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products catalog. T.R. Michels is a nationally recognized game researcher/wildlife behaviorist, outdoor writer and speaker. He is the author of the Whitetail, Elk, Duck & Goose, and Turkey Addict's Manuals. His latest products are Hunting the Whitetail Rut Phases, the Complete Whitetail Addict's Manual, the 2006 Revised Edition of the Elk Addict's Manual; and the 2006 Revised Edition of the Duck & Goose Addict's Manual.

For a catalog of books and other hunting products; or for information on a wide variety of Natural History Eco-Tours, viewing and photographing regional and national scenic areas, songbirds, big game animals, elk bugling, wolf howling, sandhill crane, swan, prairie chicken, sharp-tailed grouse tours or other trips with T.R. Michels contact: T.R. Michels, Trinity Mountain Outdoors, E-mail: TRMichels@yahoo.com, Web Site: www.TRMichels.com.

Hunting Article Keywords:
Hunting Turkeys, Spring Gobblers, Tips for Turkey Hunting, Merriam Turkeys, Wild Turkey Hunting, Turkey Hunting Tips.

Posted by T.R. Michels at 08:03 AM | Permalink

When you are calling turkeys you need to understand the meaning of the calls they use, and when and why they are used. So, let's talk turkey talk. Turkey researchers have described as many as 20 different turkey calls, which fall into six basic categories; Agonistic, Alarm, Contact, Flying, Maternal/Neonatal and Mating.

Agonistic Calls (as in agonizing, not antagonistic)
Turkeys make a number of soft Putts, Purrs, and Whines while they feed; these calls help keep the birds of flock in contact with each other, and keeps them spaced apart when their heads are down and they can't see the other birds. The birds may become uncomfortable when they get too close to each other; thus they are in agony, so to speak. When turkeys make these calls they are saying, "This is my space, don't get to close."
The Feeding Whine or Purr sounds like the call made by a feeding chicken: a soft errr, or err-err-err-err. It may be followed by one or more Feeding Putts: a soft contented putt ... putt ... putt. I use these calls a few minutes after I use a Flydown Cackle, to convince the toms that there are hens on the ground and feeding. I also use these calls on toms that hang up out of range, to bring them in.
When turkeys fight they may use a Fighting Purr. This call is louder and more insistent than the Feeding Purr. The call is often interrupted by the sounds of flapping wings as the turkeys kick and neck wrestling often with each other. Turkeys hearing a fight often come running to see which birds are fighting, and which bird wins and loses. The loser often drops down in the social hierarchy, leaving room for subdominant birds to move up. I use this call to bring in dominant toms or hens when everything else fails.

Alarm Call
When a turkey becomes aware of danger it makes a loud, sharp Alarm Putt of from one to five notes: TUT ... TUT ... TUT that's used to warn other birds of danger. This call is a sign that a bird has seen a potential predator; the call and is usually followed by the bird running or flying away. Do not use this call when hunting turkeys.

Contact and Maternal/Neonatal Calls
Because the contact calls are used most often between the hen and her poults they are basically the same as the maternal/neonatal calls. When turkeys use these calls they are saying, "Here I am, where are you. The contact calls of young turkeys are the Lost Whistle, the Kee-Kee and the Kee-Kee Run. These are all high-pitched calls that get deeper as the young turkeys grow.

The Lost Whistle is the sound very young birds make, a high-pitched whistle: peep-peep-peep. As summer advances the voices of the poults change, and the Lost Whistle becomes the Kee-Kee, which usually has three notes strung together: kee-kee-kee. As fall gets nearer the young turkeys begin to add Yelps at the end of the Kee-Kee to produce the Kee-Kee Run. Many callers fail to recreate this call correctly by using only two notes, or by using up to five notes. The Kee-Kee Run is the basic Kee-Kee followed by several yelps: kee-kee-kee chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp. I use these calls in the fall, after I have scattered a flock.

Adult turkeys use many different yelps and clucks to keep in contact in different situations. Most yelps are the same as the "Here I am, where are you?" call of geese and other flocking birds, which is used to keep the birds in contact with each other.
The Tree Yelp is often the first sound of the day; a soft, nasal, three to five note call, performed while the birds are on the roost before daylight: chirp-chirp-chirp ... chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp, or some variation. There are usually three to four notes per second, with each note about .08 seconds in length. This call is one bird telling the others it is awake, and asking if there are other birds nearby and awake. This is the first call I use in the morning, to see if there are toms in the area and still on the roost.
The Plain Yelp is used by turkeys when they are within seeing distance of each other. It is louder than the Tree Yelp. The call often consists of three to nine notes of the same pitch and volume, with three to four notes per second, and each note lasting .08 to .10 seconds: chirp-chirp-chirp. I use this call when toms are up close, or within seeing distance of the decoys. This call is louder than the Tree Yelp.
The hen uses the Assembly Yelp in the fall to regroup the young. It usually consists of six to ten or more evenly spaced yelps that are loud and sharp, with two to four notes per second, and each note lasting from .12 to .20 seconds. This call is louder than the Plain Yelp. I often hear hens make a loud, long series of yelps while they are on the strut during the breeding phase. I am not sure if this is an Assembly Yelp or a Lost Yelp. But, I do know that toms often show up in areas where hens are making this call. I use Lost Yelps to get a tom fired up on the roost, and to keep it coming.
The Lost Yelp is much like the Plain Yelp but may contain 20 or more notes, and becomes louder toward the end. The bird's voice may "break" during the call, which causes it to have a raspy sound. There may be from three to four notes per second, with each note lasting .10 to .15 seconds. This is the loudest of the yelp calls.

The Plain Cluck is used by turkeys when they want to get the visual attention of another bird; it is primarily a close range contact call, again saying "Here am I, where are you?" A bird making this call wants to hear another bird make the same call so they can get together. It is a sharp, short sound similar to the alarm putt but not as loud or as insistent: tut ... tut. The notes of the cluck are often separated by as much as three seconds, which distinguishes it from the faster, closely spaced Fast Cutt. I often hear hens use several soft Clucks and Purrs while they are feeding: putt-putt-putt, errr, putt ... putt, putt-putt, errr. I use this call when a tom hangs up nearby, or to stop it for a shot.
The Fast Cutt, or Cutting, is one turkey using the "Here I am, where are you?" but telling the other bird "If we are going to get together you have to come to me." It is a loud insistent call, and the notes are strung together in bursts of two's and three's, with about a second between each burst: TUT-TUT ... TUT-TUT-TUT ... TUT-TUT-TUT ... TUT-TUT ... TUT-TUT-TUT or other variations. The rhythm is somewhat like the Flying Cackle, and I have used a Flying Cackle to get a tom to "shock gobble" by answering my call. I also use Fast Cutt to bring in a tom that hangs up.

Flying Call
The Flying Cackle is the sound a turkey makes as it flies up or down from the roost, or when it flies across ravines. Many hunters have difficulty with the correct tempo of this call. Actually it's quite easy, the calling of a bird in the air is directly related to the downbeat of the wing stroke, it's when the bird contracts its chest muscles and exhales, and it's the only time the bird can call. When imitating this call visualize the action of the turkey as it takes off, first with slow, powerful wing beats, then faster, then tapering off slowly before the turkey glides and lands. I often use this call to get a "shock gobble" from a tom before daylight, so I can locate the tree he is in. I also use it to get a tom to come off the roost in my direction.

Movement Sounds
There are sounds other than calling associated with different animals. The movement of the animal alone creates a sound that is associated by other animals as coming from a particular species or sex of animal. Turkeys have a particular way of walking and feeding that produces distinctive sounds; deer walk with a different tempo and volume. Turkeys also make a lot of scratching noises when they feed, along with the calls they make. If a turkey hears soft putts, purrs and whines, along with the sound of soft steps and scratching in the dirt or leaves, it thinks a flock of turkeys is feeding.
When turkeys fly down from the roost they often perform the Flying Cackle call. They also produce a flapping sound with each beat of their wings. A turkey hearing the combination of both wing beats and a Flying Cackle thinks another turkey has flown down from its roost. A turkey hearing a Fighting Purr expects to hear the other sounds associated with a fight; the sounds of flapping wings as the turkeys try to peck or kick and spur each other.
When a male turkey struts, it often Spits and Drums. The sounds of these two actions have been described as a "Chump" and a "Hum." Many hunters believe that both the Spit and Drum are vocalizations. However, after watching toms snap their wings open on gravel, and hearing a sharp "phht" sound when they do it, I believe that some of the sounds that hunters refer to as the Spit are the sounds of the wing tips snapping open or hitting the ground. At close range the sound of the wing tips of a strutting tom may also be heard dragging the ground as it struts.
The actual Spit "call" is produced when a male turkey exhales sharply through its mouth, after it has inhaled air to fill the air sack in its chest. Filling this air sack is what causes the "puffed up" appearance of a toms chest when it struts.
A male turkey may produce the sound of the Drum when it struts. The "Drum" of a tom turkey appears to be produced in the same manner as the "boom" of a Prairie Chicken; it is not produced like the "drum" of a ruffed grouse or pheasant, when they beat their wings. After listening to a domestic tom drum, and feeling its inflated chest while it produced the drum sound, I believe the Drum is caused by the vibration of air within the air sacs in the tom's chest; I suspect the breast sponge of a tom turkey is in fact an air sac.

It's not just the calls of the turkey, but the other sounds, and the actions or posture of the bird, in combination with the calls, that relays the meaning of the sounds to other turkeys. You can't recreate most of the movements and body postures of a turkey unless you use decoys. But, if you know when and why the sounds occur, you can reproduce the sounds turkeys make in the right way, and at the right time, to help you bring in a tom.

This article contains excerpts from the Turkey Addict's Manual, by T.R. Michels.

T.R. Michels is a nationally recognized game researcher, speaker and writer. He is the author of the Whitetail, Elk, Turkey and Goose Addict's Manuals: and the Deer Addict's Manuals. He is also the innovator of the Moon Indicator, which predicts peak monthly movement of deer and elk, based on the forces of the moon; the Daily Deer Movement Indicator, which helps hunters decide when and where to hunt, based on current meteorological conditions; and the Rut Phase Indicator, which helps hunters determine the stage of the rut; and when and where to hunt, by the current deer activity and sign. T.R.'s latest books, available for 2002, are the Deer Addict's Manual, Volume 7: Big Buck Hunting Techniques, and the Outdoorsman's Cookbook, Volume 1 and 2. For information contact:
T.R. Michels, Trinity Mountain Publishing, PO Box 284, Wanamingo, MN 55983.
Phone: 507-824-3296 E-mail:trmichels@yahoo.com Website:www.trmichels.com

Posted by T.R. Michels at 10:00 AM | Permalink

It was still dark as I turned the Suburban off the gravel road onto the field access road that ended at oak woods a half mile away. Not wanting to alert the turkeys, I turned off the engine and got out, quietly closing the door behind me. I reached into my turkey vest, pulled out my Lohman owl hooter and blew eight notes, imitating te call of a Barred Owl. A thundering gobble answered my call, followed by two more gobbles. Good, the birds were right where I expected them, roosted on the died of a southeast facing ridge about two hundred yards from the picked cornfield where I had seen them feeding before sunset last night.
If the birds did what they normally did , they would fly down about 15 minutes before sunrise, spend a little time looking for food in the woods, and ten would work there way along the bottom of the ravine until they came out of the woods into the cornfield.

Whether I am scouting for whitetails, mulies, elk, or turkeys I use four different techniques; scouting (looking for the animals, and looking for sign), observing (watching where the animals come from and go to, and how they act), recording (writing in a journal where and when you saw the animals, and marking on a map where you saw them) and patterning (determining where an dwhen you wcwill find the animals on a regular basis). The more time and effort you spend scouting and observing turkeys, and recording where and when you saw them, the less time will have to be spend patterning and hunting them. Once you know which areas the turkeys regularly use by scouting; and know the sex, size, and time to expect them in certain areas (based on observing, writing in a journal, and marking on a map), it is a matter of determining the right spot at the right time to hunt them.
While you are field scouting (looking for sign) you should also learn the land. You want to know where the food sources are, and what time of the year they are used. Find the roosting areas, watering sites, strutting areas and the travel routes the bird use. You want to know where the ravines, gullies, streams and fences are; obstacles that a turkey will detour around or not cross. You also want to know where the openings and fields are so you will be able to choose the best places to set up, and be able to estimate how long it will take a bird to come to your call. You want to know the topography, the elevation of hills and valleys, so you know if the birds are above or below you. (When you are calling try to be above the bird. Turkeys prefer to come uphill to a call rather than down).
You should know the land as thoroughly as the turkeys, so you know where to find them under current conditions and time of year. If you know the land you will know where the birds are if you hear, but can't see them. If you see them, you will know the route either you or the bird will travel, and approximately how long it will take. But, unless you watch the birds on a regular basis, you won't know how many there are, their size, sex, beard length of the toms, or when they use specific areas.
Observing
Observing is not accidentally running into or spooking animals. Observing is watching (undetected) to learn more about the animals and have a better understanding of them. An observation site should be a high point with a good view of much of the land, far enough away that you will not disturb the animals during their normal routine. A protected area or a blind at the edge of a field or a hill is are good sites for watching turkeys. It you choose the right the right spot you should be able to see how the animals react to each other, the weather, hunting pressure, and other predators. You may also have a chance to hear the animals calling and see the body posture and movement associated with their different calls.
Recording
While you are scouting and observing you should also put your findings in a journal. Keep notes on the date, time, sky conditions (amount of light), wind direction and speed, temperature, dewpoint, wind-chill, and precipitation. You should also write down what breeding phase it is and the type and availability of food; make note of the number of animals you see, and their sex, direction of travel, activity and size; and any other factors that might help you better understand the animals. You should down You should also mark the trails, resting, feeding, breeding and watering areas on a map. You should also mark down the areas where you saw the animals. The more information you keep in a journal, and the more information you have on your map, the easier it will be to understand the animals and pattern them.
Patterning
Most animals have a semi-regular routine they use. Turkeys in particular have preferred roosting sites, feeding sites and strutting areas. The semi-normal routine of a flock of turkeys is often governed by where they roost at night, which is in turn governed by where they end up feeding in the late afternoon/early evening. After years of using the same habitat turkeys know where the best roost sites are. So, when they are feeding in the evening, and they end up near a roost site they have used n the past, they will probably use that same site again, provided nothing happens to keep them from getting their before it is too dark. Then, when the birds fly down the next morning, they will usually go to one of the nearest feeding areas. If you spend enough time observing the birds you will know where their preferred roost sites are, and where they are most likely to go, and the routes they are most likely to take when they fly down the next morning. One you know their routine, and you know where the birds have roosted by putting them to bed at night, or seeing or hearing them in the morning, you will have a pretty good idea of where they are likely to end up feeding and strutting. Patterning can not be done in a few hours, it may take days or even weeks. But, the more time and effort you spend observing the animals, the clearer their daily patterns will become, and the more you will learn and understand the animals.
Locating High Use Areas
To locate turkeys you need a good topographical map of the area, or a good aerial photo. These visual aids will help determine where the "high use areas" of security cover, roosting sites, water, food, strutting, and travel areas are before you are even on the property. Then it's time to get on the property and scout for sign left by turkeys. Two prime areas you want to locate are the food sources (which often serve as strutting areas) and the roosting sites. These are the areas where turkeys spend the majority of their time and leave the most sign. They are also the areas where turkeys are the most predictable, where you have the best chance of ambushing or getting them to come to you. Find these areas and you will find the birds.
Reading Sign
While you are scouting, look for tracks, particularly tracks of toms in the 2 1/4 inch and larger range, with a deep or clear imprint of the middle toe with the scales showing. This indicates a large heavy bird, usually a tom. Tracks can be found along trails, in feeding and strutting areas (where wing drag marks may also occur), near roosting sites, and near wet areas.
Droppings are frequent in high use areas of trails, feeding, watering, strutting and roosting sites and can tell you if a tom is in the area. Large straight or "J" shaped droppings are those of a tom. Bulbous or spiral droppings are those of a hen. Piles of droppings under large trees are a good indication of a roosting site.
Feathers are often found along trails, under roosts, in feeding areas and in or near dusting bowls (small depressions in the dirt) where the birds cover themselves with dust to help eliminate pests. Breast feathers with square black tips are those of toms, while rounded brown tipped feathers are those of a hen. Light tipped tail and rump feathers are those of a jake or tom.
Scratching is another sign of turkey use. Scratches appear as claw marks in the dirt, or large torn up areas in grass or leaves. When a turkey scratches it uses each foot several times, leaving a "V" pattern, with the point of the "V" showing the way the bird traveled. Turkeys scratch when searching for left over seeds and acorns, or new succulent green growth and insects. A sure sign of a turkey feeding area is torn up leaf litter with exposed forbes bitten off.
Once you have found the high use areas it’s a matter of more time and effort observing the birds to determine if there are toms or jakes, how many birds there are, the size of the birds, length or number of beards, and other interesting features. The only way to be sure of the sex, size and special features is by observing the bird. Observing on a regular basis will help you determine when the birds fly down, which direction they go, the route they take, where they feed, and where they go to strut, water and roost. You need to record all this information in your journal and mark it on a map which, will help you pattern the birds so you know where and when to hunt.

If you are interested in more turkey hunting tips, or more turkey biology and behavior, click on Trinity Mountain Outdoor News and T.R.'s Hunting Tips at www.TRMichels.com. If you have questions about deer, elk, turkey or waterfowl log on to the T.R.'s Tips message board. To find out when peak turkey gobbling occurs in your area click on Turkey Gobbling Dates Chart.

This article is an excerpt from the Turkey Addict's Manual ($19.95 + $5.00 S&H), by T.R. Michels, available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products catalog.

T.R. Michels is a nationally recognized game researcher/wildlife behaviorist, outdoor writer and speaker. He is the author of the Whitetail, Elk, Duck & Goose, and Turkey Addict's Manuals. His latest products are Hunting the Whitetail Rut Phases, the Complete Whitetail Addict's Manual, the 2006 Revised Edition of the Elk Addict's Manual; and the 2006 Revised Edition of the Duck & Goose Addict's Manual.

For a catalog of books and other hunting products; or for information on a wide variety of Natural History Eco-Tours, viewing and photographing regional and national scenic areas, songbirds, big game animals, elk bugling, wolf howling, sandhill crane, swan, prairie chicken, sharp-tailed grouse, swan tours or other trips with T.R. Michels contact: T.R. Michels, Trinity Mountain Outdoors, E-mail: TRMichels@yahoo.com, Web Site: www.TRMichels.com.

Posted by T.R. Michels at 08:00 PM | Permalink

When you call turkeys in the fall it's helpful to understand the differences between spring and fall calls. Since the birds most likely to respond to calling in the fall are the young, you should use the calls of the hen and her young. In the spring the poults signal to the hen that they are lost by using the three note Lost Whistle; a high pitched peep, peep, peep. As the turkey poults grow their voices change, and the Lost Whistle they used in the spring becomes the Kee-Kee, which is the juvenile version of the "Here I am. Where are you?" or Lost Yelp, of the adult birds. This call should probably be re-named the Kee-Kee-Kee. Sonogram recordings of the Kee-Kee show that it usually consists of three (not two) unevenly spaced .10-.15 second notes, performed in one second. The first note is short and not as high pitched as the last two notes, and the call generally rises in pitch.

The juveniles also use the Kee-Kee Run in the fall. The Kee-Kee Run starts out like the Kee-Kee, usually with two to four "kee" notes, with five to seven yelps added. The entire call is performed in about two seconds; kee-kee-kee, yelp, yelp, yelp, yelp. When the birds use this call they are saying, "I'm over here. Where Are You?" Both the Kee-Kee and the Kee-Kee Run are used by the juveniles as they try to get back together after they have been scattered.
The Lost Yelp is the lost call of an adult bird. It may have as many as six to twenty or more evenly spaced notes, with three to four notes per second. The call gets progressively louder with each note and is often quite raspy. This raspiness occurs because the bird's voice breaks as it tries to make the call as loud as possible. It may be used by jakes, toms and hens to get back together.
The Assembly Yelp is used by the hen to let the young know where she is, so they can get back together. This call usually consists of six to ten or more evenly spaced yelps, with each note from .10 to .20 seconds in length. Because juveniles know their mother’s voice, which you probably can’t duplicate, this call is often ineffective in the fall.
Turkeys often use a Plain Cluck as they respond to another bird’s calling. They also use the Plain Cluck as they approach another bird while trying to locate it by sight. The Plain Cluck is a short call, usually consisting of one to three notes per second, with each note about .04 second in length. Remember, when the bird is performing this call it is trying to attract the attention of the other bird, it is loud.
The Fast Cutt or Cutting is a series of fast clucks, but louder and more insistent than the Plain Cluck. The Fast Cutt usually consists of four to ten notes, with from three to six notes per second, and each note being .04 seconds in length (as short as you can blow). It starts out with one short note per second, and increases in loudness and speed to five to six notes per second. This call is performed by a bird that is telling another that if they are going to get together, the other bird has to do the walking. Roughly translated, "I’m not going there, you come here."

Because many of the birds you call to in the fall are young, they respond best to the three versions of the lost call; the Kee-Kee, the Kee-Kee Run and the Lost Yelp, especially after they have been scattered. Obviously the soft putts, purrs and whines of a feeding flock can arouse the interest of the birds during the fall. Much of this interest is caused by curiosity about who the other birds are, and why they are there. You can also use the sounds of a fight to attract turkeys (Fighting Purr, wing flapping). Anytime there is a fight almost every bird within hearing will come running, because there may be a shift in social structure of the flock, and the birds will want to take advantage of a chance to enhance their own social status if a dominant bird is beaten in a fight.
Along with good calling you need a good stand site, which offers a clear field of view and shooting lanes. If you can see the birds you have a chance of seeing how they react to your calls, so you can make adjustments to calls that work. The use of decoys in any situation is a definite asset. If the birds not only hear, but see another bird, it helps instill confidence and enhances the curiosity factor.

T.R. Michels is a nationally recognized outdoor writer and speaker, who has been researching big game for several years. He is the author of the Whitetail, Elk, Turkey and Goose Addict's Manuals. His latest products are the 2002 Revised Edition of the Whitetail Addict's Manual, the 2002 Revised Edition of the Elk Addict's Manual; and Whitetail Notes & Activity Factors. For a catalog of books and other hunting aids contact: T.R. Michels, Trinity Mountain Outdoors, PO Box 284, Wanamingo, MN 55983. Phone: 507-824-3296. E-mail: trmichels@yahoo.com Website: www.trmichels.com

Posted by T.R. Michels at 10:00 AM | Permalink

Even though the first day of the spring turkey hunt was cloudy, and a cold wind was blowing, I headed for the soybean field where I had seen a flock of turkeys appear just after daylight for the last two weeks. I was fairly sure the birds wouldn’t show up because of the weather. Just to be on the safe side I drove to the field forty-five minutes before daylight. I parked on the road, got out of the suburban, and owl hooted loudly. When I didn’t get an answer I hooted again. Still no answer. I waited several minutes as the sky grew lighter and then blew a flydown cackle. No answer. The birds were either not there or not talking.

Luckily, I had been researching this particular flock for more than two years and I had a good idea of where I could find at least two of the fourteen jakes and toms in the area. I got back in the Suburban and drove to a small bean field that protected from north and east winds by the surrounding woods. By the time I got there the sky was already turning gray, so I grabbed my bag of turkey decoys and quickly made my way to the edge of the woods on the west side of the small field. When I reached the gully that ran into the field from the north I put out two hen decoys and two toms decoys, one in a semi-strut the other in a full strut.
I chose a large tree at the edge of the woods, checked to make sure I had a clear line of sight, sat down, and yelped softly on my box call. With the wind blowing I wasn’t sure if I could hear the birds, or if they could hear me. I called intermittently for the next fifteen minutes without getting a response. Then I heard a double gobble. I called one more time and waited. I knew the birds were calling because they kept gobbling every two to three minutes, and each time the sound was closer. A half an hour after I set up two long bearded toms walked down the gully, into the field and approached the decoys. If I had been hunting the birds would have offered an easy shot at fifteen yards.

Research
As a guide, writer and seminar speaker it’s my job to know when and where to find game animals on a regular basis. After hunting for more than thirty years I have learned a bit about animals. Reading magazine articles and attending seminars me a lot at first. Then I began to talk to researchers and biologists throughout the United States. After reading several of their research papers I realized there was much more to learn. So, I decided to begin doing my own research.
Like most hunters I have had days when I felt I had chosen the right day, the right spot, and the right time to hunt, and still didn’t see anything. I was fairly sure the weather had a lot to do with game movement because of some of the research I had read. I knew that turkeys often roosted on the downwind side of a hill to get out of cold winds, and from my own experience I knew that they often flew down later than normal on cloudy days. But, I wasn’t sure when or where the birds moved when the conditions weren’t right.

That’s when I began watching the flock of thirty-four birds that were about a half mile from my house. For two years I watched, listened and learned the movement of the birds. From the middle of March to late May I would go out in the evening to find out where the birds roosted. The next morning I would arrive an hour before daybreak. In a notebook I wrote down the date, temperature, wind speed, wind-chill, sky conditions and precipitation. Then I recorded the time and number of all the gobbles, any other calls the birds made, how many hens, toms and jakes I saw, what they did and when they did it, how long they did it and where they went from sunrise to as late as 1:30 PM. What I learned has allowed me to see more birds, find the birds on a regular basis, and get closer to them.
My studies show that several different meteorological conditions affect when and where turkeys move on a daily basis. These conditions include; the temperature or wind-chill (whichever is lower), the wind speed, amount and type of precipitation, and the cloud cover. The first thing I noticed during my study was that the birds generally started gobbling about forty-five minutes before sunrise, and that most gobbling occurred from forty-five minutes before to forty-five minutes after sunrise. They generally flew down from five to thirty minutes before sunrise. When the sky was cloudy the birds usually called ten to twenty minutes later than when the sky was clear, and flew down later than normal. When the temperature or wind-chill was below 34 degrees there was very little gobbling, and the birds often waited until the temperature warmed later in the day before actively gobbling.
There was far less gobbling on windy and rainy days. I suspect that high winds and the sound of the rain make it hard for the birds to each other, causing them to gobble less in response to each other. I also found that the birds responded less to my calling on windy and rainy days, probably because they couldn’t hear my calls. Stormy weather in the evening often caused the birds to be late on their daily routine.
Usually the birds roosted within a few hundred yards of a nearby feeding/strutting area, and they generally choose the same trees to roost in. But, when it began to rain or snow early in the afternoon they often roosted earlier than normal, and chose the nearest sheltered areas rather than going to trees they would normally use when they were in that area. This caused them to arrive at feeding/strutting areas later than normal the next morning, because they had to travel farther to get there. When I did see birds the next morning in open areas it was later than normal. The birds would often sit in protected areas with their wings outspread so they could dry out, especially if the sun was shining.
When the weather was cold and windy the birds generally stayed out of large open feeding areas, choosing to move to feeding sites on the downwind side of hills or woods, and in low-lying areas out of the wind. I watched three jakes come off the roost one morning and land in the field where they normally gobbled and strutted. There was a 23 mph wind that day and the wind-chill was 34 degrees. The birds moved to the small, protected field I mentioned at the beginning of this article and stayed there for twenty-five minutes. They ate infrequently, never gobbled, did not strut, and generally stood with their backs to the wind.

Spring Turkey Activity
Spring is when turkeys begin to move from their winter to summer ranges. However, this shift doesn’t happen at the same time each year, it depends on the amount of food available and the weather conditions. Depending on where you hunt the summer ranges may be from as little as a half mile to several miles apart. In areas where the winter and summer ranges are only a few miles apart the shift may occur over several days, with birds leaving one day and returning the next. In areas where the ranges are several miles apart the move may take weeks, with the birds advancing only as far as new foods become available. The only way to determine where the birds are on a regular basis is by scouting the area from a week to a day before you hunt.

Predicting Turkey Activity
The best way to find turkeys on a regular basis is to pattern their movements. In order to do this you should thoroughly scout the area you intend to hunt; key areas to look for are roosting sites and feeding areas. Studies by several researchers show that turkeys prefer to roost out of the wind when possible, in areas that are open to the early morning sun. I often find roosts on east and south facing slopes, or on the east and south side of wooded areas. The trees selected for roosting sites are usually taller than the surrounding trees, with large horizontal limbs. Large oak, elm, maple and box elder are used in the Midwest, cottonwood and aspen are often used in the prairie states, and pines are used where ever they are available.
The preferred food sources of turkeys depend on the time of the year. In early spring, before the snow has melted or new green growth has appeared, turkeys often use agriculture fields shortly after leaving the roost. Unplowed fields of corn and soybeans will we be used frequently as long as grain is still available. Grain fields that have been heavily grazed by cattle, or that have been plowed under will receiver less use by turkeys. Agricultural fields and pastures where cattle are fed on a regular basis are frequently used by turkeys as they search for leftover food and pick through cow droppings for undigested grains. Turkeys will also feed on leftover acorns and other mast crops where available.
Once the weather warms the birds may begin frequenting CRP and agricultural fields, pastures and open meadows in search of grasses, hay, alfalfa and winter wheat. They will also use south and east facing slopes and creek bottoms where they feed on insects and newly grown forbs. Scratching in leaf litter in wooded areas, where new forbs have been eaten, is a sure sign or a turkey travel route.
During your scouting you may see tracks, droppings, feathers and dusting bowls. These signs help you determine whether or not there are birds in the area and how recently. While you are scouting carry along a topographical map or aerial photo of the area and a notebook. Mark the areas where you see sign. When you hear or see birds note the time and weather conditions, and the number, sex and location of the birds in your notebook. Then mark the area on you map or photo. If you can, watch the birds several times before you hunt, so you know the areas where they normally roost and feed. Watch more than one flock if you can, so that you have back up birds to work if you can’t find your first choice.
You should know where the birds fly down, when they leave their favorite roosting areas, where they feed when they are in that area, and the route they usually take when going to the feeding area. You should also know where they go after they leave the early morning feeding area. Generally the birds will stay in an open feeding/strutting area a half an hour or more before moving to another area. They may move through wooded areas, feeding as they go, and arrive at another open feeding area, or they may stay in the woods. Knowing where they go when they leave the early morning feeding/strutting site will give you the opportunity to hunt the birds later in the day.
Look for birds going to roost the night before you hunt, so you know where to find them the next morning. If you see birds feeding in open areas within a half-hour of sunset they will usually roost nearby. They may return to feed in the same area the next morning. If you don’t see any birds drive around to likely roosting areas and try to get the birds to shock gobble in response to a crow call, owl hoot, pileated woodpecker call, or gobble. Once you have found a roosting area figure out where the birds will likely feed the next morning, and the travel route they will take. The next morning setup along the travel route or in the feeding area. If the weather is nice expect the birds to feed in unprotected areas. If it’s windy, cold or rainy set up in protected areas, and expect the birds to call less, call later than normal, and to move later in the day than they would on warm sunny days.

If you are interested in more turkey hunting tips, or more turkey biology and behavior, click on Trinity Mountain Outdoor News and T.R.'s Hunting Tips at www.TRMichels.com. If you have questions about turkeys or turkey hunting log on to the T.R.'s Tips message board.

This article is an excerpt from the Turkey Addict's Manual ($14.95 + $5.00 S&H), by T.R. Michels, available in the Trinity Mountain Outdoor Products catalog.

T.R. Michels is a nationally recognized game researcher/wildlife behaviorist, outdoor writer and speaker. He is the author of the Whitetail, Elk, Duck & Goose, and Turkey Addict's Manuals. His latest products are Hunting the Whitetail Rut Phases, the Complete Whitetail Addict's Manual, the 2006 Revised Edition of the Elk Addict's Manual; and the 2006 Revised Edition of the Duck & Goose Addict's Manual. For a catalog of books and other hunting products contact: T.R. Michels, Trinity Mountain Outdoors, E-mail: TRMichels@yahoo.com , Web Site: www.TRMichels.com

Posted by T.R. Michels at 10:30 AM | Permalink