MISSOURI SPORTSMEN'S INFORMATION NETWORK BACK TO TURKEY MAIN PAGE     HOME PAGE   ADVERTISE ON MOSPORTSMEN.COM   FISHING   BOATING   CAMPING   SHOOTING   ATV'S   LODGING     HUNTING LAND FOR SALE   ORGANIZATIONS     LANDOWNERS     COFFEE SHOP WEATHER LINKS   TAXIDERMISTS   SPORTING GOODS

Turkey Hunting Tactics for the Unprofessional Hunter How does that guy kill two birds every spring?  I used to ask that question frequently when I first started turkey hunting. Calling  in a bird sometimes seemed impossible.  Since my introduction to the sport of turkey hunting, I have spent the last 19 years discovering the not-talked-about secrets of many successful hunters and I would like to share them with youth rough my considerable experience.  What I have learned is that the most successful turkey hunters have many tricks up their sleeve that they would rather not tell you about.  Shoot & Chase  I shot my first bird in spring of 1983at 11:00 am, calling him in to 15 yards.  I cleanly missed with the first shot, winging him on the fly with the second.  After stomping around for 30 minutes, I decided that the bird must have run off. I returned to the scene one hour later with my father in a last ditch effort to find the bird.  Almost immediately, the bird busted out from under a log, apparently flightless and on the run with a good head start.  Six shots and a one half mile later we caught up with the bird, beating it to death with a stick. (We had run out of shells.)  The bird weighed27 ¾pounds and to this day, it is the biggest bird I have ever taken. Matt Gerhold The Law of Averages (If you go enough times, you'll get your chance) In 1988, after hunting every day for two weeks, I finally took a bird on the last day of season.  I had hunted every day till 1:00pm without success.  Missing two birds earlier in the week with my12 gauge 3"magnum, I had been given more that one opportunity to take a bird, and I still couldn't get the job done.  It was raining the last day, so I took out the old Winchester 20 gauge single shot that was leaning against the wall in the corner.  It was already weathered and easy to pack. Getting to the woods late, I sat down against a tree to listen. Not more that a minute later, I saw a gobbler pop up over the ridge, and shot him dead at 35 yards without so much as a twitch. I had been in the right spot at the right time. Spot & Stalk (Use terrain to close the distance.  You can sneak up on a tom, sometimes!)  In 1990 I worked harder for a bird than I can ever remember. I was determined to get across a levee in order to get closer to a gobbler that was hammering about 200 yards down and on the other side.  My plan was to walk down along the inside of the levee where a large stream ran.  It was about 10 feet below the turkeys line-of-sight and the only way to move through the large bottom without getting busted.  Just as soon as my boot hit the edge of the water, I uncontrollably started to slide down the slope of the creek. It was just like riding a slow escalator down to the next floor. With arms over my head, I held my gun and wallet wondering just how far in I was headed. The good news was that my gun and wallet stayed dry, but that was about it.  I was 6 inches from holding my breath.  One hour later, I finally managed to get myself out of the levee and sat down against a tree to dry off in the morning sun. The bird was long gone.  A while later and still wet, I spotted a trio in the direction of where I had come from strutting their stuff.  Not being the smartest person, but at least knowing the depth of the water, I trudged right down the middle of the levee to where I had come from that morning.  Getting to where I thought the birds would be, I found a series of exposed tree roots and used them to hoist myself out of the water.  With one foot, one knee, and one hand holding onto the roots, I peaked up over the levee shoving the gun ahead of me with my right hand.  All three birds were 20 yards away. I shot with the gun lying on the ground.  The bird weighed 26½. Lady Luck (I'd rather be lucky than good)  In 1993 I tagged out within the first five minutes on the first day.  I had set up against a large tree on the edge of the woods as gobblers hammered 100yards into the timber below, well before sun up.  After giving a few soft tree calls, I decided to readjust, moving to a more comfortable tree nearby.  Squirming around, breaking off limbs, and just about to get my nest made, a bird took flight out of the tree I had moved to, sounding like a B52. I knew that it was a heavy bird and figured it was a gobbler that I had just spooked.  Strangely enough, the bird crashed through the trees in the dim light, making an emergency landing not more than 40yards away. Dazed, the bird stood there for just a few seconds, long enough for me to see a beard and shoot.   It wasn't very exciting, but effective all the same.

Over the years I have called in several birds in the traditional manner, just like we all see on every hunting video.  In fact, I consider myself to be a skilled caller.  But equally effective, I have stalked, chased, and have just been lucky enough for turkey to walk up to me out of seemingly no where.  I do whatever it takes to not be birdless at season end; that is, within legal hunting methods.

 I have seen a hunting buddy outrun a turkey down a hill, sliding on a cow pie half way down on his knees, only to gain on the bird, regain his step and make a killing shot.  To this day, best I can tell, he scared the gobbler to death.

I have guided hunting companions with hand signals from a nearby hilltop as they belly crawled up the other side to an unsuspecting gobbler fanned out in the morning sun.

I have shot and missed turkeys only to have them run straight at me not knowing where the shot had come.  I have also shot turkeys only to give chase, pouncing on them like a cat until they have flopped off every feather leaving me looking like I had just been in a pillow fight.

So what is the secret to the most successful turkey hunters: persistence, patience, hard work, flexibility, and most importantly, a carefully planned story to tell to your buddies.

Private grant ups ante for turkey poachers
NWTF provides $12,000 for equipment and special law enforcement operations

SULLIVAN, Mo. -- Illegal turkey hunting, already a chancy proposition for game law violators, is about to get even riskier. Angered by outlaws who kill turkeys illegally, the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) has put up a bundle of cash to help the Missouri Department of Conservation catch turkey poachers.

Illegal turkey hunting is a chronic problem, particularly in the southern half of Missouri. Special operations in recent years have dramatically increased the number of arrests for turkey hunting violations. Now the NWTF has thrown the weight of its 400,000 members behind the effort.

The NWTF recently announced it will raise the stakes for turkey poachers with $12,000 in matching money to help the Conservation Department's Protection Division target turkey violations. Most of the effort will focus on the area south of the Missouri River, where poaching before and during the spring hunting season is a special problem.

Terry Roberson, Ozark Region Protection Field Chief for the Conservation Department, said the matching money will pay for specialized equipment and help defray the costs of special operations. He said the grant is just a small part of the giant role the NWTF plays in wild turkey conservation.
"The Federation has been a huge help in bringing the wild turkey back to Missouri and ensuring good management," said Roberson. "They have underwritten restoration work, research and enforcement programs, not to mention the heavy involvement of the Turkey Federation's 14,000 Missouri members in promoting hunting ethics through hunter education classes and their J.A.K.E.S program. Our continued partnership with the NWTF will reap the benefits of a healthy turkey flock and safe, ethical hunters in Missouri."

Roberson noted that the NWTF matching grant also will help the Conservation Department maintain an aggressive wildlife law enforcement program during a period when sales tax revenue shortfalls are requiring cutbacks in many state programs.

A turkey vest is the most important piece of equipment you can own.  Pick a good one and stay organized.  They allow you to carry a variety of calls and other essential gear. Vests available through the Missouri Sportsmen's Information Network at

THE MISSOURI SPORTSMEN'S INFORMATION NETWORK MOSPORTSMEN.COM