With the spring turkey season (May 1-31) rapidly approaching, now is the time to start getting all your gobblers in a row, so to speak. Unlike most other hunting activities, aside from waterfowling and maybe bowhunting, spring gobbler hunters are heavily gear oriented. Whether it’s the assorted calls, decoys, camo gear and clothing they use, the inventory of a spring gobbler hunter makes most other forms of hunting pale by comparison.
Probably much of that gear hasn’t been used or inspected since last spring, and its ability to perform adequately after a year of down time should never be taken for granted. And when a big tom lets loose with a close-by gobble is no time to discover some piece of gear isn’t up to snuff.
Calls are the heart and soul of spring gobbler hunting, and they are the first gear item I turn my attention to. If they don’t sound the way they should, they get replaced. Latex diaphragm mouth calls are usually the ones that fail first, but even friction-type calls don’t last indefinitely. Humidity and wear and tear of use can cause them to deteriorate in both sound quality and volume. If, after cleaning and maintenance, you’re still not satisfied with how they sound, replace them. Good friction calls can last for many years, given proper care, but even they all will eventually wear out.
How’s your old camo clothing look? If you have something newer, compare its appearance with your older stuff. If the pattern has faded too much, a sharp-eyed gobbler might spot you just about the time you’re almost ready to drop him.
Got a batch of old turkey loads left over from previous years’ hunting? Better fire a couple off at a paper target to see if they still pattern the same as they did that first couple of years you used them successfully. Because we generally only fire at game one or two times when spring gobbler hunting, it often takes several years to use up our turkey hunting shotshell inventory. I try to replace mine every other year and use the older loads for small game hunting. And always pattern new shells in your favorite turkey gun before actually hunting with them.
There are basically two different approaches to spring gobbler hunting. One involves moving and periodically calling to try locating a receptive tom. The other is more stationary, where the hunter sets up in a known gobbler haunt, calls sparingly, and waits for a tom to respond and come in. Some hunters may opt to use both methods on any given morning, depending on gobbler activity and how much vocalizing (gobbling) they’re doing.
In recent years, blinds and decoys have become increasingly popular. The use of a ground blind allows the hunter better cover and the ability to make modest movements without worrying about a closing gobbler spotting him. Decoys can help put a gobbler at ease and help entice reluctant toms to approach closer.
