Turkey Hunting Tips

Spring turkey hunting in Wisconsin offers not only a challenge but also a great hunting experience. Below is a list of tips to help you during your next turkey hunting season.

• Don't get too close to the roost when setting up before daylight. Try and stay approximately 50 to 100 yards away.


• When you are stumped, because a nice Tom won't come in close enough to get a shot and you need him to come another 15 to 20 yards, try lightly scratching the leaves to imitate a turkey scratching. You can also stop calling altogether and simply wait. Remember you could be waiting an hour before he decides to come in, but it's worth it.


• When using turkey decoys, be sure to place them on a higher viewpoint, so that the Toms can easily see them. Using decoys can sometimes help bring the Toms closer to you faster.


• If the turkey is up on a hill or ridge, try and get up there to. Turkeys usually will not come down the hill to a call so you need to go to them.


• A dominant tom will usually gobble more than non-dominant toms. Along with that, Jakes will gobble and strut too, but in a much more timid matter since they are afraid of the toms. The dominant toms have already beat these timid Jakes up a couple of times by now.


• The hens will usually stay close to the toms until mid-morning. After the hens leave, you then can usually spot the old tom all by himself.


• You can still go turkey hunting in the rain, it's just a little harder. When turkey hunting in the rain, be sure to check which of your calls you can use in the rain. A diaphragm mouth call works best.


• Gobbling is used to bring the hens in. When your turkey hunting you're trying to do the exact opposite. You want to bring the Tom to you, so be sure to practice calling to get them all fired up!


• Most importantly, Patience.