Old turkey hunter tricks make hunt a success

Here in the Midwest United States, where wild turkeys thrive and morels grow wild in the turkey woods, there are critters that will and do make venturing afield an uncomfortable experience when proper precautions are ignored. In fact, more than just a few painful situations have taught many a wise old turkey hunter many good reasons why they should take precautions that protect themselves from biting insects. One such insect, hunters and outdoors men & women alike dare not go afield amidst briar and bramble without practicing tick-bite prevention and treatment methods.

The important thing people should know about ticks. Woodlots where wild turkeys like to roost, dust, feed on acorns, bugs, and other such delicacies call home. Strut zones in fields full of tall weeds, blackberry thickets, and honeysuckle covered fence rows, small trees, and bushes adorned with countless low hanging branches provide sanctuary for an army of blood sucking ticks, mosquitoes and other such bothersome creepy crawlers ambush those of us that dare enter their environment.

Making insect repellants, such as Repel sportsman max 40% deet, Deep woods off, countless homemade concoctions or Skin So Soft, and Old Spice, type products favored by many an old hunter as must have items in a pant pocket, turkey vest, or daysack.

 Using a tick spoon to remove embedded ticks is far better than burning them off with a match or lighter, using a pair of tweezers, or grabbing with one’s fingernails and attempting to pull the embedded tick without leaving the tick's head in the skin where it will become infected causing additional health problems.

Simply center the tick in the notch in the spoon, pop the tick out from the embedded head towards the tick’s rear end. 

Believe you me, when a tick has the audacity to latch on to one's genitalia, the tick spoon will quickly become the outdoors type person's new best friend.

Thankfully the wild turkey has a couple of blind spots in the old gobbler’s vision. With its eyes set on either side of the turkey’s showy head, the old long beard has two blind spots. One 5-degree blind spot is directly in front of the turkey’s beak, the second, directly behind the birds head.. Made larger when the old Tom is in full  strut, check out the photo below, comparing full, 3/4 and 1/4 strut tail feather configurations.

The problem with this type of behavior, more often than not it leads to misjudging a typical 2-year old adolescent tom strutting and gobbling his fool head off across a field a limb-hanger. There is simply nothing more disappointing than discovering the bird has modest 17mm spurs, rather than the anticipated 30+mm hooks. The solution, get a better look next time through a high quality set of binoculars.  I recommend the Steiner 10 X 50 military / marine.

The Steiner military marine 10 X 50 binoculars, in my view are without question the perfect combination of magnification, light gathering capabilities, and generous field of view, a little on the heavy side I grant you however, the premium quality German glass lenses are second to none. The solution to the weight issue is simple, purchase an Opticron universal binocular harness with quick detach feature, and the Bob Gear BOG-POD Binocular Rest and you will be ready for hours of glassing regardless, running and gunning, or taking a breather in a stationary hunting blind. 

Oh, by the way, I have been carting a pair of 8 X 30-G Steiner binoculars since the late 70s, 7 X 50-H since the early 90s, and with age the 10 X 50 military marine sure help my tired old eyes without spending a ton of money.

Before deciding on which is the best hunting technique for any given situation to ensure a successful turkey hunt, hunters should gain a better understanding of what things are important, and which are not.

After chasing the old long beard for 30+ years, I have amassed a rather large collection of turkey hunting gear. From custom hand made mouth, and friction calls, mass produced shock calls i.e. gobble tubes and the like. Although fun to collect and learn to use, so as to impress less knowledgeable hunters, and amuse our professional hunter friends, carrying a hunting vest full of such crap has many more disadvantages, than advantages.

Travel light, carry only the things you need, know how to use, and enjoy fair chase and the hunt for self-fulfillment.

Best of luck, teddletonmr