{"id":6783,"date":"2021-03-25T23:41:06","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T23:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/?p=6783"},"modified":"2021-03-25T23:41:06","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T23:41:06","slug":"turkey-hunting-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkey Hunting Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every year by mid-winter I find myself longing for the crisp, cool morning of a seasonal turkey hunt. The sounds and smells of being in the woods scouting for and hunting turkeys after a long winter is exactly what makes me love it so much. I wish I\u2019d had a turkey hunting guide to point me in the right direction when I started. Instead, I learned from making mistakes that I\u2019ll help you to avoid in the article below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ll admit, first and foremost, I\u2019m an avid deer hunter. Turkey hunting was something I decided to try out of sheer boredom. I was bow hunting deer one season on a small farm in a remote area of New Hampshire. I hadn\u2019t seen a deer in the area all weekend and I was thinking of packing up and leaving camp early.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Call Of The Wild (Turkey)<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Right around sunset, a rafter of turkeys appeared in the field just below me. There must have been 15-20 of them, with two or three good-sized Toms. The rafter crossed the field and flew up into nearby maple trees. I knew the racket they were making would put any deer in the area on high alert, so I decided to watch their movements and wait.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019d seen turkeys countless times prior to this, so I\u2019m not sure what sparked my interest in this particular rafter of wild birds. The next morning I put down my bow and grabbed my shotgun, I loaded <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/shotgun\/12-gauge-ammo\">3-inch 12 gauge<\/a> shells for the hunt. I headed back to the field and despite my mistakes, I miraculously bagged a bird on my very first turkey hunt.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All these years later and I\u2019m still hooked on turkey hunting, I can\u2019t imagine going a season without it. Along the way, I\u2019ve gained a lot of valuable experience and made countless memories. I hope to impart some of my knowledge to you in this article so you can bag a bird quickly and avoid common mistakes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Turkey Hunting Guide<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This will be a beginner\u2019s turkey hunting guide to discuss several key points:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#Turkey_Identification\">Turkey Identification<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Turkey_Hunting_Habitat\">Turkey Hunting Habitat<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Turkey_Diet\">Turkey Diet<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Preparing_For_Your_Hunt\">Preparing For Your Hunt<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Shotguns\">Shotguns<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Hunting_Ammunition\">Hunting Ammunition<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Archery_Options\">Archery Options<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Turkey_Hunting:_Shot_Placement\">Turkey Hunting: Shot Placement<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Camouflage\">Camouflage<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Turkey_Calls\">Turkey Calls<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Using_Turkey_Decoys\">Using Turkey Decoys<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Turkey_Hunting:_Quick_Start_Guide\">Turkey Hunting: Quick Start Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#Field_To_Table\">Field To Table<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This article will not answer all your questions about turkey hunting, but hopefully, it will serve as a guideline.\u00a0 I can give you the basic tools, but it&#8217;s up to you to put in the time and dedication to perfect the craft.<\/p>\n<h2><b><a name=\"Turkey_Identification\"><\/a>Turkey Identification<\/b><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_7143\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7143\" class=\"wp-image-7143 size-full\" title=\"types of wild turkeys\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Identification-Web.jpg\" alt=\"a photo identifying types of wild turkeys\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Identification-Web.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Identification-Web-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Identification-Web-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Identification-Web-790x527.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7143\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A Tom is a mature male turkey, a Jake is a juvenile male turkey, a Hen is a female turkey.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before we get into how to hunt turkeys, let&#8217;s make sure you can identify and locate these bad larries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are three basic turkeys you will see, Tom- the adult male, Jakes- younger males, and Hens- the females. Each of the sexes has different characteristics, which you\u2019ll need to know before you go hunting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Tom<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Tom Turkey is the most iconic of the Turkeys.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Tom is larger in size than Jakes and Hens. They have dark, almost black feathers on their breast that shine. On their breast is a long, coarse hair-like beard. Their heads are red, white, and blue. Patriotic right? Probably why Ben Franklin wanted this to be the Nation\u2019s bird. When displaying, Toms will puff up and fan out their tail.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Jake<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jakes will look very similar to Tom turkeys.\u00a0 However, they are smaller and have little to no white on the head. They will also have a beard, but usually only 3 inches or so. Their tail feathers may also be uneven. Jakes act just like Toms and make for great decoys.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Hens<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Hen is going to be smaller than a Tom, but still a decent size. A Hen will have a long neck and no beard. The Hen\u2019s entire body will be a shade of brown, except its wingtips which will have some light brown or copperish-looking colors.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><a name=\"Turkey_Hunting_Habitat\"><\/a>Turkey Hunting Habitat<\/b><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_7141\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7141\" class=\"wp-image-7141 size-full\" title=\" turkey hunting habitat\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Locations-Web.jpg\" alt=\"a photo of a turkey hunting habitat\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Locations-Web.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Locations-Web-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Locations-Web-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Locations-Web-790x525.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7141\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Be sure to look for signs of rooting in areas with hardwood trees where turkeys like to roost.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Turkeys prefer to be in an area that provides hardwood trees for cover and roosting, but like to have access to fields and open spaces to forage for food.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Roosting<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Turkeys will roost in large trees, such as oaks, maples, or pines. They will try to get as high up as possible and stay there at night to avoid predators.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><b><i>&#8220;Try to locate the turkey\u2019s roosting spot and set up nearby, when the turkey\u2019s come down in the morning you should be able to get a shot.&#8221;<\/i><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h4><b><a name=\"Turkey_Diet\"><\/a>Turkey Diet<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Turkeys will consume a variety of bugs, snails, slugs, berries, wildflowers, grasses, and can destroy your small vegetable garden.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><a name=\"Preparing_For_Your_Hunt\"><\/a>Preparing For Your Hunt<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that you have some basic knowledge about turkeys, let&#8217;s start discussing some gear and tools you will need to get the job done.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, if this is your first turkey hunt don\u2019t go running off buying all this stuff.\u00a0 My first two seasons of turkey hunting, I used a combination of my waterfowl and deer hunting gear. The very first turkey I got, was with my waterfowl 12GA and #2 steel shot. So, don\u2019t think you need to go out and spend $1,000 on turkey gear to go hunting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Turkey HuntingWeapons: Shotgun Or Bow<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are two weapons that are primarily used for turkey hunts, shotguns, and bows. I use both and like both.\u00a0 When I say bows, I mean traditional, compound, or crossbow, whatever you choose is fine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b><a name=\"Shotguns\"><\/a>Shotguns<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Really, there are two choices nowadays, the 12GA and 20GA.\u00a0 Personally, I like a 12GA shotgun chambered for 3-inch shells. However, it is all about shot placement, so you can get a turkey with a 20GA.\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/shotgun\/20-gauge-ammo\">With a 20GA<\/a> you may just need to let the bird get a little closer.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Choke<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When turkey hunting you will want a tight pattern. A lot of people like full chokes, because they have a tight pattern and will allow you to range out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I personally like chokes specifically designed for turkey hunting. These are suped-up full chokes that keep your patterns tight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatever choke you use you will want to pattern your gun (see below).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><a name=\"Turkey_Hunting_Ammunition\"><\/a>Turkey Hunting Ammunition<\/b><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_7139\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7139\" class=\"wp-image-7139 size-full\" title=\"turkey hunting 12 gauge ammo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4048-Web.jpg\" alt=\"a photo of federal turkey hunting 12 gauge ammo\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4048-Web.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4048-Web-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4048-Web-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/DSC4048-Web-790x527.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7139\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">There&#8217;s a wide variety of turkey loads with different flight patterns available on the market.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regular #2-5 birdshot will work. The smaller the shot, the closer you will want to get to the bird. Remember it is all about shot placement, which we will discuss below.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I like to use shells specifically made for turkey hunting. They are made from tungsten and are #4 shot. These have a good range and a great pattern. They are expensive, but I only use 4 or 5 shells per year, so one box will last a while.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Patterning Your Gun<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, determine at what range you feel comfortable shooting the bird and what is a realistic shot. On average this will be in the 20-40 yard range. You can take a look at different 12-gauge ammo shot patterns <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/shotgun-load-types\/\">at this link.<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now take your shotgun, choke, and ammunition, and shoot at a target that mimics a turkey\u2019s head.\u00a0 You are looking to get 70% of your pellets into the turkey\u2019s head and neck area.\u00a0 If you can do that, then you are good to go.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><a name=\"Archery_Options\"><\/a>Archery Options<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatever bow you use for big game hunting will be more than enough for turkey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With archery, you need to pay more attention to the arrowhead. You can use fixed blades, mechanicals, or anything else you fancy.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I love wild turkey meat, so I like to decapitate the bird with a guillotine broadhead.\u00a0 This prevents damaging the precious meat.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><a name=\"Turkey_Hunting:_Shot_Placement\"><\/a>Turkey Hunting: Shot Placement<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shot placement is more important than the type of weapon or ammo you are using.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With a shotgun, you will want to hit the turkey in the neck and head area.\u00a0 This will quickly and humanely kill the bird. It will also preserve all edible meat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With archery, you can try to decapitate the bird, as I discussed above or hit the vital organs. The vital organs are towards the front of the bird, a few inches behind where the beard is. The organs are a small target and will damage some meat, but many hunters prefer this method.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><a name=\"Camouflage\"><\/a>Camouflage<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Turkeys actually have amazing eyesight. They can spot any movement or irregularities in their environment within seconds. This is why camo is important.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Basically, your entire body, hands, and even face should be covered.\u00a0 Try to get a good camo pattern that matches your area. Also, I try to get all the same camo pattern, so my legs, body, and face all match.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Turkey Vest<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you spend any amount of time hunting you will probably want to consider getting a turkey vest. It is a vest with pads on the back, which cushions you when leaning against a tree, and usually has a seat pad.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are special pockets on the vest for easy access to calls, shells, binos, water, and whatever else you like to carry turkey hunting.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My vest was fairly cheap, I think $50 or so, and just makes turkey hunting comfortable. I will also use it for deer hunting, if I am not taking a stand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><a name=\"Turkey_Calls\"><\/a>Turkey Calls<\/b><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_7133\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7133\" class=\"wp-image-7133 size-full\" title=\"friction turkey call\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Calls-Web.jpg\" alt=\"a photo of a man using a friction turkey call\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Calls-Web.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Calls-Web-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Calls-Web-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Calls-Web-790x527.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7133\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A friction call is usually the easiest bird-call option for new hunters to learn how to use.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most exciting things about turkey hunting is being able to interact with the birds. You can make a clucking call and wait for a Tom to gobble back, or make gobbles and hope a Tom charges in, both are fun and effective.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>There are three basic calls<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Box<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Friction<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diaphragm (mouth call)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All three are good and all three work well. If you are going to bow hunt you\u2019ll want to look at the diaphragm.\u00a0 If you are using a gun then all three are in play.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I personally like a box call. However, if you hunt up north, in New England, Spring and Fall can be chilly.\u00a0 It can be difficult operating a friction call with bulky gloves. However, I&#8217;ve never had that issue with a box call. Diaphragms are really good, but it takes time and practice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Some good calls to learn:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clucks<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Putts<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Purring<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gobbling<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yelps<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each call serves a purpose. Start with a basic yelp and work your way up to more advanced calls.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don\u2019t be the hunter that watches a YouTube clip and all of a sudden thinks they are a master caller and overdo it. Less is more when calling in turkeys. I have been turkey hunting for over a decade and call in most of my birds with a simple cluck or yelp. Don\u2019t try to get fancy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><a name=\"Using_Turkey_Decoys\"><\/a>Using Turkey Decoys<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Turkey decoys are a great addition to any turkey hunter&#8217;s arsenal. There are all sorts of ways to set up and use decoys.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I like to set out a Jake with a couple of Hens. Then make a few calls. Toms will come sprinting in thinking Jake is getting all the action.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My buddy only sets up Hens and has good luck.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decoys can range from cheap to pricey, but make sure if you go down this route you buy decoys that are decent. A quality decoy will last for years, so splurge a little if you can.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><a name=\"Turkey_Hunting:_Quick_Start_Guide\"><\/a>Turkey Hunting: Quick Start Guide<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, we know where to find the birds and what gear we will be using. Let\u2019s start getting ready to get a bird.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Scouting<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scouting is the single most important skill when trying to hunt any species, especially turkeys.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Step One<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I will check an area I want to hunt on Google Earth. I look for an area with a good mixture of trees and fields. In New England, I often look for abandoned apple orchards (this is a dual purpose because I am an avid upland bird hunter).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Step Two<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once I find an area that looks good, I try to get boots on the ground to check it in person. However, I work full-time and have kids, so this isn\u2019t always accomplished.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><b><i>&#8220;If I skip step two, my first turkey hunt of the year will double as a scouting mission, I end up doing a lot more calls and hiking.&#8221;<\/i><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Step Three<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look for sign. Look for tracks or drags on the ground. Additionally, look for wingtips that fell out. You can usually tell where a turkey has been.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I will also try to head into the woods in March or April, when there is some snow on the ground and I can look for prints.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Step Four<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set up shop. Now it is time to look for a good spot to set up. I like to sit in the woods, right on the edge of an opening.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Concealment<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that you have a good spot to set up shop, let&#8217;s talk about concealment.\u00a0 Some hunters like to use ground blinds. These are a great option if you plan on hunting the same area for a long period of time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I think the most common is for hunters to set up with their back leaning against a tree.\u00a0 Then try to have a little bit of coverage in front of you to conceal movements, but not obstruct your view.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><a name=\"Field_To_Table\"><\/a>Field To Table<\/b><\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_7137\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7137\" class=\"wp-image-7137 size-full\" title=\"a delicious turkey\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Noms-Web.jpg\" alt=\"A photo of a delicious turkey\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Noms-Web.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Noms-Web-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Noms-Web-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Noms-Web-790x527.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7137\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There&#8217;s no wrong way to cook a turkey, just be sure to brine your turkey before cooking it.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now let&#8217;s assume you did everything right and bagged a bird.\u00a0 Let\u2019s field dress it.\u00a0 First, remember many states require you to leave a sign of the sex on the bird.\u00a0 So you can keep the feet attached or check in the bird before you field dress it. That\u2019s your call.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are two basic methods. Your best bet is to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2sxLk6WXnbw\">YouTube them<\/a>. But, these are breasting the bird or plucking it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I used to only breast out my turkeys. Then I realized what a disservice I was doing to my birds. Now I pluck all my turkeys. It takes a little time and patience, but it is worth it. The skin will keep the bird moist during cooking.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Cooking Your Bird<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that you\u2019ve dressed your bird, let&#8217;s talk about cooking it. You can cook a wild turkey just like you would a store-bought turkey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Something to consider is that these turkeys are wild, you may notice more dark meat and some say it\u2019s a little tougher, I have never noticed a real difference.\u00a0 Either way, I recommend brining your turkey before cooking it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Personally, I like to deep fry or smoke my turkey.\u00a0 I feel like the smoke enhances the natural flavors of the turkey.\u00a0 But, I\u2019ve found that when you deep fry it, people who are hesitant about game meat are more apt to give it a shot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Final Turkey Call<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_7135\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7135\" class=\"wp-image-7135 size-full\" title=\"a man carrying a wild turkey\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Hunting-After-Web.jpg\" alt=\"a photo of a man carrying a wild turkey\" width=\"1024\" height=\"750\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Hunting-After-Web.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Hunting-After-Web-300x220.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Hunting-After-Web-768x563.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Hunting-After-Web-790x579.jpg 790w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7135\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Learn by doing, don&#8217;t worry about making mistakes, experience on the ground equals success during turkey season.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As I mentioned this is a basic outline to get you started in turkey hunting. It\u2019s not possible for me to list everything you need to know in a single article. However, this guide should be a good starting point for the novice turkey hunter. Be sure to make a list and check it twice before you head out the door on your first hunt.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nothing will beat the experience of boots on the ground during turkey season. I got lucky bagging a turkey on my first hunt, but you may need to spend a few weeks looking for the right signs, practicing calls (that annoy your wife and kids), and getting your camo\/concealment perfect before you land your first bird.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every year by mid-winter I find myself longing for the crisp, cool morning of a seasonal turkey hunt. The sounds and smells of being in the woods scouting for and hunting turkeys after a long winter is exactly what makes me love it so much. I wish I\u2019d had a turkey hunting guide to point [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":7132,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[693],"tags":[285,13,14,817,463,815,814,816],"class_list":["post-6783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hunting","tag-12-gauge","tag-12-gauge-shotgun","tag-12-gauge-shotgun-ammo","tag-bow-hunting","tag-hunting","tag-seasonal-hunting","tag-turkey-hunting","tag-turkey-hunting-guide"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Turkey Hunting Guide - The Basics for New Hunters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Check out our helpful turkey hunting guide. It&#039;s a great step-by-step resource to get you started chasing turkey tail this season!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Turkey Hunting Guide - The Basics for New Hunters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Check out our helpful turkey hunting guide. It&#039;s a great step-by-step resource to get you started chasing turkey tail this season!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Wideners Shooting, Hunting &amp; Gun Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-25T23:41:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Hunting-Guide-Web.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"683\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jacob\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jacob\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/\",\"name\":\"Turkey Hunting Guide - The Basics for New Hunters\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Hunting-Guide-Web.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-25T23:41:06+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2abdb8d05ffcd8d8dfdc82eceac8d85\"},\"description\":\"Check out our helpful turkey hunting guide. It's a great step-by-step resource to get you started chasing turkey tail this season!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Hunting-Guide-Web.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Hunting-Guide-Web.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":683,\"caption\":\"turkey hunting guide\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Turkey Hunting Guide\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Wideners Shooting, Hunting &amp; Gun Blog\",\"description\":\"Tips for shooting, self-defense, hunting and more\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2abdb8d05ffcd8d8dfdc82eceac8d85\",\"name\":\"Jacob\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5bdba7577a660520515347744ce0021410b59d9014114ab3102fe61b012fd341?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5bdba7577a660520515347744ce0021410b59d9014114ab3102fe61b012fd341?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jacob\"},\"description\":\"Jacob is a general firearms enthusiast, hobby gunsmith and avid plinker based out of East Tennessee. He has a bachelor's degree from Carson-Newman University and enjoys writing and covering firearms related articles and events. He has a background in the journalism industry.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/author\/jacob\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Turkey Hunting Guide - The Basics for New Hunters","description":"Check out our helpful turkey hunting guide. It's a great step-by-step resource to get you started chasing turkey tail this season!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Turkey Hunting Guide - The Basics for New Hunters","og_description":"Check out our helpful turkey hunting guide. It's a great step-by-step resource to get you started chasing turkey tail this season!","og_url":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/","og_site_name":"Wideners Shooting, Hunting &amp; Gun Blog","article_published_time":"2021-03-25T23:41:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":683,"url":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Hunting-Guide-Web.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jacob","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jacob","Est. reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/","url":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/","name":"Turkey Hunting Guide - The Basics for New Hunters","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Hunting-Guide-Web.jpg","datePublished":"2021-03-25T23:41:06+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2abdb8d05ffcd8d8dfdc82eceac8d85"},"description":"Check out our helpful turkey hunting guide. It's a great step-by-step resource to get you started chasing turkey tail this season!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Hunting-Guide-Web.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WRS-Turkey-Hunting-Guide-Web.jpg","width":1024,"height":683,"caption":"turkey hunting guide"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/turkey-hunting-guide\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Turkey Hunting Guide"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/","name":"Wideners Shooting, Hunting &amp; Gun Blog","description":"Tips for shooting, self-defense, hunting and more","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/d2abdb8d05ffcd8d8dfdc82eceac8d85","name":"Jacob","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5bdba7577a660520515347744ce0021410b59d9014114ab3102fe61b012fd341?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5bdba7577a660520515347744ce0021410b59d9014114ab3102fe61b012fd341?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jacob"},"description":"Jacob is a general firearms enthusiast, hobby gunsmith and avid plinker based out of East Tennessee. He has a bachelor's degree from Carson-Newman University and enjoys writing and covering firearms related articles and events. He has a background in the journalism industry.","url":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/author\/jacob\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6783"}],"version-history":[{"count":67,"href":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6783\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9378,"href":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6783\/revisions\/9378"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wideners.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}