By Glen Wunderlich

With a full month of Michigan’s turkey season remaining, many hunters look forward to the month of May to bag a bird.  As temperatures begin moderating to the delight of outdoorsmen and women, who prefer the late season, the birds seem more in the mood to strut their stuff.  Fruit trees have blossomed, perennial legume plots have greened up, and gangs of turkeys have established their territories and settled in to routines that a good scout can exploit. 

Over the past four decades, hunting the big-game birds has gotten easier.  First of all, birds are far more plentiful, even though the total populations have dropped somewhat from their modern-day pinnacles.  If one considers that a mere 50 turkeys were killed by Michigan hunters in 1969 compared to today’s totals of some 35,000, there is no argument. 

In addition, scouting has never been easier; trailcams have changed all that.  My first wild game camera used film to capture the action, which necessitated not only purchasing film, but then returning to some facility to get it developed.  I would even pay extra for the convenience of one-hour developing, so that I could see the images even faster.  This was only 20 years ago! 

I was so ahead of the curve – that is until digital cameras arrived on scene.  Today, close-out models sporting 12 megapixels, infrared detection, movie modes and battery life of up to one year can all be had for about $100 – a far cry from the inferior film versions costing over three times as much. 

Shoguns have been the tool of choice for most turkey hunters and special shells have also been engineered for turkeys, as well.  Patterning a given load for uniformity was always a pain in the…shoulder, but until recently, most shotshells used old technology.   

Now, we have Winchester’s Long Beard XR (extended range) ammo that lives up to its name.  A proprietary concoction of buffering and shot that produce results on target surpassing anything imaginable in days gone by.  As far as I’m concerned, there’s no need to experiment further. 

Although I haven’t splurged for a dedicated turkey shogun (imagine that 30 years ago!), I have opted for an extra-full turkey choke for my scattergun and a red dot sight for precise aiming at all ethical ranges. 

When it comes to advancements in equipment, no review would be complete without mentioning portable blinds – another convenience unheard of years ago.  They not only have the advantage of shelter from the elements, but they make a hunter invisible to the sharp eyes of turkeys.  Along with the advantage of being able to take a youngster along, they also provide a means to dodge the omnipresent existence of pestering black flies and mosquitoes so prevalent this wet spring. 

Through all the technological advancements in hunting gear and techniques over the years, however, one aspect of the hunt remains the same:  It is that moment when you know a gobbler is falling for your tricks, as it displays its tail feathers and struts toward its final destiny – the kitchen table.

NEWTOWN, CT – The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industries, is extremely pleased to note today that West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has signed SB 345 into law, expanding Sunday hunting on private land with written permission. Read more

By Glen Wunderlich

Finding wild turkeys to hunt sure isn’t as difficult as it once was.  The sheer numbers of turkeys across the land remain a glaring testament to the widely successful efforts of sportsmen and women to reestablish the once-threatened master of strut.

Back in the ‘70s and before digital everything, I’d travel the two-tracks in Montmorency County in my go-anywhere VW Rabbit scanning the fields during the daytime.  At sunset, atop the tallest hill, where I could see for miles in every direction, I’d glass during the waning light in hopes of finding their roosting trees.

The adventure of the chase and the anticipation of bagging my first bird kept me going for years, because that’s all I had to show for my time afield.  It all seemed so mysterious.  Since then, however, turkey hunting techniques and gear have become as plentiful as the magnificent birds themselves.  Here are a few tips to take advantage of the developments in technology.

The single-most useful tool to come along over the years is the portable blind.    One blind I’ve used for many years has turned a rosy red in color from the ultraviolet rays of the sun, and although its conspicuous presence can be picked off by other hunters, it remains invisible to turkeys.

The larger blinds can be erected in advance, so there’s less gear to tote afield when hunting.  Camera gear, seats, and hunting partners are all welcome – even in rainy weather, which brings to mind some comforting thoughts.  It all has to do with what I call “paying dues.” 

Since springtime rain is inevitable, use it to your advantage.  Turkeys have superior hearing and the steady sound of rain tapping the leaves on the forest floor is disconcerting to a wary gobbler’s safety.  By placing a blind near a bottleneck opening to a field, you may find that turkeys are quite comfortable in the openness.  There they congregate to a natural synergy afforded to them by keen eyesight and where hearing is less consequential.  Rain also stifles the flying abilities of insects, making them vulnerable prey to feeding birds.  Earthworms and night crawlers also appear to the turkeys’ delight.

Inside the blind, you may fire up a portable heater to take the chill and dampness out of mix.  An old blanket can be stored inside a plastic bag and deployed over the bare ground within the shelter for quietness and comfort.  You’ll also want the blind to be as dark as possible inside, so keep the windows behind you closed.

Utilizing some type of rest for a shotgun can add a dose of confidence on any shot.  Farther shots require a centering pattern to maximize effectiveness, while close-in shots with their tight patterns can turn into clean misses unless spot-on. 

It’s best to practice some actual shotgun positioning before any birds are at hand.  If you don’t use shooting sticks, use the windows of the blind to rest your gun’s barrel.  Stay back from the window’s opening as far as possible ensuring that the muzzle is outside of the blind.  Don’t wait for the moment of truth to experiment!

I like to keep calling to a minimum and rely more on the attractiveness of a lone hen decoy.  After all, you’ve done your homework and know the birds’ routines.  Pay your dues and they will come.