Connecticut Turkey Hunting Opening Day 2011 – Making Adjustments

I was able to take a nice tom turkey on state land opening day. I’ve written in past posts that hunting state land (or public land) sometimes requires some different techniques than private land. On state land you always have to be concerned and aware of other hunters. This was again the case for me on this opening day.

I heard only one gobble all day. That was about 10 paces from my car in the parking lot after hitting an owl call first thing in the morning. There were gobblers roosted in a tree near the parking lot. Right after hearing the gobble I heard hen yelping. No more gobbles, but more hen yelping. Now, this could have been one of two things. It could have been a legitimate hen yelping to the roosted gobblers, or it could have been another hunter. There were no other cars in the parking lot, but this particular tract of land has a parking lot at each end. There could have been a car parked on the other side that I did not know about. Based on the urgency of the calling, I concluded that most likely it was another hunter. So, against my better judgment, I actually walked AWAY from the gobbles, and went to find a new spot. That’s an example of some of the difficulties associated with state land hunting. Regardless, I might have scared those gobblers anyway because even though the hen yelps continued, there was no more gobbling. Also, the fog was so thick at that point in the morning that the turkeys could have been right in front of me and I would not see them.

Due to the thick layer of fog limiting my visibility, I decided the best strategy would be to set up decoys in an open area, make a few calls, and wait for the fog to burn off. Maybe I would get luck and attract a flock. I set up my decoys on the top of a knoll with good visibility. The decoys could be seen in multiple directions. I think sat in some thicket and made some calls. Very soon after making some calls, I heard hen yelping returning my calls. Again, this could have been a real hen, or another hunter. I called some more. This time the mystery creature responded with about 50 loud and aggressive hen yelps. This was obviously another hunter. Even the most love-struck hen would not scream at the top of her lungs for 2 minutes straight. This was a rookie hunter that must have caught sight of my decoys and decided to get aggressive. Over calling is a common mistake for new turkey hunters, but this guy was over-the-top. He was so loud and obnoxious that he likely scared away everything in the county. I tried whistling to let him know there was another hunter there, but his calls were so strong that he could not hear me. Finally he stopped, and I let out a clear “Yo!”. There would be no way for him to mistake that this was the setup of another hunter. I thought he got the point, so shortly after I gave a few soft calls. He responded again! This guy was not getting the hint, so I totally shut up. Apparently he became frustrated and finally went to a different area. Finally there was just the noise of the natural woods, but this would not be the last I would hear from this guy. Again, another aggravation that cannot be avoided with forced to hunt state land in Connecticut.

After sitting for about 30 minutes waiting for the fog to clear, I happened to see 2 hens bring pursued by a strutting gobbler crossing a field to my right. They were come in my general direction, but not directly at my decoys. I tried to entice them over, but there was no way that tom was going to leave his two hens, and those hens were not interested. They disappeared behind the other side of the knoll. Turkeys move at their own pace. These hens were successfully feeding, so they were in no particular hurry to go in any one direction. Therefore, I waited hoping that their curiosity might get the better of them and they might come back over the knoll to check out my decoys. I waited about 30 minutes, however nothing appeared. I could not see the birds, but it did not seem like they had any interest in my location. It then occurred to me that it might be possible that these birds were still feeding in the opening just on the other side of this knoll. This was the direction they were headed, so it was a possibility. I decided to leave my set up and carefully walk to the other side of the knoll. The knoll had some bushes and pine trees for cover. I slowly made my way over the hill. Sure enough, the 3 birds were about 150 yards into the field on the other side of the slope. The hens were still feeding, and the tom was still strutting. I carefully crawled as close to the field edge as I could. I was afraid I would be detected, but I had to get into a decent position if I had any chance at attracting these birds. I gave a few calls and observed. They definitely heard me. As soon as I called the hens stretched their necks high to look for me. I waited to see if they would come any closer. They did not seem to me moving in my direction. Now I had another decision to make. I could sit and hope they would decide to come in my direction. This was a possibility. They turkeys were in a big field, and they might want to look for me. However, it seemed to me they were a little far away to entice to my position. Even though it meant again risking being spotted, I decided to get up and circle through the woods, and try to come out again on the edge of the field much closer to the group. This move had some risk, but I felt that I did not have much to lose.

I carefully walked through the woods along the edge of the field just out of sight of anything that might be in the field. I could not see the birds, so I had to try to judge where to come out. I made my way to the field edge, but still could not see the birds. Finally I spotted them. They were about 50 yards away, but very close to the edge of the field. In order for me to clearly see them, I would have to stick my head out of the brush, which would surely give away my position. However, I was now significantly closer to the birds. They were just out of gun range. If I could get them to just come a little closer to me I would likely have an opportunity at a shot. Using a large tree to cover my silhouette I got as close to the field edge as I could. I was not able to sit down, so I kneeled across the back side of the tree. This allowed me to be covered by the tree and peer through the bushes to see the birds rather than trying to pop my head out the front of the tree. I then began to imitate a feeding hen. I made mostly soft purrs, clucks, and putts. I made very few yelps, and any yelps I made were soft. I was close so there was no need to scream. Additionally, at this point I was mostly trying to attract the hens, and not the tom. Even though I was closer, the tom was still unlikely to leave his two ladies. By imitating a feeding hen, I thought I might be able to get the two hens to come towards me, and the tom would surely follow. Well, my strategy worked. The 2 hens slowly came looking for their sister.  The hens continued to come even though that same hunter that was intruding on my hunt earlier was now trying to call these same birds from the very far end of the field!  If he ruined my hunt within the last 50 yards, I may have changed strategies and went looking for him rather than another tom! The turkeys basically paid no attention of these call from the other hunter some 200+ yards away.  However, now I had a different problem. I had 2 hens searching the field edge for another turkey. The hens were getting dangerously close to me. I feared they would bust me before the tom came into range. One of the hens got to about 10 feet from me and just started straight at me for 30 seconds or so. I held perfectly still. She did not totally like what she saw, but she was not fully frightened either. She let out some quick putts, and started to casually walk away. When she did that, the other hen and the tom followed. Following the hen, the tom walked right across me, into an opening in the brush. Because of the close proximity of the hens, I was earlier not able to get my gun into shooting position. Now that the tom was in range, I had to get the gun up and shoot all in one motion. I was able to get it done, and I put the tom down with the first shot. He was maybe 15 yards away.

LESSONS LEARNED:

The biggest lesson learned here is that when the turkeys won’t come to you, sometimes you have to go to them. Moving should not be your first option. Patience is more often the key to turkey hunting success. However, there are times when taking that risk can pay off.

Turkey Acting Like Pheasant

Recently, while turkey hunting, I observed a turkey behavior I have never seen before. I was walking around a hedgerow between two fields. I had been calling for some time on the other side of the hedgerow, and had heard only a few very soft gobbles. I suspected there might be turkey on the other side, but no toms. As I came around the corner, I spooked a hen feeding in the grass. In all the previous times I have spooked a turkey, it either quickly ran or flew away. This turkey did neither. Instead of fleeing, this bird hunkered down in the grass. It curled its back and ducked down. It hid more like you typically see from pheasant rather than turkey. The whole bird was fully out of sight, including the head and neck. Based on the way the turkey used its wings, it reminded me of a turtle in the grass. This grass was not very tall. It was maybe 6 or 8 inches in height. Even still, that turkey disappeared in that grass. If I had not seen it, I would have walked right past it. Even if I got relatively close, I would have been likely to think it was a rock. I just stood and waited. Eventually the bird flushed and flew to safety of a tree.


I was not aware that turkey hid like this in the middle of fields. I thought this was interesting behavior that I had never seen before. I guess every day in the field is an opportunity to learn something.

Turkey Hunting Tip #8: Locator Calls – Owl vs. Crow Calls

When turkey hunting, it’s preferable to locate turkeys with a call other than a hen call if possible. For this purpose, the two most popular calls are the owl call and the crow call. Both are typically available at stores that sell turkey calls.  I've heard different theories regarding why turkeys gobble to a crow or owl call.  I won't get into the reasons why they respond with a gobble, but just trust me that they do respond to these locator calls.


I’ve read some articles in popular hunting magazines discussing the superiority of one over the other. From experience, I can tell you that in Connecticut, turkeys will gobble a response to both an owl and crow locator call. I have successfully used both calls to locate turkeys in Connecticut.

If I had to pick only one, I would go with the crow call. The crow call is louder. Additionally, real crows are actively calling throughout the day. I’ve been told that an owl call can also be used all day long, but real owls shut up during daylight. I like my calling techniques to mimic nature as much as possible. My method is to use the owl call first thing in the morning. Crows are usually quite during the early morning hours. Once I hear the first real crow call, I switch from owl to crow locator. However, throughout the day I may switch back and forth between the two if I’m not having good luck with my crow call as the day goes on. With that in mind, I’ve used a crow call before sun up and an owl call in the heat of the day to locate turkeys. Regardless, the above method has been the most successful more of the time for me.

Turkey Hunting Tip #7: Patience

Saying that hunting requires patience is certainly not some great new revelation. Every one who has ever spent any significant time hunting any game animal knows that patience is a key requirement for a successful hunter. It’s perhaps a seemingly obvious statement to say that hunting requires patience. However, it’s so fundamental to successful hunting that it is worth repeating.

Before the game at a professional sporting event what do you see? You see some of the most skilled players in the world working on their fundamentals. You see them practicing some of the same drills that are done by young kids just starting out in sports. Even though these people are the best in the world at what they do, and they play nearly every day, they still work on their fundamentals. Additionally, when you see a mistake or error, more often than not it’s due to breakdown in some of the basic fundamental skills rather than some high-level skill. If you watch baseball games regularly, you will eventually see an infielder misplay an otherwise routine ground ball. Often the reason for this misplay is that the infielder does not square his body to the ball and get in front of it. He might get a little lackadaisical and try to play it to the side, or maybe take his eye off the ball for a split second. These are lessons that this Major League infielder learned as a 5-year old in little league baseball. Yet, these are still areas that have room for improvement. This is how developing the skill of patience is to a hunter. Every experienced hunter knows they need to be patient, but it’s a skill that is never totally mastered, and must be worked on constantly.

I would not consider myself an old-timer, but I have significant experience in the woods. Even still, when the excitement of the hunt is underway, I struggle to maintain my patience. On one recent turkey hunt I displayed great patience, and over eagerness all at the same time. I spend 2 ½ hours calling a tom across a large field. That 2 ½ hours included about 45 minutes in which the tom was behind some grasses and bushes where I could not see him, and since he was not gobbling I could not hear him either. I displayed great patience to sit with the turkey close by, but having no confirmation either visually or audibly of his presence. Of course, during those 45 minutes I was questioning myself. I was questioning whether sitting tight was the right move (or non-move in this case). I was questioning whether the tom was still there, or had he ducked into the woods. I was questioning whether he had moved to an adjacent field, and by waiting I was missing my chance. All these things went through my mind, but I knew that by sitting tight, regardless of how difficult that might be under those circumstances, I had the best chance to land the bird. Yes, he may have ducked into the woods, but if that was the case there was nothing moving from my location would have done. However, if he did happen to still be there, moving would have certainly given away my position and that turkey would have ran off like the road runner in the cartoons. Turns out, I sat tight, and eventually that turkey made his way towards the middle of the field where I was able to see him. Turkeys have a different sense of time than humans. He was on turkey time, taking his sweet time, not human time. Now, that was my example of patience. In that same hunt I was also over eager. When the turkey got close to my position, I started getting nervous that he would duck into the woods, and I fired earlier than I should have. I underestimated my distance and the turkey was out of range. I should have held my position and waited for him to get closer. Yes, he may have ducked into the woods, but by waiting I would have given myself some chance to better my position. As it turned out, I fired and put myself in a situation in which I had no chance of getting the bird. If I had waited, perhaps I had a 50% chance of him ducking into the woods, and a 50% chance of him coming closer within range. Even though it was a coin flip, it was still significantly better than the 0% move I made by firing too early. The fact that I was so patient earlier in the hunt, made it that much more infuriating that I was not patient later in the hunt. Many swear words were spoken to myself after blowing it with that bird.

Patience is sometimes difficult to execute in the field when your heart is thumping. It’s a hunting skill that’s developed over time. Using patience will help you play the percentages, and make you a better hunter.

Turkey Hunting Tip #6: Use Decoys to Estimate Distance

I missed a turkey this spring because I underestimated how far he was from my position. Unfortunately for me, since this bird was in an open field I did not have the luxury of setting up decoys, or pacing off some landmarks to help estimate distance. However, if possible, it’s a good idea to pace off some landmarks from your set up spot to help you estimate distance when that tom comes strutting in. Even with turkey loads, it’s my recommendation that you want your bird to be within 40 yards before taking a shot. If no easy landmarks are available, use your decoys to help estimate distance. After setting up your decoys, be sure to count the paces back to where you are sitting. I like to have my decoys about 20 yards from my position, but depending on circumstances I may have them from 15 to 25 yards away. Knowing the distance from your decoys can be useful to help you estimate your distance before taking that shot. Good luck.

Early Turkey Season Observation: Less Gobbling

I spent 3 days in the woods during the first week of the 2010 Connecticut spring turkey season. One observation I made is that there is less gobbling than normal so far in 2010. I don’t mean that the turkeys are not there. What I mean is that turkeys that are there are tending to keep quiet. I have heard some gobbles. I heard one respond to an owl call at first light. I also had one reluctantly respond to some blind calling I was doing. However, in general, gobbling seems to be down. This makes it more difficult to locate turkeys.


Consider this example:

One recent morning, I spotted a gobbler in a field. He was following a hen moving down the field, so I set up some 500 yards or so down field and made some soft calls. I called to this gobbler for 2 ½ hours as he slowly made his way down to my area. During this time he strutted, flapped his wings, bobbed his head, and did everything short of a ballroom dance, but at no time did he gobble. We spent 2 ½ hours calling and strutting and not one gobble. I ended up not bagging this gobbler, but when I got up to collect my decoys, I say another tom that was just out of my sight over the other side of a small hill. He was also coming to my stand without a single gobble.

I’m not sure why I’m observing less gobbling. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that the season started one week earlier than in past years. Perhaps the weather patterns have something to do with it. Regardless of the reason, this has added another level of challenge to my turkey hunting in 2010.  Keep your eyes open.

Turkey Hunting Tip #5: Emergency Decoy

When I first started turkey hunting, I started out with foam decoys. They were light, easy to carry, and most importantly – they were cheap. They did the job fine, but eventually wore out. Since they were only foam, tears developed, and I eventually had to scrap them. I upgraded to a nicer plastic set. They are still foldable, so easy to stuff into a vest, but they look better and are sturdier than the cheaper foam decoys. I usually use two decoys. I set up one hen and one jake. I believe this is a good all-around decoy set up. Having the hen attracts gobblers, but the jake also gets them fired up. Also, the jake is less threatening to other hens. I’ve used this two-decoy set up to bring in several birds.


However, there is still some use for the foam decoys. Consider keeping a foam hen decoy as an “emergency decoy”. Although my normal set up consists of two birds, I like to keep a third foam hen decoy rolled up in the bottom of my vest. Usually, it will not be used. Since it is foam, it is light and does not take up much space. The purpose of this emergency decoy is for the times when you can’t approach your standard set up for fear of being seen. Consider this situation: You have your standard decoys set up in an open field. You see a bird, but he’s down field and not moving towards your decoys. You want to set up closer to this bird, but you fear you will be seen if you try to retrieve your decoys. This is the circumstance in which you would use your emergency decoy. Leave the two decoys you already have set up where they are, move to a down field position, and use your emergency decoy.

As stated earlier, most of the time this third decoy will just remain rolled up on the bottom of your vest. However, there are circumstances where you might want to consider carrying this emergency decoy.

Turkey Hunting Tip #4: Binoculars

Generally, less is more when it comes to hunting gear.  Each piece of equipment is another thing to lug through the woods.  Retailers market binoculars as an essential piece of hunting equipment.  In the New England deer woods binoculars are often dead weight, with the forest too thick for them to be of much use.  However, binoculars may be a piece of equipment to consider for turkey hunting in Connecticut.

Since much of turkey hunting is done in open fields, binoculars can be useful.  They are useful to be able to identify if a turkey a long distance away is a hen, jake, or that gobbler you're after.  Sometimes they are even useful to tell if that lump in the field is a rock or a turkey.  On public land, binoculars are useful to determine whether that turkey you see in the field is a decoy from another hunter, or a real bird.  I've wasted time creeping up on turkey set ups, only to get a little closer and realize they are decoys from another hunter.  In addition to a time waster, this is also a safety issue, as you don't want to be getting to close to another hunter.

You can get away without them, but if you have some extra room in your vest, binoculars can be a useful turkey hunting tool.

Start of the Connecticut 2010 Spring Turkey Season Shows A Display of New England Extremes

Spring Turkey season opened this Wednesday in Connecticut.  In just these first four days of the season, hunters have seen all the weather variation New England has to offer.

On opening day (Wednesday) it was bitter cold for late April.  Snow fell as I drove into the turkey woods.  The wind blew strong and steady.  I did not hear a single gobble, nor see a bird under these tough conditions.

Thursday was just a bit warmer.  The morning was calmer.  One bird was heard and spotted, but by mid-morning the wind was blowing so hard that it was nearly impossible to hunt.

By Friday, conditions had improved considerably.  The birds were moving, but still not gobbling a lot.  However, I was able to see several birds.

Saturday featured nearly mid-summer heat with highs in the mid to upper 80s F.

So, conditions went from snow on Wednesday to near record heat on Saturday.  This is the nature of hunting in New England, and it presents unique challenges in the woods.  Turkey hunter needs to prepare themselves for the different conditions and adapt their tactics accordingly.

My recommendation is to always dress in layers while turkey hunting.  It's better to be too warm because one can always remove a layer.  This is even more easier with turkey hunting than other forms of hunting because unwanted clothing can easily be stored in your turkey vest.

I have no scientific data, but it's been my experience that turkeys tend to stay more in the woods during cold and windy conditions.  As temperatures warm and wind dies down, you will see them move in to fields more easily during the day.  Windy and rainy conditions are the most difficult in which to hunt because your calls, as well as the response calls of the gobblers, can not easily be heard.  The heat is OK for turkey hunting, but presents difficulty for the hunter with just plain hotness and the bugs.  The heat brings the bugs out.  A small bottle of bug spray is a good item to keep in a turkey vest.  Remember, turkey do not use their sense of smell, so feel free to cover yourself with the spray.  It's also a good idea to use the spray to keep ticks away as the season wears on.

Future columns this month will continue with turkey hunting tips, as well as a recap of some recent hunts.

Turkey Hunting Tip #1: Dress in layers.  Remove unwanted layers and store them in your turkey vest as the temperature rises.

Turkey Hunting Tip #2: If you only have one day to hunt, and you have a choice, consider wind and rain conditions first.  Turkey hunting is difficult in windy and wet conditions.

Turkey Hunting Tip #3: Carry a small bottle of bug repellent in your turkey vest.

More to come later.

Good luck.  

2010 CT Turkey Season Opens April 28

The state of Connecticut has changed the regulations for turkey tags for 2010. Previously, a hunter was only allowed to get tags for either state land or private land. Now, both are available. A hunter can get 2 bearded birds on state land, and up to 3 bearded birds on private land. The season opens April 28th and ends May 29th.


I just bought my tags today. I waited because if I bought my license and all tags all at once I would be in the poor house. Now I buy the tags as I need them using the new online system. I paid $19 per tag for a total of $38 for the state and private land tags.

The new online system is convenient. It is better than having to rely on mail, or to drive to the DEP office in Hartford to buy tags. However, I don’t like the new prices. I was one of the unfortunate ones to buy my hunting/fishing license early in the year, so I paid the full price, and will not get any refund now that the state lowered the price. It does not look like the prices of tags are going to go down, so it’s probably safe to buy now. Tags are available on the CT DEP website.

Primos Sonic Dome Triple Turkey Call Review

It’s a sure sign of spring fever when you buy a new turkey call in the middle of a winter storm. However, that’s just what I did this past week. I had a $10 gift card, and I used it to buy a new turkey mouth call. I guess I’m not the only one already looking forward to the spring turkey season because the sporting goods store has their full array of turkey hunting equipment on display.


I ended up buying picking out a Primos call called the Sonic Dome Triple. This is a triple reed call with a plastic dome on the top surface. The plastic dome helps the call to consistently fit in the roof of the mouth.

If you’ve ever tried a turkey mouth call before, you know that the triple reed design can be more difficult to use than other configurations. The trade off is that the triple reed is able to create a larger variety of sounds. The Primos Sonic Dome Triple is one of the easiest-to-use triple reed calls I’ve tried. The plastic feature works as advertised. It positions the call in your mouth, and is quite comfortable. With the call consistently positioned, it becomes easier to master the triple reed call.

The Primos Sonic Dome Triple can be purchased for under $10.

2009 Hunting Season in Review

It started with turkeys in May, then a long wait until pheasants in October. Deer started in November, ending with late season muzzleloader deer in December. Some people are even able to squeeze in archery, waterfowl, small game, and other assorted game into the season. This Sunday, all the guns were cleaned and put away, and the equipment was stored to mark the end of a successful 2009 hunting season.

Personally, I had some successes and some short falls in 2009 hunting. However, I feel that I expanded my hunting activities (trying black powder muzzleloader hunting for the first time), and continued to learn in the 2009 season. Even though I’ve been in the woods for many years now, there’s still a lot to learn. That makes being in the outdoors a challenging and fun endeavor.

Below is a 2009 wrap-up and a look forward to 2010.

2009 Spring Turkey:
I started turkey hunting about 5 or 6 years ago. Back then, I started out just struggling to locate birds, understand their habits, and learn calling techniques. Success came in baby steps. Soon I gained enough skill to be able to call a bird in. Eventually, I bagged my first turkey a few years ago. After struggling to find a good location to hunt in 2008, in 2009 I went back to the spot where I had success in previous years and was able to fill both tags.
Turkey hunting has been especially rewarding for me because in a short time I’ve been able to climb a steep learning curve. I started out from ground zero, and although I would hardly call myself an expert, I think I’ve gotten to the point where I can reasonably expect to bag a turkey.
I’ve already got the vacation days marked off the calendar for opening day of turkey season 2010. I have 3 separate spots in mind. I’ve seen turkeys in all 3 spots in the past. Other hunters will be more of a factor in my success in 2010 than the turkey density. If any of the 3 spots I have in mind for 2010 are reasonably fee of other hunters, there’s a pretty good chance I can get a bird. If I have to dodge other hunters, then it’s possible to come away empty handed. For this reason, unless a plot of land not hunted by others (i.e. private land) is available to you, it’s best to plan ahead and have multiple locations in-mind for spring turkey hunting.

Biggest Success: Filled both tags.
Biggest Mistake: Getting a 3.5-inch shell jammed in a shotgun intended only for 3-inch max shells. Luckily I was able to remove the shell without damage.
Biggest Lesson Learned: Avoiding other hunters is just as important as density of turkeys on a property. Have a back up plan in case your first spot is pressured.
Grade: A
Note: Both spring turkeys were stored in my freezer until Thanksgiving time. Both birds came out delicious cooked in the traditional Thanksgiving turkey style.

2009 Pheasant:
Although there’s still room for improvement, the state of Connecticut did a better job running the pheasant stocking program in 2009. Unfortunately, I did not improve my shooting much. I missed a couple birds, but got a couple birds, so it was not a total loss. One positive result of the 2009 season was that we were able to find and learn another quality pheasant hunting location.

Biggest Success: Scouted a new hunting location in 2009.
Biggest Mistake: Missed at least 2 point-blank birds.
Biggest Lesson Learned: Relax when shooting. Practice to improve shooting skills.
Grade: C

2009 Deer:
It was not a trophy, but I got a buck in 2009. Even though I’ve been deer hunting on-and-off since being a young teenager, I learned a lot by spending a large amount of time in the 2009 deer woods. I learned that I need to be looking more carefully when traveling in the woods. I spooked several deer and did not see them until they were running away. I learned that it’s advisable to take the first shot available rather than waiting for the perfect shot since the perfect shot may never come. I had a chance at a nice buck, but lost him when I hesitated. Just by spending a lot of time paying attention in the woods, I’ve also improved my skills at finding locations deer populate. In both states I hunted I was able to find spots with good deer signs.

Biggest Success: Shot a buck, and my first New Hampshire deer.
Biggest Mistake: Hesitated and missed a nice Connecticut buck.
Biggest Lesson Learned: Spending time in the woods and hunting hard usually equals success.
Grade: B – As long as there’s meat in the freezer, the grade can’t go below a B.

2009 Muzzleloader:
2009 was my first year trying black powder muzzleloader hunting. I had several equipment difficulties, and by the time I actually got my gun sighted in I only got one morning in the woods. I managed to see 4 deer, and actually shot and missed at one. This was a disappointment (I’m still running it through my head to figure out how I missed!), but just getting started in muzzleloader season made 2009 a success. 2010 should be much improved.

Biggest Success: Getting started in muzzleloader hunting.
Biggest Mistake: Missing a deer I shot at.
Biggest Lesson Learned: Get all equipment ready to go (especially sighting in) well before the start of the season.
Grade: B – Just getting started makes this season a B. However, the standards will be much higher for next season. A grade of B will require a dead deer in 2010.


Looking Forward to 2010:
I probably spent more time hunting in 2009 than any other year prior. This is a pace I’d love to continue in 2010. Much like the lottery, you can’t win if you don’t play. Even if unable to harvest any game, the time spent in the woods increases knowledge and improves odds of reaching your goal on the next trip.

I’m planning on raising the bar in 2010. Instead of just one deer (as in 2009), I’ll continue to be work hard for two deer in 2010 (although I certainly appreciate getting just one deer). Instead of a small buck, I’ll be setting my sights on a mature buck in 2010. To reach these goals, the most important action is to be in the woods as much as possible. The second thing is to build on my existing skills to get closer to my goals. Before 2009, I felt that the only real way I would have a shot at a mature buck was by running into one by luck. Although luck still plays a part, I feel that I’ve gained a little more woods-wisdom in 2009 to get me closer to that buck in 2010.

It likely will not happen in 2010, but just as I expanded into the muzzleloader season this year, I’d like to keep expanding into different hunting arenas. For example, maybe try duck or goose hunting some day. Maybe try some New Hampshire turkey hunting. Maybe someday taking a hunting trip to try for game not available in Connecticut (elk, boar, moose, bear, dhal sheep, pronghorn, mountain goat, etc.). The hunting season is like life; both are short, so take advantage of them when you can.

Summary of Shot Gun Chokes

With bird season approaching, it's an appropriate time to start to considering upland game equipment.

I found this summary of shot gun chokes on the Kittery Trading Post website. I thought it was a good quick summary and explanation.

The progression goes from least to most choke constriction.

Popular Shotgun Chokes:

Cylinder Bore: This is a straight tube with no constriction at all. It would be the same as if you cut a barrel back four or five inches and removed all the choke in it, leaving just a straight tube.
Skeet 1: This has a .005" constriction and tightens the pattern just a little. It is great for skeet shooting or any type of shooting where the shots are 25 yards or less.
Improved Cylinder: This is tighter than Skeet 1 with about .010" constriction. Great for shots under thirty yards or so or if you want to shoot Foster type slugs in your bird gun.
Skeet 2: This has about .015" constriction and is actually a "light modified". Great for ducks over decoys and some pass shooting under certain conditions. It makes a nice early season pheasant choke for the second shot. Good for almost 35 yards.
Modified: This was the most common choke a few years ago. It usually represents about a .020" constriction. All the guns either came with a full or modified choke. It is midway between the tight and open. (Kind of like ordering a medium instead of a large or small, if you will.) Good out to 35 yards.
Improved Modified: This is a little tighter than modified but not as tight as full. Usually about .025" constriction. Popular with some trap shooters and a good choice for late season pheasants.
Full: This is the standard long-range choke. Usually a .040" constriction. Good for 40 yards or more and was the most popular choke for trap shooting, and years ago, for pass shooting at ducks when we used to shoot lead.

Extra Full or Super Full Turkey Choke: These are the tightest chokes used when you want to put a full pattern on a turkey's head. These will run .045" constriction or tighter depending on the maker. It is too tight for most standard applications but for turkey hunting, it is an excellent choice with the right shot.

Credit given to Kittery Trading Post website for this information.

Essential (and Non-Essential) Gear for Turkey Hunting

This post will discuss some of the gear necessary to have a fun and successful turkey hunt. Almost as important as knowing the essential gear is knowing the non-essential gear. There's a lot of equipment and gimmick products available. A beginner can save a lot of money knowing in advance what gear is not necessary.

Essentially, turkey hunting gear can be broken into 4 major categories: clothing, calls, firearms, and accessories.

Clothing:

In many hunting activities, hunters chose to wear camo clothing. For most game, camo clothing is nice but not essential. Most states have hunter orange laws for deer hunting, so fancy camo does not do much when covered by a blaze orange vest. This is not the case for turkey hunting. In turkey hunting, good camo clothing is indeed necessary. Unlike deer that rely more on hearing and scent, turkey use their eyes to spot danger. They have excellent eyesight and are quite leery of anything they don't recognize. Camo is essential.

I recommend the following in the camo clothing department:

• Pants: I prefer jean-type camo pants. I bought mine at Walmart.
• Shirt: I use a long sleeve camo T-shirt. I think I bought it at Dicks Sporting Goods.
• Hat: I prefer a baseball cap style camo hat.

• Gloves: Turkey hunting is done in the spring, so the gloves are for concealment, not for warmth. Go with a light camo glove. There are gloves available made specifically for turkey hunting. The pair I bought is by Primos.
• Boots: These don't necessarily have to be camo, but most boots made specifically for turkey hunting are camo. The pair I bought are waterproof with a very light lining. I also use them for warm days deer hunting, and really wet days pheasant hunting.
• Face mask: This is a light mesh covering to camo your face. It also works well to keep the bugs away.

A factor to consider in your clothing choices are insects. Especially in the northeast, ticks are a problem. You'll want to cover as much exposed skin as possible. I recommend using insect repellent before entering the turkey woods. Remember, turkey do not smell, so it's ok to spray it on thick. I like to bring a small bottle with me, not just for the ticks, but for the mosquitoes and gnats that start to come out in the spring.

When it comes to your camo, pay attention to the details. Be sure your pant legs don't ride up when you sit and ruin your whole set up by exposing a bright white sock. Be sure you don't have a big shiny watch exposed. It does not take much to make you noticeable in the woods. However, when done right, you might walk within 10 feet of a full camo hunter sitting in the bushes, and never see them.

Calls:

Calls are certainly necessary for turkey hunting. Part of the fun is driving your spouse crazy practicing your calls in the house in the days leading up to the opening of turkey season. Calls fall into two categories. There are locator calls, and actual turkey calls (i.e. calls that sound like a turkey). Some of the more popular locator calls include crow, owl, and predator. Types of turkey calls include box, slate, mouth, push button, glass, and many others. Calls are highly dependent on personal preference. Some people simply prefer certain calls over others. You'll need to experiment to find out what calls work best for you. I do have a few factors to consider when picking out turkey calls.

Call guidelines:

• Consider having at least one waterproof turkey call. Even when it's not raining, a call can become ineffective if water from a leaf or the wet grass gets on it. Several box calls and glass calls are waterproof.
• Consider having one good box call. Box calls generally are the loudest turkey call. They are easy to use and versatile. They are especially good for long range calling.
• Consider a locator call. Locator calls are calls of other animals (owl, crow) that can be used to locate turkeys. Turkey will gobble when they hear a crow call or an owl hoot. I don't know why, they just do. Some people will locate turkey using a regular turkey call, like a box call. I do not prefer this method. A turkey that responds to a crow or owl call, will not start approaching the source of that call. If you locate with a turkey call, you run the risk of having the birds approach you before you've had a chance to set up. I prefer to locate the turkey with a crow or owl call, set up my spot, then start turkey calling. I carry both an owl and crow call. I've gotten gobbles from both, but I've had more success in Connecticut with the crow call. Usually I use the owl call to locate early in the morning, then after I hear my first wild crow, I'll switch to the crow call. That's my technique, but I'm not sure it's totally necessary. You likely could get away with just one or the other. If I had to go with only one, I would go with the crow call.
• Consider one close range call. A box call is good for long range turkey calling. However, once the birds get close, you'll want something that requires minimal movement to operate. Slate calls require little movement and can produce a wide array of sounds. The draw back to them is that they typically require two hands to operate. A push button call is super easy to use. It only requires one finger to operate. The drawback is that the variety of sounds it can produce is limited. Mouth calls require no hands (so they can be operated even when you have both hands on your raised gun), and are able to produce a wide array of sounds. However, they take some practice to use effectively. My advice would be to experiment with the different calls, and see what you're most comfortable using. I use a box call for long range, a slate call for mid-range, then switch up to the mouth call when the birds are in sight.
• You'll never know which type of call will get a response. Sometimes one call will be followed with dead silence, when another will produce multiple gobbles. Go with what works for you.

One call that is not necessary is a gobble call. In turkey hunting the goal is to sound like a female bird, not a tom. Gobbling is not necessary. Not only is it unnecessary, but it could be down right dangerous. Gobbling is more likely to call in another hunter than it is a big tom.

Firearms:

A 12 gauge shotgun is the gun of choice for turkey hunting, preferably one that can handle 3 and 3.5 inch magnum turkey loads. I use a Mossberg 500 pump. It's the field/deer combo version with two interchangeable barrels. The field barrel comes with 3 different chokes. I used the full choke for turkey hunting. This gun is a good value at ~$300. This gun can take 3 inch magnum shells, but it will not take 3.5 inch shells.

3 or 3.5 inch magnum turkey loads are useful to maximize the effective range with a shotgun. I've used both 3 and 3.5 inch shells successfully.

What's not necessary for turkey hunting is a fancy shotgun made specifically for turkey hunting. These guns usually come in full camo, with special sites, special gimmick turkey chokes, and accommodations for shells up to 3.5 inches. This gun might be a nice-to-have, but it's definitely not essential. I've successfully hunted turkey with an over-under gun I use for pheasant, as well as the Mossberg I described above. If money is not an issue, go for the specialized gun. However, if you want more versatility from your shotgun, go with a more generalized gun. Full camo is also not necessary for your shot gun. Brown and black blend in fine with the surrounding trees. If you absolutely must camo your gun, you can buy camo wraps. I recently bought a role of camo wrap from Cabela's for about $12. I tried it out, and it seemed to stick fine, but half way through I realized it was not necessary and I removed it.

Accessories:

• Turkey Vest: A turkey vest is an essential piece of gear for turkey hunting. You can buy a camo turkey vest at most sporting goods stores. I bought mine a Dick's Sporting Goods for under $50. A turkey vest contains many pockets to hold all your calls, gloves, tags, shells, and any thing else. It also contains a large compartment for decoys (discussed below). Most vests come with a built in seat pad. This is a feature to strongly consider in your turkey vest. The pad prevents you from having to sit on the wet ground, and adds a little comfort.
• Knife: All hunters should carry a knife.
• Decoys: It's possible to get a turkey without using decoys, but decoys are a great tool that significantly improves your success rate. They are worth having. With that said, I don't believe you have to go out and spend a lot of money on super-realistic decoys. The most realistic looking decoy may not be the best choice. Factors to consider in decoys are durability, ease of set up, and easy of transport. Many of the ultra-realistic decoys are hard the carry and set up. I prefer decoys that I can easily fold into my vest. My first set of decoys were foam decoys. They were very light, and easy to fold, but they were not very durable and lacked realism. I've since upgraded to some flexible plastic decoys. They are foldable, easy to set up, but are significantly more durable and realistic than the old foam decoys. I think they strike a good balance between realism and practicality.


• Insect Repellent: I carry a small bottle in my turkey vest.

Turkey hunting is a challenging sport, and it does require some specialized equipment. I've tried to give you an idea of some of the gear I use, and what might be necessary to get started and be successful. Below I've compiled a list of tips to keep the initial cost down.

Tips for Getting Started with Turkey Hunting on a Budget:

• Use the same shot gun you already use for pheasant or ducks or whatever. It's not necessary to spend hundreds on a specialized turkey gun.
• Buy your camo at a discount store. Remember, turkey hunting is done during the spring when the temperature is relatively mild. Warmth is not a big factor, so you can go with the cheap stuff.
• Don't go call crazy! You don't need dozens of different calls right away. Start with a couple of calls, and build your collection over time.
• Go with the less expensive decoys. They are generally easier to transport and set up anyway.

Opening Day of Turkey Season -- Two Birds with One Stone

2009 spring turkey hunting ended in about 2 hours for me this year. I was planning on several blog posts as the turkey season progressed, but I filled my 2 state land tags with one shot this year. Connecticut only allows either state or private land spring turkey tags, not both.

Although the season ended unexpectedly quickly for me, I still plan on several posts regarding turkey hunting. Some possible topics include:

• Essential gear
• Non-essential gear (which is just as important as essential gear)
• Preferred ammo
• Strategies and techniques
• Preparing the bird for the table
• Challenges of state land hunting

I'm far from an expert turkey hunter, but I've had some recent success, so I may be able to pass some practical tips on to the beginner.

The biggest lesson from my hunt today is to have patience, and don't over call.

Connecticut's season runs through the month of May.