wisconsin turkey hunter's guide
TRANSCRIPT
WisconsinTurkey Hunter’s
Guide
WisconsinTurkey Hunter’s
Guide
WisconsinTurkey Hunter’s
Guide
The following sponsors have contributed financially to the production of this hunters guide:
®
Your Turkey StampDollars atWork
Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWisconsin Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation
PUB-WM-214 2004
A Turkey Hunter’s
Code of ConductAs a
Responsible Turkey Hunter,I will
1. not let peer pressure or the excitement of the hunt cloudmy judgment;
2. learn and practice safe hunting techniques;3. hunt the wild turkey fairly;4. know the capabilities and limitations of my gun or bow
and use it safely;5. obey and support all wildlife laws and report all viola-
tions;6. respect the land and the landowner and always obtain
permission before hunting;7. avoid knowingly interfering with another hunter and
respect the right of others to lawfully share the out-of-doors;
8. value the hunting experience and appreciate the beautyof the wild turkey;
9. positively identify my target as a legal bird and insist ona good shot;
10. share responsible turkey hunting with others and workfor wild turkey conservation.
WisconsinTurkey Hunter’s Guide
This guide is intended to provide Wisconsin turkey hunters with the information neces-sary to hunt wild turkeys responsibly, safely and successfully. The goal of this brochure is toeducate hunters about turkey hunting and persuade them to pursue turkeys in an ethicalmanner while establishing a tradition for future Wisconsin turkey hunters. One of the bestways to ensure the future of turkey hunting is to get involved in mentoring new hunters.Always consider what else you can do to promote the future of turkey management andhunting in Wisconsin.
Edited by: Eric LobnerWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesMadison, WisconsinDecember 1998
Revsions: Andrea MezeraWisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesMadison, WisconsinOctober 2004
Segments written by:Cami Brown, Wisconsin DNRCharles Burke, National Wild Turkey FederationJames Cahill, National Wild Turkey FederationJohn Kubisiak, Wisconsin DNRJohn Nelson, Wisconsin DNRNeal Paisley, Wisconsin DNRRoger Raisch, Freelance Outdoor WriterWilliam Vander Zouwen, Wisconsin DNRRobert Wright, Wisconsin DNR
Cover photo by Al Cornell.
Printed on Recycled Paper
GP10/04
Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesBureau of Wildlife ManagementP.O. Box 7921Madison, WI 53707-7921
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AcknowledgementsEarlier versions of the Wisconsin Turkey Hunter’s Guide were prepared by Charles J.
Burke in 1982 and revised by Cami Brown and William Vander Zouwen in 1993. This publi-cation is given to all those attending turkey hunter education clinics sponsored by the Wis-consin Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin State Chapter of the NationalWild Turkey Federation. The excellent work of Charles Burke, Cami Brown and Bill VanderZouwen, and those who assisted them, has formed the basis for this revision.
The earlier editions contained information on the turkey restoration program, turkeypopulation expansion, wild turkey biology, and hunting techniques and regulations. Thisrevision to the guide also incorporates an analysis of hunting accidents for the first 16 sea-sons, additional in-depth hunting techniques, information on scoring trophy birds, additionalsafety information and some tasty ideas for preparing your bird once you’ve brought it home.
In addition to the input from all of the original advisors and contributors, this revision waswritten with input from members of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Department ofNatural Resources Bureaus of Wildlife Management, Integrated Science Services, and LawEnforcement, and various educators for Wisconsin’s Turkey Hunter Education Program. Thecombination of all of these people efforts have made this version of the Wisconsin TurkeyHunters Guide the most informative and educational for Wisconsin’s turkey hunters.
Special thanks to Scott Beckerman, Al Cornell, Mike Hopiak, Neal Paisley, Roger Raisch,Turkey and Turkey Hunting Magazine, Robert Queen, Kevin Wallenfang, and Robert Wrightfor the use of their photographs and Neal Paisley and Robert Wright for use of their foodhabits and mortality data. Also thank you to the National Wild Turkey Federation for thehunter safety tips and Code of Conduct used in this publication.
Funding for this publication was provided by Wisconsin hunters through hunting licenseand stamp fees, the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and the spon-sors listed at the end of this publication.
Special thanks to all of the dedicated members of the National Wild Turkey Federation andother conservation organizations around the state who have contributed so much to therestoration and management of Wisconsin’s wild turkeys and development of a safe andethical hunting tradition. Enjoy a safe hunting experience!
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources provides equal opportunity in its employment, programs,services and functions under an Affirmative Action Plan. If you have any questions, please write to EqualOpportunity Office, Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240.
This publication is available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audio tape, etc.) upon request. Please call608-266-8204 for more information.
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ContentsPhysical description .................................................................................................................................................. 4
Sex and age differences ..................................................................................................................................... 4Hunting regulations ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Setting regulations .............................................................................................................................................. 6Spring hunting season ........................................................................................................................................ 6Fall hunting season ............................................................................................................................................. 6Turkey hunting zones ......................................................................................................................................... 6Permit levels ......................................................................................................................................................... 7Permit issuance .................................................................................................................................................... 7
Natural history ............................................................................................................................................................ 8Current distribution ............................................................................................................................................. 8Habitat needs ....................................................................................................................................................... 8Home range and movements ............................................................................................................................. 8Breeding and nesting biology ........................................................................................................................... 9Survival and causes of mortality ..................................................................................................................... 10Food habits ......................................................................................................................................................... 10Turkeys and agriculture .................................................................................................................................... 11
Wild turkey management ....................................................................................................................................... 12Restoration .......................................................................................................................................................... 12
History and demise of the native wild turkey in Wisconsin ................................................................ 12Meadow Valley-Necedah restoration project ......................................................................................... 12Wisconsin’s Wild Turkey trap & transplant program ............................................................................ 12Private stocking may harm wild population ........................................................................................... 14
Poaching and law enforcement ...................................................................................................................... 14Habitat management ......................................................................................................................................... 14Survey techniques ............................................................................................................................................. 16
Hunter-landowner relations .................................................................................................................................. 17Role of landowner and citizen attitude ......................................................................................................... 17Hunter responsibility ......................................................................................................................................... 18Landowner responsibility ................................................................................................................................ 18Landowner liability ........................................................................................................................................... 18
Turkey hunter safety ............................................................................................................................................... 19Basic hunter safety ............................................................................................................................................ 19Camouflage safety ............................................................................................................................................. 19Calling site location .......................................................................................................................................... 20Decoy use and safety ....................................................................................................................................... 20Controlling your reactions ................................................................................................................................ 21Accident history ................................................................................................................................................. 21Turkey Hunter Education Clinics ..................................................................................................................... 21
Turkey hunting techniques ................................................................................................................................... 23Spring hunting tactics ...................................................................................................................................... 23
Types of calls and calling techniques ..................................................................................................... 23Camouflage .................................................................................................................................................. 25Firearms and patterning ............................................................................................................................ 25Equipment checklist ................................................................................................................................... 26Scouting ........................................................................................................................................................ 26Putting it all together ................................................................................................................................. 27
Fall hunting tactics ........................................................................................................................................... 30Special bow hunting considerations .............................................................................................................. 31
Equipment ..................................................................................................................................................... 31Blinds and tree stands ............................................................................................................................... 32Ground blinds made with brush or camouflage netting ...................................................................... 32Portable full-coverage blinds ................................................................................................................... 32Decoy tactics ................................................................................................................................................ 33Shot placement ........................................................................................................................................... 33Recovering wounded turkeys ................................................................................................................... 34
Scoring trophies ...................................................................................................................................................... 35Trophy mounts ........................................................................................................................................................ 36Field dressing and cleaning ................................................................................................................................. 36Further reading ....................................................................................................................................................... 38Ten Commandments of Turkey Hunting Safety ................................................................................................. 39A Turkey Hunter’s Code of Conduct ..................................................................................................................... 41
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Physical description
The eastern wild turkey (Meleagrisgallopavo silvestris) is a member of the birdorder Galliformes that also includes otherupland game-birds such as grouse, pheas-ants, partridge, and quail. The largest gamebird in North America, adult male turkeys(gobblers or toms) average about 21 poundsin Wisconsin while adult females (hens)weigh around 12 pounds. (The Wisconsinrecord holding gobbler weighs over 30pounds). Juvenile turkeys usually weighbetween 5 and 12 pounds in the fall. Plum-age color of the body is an iridescentbronze, and wing and tail feathers havealternating light and dark bands. Theirheads are mostly featherless.
Sex and agedifferences
Adult males and females can be differen-tiated by feather color, head color, andpresence of leg spurs and beards. Gobblershave black-tipped breast feathers whilehens have buff-tipped breast feathers. Headcolor is usually gray-blue for hens and cov-ered with sparse brown feathers whilegobblers have shades of red, blue andwhite. Gobblers also have fleshy head andneck adornments called wattles, caruncles,and a snood. Another variation is that tomshave leg spurs and hens do not. Gobblershave a coarse group of bristles, called abeard, hanging from their chest. Hens donot normally have beards, however, in rarecases (less than 5% of the time) hens willhave a sparse beard. In the fall, the sex ofyoung turkeys can only be differentiated byexamining the breast feathers to see if themale black-tipped feathers are starting tocome in.
Wild turkey hen.Photo by Jeff Engel.
Wild turkey gobbler.Photo by Neal Paisley.
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Spur length is a reliable method foraging males. In spring, yearling males,also called jakes, have short spurs lessthan 12 mm (0.5 inch); spurs on 2 year-olds are 12-24 mm (0.5-1.0 inch) long;and birds 3 years or older usually havespurs over 24 mm (1.0 inch). Radiographsfrom x-rays of spurs have also been usedto determine the proportion of birds ineach age group based on the length of thespur-cap apex (internal core of the spur).This information provides a cross checkon ages derived from spur lengths. In fall,gobblers have obvious spurs while juve-nile males have a very small or incon-spicuous spur.
Turkeys can also be aged using feathercriteria and leg color. The last two primariesor outer wing feathers in juveniles lackwhite bars on the last two inches and aresharply pointed. Adult birds have roundedor worn outer primaries with white bars tothe tip. In spring, a jake’s central tail feath-ers are longer than the rest of the tail feath-ers, while all tail feathers of adults are thesame length. The leg color of young birds ispale reddish-mahogany or grayish-brown,but pink or grayish-silver in adults.
Sex characteristics
Characteristic Female (hen) Male (gobbler)
Breast feathers Buff-colored tip Black-colored tip
Beard Rare Regularly
Head colors Gray-brown to gray-blue, Bright blue to brightfeathered farther up neck red; sometimes grayish-white
Head adornments Occasionally a slight snood Wattles, snood, caruncles
Spurs None Yes
Droppings Small, coiled Larger, J-shaped
Track size 4 1/2" spread or less Greater than 4 1/2" spread
Gobble Never Frequently, especially in spring
Wild turkey breast feathers (top, gobbler; bottom, hen)
Silhouette of tail feathers
Adult
Juvenile
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Hunting regulationsrather conflicts with other fall hunting opportuni-ties. Extending the fall season allows huntersgreater hunting flexibility and an increasedchance at bagging a bird. Since the fall seasonallows for the harvest of hens, which can have alarge impact on the population, the fall seasonremains more conservative than the spring season.
Turkey hunting zonesWisconsin’s turkey range has been divided
into many hunting zones with new zones addedas the turkey population expands into new ar-eas. This zone system that has been developedallows wildlife managers to set permit levelsappropriate to each area based on local turkeypopulations, the amount of turkey habitat, andthe square miles of huntable land.
Considerable public land, including state andfederal wildlife areas are available throughoutthe turkey management zones in addition to thespring turkey hunting opportunities in 12 stateparks. Of those state parks where turkey permitsare available in the spring, limited turkey hunt-ing has proven to be a compatible recreationaluse of state parks since no problems betweenturkey hunters and other park users have oc-curred. Six of these state parks are open exclu-sively to disabled turkey hunters only, providingadditional opportunity for those with reducedmobility.
In addition to the hunting opportunities in thewild turkey management zones, Fort McCoy inMonroe County, also has limited numbers ofpermits available in the spring and fall. Huntersduring the spring season that did not receiveapproval to hunt turkeys in a State of Wisconsinturkey hunting zone are eligible to apply and areencouraged to call or write no earlier than Feb.1. Fall applications are available after March 1.Fall hunters may not apply for a Fort McCoy fallturkey permit if they plan to or already haveapplied for a fall State of Wisconsin turkey hunt-ing zone. Applications for Fort McCoy huntingpermits may be obtained by calling (608) 388-3337 or by sending a self-addressed stampedenvelope to: Directorate of Training, Mobiliza-tion, and Security, AFRC-FM-TMR-RB (PermitSales), 110 East Headquarters Road, Fort McCoy,WI 54656-5226. Applications may also be ob-tained from the web site at:www.mccoy.army.mil.
Setting regulationsHunting regulations maximize quality hunting
opportunities while preventing the over-harvestof wild turkeys. Regulations are based mostly onbiological information together with the desiresof turkey hunters. Turkey hunters regularly pro-vide advice to wildlife managers through ques-tionnaires, active involvement with the Wiscon-sin Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federa-tion, the Conservation Congress Turkey Commit-tee, other conservation organizations, and publichearings.
Spring hunting seasonThe first spring turkey hunting season opened
in 1983. When the first spring turkey seasonopened, there were three 5-day hunting periods.The number of hunting periods was later ex-panded to four and then to our current season ofsix 5-day hunting periods that begin on theWednesday closest to April 13th. The differenthunting periods allow for a greater number ofhunters to participate without increasing theprobability of interference or hunting accidents.The timing of hunting periods was designed toinclude the peaks in turkey gobbling activitythat occur in late April and early May. During thespring season only male or female bearded tur-keys can be harvested. Harvest prescriptionsattempt to remove only 30% to 35% of the gob-blers during the spring season to ensure mostgobblers survive to the following year. Thismeans enough gobblers will be available to huntin future years even if reproduction is poor for ayear or two.
Fall hunting seasonThe first fall turkey hunting season was initi-
ated in 1989. Fall turkey hunting provides valu-able hunting opportunities and is the primaryseason currently used to control turkey popula-tion expansion, as hens are legal game duringthis season. The fall season initially consisted ofthree, 5-day hunting periods in October. Begin-ning in 1994, the fall season was changed toconsist of a 28-day season. Starting in fall 2005the fall season was changed to begin on theSaturday nearest to October 10th and continue for40 consecutive days. Fall turkey harvest rateshave been decreasing, not due to fewer birds but
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Wild turkeymanagement zones
Permit levelsWildlife managers set permit levels for
each zone to prevent excessive turkey har-vests and minimize interference amonghunters. Permit levels reflect turkey popula-tion densities and distribution in each zone.Generally, zones with more forested habitathave more permits and permit levels areusually higher in zones that have higherturkey densities. For example, zone 4 had60 turkeys per square mile of timber com-pared to 4 turkeys per square mile in zone 6during 1993. Permit levels have ranged from0.1 to 5 per hunting period per square mileof timber. When setting the permit levels forthe turkey management zones, the turkeyadvisory committee takes into considerationthe interference rate that is reportedthrough questionnaires sent to a sample ofturkey hunters. Hunter questionnaires showthat interference among fall turkey huntersremains relatively low and varies betweenzones depending on hunters perception andthe type of terrain.
Spring permit levels also take into ac-count past hunter success rates and gobblerharvest rates. Permit levels are not usuallyset above two per period per square mile oftimber until the hunter success rate reaches20%. Permit levels allow for a gobbler har-vest rate of 20-30%, ensuring that manygobblers are available in subsequent yearseven if reproduction is poor.
Fall permit levels maximize hunting op-portunities while limiting hen harvest. Re-search has shown that harvests of morethan 7% of the hens causes the populationto decline in Wisconsin. Fall harvests shouldbe less than or equal to the total springharvest for each zone.
Wisconsin’s turkey hunting safety recordis a relatively good one. Reasons for thisrecord likely include limitation of the num-ber of permits to reduce the chance of inter-ference and accidents along with the turkeyhunter education clinics that are offeredthrough the WDNR and NWTF. Althoughsome increase in the number of accidentshas occurred in the past several years, acontinued focus on safety through the clin-ics should help keep accidents at low levels.
Permit issuanceTurkey hunters must apply for a permit to hunt turkeys. Application
deadlines, December 10th for the spring season and August 10th for the fall,are set early to allow time to process applications, issue permits, and in thecase of the spring hunt, inform hunters of the times and locations of turkeyhunter education clinics. Applicants select the zones and hunting periodsthat they would be interested in hunting.
Landowners have first preference for 30% of the permits in eachzone. Residents that did not receive a permit the previous year, have thenext highest preference rating followed by other residents. Non-resi-dents have the lowest preference rating. Applicants in each preferencecategory are randomly selected until all either receive a permit or all ofthe remaining applicants’ choices for zones and hunting periods nolonger have permits left.
There is an attempt to issue a permit to all applicants, but those whorestrict their choices to only a few zones or select only the early huntingperiods, may receive no permit while others who would accept permits forany time period, receive two. If permits remain after the first drawing, asecond drawing is conducted to issue second tags. All options of all appli-cants are evaluated to issue a permit to as many applicants as possiblebefore any second permits are issued. Not all zones have extra tags and allsecond tags are issued for the last few hunting periods.
DOUGLAS
BAYFIELD
ASHLANDIRON
BURNETT
VILAS
WASHBURN SAWYER
PRICE
ONEIDA
FOREST FLORENCE
BARRON
POLK
RUSK
TAYLOR
CHIPPEWA
DUNNST. CROIX
PIERCE
PEPIN EAU CLAIRE
CLARK
LINCOLN
MARATHON
LANGLADE
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MA
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JUNEAU ADAMS
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WAUKESHA
JEFFERSON
DANE
KENOSHA
RACINE
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IOWAGRANT
RICHLAND
CRAWFORD
VERNON
LA CROSSE
BUFFALO
TR
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Disabled Only Hunting Zones
5B Natural Bridge 10B Nelson Dewey 11A Belmont Mound 12A New Glarus Woods 15B Rocky Arbor 25A Loew Lake Unit - Kettle Moraine State Forest
8
Natural HistoryCurrent distribution
The eastern wild turkey (Meleagrisgallopavo silvestris) is the most widelydistributed, abundant and hunted turkey ofthe five subspecies of the North AmericanWild Turkey. It occurs throughout the east-ern half of the United States, and has beensuccessfully transplanted to states outsideof its original range including: California,Idaho, and Washington.
The eastern wild turkey was historicallyabundant in central and southern Wiscon-sin, and provided an important food sourcefor Native Americans and early settlers.Following completion of a successful resto-ration program, turkeys are now commonlyfound throughout the southern two-thirds ofWisconsin. Sparse populations of turkeyscan be found throughout the northern por-tion of the state in areas where agricultureand mixed woodlands occur.
Habitat needsThe habitat needs of the wild turkey
include roosting and nesting cover, brood-rearing habitat, and dependable foodsources. Roosting habitat includes largetrees with horizontal limbs such as open-grown oaks and mature evergreens. Nestingcover often includes brush or downed treelimbs on the forest edge. Turkey broods usefields and pastures that have large numbersof insects which are an important proteinsource for the poults (young turkeys). Otherimportant foods include the hard and softmast of trees and shrubs as well as wastegrains from crop fields. South-facing slopes,which typically have less snow or are snow-free, have available sources of food whenother areas are still covered with snow.
In Wisconsin, turkeys do best where thetopography is rugged and mature oak/hickory woodlands are interspersed with avariety of agricultural fields. In VernonCounty, DNR biologists found that fromspring through fall, turkeys spend most oftheir time in woodlands (62%), followed bycrop fields (23%), and pastures and idleareas (15%). Turkeys tend to prefer wood-land/field edges.
Home range andmovements
Home range is the area that an animaloccupies during the year. The wild turkey’shome range size varies greatly among indi-viduals. In Missouri, the home range size forhens averaged nearly 2000 acres, rangingfrom 900-5800 acres. Estimates for gobblersin Wisconsin were higher, averaging 2500acres with a range of 1200-6500 acres.
Studies in Vernon County found thatsignificant movements are made by wildturkeys during spring dispersal, particularlyyearling hens. While most dispersal move-ments range from 1-3 miles, yearling hensoccasionally move 8-10 miles from theirwinter ranges. One radio-marked yearlinghen moved over 40 miles!
Deep persistent snow cover and extendedperiods of cold temperatures greatly restrict
Abundant
Common
UncommonDOUGLAS
BAYFIELD
ASHLANDIRON
SAWYERWASHBURN
POLK
ST. CROIX
BARRON
CHIPPEWA
PEPIN
BUFFALO
MARATHON
ONIEDA
MENOMINEE
LINCOLN
OUTAGAMIE
WAUPACA
KEW
AUNE
E
MARINETTE
PORTAGE
WIN
NEBA
GOWAUSHARA
WOOD
BROWN
BURNETT
RUSK
TAYLOR
PRICE
DUNN
PIERCE EAU CLAIRE
CLARK
SHAWANODOOR
SHEB
OYG
AN
FOND DU LAC
MAN
ITO
WO
C
CALU
MET
OZA
UKEE
WAS
HING
TON
JEFFERSON
DODGE
MIL
WAU
KEEWAUKESHA
RACINE
KENOSHA
WALWORTHROCKGREEN
IOWA
DANE
LAFAYETTE
COLUMBIA
VERNON
SAUK
GRANT
GREENLAKE
MAR
QUE
TTE
JUNEAU ADAMS
JACKSON
MONROE
LACROSSE
TREM
PEAL
EAU
RICHLAND
CRAWFORD
VILAS
FOREST FLORENCE
OCONTO
LANGLADE
Range of wild turkey inWisconsin, 2004.
9
Above: Beginning in earlyMarch, dominant tomsbegin displaying struttingactivity in an attempt toattract attentive hens formating. Photo by AlCornell. Left: Nesting onthe ground, hens typicallyselect a nest site that isclose to some type ofground cover. Photo byMike Hopiak for CornellLab of Ornithology.
turkey movement, occasionally resulting instarvation. Under these conditions, turkeyswill roost as close as possible to foodsources to conserve energy.
Breeding and nestingbiology
The breeding season for wild turkeysoccurs during spring when increasing daylength triggers breeding behavior (gobblingand strutting) in males. In Wisconsin, thisbehavior begins in early March and intensi-fies until mid-April when hens becomereceptive to mating following dispersal oflarge winter flocks. Dominant gobblers domost of the breeding and may breed withmany hens, but it is unclear how often indi-vidual hens visit gobblers.
Roosting gobblers usually gobble intheir roost trees before first light. Shortlyafter sunrise, turkeys fly down and gob-blers begin strutting to attract receptivehens. Later in the spring, as more andmore hens begin to incubate their eggs,gobblers are more likely to be found aloneor in pairs or trios. These lone gobblerswill often visit areas called strutting zonesthat attract hens.
Most hens select a woodland nest sitenear a field edge. The nest is a simple de-pression in the leaf litter and is usuallyagainst the base of a tree or some othervertical structure. Hens will also nest inhayfields and fallow areas.
Clutch size varies, averaging 11 eggs,and requires about 2 weeks to complete.After all eggs are laid, incubation beginsand continues for 28 days with the henleaving the nest only for a short break eachday. Studies in Vernon County indicate thatmost hens attempt to nest, but only 20%hatch a brood. Predators cause most nestlosses, but hay mowing and logging alsoaffect nesting hens. Hens disrupted duringlaying or early incubation often re-nest, butonly one brood is produced each year.
Poults, grow rapidly and can fly shortdistances within 10 days, but they roost onthe ground with the hen until they areabout 2 weeks old. During this period,poults are especially vulnerable to predationand other mortality factors and only about50% survive.
10
Survival and causes ofmortality
Annual survival for both hens and gob-blers averages about 50%. Hen mortality ishighest during nesting and early brood-rearing (late April-early July). Predators areresponsible for 75% of all hen deaths. Fallhunting, where allowed, accounts for lessthan 10% of hen deaths.
Gobbler mortality is highest during thespring hunt. In turkey management zoneswith relatively high hunter densities, up toone-third of the gobblers are harvested.This legal harvest accounts for two-thirds ofannual gobbler mortality.
During mild to normal winters, turkeysurvival is high. However, prolonged peri-ods of deep snow and sub-zero tempera-
Causes of mortality for wild turkeys in Vernon County, Wisconsin.Chart data from Neal Paisley and Robert Wright.
Many species of wildlifeprey on both adult andjuvenile wild turkeys,including coyotes. DNRphoto.
tures can cause significant mortality. Sur-vival is likely lower in central and northernWisconsin where winters are more severeand agricultural food sources are limited.
Food habitsWild turkeys are opportunists, consuming
a wide variety of food items. The bulk oftheir diet consists of plant material, althoughanimal matter is seasonally important. Re-search in southwestern Wisconsin indicatesthat wild turkeys consume about equal pro-portions of agricultural crops and wild foodsduring the growing season.
During spring, wild turkeys foraging inagricultural fields concentrate on wastecorn, dandelion flowers, alfalfa, and oatseed. Other items used during spring includeacorns, grasses, earthworms, and snails.
Turkeys, particularly brood flocks, takeadvantage of insect abundance during sum-mer by foraging in field habitats. Grasshop-pers constitute most of the diet for poults.Adults utilize insects, but plant material suchas small grains, acorns, and wild fruits aremore important. Corn, acorns, hickory nuts,gray dogwood fruit, wild grapes, foxtailseed, and grasshoppers are the most impor-tant fall foods.
Agricultural food, including manure, un-harvested corn, and waste grain, provide acritical component to winter survival of wildturkeys, particularly in years of poor acornproduction. Occasionally turkeys will alsoeat buds like ruffed grouse.
Gobblers Hens
Harvest 61%
Disease 2%Winter
weather 3%
Predation 34%
Other 9%Poaching 2%
Legal harvest
8%
Winter weather
7%
Predation 74%
11
Turkeys and agricultureA 1987 survey of landowner attitudes
toward wild turkeys in southwestern Wis-consin was conducted by the University ofWisconsin-Extension. Forty-five percent ofsurvey respondents claimed to have experi-enced some damage, but more than halfdescribed losses as insignificant or minor.These landowners’ concerns about possiblecrop damage prompted field studies of thewild turkey’s impact on agriculture.
During the late 1980’s and early 1990’sWisconsin DNR researchers investigatedhabitat and food preferences of wild turkeysin agricultural areas of southwest Wiscon-sin. To assess habitat use, turkeys werecaptured, fitted with radio transmitters,released and monitored. It was discoveredthat hens spent 61% of their day in forestedareas, compared to 24% in crop fields and15% in non-crop fields. During summer,hens with poults increased their use of cropfields relative to hens without poults. Gob-blers spent less time in crop fields thanhens did throughout summer and fall.
To provide a better picture of the wildturkey’s diet, researchers collected birdsactually foraging in agricultural crop fields(the worst case scenario) to examine theirgut contents. Hunter-shot turkeys were alsoexamined. Turkeys were found to haveeaten a wide range of foods from both thewoodlands and croplands. They were notalways feeding on what you would expectthem to in the crop fields. Agricultural cropswere an important part of the diet of adultturkeys, but most were in the form of wastegrain. Waste grain could be identified by its
weathered and dirty appearance, teethmarks from other animals, or smell of ma-nure. Turkeys also fed on weed seeds andweed parts such as dandelion heads. Henturkeys were actually doing farmers a favorby taking their poults into agriculture fieldsto consume large quantities of insects.
Wildlife managers and the U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture-Wildlife Services alsosolicited complaints of wild turkey cropdamage to assess the potential for turkey-related problems. Of 28 complaints investi-gated by these experts, only 5 (18%) wereconfirmed as crop damage by wild turkeys.In contrast, deer were the cause of damagein 55% of the cases, and raccoons in 25%.Their large size, day-time activity pattern,and flocking behavior make turkeys easy toobserve in croplands. As a result, turkeyshave often been blamed mistakenly for cropdamage. While turkeys may have causedminor crop damage in isolated instances, itappears that they were often accused fordamage caused by other animals or by theweather.
9% Alfalfa
6% Oats
4% Insects 54% Waste corn
27%Wild plants
Animal Cultivated plants
77% 23%38%
39%
7%13%
3%
Corn (waste)
Wild vegetation
Animal
Alfalfa
Other
Spring foods of turkeysfeeding in cropland.
Foods of turkey poults feedingin cropland during summer.
Foods of turkey shot byhunters in fall
Chart data from Neal Paisley and Robert Wright.
Although hens and poultsfrequent agriculturalfields, little crop damageis done while they searchfor insects. Photo by ScottBeckerman.
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Wild turkey managementBetween 1929 and 1939, the State of
Wisconsin released about 3,000 pen-rearedturkeys in Grant and Sauk Counties. Thebirds frequented farms and were not waryof predators or hunters. A remnant of thispopulation persisted for many years but inFebruary, 1958, the last bird was reporteddead near Grand Marsh in Adams County.
Meadow Valley-Necedah restorationproject
In the early 1950’s the ConservationDepartment, our current day DNR, againstocked turkeys in Wisconsin. Interestgrew when a game breeder in Pennsylva-nia announced he had developed an “im-proved” strain of turkey, a cross betweendomestic pen-reared hens and wild free-ranging males. Between 1954-57, ap-proximately 827 birds of Pennsylvaniaorigin were released on the Meadow Val-ley Wildlife Area-Necedah National Wild-life Refuge (MVWA-NNWR) in Monroe andJuneau Counties. Following an initialpopulation expansion, their numbers de-creased dramatically due to disease, se-vere winters, and poor mast crops.
The first hunting season for the MVWA-NNWR population occurred in 1966 andcontinued for 3 consecutive seasons, follow-ing a slight increase in the population.Throughout all four seasons, a total of only59 turkeys were harvested, which ac-counted for a hunter success rate of lessthan 1% for the 7,500 permit holders.
Wisconsin’s wild turkey trap andtransplant program
Following these unsuccessful attempts atreintroduction of game farm birds, new hopefor turkey restoration arose in the 1950’swhen the first attempts at translocation ofwild-trapped, free ranging-turkeys occurredin other parts of the country. The WDNRentered into a trade agreement with theMissouri Department of Conservation in1974. In return for 135 Coulee Region ruffedgrouse, the first shipment of turkeys fromMissouri were released in the Bad Axe wa-tershed in Vernon County in January 1976.
RestorationHistory and demise of the native wildturkey in Wisconsin
Wild turkeys have been a part of Wis-consin history dating back to as early as1670 when turkeys were recorded aroundthe Lake Winnebago area by the Jesuit,Allouez. Throughout history, turkeys werequite abundant south of a line from GreenBay to Prairie du Chien, with some fluctua-tion during years of severe winters and lownatural food production. With the highestdensities occurring in southwestern Wis-consin, it was not uncommon to see mem-bers of the Fox Indian tribes in Prairie duChien around 1816 with sleds loaded withas many as thirty turkeys for sale. Duringthe 1830’s flocks numbering from 10 to 40birds were seen frequently in timber alongthe Grant River and in 1856, wild turkeyssold for 25 cents apiece in Lancaster.
By 1860, wild turkeys were rarethroughout Wisconsin, with the lastsightings occurring during the late 1800’s.The extirpation of turkeys in Wisconsin wasprobably caused by extensive harvesting offorests, unregulated turkey hunting, anddiseases introduced with domestic poultry.
Almost immediately following their de-mise, Wisconsin residents realized they hadlost a unique upland game bird. The firstattempt to reintroduce turkeys occurred in1887 when a private individual releasedtwo pairs of wild turkeys near LakeKoshkonong. This flock flourished duringthe late 1890’s with their numbers reachingas many as 200 birds, but soon perished inthe early 1900’s.
Wild turkeys werecaptured using largerocket nets andtransported to areas withlower population numbersto help the birds expandaround the state. Photo byAl Cornell.
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Once captured, the turkeyswere tagged, boxed, andtransported to suitablehabitat areas around thestate. Photo courtesy ofKevin Wallenfang.
At the release sites, the turkeys quickly took to their new surroundings.DNR photo.
As a result of this agreement, a total of 334Missouri turkeys were released in Buffalo,Iowa, Sauk, Trempealeau, Jackson, LaCrosse, Vernon, Dane and Lafayette Coun-ties. These areas were chosen because ofthe ideal turkey habitat that was presentthrough the mature hardwood forests,spring seeps, south-facing slopes and agri-cultural land use patterns that were com-mon throughout this region.
These birds were well adapted to therigors of the wild, flourished throughout theregion and provided a source forWisconsin’s own trap and transplant pro-gram which began only three years later in1979. Following the stocking of the primeturkey habitat in southwestern Wisconsin,wildlife managers expanded their effortsthroughout eastern and central Wisconsin,which was thought was marginal habitat atthe time. These areas had less woodland,fewer mast trees, flat topography and/ordeep persistent snow. Since thesereintroduction’s, turkeys have proven thatthey are substantially hardier than origi-nally thought and continue to thrive andexpand into additional habitat in northernWisconsin.
Throughout the trap and transplant pro-gram, hunting license fees and taxesthrough the Pittman-Robertson programprovided the necessary funding. As theprogram progressed, the National Wild Tur-key Federation’s (NWTF) “Target 2000”program provided additional funding bycoordinating restoration programs in otherstates and reimbursing Wisconsin $500 perturkey shipped out of state. About 1400Wisconsin turkeys were shipped to otherstates for their restoration programs in thesame way that Wisconsin benefited fromMissouri turkeys. This revenue completelycovered the expenses of the trap and trans-plant program from 1990-1993.
Following the completion of this phase ofthe program, turkeys have expanded intohabitat that was thought to be marginal. Inan effort to have turkeys distributedthroughout all suitable range and to experi-ment with the northern limits of range ex-pansion, additional trap and transplantprograms were developed in the fall of1998. In winters 1998-99 and 1999-00,294 additional turkeys were released at 13sites in 6 counties along the northern fringe
of turkey range. Additionally, during thewinter of 2003-04, 164 birds were releasedonto 6 release sites in Bayfield and AshlandCounties. To date 3,843 turkeys have beenstocked at 183 sites in 54 counties. Thesenorthern populations of turkeys will beclosely monitored and evaluated withoutadditional translocations planned. Depend-ing on the survival and reproductive successof these newly expanded birds, additionalhunting opportunities may develop as farnorth as Douglas and Bayfield Counties.
In addition to the efforts of the WDNRand Wisconsin based conservation organi-zations efforts such as the NWTF, Wisconsinhas benefited from wild turkey releases inadjacent states as well. Turkey populationshave become established in Polk, Burnett,Marinette, Oconto, Florence, and Grantcounties from turkeys released in Minnesota,Michigan, and Iowa.
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Private stocking-its effects on ourwild population
Many well-meaning citizens have putWisconsin’s wild turkey populations at risk.They have stocked game farm turkeys ontheir own hoping to speed up turkey resto-ration in their area. Stocking of pen-rearedturkeys, tried many times across the coun-try, has never been effective. More impor-tantly, this stocking activity is illegal—andfor good reason. These birds are consideredgenetically inferior and could contaminate
the gene pool of native wild turkeys that arebetter adapted to the rigors of the wild. Inaddition, pen-reared turkeys have a higherincidence of disease and may transmit thesediseases to healthy wild birds.
Although some of these birds may makeit through winter and breed with wild stainbirds, the adults lack a natural fear of hu-mans or other predators, and become easytargets. Temporarily, a population of birdsmay exist, but in the long run, the turkeypopulation will suffer. Another disadvan-tage that game farm turkeys pose is theirdependence on humans. When a harshwinter occurs and there is poor naturalfood production, the birds lack the abilityto find suitable foods, and become in-creasing dependent on humans. Concen-trating the birds at artificial feeding sitesmakes the birds more susceptible to dis-ease and predation.
Poaching and lawenforcement
Wild turkeys are subjected to manyforms of natural mortality. Poaching is onecause of mortality we can curb. This in-cludes hens killed during a gobbler sea-son; turkeys baited, trapped, or killedoutside the open season; and exceededbag limits during the open season. Poach-ing leaves less turkeys for all Wisconsinresidents, including wildlife watchers andlegitimate, ethical hunters.
The Wisconsin Chapter of the NationalWild Turkey Federation offers rewards forinformation concerning turkey poachers. Itis the obligation of every turkey hunter toreport poaching. Violations should be re-ported by calling 1-800-847-9367(1-800-TIP-WDNR). Callers may remain anonymous.
Habitat managementWisconsin wildlife managers frequently
meet with private landowners and advisethem to maintain or improve habitat forturkeys. Part of this effort includes develop-ment, review and modification of recom-mendations on forest management plans tofavor oaks and various forage plants impor-tant to turkeys. Landowners are also en-couraged to implement practices that arefunded by federal Stewardship IncentivePrograms that benefit turkeys and other
Frequently dependent onhumans, pen-rearedturkeys may be able tosurvive for a few years buttypically are unable tosurvive for the long-term.Photo by Eric Lobner.
Wild turkey release sitesin Wisconsin, 1976-2004
Release Site
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Proper habitatmanagement andimprovement, such asrestoring oak woodlands,is vital to the future of thewild turkey program. DNRphoto.
wildlife species. Participating in federal andstate habitat improvement programs fre-quently helps offset some of the cost in-volved in the habitat management practicesnecessary to maintain and improve thehabitat conditions.
Maintaining the proper habitat is themain ingredient necessary to attract andmaintain a healthy turkey population. Lossof existing oak forests to other less desirabletree species remains the principle long-termconcern. Most of the oak resources areowned by private landowners who may notnecessarily understand what habitat man-agement strategies are required to maintainthis critical habitat type. Landowners needto be better informed on how to implementcutting prescriptions that insure adequateoak regeneration, while optimizing acornyields. Loss or deterioration of oak forestshas been caused, in part, by poorly con-ceived logging practices including high-grading (taking only the best trees). Thispractice favors shade-tolerant or less desir-able trees, and may not allow oak regenera-tion to take place. Oak has also been threat-ened by diseases (oak wilt), insects, andother factors.
Oak regenerate naturally from acorns orstump sprouts, but need full sunlight tosurvive. Management strategies that favoroaks and wild turkeys should be designedto: 1) Avoid extensive conversion of oaks toother hardwoods or conifers; 2) Retain atleast 25% of an oak forest in mature treeswith a 12 inch or larger diameter, or 60-75years of age or older; 3) Retain older matureoaks with good mast-producing capacity asuncut patches or blocks that comprise atleast 10% of a clear-cut; 4) Strive to maxi-mize the interspersion of various age classesof oaks (0-25, 26-50, 51-75, and 75+ year-old stands) in nearly equal proportionsthroughout a management area; 5) Considertree quality (genetics, size, age, and diam-eter) in designating trees to be left standingto maximize acorn yields; 6) Plant acorns,seedlings, or saplings to achieve a stockingof 50-200 seedlings/saplings (at least 5 feettall) per acre. Action should be taken toprotect the trees from rodents and otherwildlife to ensure that they reach maturity;and 7) Noncommercial trees should be se-lectively removed or prescribed burns couldbe applied to encourage oak by reducing
competition for growing space from undesir-able woody vegetation. These practices willalso promote desirable understory andground-layer plants. Consult with your localforester or wildlife manager to determinethe appropriate cutting prescription in yourarea.
Other habitat management consider-ations that favor wild turkeys include: 1)Leave or plant food patches of corn, oats,sorghum, soybean, peas, or other legumesand grasses, particularly where naturalforage, crop residues, or spread manure areinadequate in winter. Cost-sharing and/ortechnical assistance is often available forfarmers and other landowners throughNational Wild Turkey Federation and federalincentive programs; 2) Avoid wholesaleconversion of deciduous woodlands, oldfields, pasture-fallow, brushy openings, orConservation Reserve Program lands toconifers or development for extensive com-mercial or industrial purposes; 3) Discon-tinue grazing of woodlands by domesticstock; 4) Encourage fall and winter forageproduction by planting fruit-producingshrubs in small clumps or strips includingwild grape, sumac, dogwood, viburnum,highbush cranberry, and hazel; 5) Encour-age desirable species, enhance habitatdiversity, and provide another source offorage by planting trees such as oak,hickory, cherry, crabapple, wild plum, andbeech. If conifers are planted, red andwhite pine, red and white cedar, andspruce should be arranged in small clumpsor strips.
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Additional information on managingproperty for turkeys can be found in theWDNR publication entitled, “Managing yourLand for Wild Turkeys” which is available atyour local DNR offices. In addition to thisguide, potential sources of information andfunding include local DNR wildlife manag-ers and foresters, the National Wild TurkeyFederation, Farm Services Agency (FSA),University Extension, and the WisconsinWoodland Owners Association.
Survey techniquesA primary objective of Wisconsin’s turkey
management program is to maintain a se-cure population capable of supporting ahigh quality, safe hunt with reasonablehunting success. In addition to turkey popu-lation dynamics, managers also need tounderstand the attitudes and perceptions of
hunters and of the landowners who providemuch of the turkey habitat. Wildlife mangersuse a number of surveys to monitor thestate’s turkey populations along with sev-eral surveys of hunters and farmers. Pastsurveys have included spring gobbling sur-veys, winter flock counts, observations byarea residents, deer hunter turkey observa-tion survey, and helicopter surveys. Manag-ers have used this information to developthe harvest management framework, estab-lishing conservative harvests to ensure thefuture of the turkey resource.
Current surveys include:
1. Mandatory harvest registration- Turkeyhunters in Wisconsin are required toregister their harvest. Information iscollected on each bird harvested includ-ing zone of harvest, date of kill, age, andsex of the bird. This information helps indetermining the hunter success rate,proportion of males to females, and pro-portion of adults to juveniles. Trends inthe harvest per permit issued provides auseful measure of changes in turkeyabundance.
2. Landowner brood survey- Each yearcooperating landowners report the num-ber of turkey broods, poults/brood, andadult hens with or without a brood seenduring June-August. This provides auseful index to changes in hen nestingsuccess and brood survival.
3. Ten-week brood survey- Each year DNRpersonnel report the number of turkeybroods and brood sizes they observebetween June and August. This surveyprovides another index to reproductivesuccess.
4. Sociological aspects of turkey hunters-After each spring and fall hunting seasona select number of turkey hunters aremailed a survey regarding perception ofhunting quality and satisfaction. Hunterresults showed that 10% of hunters inspring and fall of 2003 felt that otherhunters had kept them from huntingwhere they wanted. However, only 3%of fall hunters and 6% of spring huntersindicated that other hunters definitelyinterfered with their hunt. Quality of thehunt was rated as high or very highaccording to 45% of fall hunters and 41%of spring hunters.
Although typically not necessary for turkeys, if you decide to plant foodplots, plant them close to thermal cover to decrease the amount of travelnecessary in winter. DNR photo.
Some turkeys have beenfitted with radiotransmitters soresearchers can determinehabitat needs, causes ofmortality, and effects ofhunting. Photo by NealPaisley.
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Hunter-landowner relationsThe future of turkey hunting depends on
relations between landowners and hunters.Most turkey habitat is found on privatelands. Urbanization has left increasinglymore hunters without direct family ties tothe land. To landowners, the opening day ofhunting on their farms may mean anotherseason of seemingly inconsiderate individu-als who come to reap the harvest but areseldom heard from during the remainder ofthe year.
Without considerate, proper behaviorfrom hunters wishing to use private land,the landowner may increasingly exercisehis or her right to prohibit access to allhunters. The solution to this potential prob-lem is the development and acceptance of ahunter’s outdoor ethic, here defined as be-havior leading toward a harmonious bal-ance between those who use the land forrecreation and those who depend upon itfor a livelihood.
Role of landowner andcitizen attitude
In Wisconsin, wildlife is legally the prop-erty of all citizens, held in trust for them bythe State. Game becomes the property of anindividual only when it is bagged legally.Public ownership of game has led to a verystrong hunting tradition in Wisconsin andacross the United States. Because of this,most hunters have grown up with the beliefthat hunting is a right instead of a privilege.Today, hunting is a sport enjoyed by manyregardless of whether they own property.
Helicopter surveys allowed researchers to analyze turkey populationnumbers and survival rates during the first few years following initialreintroduction. DNR photo
The future of turkey hunting depends on access to private lands. Be sure torespect the landowners rights and ask permission.
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Many landowners are willing to allowhunters to use their land as long as they askpermission to do so. Unfortunately, a portionof hunters never seek permission and it isthose who give all hunters a bad name.
In Wisconsin only 14% of the total landarea is in public ownership and about86% is privately owned. The future ofhunting in Wisconsin is dependent on thewillingness of private landowners to al-low hunting on their property. Steps mustbe taken now to insure hunting privilegesfor future generations.
concern for the use of the land. Hunting in aresponsible manner starts before the huntwhen permission is obtained, during thehunt when game is pursued in an ethicaland legal manner, and after the hunt whenthe landowner is thanked for the huntingprivilege.
Landownerresponsibility
Landowners share many of the sameresponsibilities as the hunters but their ac-tions have a greater impact on the resourcethan those of the hunter. Landowners deter-mine the land use pattern and intensity. InWisconsin’s turkey range, farming is themajor livelihood of most landowners. Eco-nomic conditions have forced many farmersto become more efficient, sometimes withlarger operations, and increased specializa-tion. From a standpoint of sheer economics,many farmers feel they cannot add the priceof public recreation to their operating costs,however desirable recreation may be. Thosefarmers who do manage for wildlife do itbecause of a sense of stewardship—perhapstheir own outdoor ethic. It is in the bestinterest of all hunters and others to provideincentives for private landowners to benefitwildlife. This could provide suitable habitatfor all game species and insure outdoorrecreation for landowners, the public, andfuture generations.
In Wisconsin, 30% of turkey permits areset aside for qualified landowners. Thoselandowners who receive a landowner pref-erence permit are asked to allow otherhunters to hunt on their property, if they askpermission. While this is just one kind ofincentive, both hunters and landownershave a common stake in making it work.
Landowner liabilityLandowners who allow hunters on
their property should advise them of anydangerous situations or structures thatmay exist. However, Wisconsin law statesthat landowners who permit others tohunt, fish, trap or engage in any otherspecified recreational activities on theirland are not liable for injuries to thosepersons unless they receive at least $2000in fees for recreational use.
Ask the landowner forpermission to hunt ontheir property and thenthank them for thisprivilege.
One way turkey hunters can say “thanks”to landowners is by inviting them to aLandowner Appreciation Day, which issponsored by the Wisconsin Chapter of theNational Wild Turkey Federation. This eventis held at several locations across southernWisconsin in the month of June in an effortto maintain good landowner-hunter rela-tions. This is the only event of its kind inthe United States, and it gives landowners,turkey hunters, and DNR representatives theopportunity to get to know one another. Anenvelope is included in the DNR mailing tosuccessful applicants for the spring hunt.Hunters are encouraged to return this enve-lope to the Wisconsin Wild Turkey Federa-tion with a small fee to buy a landownerpass. This pass can be given to a land-owner who allowed access to the hunterand entitles the landowner’s family to afree lunch and a chance at raffle prizes.
The Landowner Appreciation Day is justone example. Consider what you can do toexpress your thanks to a landowner forgranting you permission to hunt on his/herproperty.
Hunter responsibilityHunter responsibility involves respect for
wildlife, respect for the rights of others and
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Turkey hunter safetySurprisingly, most hunters involved in
hunting accidents have a good number ofyears of experience. When interviewed, theycannot believe it happened to them. It canhappen to you. By being sure of your targetand using the defensive measures outlinedbelow, you can help ensure that you have asafe, quality hunt.
All Wisconsin hunters born on or afterJanuary 1, 1973 have had to take a huntersafety course before purchasing a huntinglicense. Some older hunters have also takenthe course, often with their children. Turkeyhunting safety depends on most of the prin-ciples taught in these courses, and all turkeyhunters should be aware of the manyunique aspects of turkey hunting safety.
Basic hunter safetyMost hunting accidents can be prevented.
They happen when people disregard firearmsafety fundamentals. Prevention involvesknowing and obeying basic safety rules. Infact, if you follow three basic rules for han-dling firearms you will prevent almost everyfirearm-related tragedy.1. Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
Always check to make sure the gun isempty; never take anyone’s word thatthe gun is unloaded. Check for yourself,open the action, look, then leave itopen. “I didn’t know it was loaded” isno excuse.
2. Always point the muzzle in a safe direc-tion. Hunting experts always handle agun safely. They never let the muzzlepoint at anybody including themselves.They also insist that everyone follow thesame rules.
3. Be sure of your target and beyond. Re-sponsible hunters are certain of thetarget before firing. They never shoot ata sound. They never shoot at a patch ofcolor. They never shoot at anythingexcept legal game. Then they are posi-tive it’s right before they shoot. Theywill pass up a great trophy gobblerrather than make a mistake and causean accident.
You must be constantly alert when deal-ing with firearms and while hunting. How-ever, there are certain times when you mustbe extra alert. Those times include when
you have had just enough experience tothink you know all the answers; when car-rying a firearm over rough country or ob-stacles; and when you are tired. When youfirst spot or think you spot your turkey, it’seasy to rush into a careless shot. Alwaysassume that every movement you see isanother hunter until you have identified thekey features of a turkey. When huntingpartners forget or ignore the safety rules,tell them immediately.
Camouflage safetyHunter camouflage is an important part of
hunting the wily turkey, but it may presenta problem. The better you are camouflagedand concealed, the less likely anotherhunter will be able to see you, and the morelikely you could be mistaken for a turkeyand be shot at.
Proper gun handling is key to the prevention of hunting accidents. Neverpoint a loaded or unloaded firearm at yourself or anyone else.
Full camouflage isimportant and necessaryfor a safe and successfulhunt. Photo complimentsof Turkey and TurkeyHunting Magazine.
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When choosing yourcalling location, be sureto keep in mind that youwill need to be able tosee around you for safetyas well as to get a shotat a tom.
To dress for success and safety followthese tips from the National Wild TurkeyFederation:1. Never wear pieces of clothing that contain
the colors of red, white, or blue becausethey can be mistaken for colors found onwild turkeys.
2. Be sure that accessories you carry thatare red, white, or blue (e.g. diaphragmcalls, box call chalk, candy wrappers,apples, cigarette packs, etc.) are notvisible to other hunters.
3. Camouflage your gun. At least cover upwhite diamonds or other red or whitemarkings.
4. Always keep your hands and head cam-ouflaged when calling.
5. Wear dark-colored socks and pants thatare long enough to keep your bare skinfrom being exposed.
6. Do not “over-camouflage” by sitting invegetation so thick that it obscures yourvision.
7. If you use a man-made blind of camou-flage netting, maintain a clear field ofview.
Other safety measures you may wish toconsider include placing a blaze orangeband around the tree you sit next to; placinga blaze orange sign “Camouflaged Hunter inArea - Be Careful” in your vehicle window;and wearing some blaze orange while mov-ing from one spot to another.
Calling site locationCalling site selection is very important for
both turkey hunting success and safety. Youcannot shoot a turkey you cannot see. More-over, gobblers do not like dense, brushyareas where they cannot see potentialtrouble from natural predators or hunters.Use calling sites where you can see at least75-100 yards. Do not sit near the edge of ahill that you cannot see over; you may besurprised by a hunter or a turkey.
Sit against a tree or stump wider thanyour shoulders. Turkey hunting involvesmaking turkey sounds with various devices.Some require movement on the part of thehunter. By choosing this large tree or stump,slight movements will be shielded from theview of hunters coming from behind whomyou may not detect.
The proper way to notify an approachinghunter is to speak calmly and clearly. DONOT move or wave. DO NOT use a turkeycall to alert the hunter. If the other hunterdoes not respond to your first call, repeatlouder to announce that you are near. Noteveryone has good hearing; so it is para-mount in this situation to remain still untilacknowledged.
Decoy use and safetyDecoys can be effective for bringing
turkeys in close and taking their attentionaway from you, but caution should be usedto avoid dangerous situations. Hunters maystalk your calls, see your decoy, and shootat the decoy. If you are in line with thedecoy you could be hit.
Follow these defensive hunting tips fromthe National Wild Turkey Federation:1. A decoy should never be visible while
being transported. Never carry an uncov-ered (identifiable) decoy any distance.
2. Whenever possible, set up by a “stand”tree that is greater in diameter than thewidth of your shoulders.
3. From your seated position, identify theclearest line of vision to your front. Es-tablish a “sight line” that allows you 100yards visibility. Then set your decoyapproximately 20 yards from your posi-tion on the line.
4. Should you see another hunter, call out tothem in a loud, clear voice. Their pres-ence has already compromised yourlocation and a “soft” call may only con-fuse them, rather than alerting them toyour presence.
5. If you are calling over decoys and thenelect to move to a new location, checkcarefully to ensure that no one is stalkingyour decoys. Check before leaving your“stand” tree. Should you see someone inthe area, rule 4 applies.
You may also consider using one of thenew decoys that incorporate some blazeorange color into the wing and tail feathers.
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When using decoys, besure to use extremecaution. Other hunters canmistake your decoys forthe real thing. Keepingsafety in mind, decoys canlead to a very rewardinghunt. Photo complimentsof Turkey and TurkeyHunting Magazine.
A variety of different set-ups can producea variety of different results. Depending onthe birds you are hunting, a full-strut gobbler decoy may actually intimidate a maturebut subordinate tom or, it may actuallycause him to come running in so fast youcan’t get ready fast enough. Using a henand jake set-up is typically more effective inattracting in the dominate gobblers. Placingthe jake close to the hen in an attentiveposition may be the trick that draws thatgobbler in those last five feet. It is impor-tant when using a jake decoy to use ex-treme caution and to place the decoywhere you want the gobbler to be for theshot. Also, have the jake facing away fromyou so that when the gobbler confrontsthe jake, you will have an open shot atthe vital area.
Controlling yourreactions
Hunters should be aware that the mindcan sometimes cause a person to “see” whatthe person wants to see. Hunters may some-times “see” wildlife where there is none.This ability of the hunter’s mind to “create”a wild animal can be attributed partly to thestrong desire to locate and bag game. Themoment of high excitement is triggered assoon as a buck, bear, turkey or other gameis seen, and it is in that moment of greatestexcitement accidents can and do occur. Peerpressure and over-confidence has beenshown to play a part in mental attitude, sore-consider each “opportunity” for a briefsecond and make sure it’s a bird and notanother hunter.
Restrain your reflexes so you do notshoot without looking or without thinking.Here are some basic rules:1. Never shoot at sounds or movements.
Assume every sound you hear and move-ment you see is another human beinguntil proven otherwise.
2. Never shoot at a patch of color. Positivelyidentify it as a legal turkey first.
3. Always positively identify any targetbefore raising your gun and be certain itis legal game.
4. Double check before you shoot. Considerplacing a National Wild Turkey Federa-tion “Hunt Safely” sticker on your gun’sreceiver to remind you to make abso-lutely sure.
Accident historyThere is nothing like a review of the
history of actual turkey hunting accidents tomake the situation real. On the followingpage is a list of Wisconsin turkey huntingaccidents by year. The majority of accidentswere the result of a hunter failing to prop-erly identify their target, often mistakinganother person for a turkey. Always knowwhere your hunting partners are and neverassume that you are the only person hunt-ing in that area.
Turkey HunterEducation Clinics
Attend a Turkey Hunter Education Clinicsponsored jointly by the Wisconsin Depart-ment of Natural Resources and the Wiscon-sin Chapter of the National Wild TurkeyFederation in an area near you. These clin-ics will provide you with a wide range ofinformation that will help you to be aknowledgeable, effective and safe hunter.Like this guide, the clinics focus on turkeybiology and behavior, turkey management,turkey hunting techniques, special turkeyhunting safety concerns, advanced turkeyhunting techniques, and hunter-landownerrelations. You will benefit from the manypersonal experiences of the clinic leadersand gain valuable information about a vari-ety of different types of hunting equipment.
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Wisconsin turkey hunting accidents, 1983-2004
Spring Number of Number of # of accidents perSeason accidents permits issued 100,000 permits
1983 0 1,200 0.01984 0 1,900 0.01985 0 2,125 0.01986 0 3,495 0.01987 0 6,040 0.01988 1 11,071 9.01989 1 21,280 4.71990 2 29,887 6.71991 1 37,171 2.71992 2 43,972 4.51993 4 61,338 6.51994 3 71,420 4.21995 3 68,588 4.41996 0 75,360 0.01997 3 92,734 3.21998 1 100,347 1.01999 1 110,457 0.92000 3 132,318 2.32001 6 150,403 4.02002 6 159,542 3.82003 0 168,696 0.02004 3 185,369 1.6
Total= 40 1,534,713 Average= 2.7
Fall Number of Number of # of accidents perSeason accidents permits issued 100,000 permits
1988* 1 0 ~1989 1 7,160 14.01990 1 12,465 8.01991 2 16,671 12.01992 0 24,998 0.01993 2 31,449 6.41994 4 17,600 22.71995 2 29,858 6.71996 0 30,779 0.01997 4 32,185 12.41998 0 40,750 0.01999 1 55,479 1.82000 2 69,566 2.92001 2 71,601 2.82002 2 74,659 2.72003 2 78,751 2.5
Total= 26 593,971 Average= 4.4
*not a season, hunter went hunting illegally
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Spring hunting tacticsThe following hunting methods will help
improve your spring turkey hunting successand satisfaction. But, remember that onlyabout 20% of hunters actually bag a turkey.Although turkeys have certain patterns ofbehavior, turkey hunting is challengingbecause they are not totally predictable.Your success will depend on your selectionof an area with good turkey numbers, yourabilities to use your equipment, your will-ingness to adapt your hunting techniques tochanging situations, your persistence, and alittle bit of luck.
Types of calls and calling techniques
The most effective way to get withinshotgun distance of a spring gobbler is toreproduce the sounds a hen makes or “call”the gobbler. These hen sounds can be madewith your voice or with some type of turkeycalling device.
Commercially available turkey calls fallinto two broad categories: friction calls,which produce sound by rubbing two sur-faces together; and mouth calls, throughwhich air is inhaled or exhaled. One othertype of caller, a shaker, produces gobbleswhen you shake it in a rapid motion.
The easiest calls to master are frictioncalls such as a box call, push button, andcalls that use a peg with either a slate,glass, or aluminum surface. The major dis-advantage with these calls is that you can-not hold a shotgun and work them at thesame time. This is important because youmay spook your gobbler when you put thecall down and raise the shotgun. A seconddisadvantage is that many of the calls donot work if they get wet. Placing your fric-tion calls in a loose plastic bag will allowyou to operate them during wet conditions.Many companies now make acrylic or car-bon strikers that are water resistant andwill work on any of the calling surfaces.The aluminum calls frequently produce ahigher pitched tone that carries over alonger distance to attract the toms fromfarther away.
Diaphragm mouth calls are popularamong hunters. They are the most versatilecaller but require much practice. They areunaffected by wet weather, allow the hunterto use both hands freely, and can be usedwithout making any discernible movement.There are two other types of mouth calls,the turpin call and the wingbone call. Bothproduce realistic sounds, but require handmovement to operate.
Shaker calls are the only ones specificallydesigned to produce realistic-soundinggobbles. No practice is necessary; the soundis the same each time you shake them. Theyproduce only the gobble sound and are notusually necessary for successful turkey hunt-ing. Be sure to use extreme caution whencalling with a gobbler shaker.
The type of call used is less importantthan how well the hunter masters callingtechniques. The only way to learn turkeycalling is to listen to live turkeys, a callingcassette tape, video or an experienced tur-key hunter. Turkeys have more than twodozen different calls, but the hunter willrarely notice more than about 10. There are9 basic sounds the hunter should be able torecognize. Listed below are the sounds andhow to use them.
Tree yelp. This is the first turkey soundheard in the morning. It is a slow, soft,nasal sound, consisting of 3 or 4 yelpsmade only at daybreak from the roost. It ismade when turkeys are just becomingvisible in trees. It is a greeting call tomake sure that all is well after a darknight of not seeing or hearing one another.This call can only be heard on still morn-
Turkey hunting techniquesUsing a variety of callscan sometimes fool thatwily tom into range. Photocompliments of Turkeyand Turkey HuntingMagazine.
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Hunting with a partnercan benefit your hunt byallowing one of you to callwhile the other gets readyfor the bird. Photocompliments of Turkeyand Turkey HuntingMagazine.
ings in a roosting area. Tree yelps shouldbe the first call made by a turkey hunterwho has set up near a roosted turkey. Thisis where scouting really pays off.
Plain yelp. The plain yelp is the onesound most people associate with turkeys.Turkeys use this sound to communicate withdistant birds. The yelp is made by all tur-keys in the fall, winter and spring. A yelpfrom a gobbler is lower pitched, morecoarse, less musical and has fewer notesthana hen’s. The plain yelp is best usedroutinely throughout the morning whilehunting. Plain yelps are usually done in aseries of 2 to 5 in a row and always have avery even rhythm. It is important to keepthe yelps faster and more snappy, which istypical of a hen in the spring. Plain yelpswill evoke a response from a spring gobblerand may call him in. It is the standard callwhen working a spring gobbler. Some hunt-ers use it successfully with an occasionalcluck. It is important to remember that thetranslation of any yelp depends largely onit’s volume, intensity, rhythm, and fre-quency. In other words, the duration andthe number of times the call is repeatedimpacts its effectiveness, which varies withthe amount of hunting pressure each birdhas experienced.
Cluck. The cluck has several meanings.The sound is a short, soft, single-syllable,non-musical tone. It is used to gain anotherturkey’s attention. If used too loudly it willalarm turkeys. It can be used in the follow-ing manner: “cluck (pause briefly), cluck,cluck, (pause), cluck (pause), cluck (pause),cluck, cluck.” Its major use is to evoke ananswering cluck from any nearby turkey. Itworks well because turkeys are curious
about any other turkey sound. Some suc-cessful hunters use an occasional cluck withthe plain yelp in this manner: “cluck,(pause), yelp, yelp (pause), cluck, cluck(pause), yelp, yelp, yelp.”
Another calling series that works well toattract a tom’s attention is to make threeyelps, rising in volume, pause briefly, andthen produce two soft clucks. Repeat thiscall two or three times as the situation de-mands. Turkeys have excellent hearing, socall softly.
Purr. The purr is a soft call used by tur-keys when communicating to each other.Hunters often use purrs with clucks whengobblers are in close, but not quite closeenough.
Putt. This is a short, sharp, loud cluck. Itsounds very similar to the cluck, only thecluck is softer and less distinct. It will notcall in turkeys, but you should know the callwhen you hear it, because it is the worstsound a calling hunter can make. It is thealarm call of the turkey, and generally willbe the last call you hear before a turkeydeparts.
Cackle. A cackle is an excited call of ahen and is often emitted when flying downfrom a roost. It is usually a series of 12 ormore clucks which rise abruptly in pitch andcadence and then gradually decline in pitchand cadence. Often the clucks are very shortand staccato.
Cut. A cut is a short, staccato cluck and isusually emitted by the hen in a series vary-ing in length and cadence. It is often usedby an aggravated hen as she defends hernesting territory from other hens, but it willoften excite a gobbler.
Gobble. The gobble has limited use andaffects turkeys in two ways: hens hear apotential mate and gobblers hear a potentialrival. Gobblers may investigate other gob-bling in their vicinity and may fight unin-vited gobblers. The gobble call will help youlocate a gobbler but may not bring him intoshotgun range.
Extreme caution should be used whenusing a gobble call as it may attract otherhunters into your calling territory, and youmay find yourself being hunted by anotherturkey hunter. For that reason gobbles arenot recommended while hunting but can beeffective to locate roosting birds in theevening.
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Aim at the point on the neckwhere the feathered andunfeathered portions meet.
Beginners should keep several points inmind. It is better to call too softly than tooloudly, to call too rarely than too frequently,and to perfect one or two calls rather thanattempt some sound not yet mastered. Tim-ing, or rhythm, can be more important thanthe actual quality of sound. Finally, remem-ber that no two turkeys sound alike andwhat works on one gobbler might send thenext one in another direction. If a gobblerwill not respond to your call, try more orless frequent calling and try different typesof calls.
If, while calling, a tom cuts off your call-ing in the middle of your yelps, ease off thecalls and allow more time between yourcalling. Another technique to try while call-ing is called “cutting and running.” Cuttingand running refers to a calling sequencethat includes a series of exited cutts fol-lowed immediately by a series of five to sixyelps. This calling sequence is an excellentattention grabber and can typically be moreeffective later in the morning when trying tolocate additional birds.
Another point to remember, if you areactively calling to a tom and he has beenresponding but he stops abruptly, get ready.Frequently, hunters will assume that whena tom stops calling back he has lost interestbut actually he may be closing the distancesilently. Keep your eyes open.
Camouflage
A wild turkey’s eyesight is estimated tobe about 10 times better than a human’s. Inaddition, turkeys can distinguish color tosome degree and are quick to spot unnatu-ral colors in their environment. For thisreason, turkey hunters should avoid clothingthat will draw attention.
The best camouflage is both protectiveand comfortable. Many hunters make themistake of camouflaging everything excepttheir face and hands. This is a serious mis-take because the face and hands reflectlight, and they are the body parts a hunteris most likely to move. Face masks can ob-scure vision and lead to over-heating. Facialgreases are more comfortable but tend torun if you get hot. Some new models of facemasks have provisions for fitting around theframes of glasses, and are less likely tocause glasses to fog up.
When choosing your camouflage pattern,try to match the camouflage to the foliagemost commonly found in your area. If youare hunting an earlier period, choose apattern that has more brown and gray tomatch the bare branches but if your huntinga later period, a camouflage pattern withmore green in it will be more effective.Mixing patterns by using a more brownpattern on the bottom and a green foliagepattern on the top will help you moreclosely resemble the natural environment.
Gun camouflage is also important be-cause the gun barrel reflects light. Camou-flage tape and camouflage spray paint workwell to mask the gun’s shiny appearance.
Firearms and patterning
The different choices of firearms for tur-key hunting are numerous. In Wisconsin,bow and arrow, shotgun or muzzle-loadingshotgun hunting are legal. Shotgunners takegreat pride in their skill with the turkey calland in the art of concealment. To thesehunters, calling the turkey in close (lessthan 40 yards) is the essence of the sport.The objective is to deliver a dense shotpattern into the area of the turkey’s headand neck.
The 12-gauge is the overwhelmingchoice, because turkey hunters want a gunthat can use a variety of heavy loads ca-pable of one-shot kills. Because of the smalltarget offered by the head and neck, densepatterns are preferred. For this reason, full-choke barrels are used on most turkey guns.Since most turkey hunters travel rather longdistances in pretty rough country, gunweight can be an important factor in huntercomfort and a sling may be advisable.
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When sighting in yourshotgun, positioningyourself as you will bewhen you are hunting canbe beneficial and is highlyrecommended. Photo byRobert Queen.
Heavy guns seem even heavier when hold-ing it up for a period of time waiting for aturkey to get into position for a shot.
There is some difference of opinionamong experienced hunters regarding opti-mum shot size. Most turkey hunters usesmall shot (4’s, 5’s, and 6’s), the most popu-lar being number 6. State law requires thatshot size be number 4 lead or smaller ornumber 2 steel or smaller for safety reasons.Some shells are “buffered” to protect shotfrom deforming, resulting in a tighter pat-tern. Some of these loads have copper plat-ing to give even tighter patterns.
A variety of loads will do the job whenfired from a well-aimed barrel at closerange. The three-inch magnum 12-gaugeloads containing 15/8 and 17/8 ounces ofshot are more than adequate. The mostimportant factor to consider when selectingthe appropriate shotgun and load is thepattern they produce. Shotguns should bepatterned in order to determine the charac-ter of the pattern and whether or not thegun puts its pattern on the point of aim. Tosee how well your gun patterns, copy thelife-sized head and neck turkey target onthe back of this handbook and place it on aboard at no more than 40 yards from whereyou fire your gun. Fire several loads at theturkey’s head and neck, each time countingthe number of holes in the vital area (immo-bilization area). Repeat this procedure withdifferent loads. Six or more pellets in thevital area indicate a killing pattern. Becomefamiliar with the relative size of a turkey at25, 35 and 40 yards. Never shoot at a tur-key beyond 40 yards.
Equipment checklist
You may wish to use the followingchecklist to make sure that you are notforgetting to take something on your nexthunting trip. Not all items are necessary, butall may be useful.
Camo Gloves DecoyCamo Coat ShellsCamo Hat CushionCamo Pants Decoy bagCamo Face Mask Camera or Netting Mosquito repellantCamo Vest BinocularsWater Bottle Turkey callsGun Shock callsSling Hand pruning shearsRope Flashlight
Scouting
The first and most important step inturkey hunting is to scout the woods beforethe season opens. Turkeys favor certainareas and will use them year after year ifthe habitat does not change. Using topo-graphic maps that indicate vegetation coverare an excellent way to pinpoint key hotspots such as ridges, strutting areas andfield edges, especially if you are unfamiliarwith the area you are planning on hunting.By narrowing down your scouting possibili-ties, you can make more effective and effi-cient use of the limited amount of time youhave prior to the season.
A good time to scout an area is a week ortwo before the season starts, particularly ifthere is a light snowfall. Look for turkeysand turkey signs such as tracks, feathersand droppings along the edge of a woods,in stubble corn field, in areas of high oakconcentrations, or on logging roads andtrails. You may also find dusting areas withtracks in them or tree roosts with droppingsunder them. If possible, try to pattern thebird or birds you are trying to hunt. If youknow where and when the birds are mov-ing, you can sometimes position yourselfbetween the tom and the hens or closer tothe tom so that you are the first “hen” thathe hears in the morning.
Your objective in scouting should be toidentify those areas that gobblers frequent.These areas include roosting sites, feedingsites and strutting areas. Roost trees arefrequently mature hardwoods with horizon-tal limbs reaching out over the forest floor
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Taking a child or spousehunting and teachingthem the joys of huntingcan be a very rewardingexperience. Photocompliments of Turkeyand Turkey HuntingMagazine.
Locating birds, such asthese before the seasonstarts by finding tracks inthe snow, can improveyour odds of bagging abird once the seasonstarts. Photo by NealPaisley.
and typically near water. If you spend agood deal of time in the woods, you mayalso be able to determine regular movementpatterns. Best times to look or listen forturkeys include the early morning hoursfrom one-half hour before sunrise until mid-morning. Although gobblers may roost orstrut in different areas, you will learn thelocations they prefer.
If you do not hear gobblers calling, trya crow call, owl call or other shock callerin early morning or just before dark. Gob-blers will often respond, giving away theirlocation.
While scouting pay close attention tolarge trees that you may want to sit next towhile hunting. Also note the location offences, ravines, dense brush or streams thatmay keep a gobbler from coming to your callduring the season.
If you are lucky enough to spot someturkeys while scouting, make note of thesurroundings and identify why the birds arein that area. Then, as you continue yourscouting trip, look for areas that have char-acteristics similar to that area.
Also look for areas where turkeys arefeeding. Food for turkeys varies greatlydepending on the area where the birds arefound. Pin-pointing what they are eatingand when, will greatly improve your oddscome the hunting season.
It is important to get a thorough under-standing of the area that you are planningto hunt. Typically the weather is not alwayssunny with little or no wind. Knowingwhere turkeys are going to be during differ-ent types of weather conditions can be verybeneficial. On windy days when it may bedifficult to hear, birds will frequently befound in open areas where they can usetheir eyes to protect them from predators.These open areas can include log landings,fields, or openings in the forest that areprotected from the wind. Knowing wherethese areas are will be a big benefit if theconditions are less than perfect.
Putting it all together
If possible visit the land you will huntthe day or two prior to hunting. This will re-familiarize you with the land, and you candetermine whether turkeys are still usingthe areas you saw them in earlier.
One successful technique that can greatlyimprove a turkey hunter’s chance of locatinga bird is “putting a gobbler to bed.” Duringthe early evening on the day before you aregoing to hunt, position yourself on a ridgetop or at the mouth of a valley. Take out acrow call, owl hooter, or gobble box andgive a call. If a gobbler answers, try to pin-point his location, noting prominent featureswhere the gobble seemed to come from. Iftime allows, move to another location andrepeat this procedure. This will help deter-mine his exact location. Get up early thefollowing morning, well before sunrise, andsneak to within 100-150 yards of thegobbler’s roost tree. You should be in placeat least one hour before sunrise.
If you were unable to locate a roostedgobbler the night before, try again early themorning of your hunt. Listen for a gobblerwhen it gets light enough for songbirds tobegin singing, which is well before sunrise.If there aren’t any calling, try to shock him
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Good planning andpatience in the field canlead to success at the endof the day. Photocompliments of Turkeyand Turkey HuntingMagazine.
into gobbling with a loud owl hoot or crowcall. It is not advisable to use turkey soundsuntil you are concealed and ready. If you donot hear a gobbler, you should move toanother area, watching for strutting gob-blers, listening for gobbles, and trying shockcalls to locate a gobbler. Do not sit all morn-ing at one spot unless you are confident thatgobblers frequent the area.
Determining the exact location of a gob-bler can be difficult. The distance thegobble can be heard and direction fromwhich the sound seems to come, are influ-enced by topography, wind direction andvelocity, the direction in which the tom isfacing, and the extent to which the trees areleafed out.
In the coulee country, turkeys prefer toroost at or slightly below the top of a ridgeand will gobble at daybreak prior to leavingthe roost. If you hear a turkey gobbling on aroost near the top of a ridge, remember thatit is easier to call a bird up a hill than downone. In addition, if you try calling from toofar away he will ignore you, especially if hehas a hen nearby.
After locating a roosting bird try to getwithin 100-150 yards in a suitable locationto begin calling. Choose a calling site verycarefully, as this will probably be the mostimportant decision of the day’s hunt. Try topick a spot that a turkey will likely go, suchas a logging road or opening in the woodsnear his roost. Keep in mind that gobblerslike to show off for their hens, so a clearingor field edge that catches rays of the risingsun is a good bet for early morning calling.Also, make it easy for the gobbler to get toyour calling location. Don’t expect him towade through thick brush or cross a fence.Most important, however, is to choose a sitesuch as a large tree where you have goodvisibility in all directions. Being able to seethe gobbler, identifying your target andhaving a clear shot is critical.
After legal shooting hours begin, startcalling softly. A good first call is the “tree-yelp.” This tells the gobbler that a hen isroosting nearby. When the gobbler hears it,he will often instantly gobble back. Whenthat happens, stop calling and get ready.Generally within the next 10-15 minutesyou will either see or hear him. You may beable to hear him fly down, and his gobbleswill usually sound farther away once he is
on the ground. If he is coming your way bevery patient. If he is within sight do not callor he will surely see you. If you give himtime, chances are he will work right up toyou. If you have positioned yourself upagainst a big tree, wait until he is wellwithin 40 yards before you shoot.
If after about 10 minutes the gobblerdoes not answer your “tree-yelp”, try aseries of plain yelps and clucks. It may bethat the gobbler you “put to bed” last nighthas already assembled with a group ofhens. In this case, listen for gobbles andyelps. Remember also that if a gobbler isalready with some hens he may not gobblemuch and may not be interested in yourcalls. If you run into a situation where a tomalready has hens with him, try aggressivelycalling to the hens to attract both the hensand the gobbler to you. Specifically callingto the dominant hen may bring her in toinvestigate.
Another option to try when toms andhens are already together is to walk in andbreak the birds up, trying to separate thetoms from the hens. After about a half hour,start calling to the tom and hopefully he willrespond. Like all hunting techniques, thebirds may not respond as well after theyhave been disturbed.
When birds are heavily hunted, they mayhang up out of range and are very difficultto bring in that last 50 yards. One techniquethat can be tried when you are huntingwith a partner is to have the person callingmove directly away from the interested tom.Only move after the tom has responded andyou know where he is. This will sometimesfool the tom into thinking that the “hen” ismoving away and cause him to follow, thus,bring him closer to the other silent hunter. Itis very important that the caller move veryquietly, never break twigs, and stay out ofsight so that they don’t spook the tom. Besure to your keep eyes open because thetom may come in silently once he gets close.
When all other techniques have failedand the tom is still holding out of range andhung-up, try rustling the leaves in ascratching pattern when the tom isn’t look-ing. This may be all of the reassurance heneeds to come in.
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If the birds are far away, move as quicklyand quietly as possible to a place where thebird can be called. Once in place, try aseries of clucks. This really works well if thegobbler has just finished servicing his hens.Sometimes he will come right away; othertimes he will wait, expecting the hen tocome to him. If he doesn’t come after 5minutes and you know he is still in thearea, repeat the series of clucks. If yourgobbler is still in the area but has not comeinto your call, try other calls such as a “cut”or “cackle” or any type of call that exciteshim to try to bring him into range. Some-times aggressive calling will work whilesoft, infrequent calling works better at othertimes—experiment.
Many hunters use a decoy to entice agobbler into gun range and draw the turkey’sattention away from them. Hunters who usedecoys will experience a variety of results.Some gobblers will fight with or try to mountdecoys. Others will strut for hours around afake hen. Yet, other turkeys will run the otherdirection or hang up when they first spot adecoy. Decoys appear to be more effectiveearlier in the season than later, but can beuseful anytime in the season.
If you can tell that a gobbler is movingaway from you, one option is to try to get towhere he is going. If the gobbler is movingback and forth along a ridge, you may beable to move to a site along his track whilehe is at the farthest point from you. But, ifyou move often, sooner or later you will findthat the gobbler is where you just movedfrom. It often pays to stay in one location forat least 45 minutes to an hour.
When a gobbler does come toward you,have your gun ready before it comes intoview. You may want to rest your elbows onyour knees while holding the gun. You canlift your gun when a turkey walks behind alarge tree, but watch for other turkeys withthe gobbler that may see you move. Once aturkey is an open area in front of you,movement of your gun will send him flyingor running, leaving you without a shot. Waitto see if the turkey turns away while strut-ting, causing his tail to block his view ofyou; that is the time to move.
As many hunters know, wildlife habitschange with adverse weather conditions,and turkey habits are no different. Sinceweather conditions are not always ideal, it
is important to have alternative plans inplace before heading to the field. Duringrainy and windy days, you may be betteroff concentrating your efforts on moreopen areas instead of smaller struttingzones or heavily timbered locations. Whenit is windy and raining, turkeys can’t hearas well and rely on their eyesight to lo-cate predators. As a result, birds tend tomove toward more open areas where theycan see longer distances. When using yourcalls on these types of days, increasedvolume may be necessary to make contactwith the birds.
If conditions are cool and that rain turnsinto snow, you may want to make a fewchanges in your hunting strategy. When thesnow falls, mating activity typically de-creases and the birds are less active. As aresult, it will take longer to entice a tom intorange and it is important to not sound tooexcited when making your calls. Also, hunt-ing later in the day when the temperaturehas warmed, the birds may be slightly moreactive and may be more responsive to calls.
Another change in your hunting strategy isto focus your hunting efforts on south-facingslopes where the forest will receive thelargest amount of direct sunlight. As a re-sult, the south-facing slopes will have veg-etation sprouting the earliest and have theleast amount of snow, leaving the availablefood sources exposed.
Do not shoot while a gobbler is in fullstrut. Wait until his head and neck are heldup away from his body. If you are ready toshoot, a cluck on a mouth call will oftenbring the gobbler out of strut; shoot immedi-ately when the turkey’s head is raised.Remember, the head and neck are the onlykilling shots you have on a turkey so makesure you have a clear shot at them beforeyou pull the trigger.
When hunting in rollingterrain, be sure to stayalert because a tom cancrest a hill and spot youfirst if you don’t. DNRphoto.
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If you shoot a turkey, engage the safetyon the gun and immediately run toward thedowned bird. Many times a turkey will onlybe stunned and will regain his senses andtry to escape. By running toward the birdyou can cut the distance for a second shot ifneeded, or physically subdue the bird. Plac-ing a knee on top of the bird and breakingits neck is a good technique to use if theneed arises. Use caution if you grab for thelegs as the spurs of the turkey have injuredmany hunters.
If your hunt does not go as expected, youare not alone. That is the challenge of tur-key hunting. Keep trying. Persistent, patienthunters are the most successful. Gobblersthat do not respond to a call early onemorning may respond later in the morningafter hens leave for their nest or on a sub-sequent day.
Turkey hunting is among the finest of thewoodland sports. The attraction is notbased primarily on harvesting a wild turkeybut rather on the hunting experience.Whether you carry a gun or a camera, fewtypes of hunting in Wisconsin require asmuch knowledge of woods lore and animalbehavior as locating a turkey gobbler andthen successfully calling him to you. Forthose who have experienced it, the springturkey hunt is often their favorite.
With changes in the closing time for thespring season, afternoon hunting will nowbe possible. Typically during the afternoonfeeding period, birds are likely to be foundaround timber edges, in pastures, or inother open feeding areas that are relativelyclose to good roosting areas. When calling,unless the tom is actively responding toyour calls, call sparingly. Hens, like toms,are less active during the afternoon andcalling too aggressively may scare the birds
away. If a tom starts responding to yourcalls, work him similar to how you would inthe morning but allow him additional timeto come into your calls.
Fall hunting tacticsThere has been a fall wild turkey hunting
season in Wisconsin since 1989. During thefall, all turkeys, male and female, are legalfor harvest, and hunting techniques arequite different from spring. One of the moresuccessful techniques is to locate and breakup a fall brood flock and call them back fora close killing shot. Locating a brood flockoften requires a great deal of time andwoodsmanship. However, local landownerscan often give hunters information on flocklocations. Large brood flocks, which aremade up of hens and their young of theyear, leave similar sign as spring turkeys,but on a larger scale. Look for tracks, drop-pings and the telltale feeding areas withwindrows of leaves scratched in a line. Fallbrood flocks are quite verbal, so listen forturkey talk as you scout for the flock.
Once a flock is located a good break upof the flock is mandatory for a successfulhunt with this technique. Many hunters rushthe flock, shouting or even shooting in theair to startle the flock into scattering. Afteryou have broken up the flock, locate a call-ing site near the point of the break up. Waitabout one-half hour or until you hear birdscalling before you try to call them.
The most frequently used call in the fall,which is also effective in the spring, is the“kee kee run” or lost bird call. It is a highpitched “kee kee kee” in a series followedusually by a yelp or two. Normally theyoung birds will “kee kee” in an attempt tolocate each other a short time after youhave broken up the flock. By responding tothis sound you can get them to approachwithin gun range.
Another call to try if the “kee kee run”call is unsuccessful is a hen assembly call.This is the call of an adult hen to gather herflock. It is a long series of yelps raisingslightly in volume and pitch and then de-clining in volume and pitch. Hens will oftenuse a series of 15 to 20 yelps for a gatheringcall. This will often lure a young bird withingun range.
A technique for locating fall flocks is tolocate a roost by listening for soft yelps and
When hunting conditionsdeteriorate, look forturkeys in more openareas where they can usetheir vision to search outpredators. Photo by RobertWright.
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Bow hunting is theultimate challenge inturkey hunting. Photo byRoger Raisch.
birds flying into trees the evening beforeyour hunt. If you can locate a roost, theroosted turkeys can usually be scattered atday break. It is also possible to scatterroosting birds after shooting hours the nightbefore in the same way you would duringthe day.
Hunters have also had success callingadult gobblers and hens by locating theirflock and reproducing the calls they aremaking. Often a gobbler flock will approacha coarse gobbler yelp to investigate theintruder. Successful fall gobbler huntingrequires a great deal of patience andwoodsmanship. Another technique worthtrying if you are working adults withoutyoung is to reproduce their call exactly andadd more aggressive calls after each series.
If you have been able to keep a close eyeon a flock of birds, another technique thatworks well is get to know their pattern andambush them when they pass through thatarea. Placing yourself along a trail or fieldedge that turkey have been using frequentlycan be a very effective technique.
Special bow huntingconsiderations
Hunting turkeys with bow and arrow isan exciting and challenging sport for agrowing number of Wisconsin hunters.Hunting gobblers in the spring or flocks ofyoung birds in the fall is considered theultimate challenge by most experiencedarchers. Bagging turkeys consistently ispossible if attention is paid to equipment,blinds, use of decoys, shot placement, andrecovery techniques.
Hunting with bow and arrow presentssome unique challenges:• Movement required to shoot the bow
must be hidden due to the superior eye-sight of turkeys.
• The vital area on a turkey is very small(3-4 inches in diameter). Proper shotplacement is critical.
• Recovery of wounded turkeys is difficult,but can be aided by special equipment.
Equipment
All equipment should be camouflaged orof a dark color because turkeys have excel-lent color vision. Don’t use brightly-coloredarrow fletchings. However, you can use any
color inside a full-coverage ground blind,because you’re hidden.
Most successful hunters use high-let-offcompounds. Compound bows are goodchoices because they shoot very flat andrequire less strength to hold at full draw.For those hunters who chose to hunt with-out the aid of a full-coverage groundblind, a better choice may be a fast-shoot-ing recurve or long bow. With the instinc-tive style of shooting used by many tradi-tional archery hunters, a quick shot ispossible. Bow draw weights from 45 to 70pounds are adequate.
Broadhead selection for turkey hunting isa hotly debated issue. Despite the claims ofproponents of dull, specially designed orexpanding-blade broadheads or blunts,most experienced turkey hunters use sharp,wide-cutting broadheads. Washers or otherfeather-grabbing devices behind thebroadhead are not necessary. Advocates ofthe special broadheads or stopper devicesclaim that more shock will be created if thearrow stays in the bird making recoveryeasier. Recovery depends more on wherethe turkey was hit than on whether or notthe arrow stayed in. Most arrows that hit aturkey will stay in without the aid of one ofthese special devices, because turkeys areheavily muscled and thickly boned.
Since a turkey is a small target, accesso-ries that improve accuracy are recom-mended. These include bow and peepsights, shooting tabs, and releases. Usebright-colored or fluorescent sight pins orpaint dull-colored pins white. This way,they will show up brightly against the darkcolors of a turkey.
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A turkey’s hearing is good, so eliminateany noisy bow accessories or moving parts.Lube wheels on compound bows, put mole-skin around the arrow rest, quiet squeakylimbs and tighten up any screws, bolts orother noise-making components.
Blinds and tree stands
Bow hunters suffer a major obstacle tomaking good, clean shots at wary, nervousturkeys. Turkeys have keen eyesight andwill detect the movement required to drawand shoot a bow, especially at close bowranges. A bow hunter who hunts without ablind has a poor chance for success. Using ablind is the only consistent way to get closeshots at undisturbed turkeys.
There are two major types of blinds—elevated or ground. Ground blinds are thebest and are either portable or constructedwith brush and vegetation. Sharp-eyedturkeys constantly scan trees for signs ofdanger from above. This means that youwill be seen in a tree stand even if you donot move. Besides making you more visibleto turkeys, tree stands have other disadvan-tages. Permanent stands for deer are oftennot in good locations for turkey hunting.Portable stands can be used, but the noiseand general commotion involved in erectingone can spook turkeys.
Blind location is critical. In the fall, thisshould be within 30 yards of the pointwhere you scattered a flock. In the spring,
precise location is not as important, butgood strutting areas, roost sites, or feedingareas are preferable.
Ground blinds made with brush orcamouflage netting
Select an “ambush tree” before decidingon a location to construct your blind. Thistree should have a large diameter, becauseit is the obstacle that you want a turkey towalk behind. When the bird goes behind it,you can make the necessary movements todraw your bow without being seen.
Next, select a small “blind tree” within 15feet of the “ambush tree” to build yourblind. Gather brush or cut small, low-hang-ing branches from trees and build a nearlycomplete circle around the “blind tree”,leaving only a small 6-9 inch openingfacing the ambush tree. Camouflage net-ting will also work, but it must be tightand high enough to completely cover thehunter. Sit on a stool or bucket and hangyour bow on a hook that has been at-tached to the tree. Hold your bow andhave your hands in shooting position.When a turkey goes behind the ambushtree, quickly and quietly draw your bow.Shoot when the bird walks into the open.
Some hunters have had success placingseveral large, round hay bales together toform a natural blind in open postures whereturkeys are known to go. Leave small open-ings between the bales to shoot from.
Another type of ground blind is made bystaking out camouflage netting in a “V”shape. Sit on a stool or bucket at the smallend of the “V” and make certain that a largetree is positioned in the center of the largeend of the “V.” The tree can either be insideor slightly outside the netting. Draw yourbow when the turkey goes behind the tree.Shoot when it walks into the open.
Blinds made with netting or natural veg-etation can be effective, but they have theirdrawbacks. They may take too much time toconstruct, be in a poor location when it istime to hunt, not completely conceal move-ment, and turkeys may not be in propershooting position.
Portable full-coverage blinds
Full-coverage blinds are used by mostseasoned turkey hunters and photographers.
Full coverage blinds allowhunters of all types moveabout easily and allowthem to shoot withoutbeing seen. Photo byRoger Raisch.
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Their advantages include:• Hides all movement• Precise positioning• More convenient• No damage to vegetation• Portable• Fast set-up• Lightweight• Shots possible from any angle• Self-supporting with lightweight poles• All weather hunting• Safer• Birds don’t change patterns as easily• More comfortable• Good for youth hunting
The most effective and comfortableblinds are large, providing plenty of roomfor movement. Other desired features are aroof to keep out light and weather. Medium-weight camouflage cotton cloth is best for ablind of this type, because other fabrics maybe too noisy, especially on windy days.
Shooting windows around the entirecircumference of the blind will provideshots at any turkey that comes within bowrange. These windows should have cover-ing flaps to conceal any movement of thehunter until just prior to the shot. Installgrommets in the blind to see through.
Full coverage blinds also work wellwhen placed in open fields and areaswhere birds are known to travel or congre-gate. Turkeys have little or no fear of blinds,as long as there is little movement of theblind material. It is very important to keepthe blind fabric taught so that it isn’t able toflap in the wind. Using blinds in wide openareas is an especially effective technique inrainy and windy weather when turkeys relyon their vision to detect danger and as aresult, utilize open areas more frequently.
Decoy tactics
Turkeys either love or hate decoys de-pending on their mood and the time of year.Spring gobblers can often be enticed intoclose bow range with a decoy. Members offall flocks are not always as easily fooled.
Most experienced bow hunters use a hendecoy. Positioning a decoy is very important.If your decoy is too far away, say 25 yards,and a turkey comes in on the far side andsees it at 20 yards, the bird may hang up.Then it is out of range at 45 yards. Formaximum effectiveness, place a decoy nomore than 10 yards away.
Some hunters use more than one hendecoy, a jake decoy, or a small flock of de-coys. The theory is that a turkey will beenticed to join up with the flock or a tommay be enraged due to a jake beingpresent. These tactics don’t always work.Seasoned bow hunters occasionally reportwatching gobblers ignore jake decoys andfight hen decoys. Several decoys provideadded opportunity for a turkey to seesomething interesting, but it also in-creases safety problems. Most hunters useonly one hen decoy.
Shot placement
The best shot is one that breaks theturkey’s backbone or spine. This will imme-diately immobilize it. For the best chance tohit the spine, wait until the bird is standingerect with its back toward you. Aim for themiddle of the back. If the turkey is feedingor walking with its head down, the movingspine presents a poor target. A turkey withits head down can be made to stand erectby making one or two sharp putts or cluckswith your call.
A hit in the neck is equally effective, butthe neck is small and difficult to hit consis-tently. An attempt at a neck shot will eitherkill the bird instantly or miss it completely.
If the turkey is facing you, an arrowplaced four inches below the base of theneck is good. This will be approximately aninch below where the beard is attached to amale turkey. The arrow should break theback as it exits the body, and should causedamage to the heart or lungs, or break awing or leg.
A broadside shot can be good if you hitthe point where the wing connects to theturkey’s body, just below the spine. This is arelatively high position on the body. It willbreak a wing or the spine, or pierce theheart or lungs.
Shooting a strutting gobbler is risky busi-ness because his feathers are puffed upmaking the location of a vital area difficultto determine. Make a cluck or two to bringthe gobbler out of strut. Sometimes a gob-bler won’t come out of strut. In those situa-tions, the best opportunity for a vital hit iswhen he turns his fanned tail toward you.Aim at the vent or base of the tail. Yourarrow should hit the heart, lungs, or liverand may also break a leg or wing.
Proper aiming pointswhen hunting with a bowand arrow. Photos byRoger Raisch.
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Recovering wounded turkeys
A bird hit in the spine will collapse im-mediately. An arrow that pierces the heartor lungs, without breaking a leg or wing,may require you to do a little searching. Asimilar hit that breaks a leg or wing willgenerally result in a quick recovery.
But often, bow hunters will be facedwith the problem of trying to recover a birdthat was hit in a non-vital area. A turkeythat does not drop in its tracks after a hit isdifficult to recover. Wounded turkeys willinstantly fly or run away, even with anarrow in them. There will usually be noblood trail, no trail of feathers and no tracksto follow.
A wounded bird that runs or flies awayshould be pursued immediately, keeping itin sight or within hearing. Listen for thesounds of the bird running in the leaves orthe flapping of its heavy wings. Regardlessof the situation, you should try to mark thedirection of flight or running. If you heardthe turkey make a crash landing, pinpointthe location.
Wounded turkeys will normally find ahiding spot within 200 yards. They willhide almost anywhere. You may find themin brush piles, under or by a log, in a creekbed, under leaves or bushes, in tall grass, ina hayfield, under a large rock outcropping
or up against the base of a large tree. Shootanother arrow into a wounded bird to an-chor it, unless it is obviously dead.
Fortunately, there are products that willhelp a bow hunter recover turkeys. Re-sponsible bow hunters should never shootan arrow at a turkey without the aid of arecovery system. String trackers, heat-sensing detectors, arrows with audibletones, and arrows that contain small radiotransmitters are all examples of effectiverecovery systems.
String tracking devices have been aroundthe longest, and have proven very effective.A properly installed string tracker will allowaccurate shooting up to 25 yards. Correctinstallation involves positioning the trackeron the bow so that it is near the arrow be-ing shot. Practice shooting with a tracker tobecome accustomed to its operation beforegoing afield. To help prevent breakage ofthe line, use heavy 30-pound line.
Heat-sensing detectors have proven ef-fective in recovering larger game such asdeer, but less evidence exists to prove theirworth on smaller-bodied game such asturkeys. Arrows with audible tones or withsmall radio transmitters can both be effec-tive, but only when the arrow remains inthe turkey. Most often, an arrow will stay ina turkey, making these devices effective.
Comparison of various recovery systems
Recovery System Advantages Disadvantages
String Trackers Low cost String may breakDirect tracking Can affect arrow flight
Heat-Sensing Detector Consistent operation May not detect a turkeymore than a few yards awayHigher cost
Audible Tone Arrows Effective to several hundred Arrow may not stay in turkeyyards and for many hours Higher costModerate cost
Arrows with Radio Direct tracking at longer ranges Arrow may not stay in turkeyTransmitters Effective for many hours Higher cost
String trackers improveyour odds of recoveringbirds and should bemounted close to anddirectly above the arrowto decrease the impact ithas on arrow flight. Photoby Roger Raisch.
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Scoring trophiesAny turkey is a magnificent bird and
considered a trophy by most hunters. How-ever, some like to compare their turkey toother large turkeys taken across the state orcountry. The Wisconsin DNR does not keepinformation on record birds but the NationalWild Turkey Federation does. For currentNWTF members, the federation scores birdsbased on a combination of the birds weight,beard length(s) and spur lengths. In addi-tion to this overall score, the NWTF alsokeeps track of record birds in each of thesecategories.
The formula for overall score is: weight(lbs.) plus 10 times each spurs length (right& left) plus 2 times the beard length(s). Allmeasurements are recorded to the nearestsixteenth of an inch and converted to adecimal measurement. Birds should beweighed prior to field dressing and theweight must be measured to the nearestounce (for example, 28 lbs. 3 oz. = 28.1875points). Spurs must be measured along theoutside center, from the point at which thespur protrudes from the scaled leg skin tothe tip of the spur (for example, left spur 1inch plus right spur 1 1/16 inches times 10= 20.625 points). Beard length is measuredfrom the center point of the protrusion fromthe skin, to the end of the longest bristle(for example, 12 2/16 inches times 2 =24.25 points). Turkeys with multiple beardsmust have each beard measured and re-corded separately. The total score for theturkey in this example would be 28.1875 +20.625 + 24.25 = 73.0625.
The NWTF requires that weights must berecorded from scales inspected and certifiedas accurate for trade by the state depart-ment of agriculture, and that birds weighingover 22 pounds must have a weight couponor signed document presented for proof aswell as an additional witness who is anactive member of the NWTF. Pictures ofmeasurements are required for beard(s) over12 inches in total length and spurs over 1.5
inches along with an NWTF witness signa-ture. To officially register your turkey withthe National Wild Turkey Federation, writeEntry Rules & Application, National WildTurkey Federation, P.O. Box 530, Edgefield,SC, 29824-0530 or call (803) 637-3106 orFAX your request to (803) 637-0034.
Conversion Table
Weight Measurements 1 OZ. = .0625 1/16 = .0625 2 OZ. = .1250 1/8 = .1250 3 OZ. = .1875 3/16 = .1875 4 OZ. = .2500 1/4 = .2500 5 OZ. = .3125 5/16 = .3125 6 OZ. = .3750 3/8 = .3750 7 OZ. = .4375 7/16 = .4375 8 OZ. = .5000 1/2 = .5000 9 OZ. = .5625 9/16 = .562510 OZ. = .6250 5/8 = .625011 OZ. = .6875 11/16 = .687512 OZ. = .7500 3/4 = .750013 OZ. = .8125 13/16 = .812514 OZ. = .8750 7/8 = .875015 OZ. = .9375 15/16 = .9375
Work Sheet for Scoring TurkeysWeight
________ Pounds _________Ounces =______________
Spur Lengths
Left ________ X 10 =______________
Right ________ X 10 =______________
Beard Length
_________ Inches X 2 =______________
Total Points ______________
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Trophy mountsMany hunters will want to have all or
part of their turkey mounted. The mostcommon mounts are those with the tail,beard and wings displayed. The beardneeds no special treatment to be displayed.The tail fan should be spread out andpinned to cardboard or styrofoam. Sprinklesalt and Borax on the fleshy part of the tail.
Allow the fan to dry for several weeks and itwill remain fanned out. To protect yourturkey mount from moths, rub Borax into thefeathers.
If you are considering a full mount, itrequires extra care in the field. Most taxider-mists would prefer that you not field dressthe bird, and may even charge extra if therewas improper field care. If possible, bringthe ungutted bird to a taxidermist the day itis shot. If the weather is warm, you willwant to make sure the bird is kept cool untilyou can take it to the taxidermist. If youmust field dress the turkey, be very carefulnot to get blood on the feathers. Laying thebird on its back and sprinkling corn mealliberally on the cut as it is being made willhelp to soak up excess blood. You may alsowant to stuff paper towel or cotton insidethe mouth, nostrils, and shot holes of thebird to soak up any draining blood.
Field dressing and cleaningTurkeys that are not going to be
mounted should be field dressed like anyother upland bird. This is done by cuttingfrom the vent to the brisket and removingthe entrails. The heart, liver, and gizzardshould be put in a plastic bag if you want tosave them. Field dressing your bird allowsthe body to cool down as fast as possible.However, you may want to have your turkeyweighed before you dress it.
You can clean turkeys much like you doducks, geese, chickens, and pheasants.The two main methods are plucking andskinning.
Pluck a turkey the same way you wouldpluck a chicken. The advantage of pluckingis that you leave the skin on which keepsthe bird from drying out while being cooked.Dipping the bird in scalding water helpsfeather removal. The disadvantages ofplucking are that it takes more time thanskinning and is messier.
Skinning a turkey is cleaner and faster,but the meat may dry out when cooked. Youmay want to wrap a skinned turkey in foil orput it into a baking bag during cooking.Larding the bird’s breast with strips of ba-con will also reduce drying during cooking.
Using care while handlingyour prize when in thefield will greatly increaseyour chances of having abeautiful wall mount.Photos by Eric Lobner.
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There are various methods of skinning aturkey. Here is one way:
1. Hang the turkey by both feet at chestlevel, keeping the feet at least a footapart.
2. If you want the beard saved, remove it bygrasping it as close to the body as pos-sible, give it a half-twist, then sharplypull it away from the breast.
3. Remove the tail fan by cutting the skinaway from the tail.
4. Cut off the wings at the elbow or secondjoint.
5. Grasp the skin near the tail and beginpulling it down. Work the skin off aroundthe wings and pull it down to the neck.
6. Cut off the neck and the skin. The feath-ers and head should come off in onepiece.
7. Open the body cavity and remove theentrails, if the bird has not already beenfield dressed. Be sure to remove all lungmaterial from the backbone, as it spoilsfast.
8. Cut off the legs where the scaled andfeathered sections meet. Then, the turkeyis ready for cooking or freezing.
Wild turkeys are cooked the same asdomestic turkeys, but wild birds will not beas fat.
Cooking it upIn many ways, wild turkey tastes like
domestic turkey purchased in the store. Themain difference is that they tend to be less-moist than store bought birds. Techniquesthat you can try to retain moisture in yourturkey include:• Cook in a covered kettle following the
manufactures directions for domesticturkey, approximately 12 minutes perpound.
• Roast you turkey in a commercial ovenbag or “brown-in-bag”, again followingmanufactures suggestions.
• Remove the legs, thighs, and wings andboil for stock. Partially freeze the breastand slice into 1/2 to 1/4 inch slices. Dipslices in egg batter, roll in flour, corn-meal, or cracker crumbs, add seasoningsand fry in medium hot butter or marga-rine for five minutes to each side.
Smoked Turkey Pitas1/2 cup celery, chopped1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped1/4 cup onion, chopped3/4 cup grapes, halved, or pineapple chunks1/4 cup parsley, chopped1/2 cup cubed smoked turkeyDressing1/2 cup yogurt1/2 cup light mayonnaise1/2 tsp. cumin1/2 tsp. curry1/2 tsp. Spike (an all purpose salt free seasoning)
Mix dressing and add to other ingredients. Let stand in refrigera-tor for at least 2 hours. Mix again. Fill halved, open pita bread withmixture. Garnish with halved cherry tomatoes.
Roast Wild Turkey and Stuffing
1 10 lb. Turkey and giblets10-12 slices of dried bread, crumbled2 tsp. celery salt1 tsp. nutmeg4 tbsp. chopped parsleySalt and pepper to taste1/4 tsp. ground mace2 tsp. chopped pecans4-5 hard-boiled eggs, chopped11/2 cup chopped mushrooms1/4 lb. Butter1 lg. onion, chopped fine2/3 to 1 cup sherry wineParboil giblets, chop fine. Add bread crumbs. Blend in seasonings.
Add pecans, eggs and giblets. Sauté mushrooms in 1/2 the butter. Com-bine mushrooms, onions, and bread mixture, moisten with enoughsherry to stick together.
Stuff the turkey and roast at 325 degrees for 21/2 hours, bastingoccasionally. Serves 8-10.
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Further readingCraven, S.R. and D.C. Payer. 1994. WildTurkeys: A Problem for Wisconsin Farmers?UW-Extension Publication. Madison, Wis-consin.
Dickson, J.G., ed. 1992. The Wild Turkey:Biology and Management. Stackpole Books,Harrisburg, PA. 463 pp.
Hanback, M. 1996. Spring Gobbler Fever:Your Complete Guide to Spring Turkey Hunt-ing. Krause Publications, Iola, WI. 256 pp.
Lobner, E., ed. 1998. Managing Your Landfor Wild Turkeys. Wisconsin Department ofNatural Resources, Madison, Wisconsin.
National Wild Turkey Federation. ProjectHELP (Habitat Enhancement Land Program):Seed and Seeding Brochure. Edgefield,South Carolina
National Wild Turkey Federation. ManagingOpenings for Wild Turkeys. Edgefield, SouthCarolina.
Raisch, R., and T. Little. 1990. TurkeyHunting Secrets. American Heritage Pub-lishers of Iowa, Inc. West Des Moines,Iowa. 240 pp.
Williams, L. 1996. After the Hunt. KrausePublications, Iola, WI. 256 pp.
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Ten Commandments of Turkey Hunting Safety
Veteran turkey hunter, Don Garver of the Illinois Department of Conserva-tion, has developed 10 commandments for turkey hunters. He calls them his10 commandments for staying alive. Some of these tips were given in previ-ous segments as well, but they are worth repeating:
1. Don’t ever attempt to approach closer than 100 yards to a gobbler.The hen or gobbler you hear often will be a hunter. He may call soproficiently and realistically that he sounds even better than a realturkey.
2. Never select a calling site with your back to a tree that is smaller thanthe width of your shoulders. Small trees won’t hide slight visiblemovements of your hands or shoulders that may look like part of aturkey to a hunter stalking your calls. Use that tree to protect yourback where you can’t see.
3. Never jump and turn suddenly because you hear a turkey close be-hind you. That turkey behind you could turn out to be the barrel of ashotgun exploding at you. Wait until the bird walks where you cansee it or call it back later.
4. Never select a calling site that doesn’t allow at least 40 yards visibil-ity in all directions, 75 yards visibility is even better. Either hunt onthe top of a ridge where you can see down both sides or hunt at least40 yards down the slope of a ridge. Good turkey calls may bring inunskilled hunters.
5. Never stalk a turkey. The idea is to call a gobbler to you. If you havetried to call a gobbler to you don’t ever attempt to move closer. If it’s agobbler, he will probably see you. If it’s a hunter, he may shoot you.
6. Don’t use a gobbler call. When you shake a gobbler call, your handcan look like a turkey’s head and that gobbler call may attracthunters.
7. Don’t think because you’re fully camouflaged that you’re totally invis-ible. You’re plenty visible to both turkey and hunter when you moveeven slightly. Sitting perfectly still will kill more turkeys than all thecamouflage you can wear, and sitting still won’t get you shot. Turkeysalways see you. The movement is what panics them.
8. Never wear red, white or blue clothing—not even undergarments ofthose colors. Red is the color many hunters count on to differentiate agobbler’s red waddles from the blue colored hen’s head. White canlook like a snowball head of a gobbler. Leave those white handker-chiefs at home. Blue is the principle color of a hen turkey’s head, butthis color is found on a gobbler’s head as well.
9. Never assume what you hear or answers you is a turkey.
10. Don’t try to hide so well that you can’t see what’s happening.
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Patterning Your Turkey Gun and LoadTo see how well your turkey gun and load pattern, copy this target and place it on a board at no more than 40 yards from where you
plan to fire your gun. Then fire several loads at the turkey’s head and neck each time counting the number of holes in the vital area(immobilization area). Six or more pellets in the vital area indicate a killing pattern. The ideal center of pattern is where the fleshy andfeathered portion of the neck meet. Become familiar with the relative size of the turkey by patterning your gun at 25, 35, and 40 yards.Never shoot at a turkey beyond 40 yards.
D
EB
A
C
C
B
A
Bony skull & vertebrae Penetration will immobilize
Ideal center of pattern
A Esophagus or gullet
B Trachea or windpipe
C Wattles
D Snood or dewbill
E Loose neck skin
✃
A Turkey Hunter’s
Code of ConductAs a
Responsible Turkey Hunter,I will
1. not let peer pressure or the excitement of the hunt cloudmy judgment;
2. learn and practice safe hunting techniques;3. hunt the wild turkey fairly;4. know the capabilities and limitations of my gun or bow
and use it safely;5. obey and support all wildlife laws and report all viola-
tions;6. respect the land and the landowner and always obtain
permission before hunting;7. avoid knowingly interfering with another hunter and
respect the right of others to lawfully share the out-of-doors;
8. value the hunting experience and appreciate the beautyof the wild turkey;
9. positively identify my target as a legal bird and insist ona good shot;
10. share responsible turkey hunting with others and workfor wild turkey conservation.
WisconsinTurkey Hunter’s
Guide
WisconsinTurkey Hunter’s
Guide
WisconsinTurkey Hunter’s
Guide
The following sponsors have contributed financially to the production of this hunters guide:
®
Your Turkey StampDollars atWork
Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesWisconsin Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation
PUB-WM-214 2004