Adventures Outdoors'
IN WISCONSIN
Moving on Tom’s
By Rick Spoerl
Should I stay or should I go. That’s the question we have all asked ourselves after a couple hours in the turkey woods especially if we haven’t seen a turkey early in the morning. A veteran turkey hunter once told me that if a hunter would sit still in a good strutting field from the beginning to the end of hunting hours every day of the season he would score a bird 99 percent of the time.
That might be true, but I have shot turkey’s either way and have developed a system that at least for me seems to be successful. Before considering moving you have to justify it.
Did you scout the area recently and see birds here? If the answer is yes than you should stay. If the answer is no than you should move.
If you did see turkeys here before, did the conditions change? The weather can definitely change turkey patterns along with farming practices and hunting or scouting pressure. If the weather turns bad the birds may want to be somewhere else. In early spring if a farmer starts spreading manure in a different location the birds may go there to feed. And if there is to much human pressure the turkeys may change patterns along with roosting areas. These are reasons to move.
Have you heard gobbles from another location consistently during the morning? If the answer is yes you should move. If no than you should stay.
Can you move around the area within the cover not in the open? If yes than you can move. If not you may want to wait until dark. You don’t want to send the turkeys to the neighbors.
Have you seen Tom’s with hens but couldn’t get the Gobblers away from the girls? If yes than you should stay. They may be back after the hens leave them. If you saw Tom’s by themselves but they still wouldn’t come in than you want to move. There is obviously something about the location they don’t like.
Have you seen turkeys using a certain travel path during the morning but wouldn’t come to the calling? If yes, move to it.
Is a Tom consistently gobbling but seems to be staying in the same spot? Time to move in closer. Be cautious, chances are he’s with other birds.
Have you seen more than one tom together that seems to only care about themselves and not your calling or decoy’s? If yes than try to intercept them and pull out a tom or Jake decoy while using a gobble call.
Yes I’ve been busted several times on the move but I was convinced I would see nothing if I stayed. I can also tell you I’ve shot lots of birds after a move. You’ll probably see more turkey’s moving but it must be done with the greatest of stealthy ness. High winds, rain and snow are great times to move in close on turkeys.
Pack light and get into shape in case of a move this year. Don’t skimp on camo including your gun. Put this movement checklist to the test, you might be surprised.