Turkey hunting is something many hunters have done at one time or another, and for those who haven’t yet, here are some helpful tips.
Look for the Feathers
When hunting turkey, look for feathers. Keep in mind that most adult turkeys have between 5,000 and 6,000 feathers on them, and some are bound to come off as they scamper about the woods and clearings. This is especially true when turkeys are molting.
And Long Spurs
Besides feathers, look for long spurs just above a turkey’s feet when you encounter them in person. When you see long spurs, that’s a good indication of the age of the bird– mature ones might have two inch long spurs! You can also tell the age of a turkey by the length of their tail feathers. Mature birds have fully rounded fans of feathers while young ones are jagged with the middle tail feathers slightly longer than their outer feathers.
Male vs Female
Wondering if the bird is male or female? Males (called Toms) will have beards hanging from their chests, and some could be as long as 10 inches! That said, females (called Hens) might also have beards, so just keep that in mind.
Decoys Are Helpful
If you’re hunting turkey during daylight hours, you might want to use decoys to distract them and/or draw them in from a distance. Be still around them– they have great daytime vision! If they spot you and want to run away, they’re super fast and very good at escaping from people. Did you know turkey can run up to 25 mph? And if they fly in the sky, they can get up to 55 mph!
In the mood to hunt turkey? Tioga Ranch can make that happen with guided turkey hunts. Call 570-835-5341 for more information.