Asking the Right Questions as a New Turkey Hunter

Immerse yourself in the tale of a novice turkey hunter, as we navigate the pitfalls and breakthroughs of this rich experience, providing vital insights and guidance for those embarking on their own turkey hunting journey.

In recent years, turkey hunting has become one of hunting’s latest and greatest fads. Videos of longbeards charging a hunter behind a decoy and pile pictures of gobblers that are better left for ducks garner an immense amount of attention. In my opinion, it’s become a marketing scheme of cheap tricks, quick thrills, and instant gratification.

Turkey Hunting For New Beginners

If you’re reading this article looking for advice as a new hunter, there’s a decent chance it’s one of those videos that piqued your curiosity and drew you in. Make no mistake: this is not an article detailing which gear and gadgets you might be convinced you need to kill a turkey, and it’s not a ten-step plan to filling your bag limit as quickly as possible, because you cannot buy your way into becoming a good turkey hunter, and money is no substitute for time and experience. I was raised on the notion that most things worth having won’t come easily, and that the reward of hard work is well worth it once you’ve put in the effort. It will take time to learn the art of woodsmanship, the subtleties of calling, and the gut instincts that drive decisions to fool a wild turkey successfully, and there are very few shortcuts on that path. If learning how to hunt turkeys rather than simply kill turkeys sounds appealing, this is the right place to be.

My turkey hunting resume begins with an early, low-level introduction from my father, which I understand is a luxury not all folks share. However, it was of my own curiosity and my own effort that I became the half-decent turkey hunter I am today. I have years of experience doing nearly everything wrong on my own – looking in the wrong places, making the wrong moves and wrong calls. It was a whole lot of learning the hard way, but each lesson put me in a better position for the next opportunity. While there’s no replacement for hours logged in the spring woods, a turkey hunting mentor is an asset worth more than words and money combined. Perhaps even more so than the most hardcore deer and duck hunters, turkey hunters hold their knowledge and their favorite places close to their chests, but many of the most experienced turkey hunters I know are willing to help new hunters if they learn how to ask the right questions. Here’s my best advice on the matter:

Start with the Basics

Before you head to your nearest turkey hunting forum or Facebook group with a list of questions, do a little homework. State fish & game agencies are often pretty good at publicizing where and how you can hunt on public land. Inevitably, some areas will be better for turkeys than others, but start close to home. You’re far more likely to spend the necessary time scouting the block of woods thirty minutes down the road than you are the one several hours away. Putting your boots on the ground before you ask questions is the quickest way to earn some respect.

In the age of satellite maps, we have more detail than ever available at a glance, but as a new hunter, it’s valuable to piece together what each type of habitat looks like on the ground as compared to the map. Make note of how hardwood bottoms, pine forests, oak hammocks, and cypress swamps look on a map while you’re standing in one. I’m a lifelong Florida native, and I often hunt where elevation changes are significant in a matter of a few feet, but pay attention to topography lines as well when they’re present. A brief internet search of how to read them paired with laying eyes on the ground that matches them will do well for you.

Only after you’ve started your introductory course on the lay of the land, start to ask questions like:

“The area I’ve scouted has this and that type of habitat. Which would you recommend I focus my time scouting?”

This approach sets the emphasis on a generalization of where to look, rather than asking for someone’s most prized GPS pins. I may not tell you exactly which oak hammock I’d head to first, but I’ll tell you to spend more time in the oak hammocks than the overgrown pine thickets.

“I’ve spent some time scouting my local woods that are this specific kind of habitat, are there any certain landmarks or terrain features I should keep an eye out for?”

Once you’ve narrowed down your scouting area, learning what to look for is next. Creeks, benches, roost trees and secluded strutting zones all have their own different values.

Practice through Repetition

Opening day arrives, you’ve pieced together your camo and a shotgun with shells of any variety that came with a turkey on the box, and you’ve got your first turkey call in hand ready to yelp one up. The eagerness and excitement are unavoidable, as they should be. I am not a calling expert, nor am I an expert on the ground you’ve chosen to start at. Chances are, however, that someone is (or at least a lot more experienced than you). While I could ramble about all the things I dislike about social media, I believe its greatest value lies in connecting you with strangers you otherwise never would have met. Use that tool to your advantage, and once you’ve found someone willing to provide some guidance, consider the following to build a meaningful relationship.

Every new turkey hunter wants to kill their first turkey. The new turkey hunters who want to become better turkey hunters more than they want to kill their first turkey will earn more respect and be more successful in the long run. You know, teaching a man versus feeding a man. Ask your newfound mentor not if they will call in your first turkey for you, but if they will take you hunting as they try to call in their own and teach you along the way. If they accept, act as a sponge and soak up as much information as possible.

There are more hypothetical questions than I could possibly list here, and I would certainly fail to list them all if I tried, but here are a few ideas around which to frame your questions as you tag along:

• Where and how to set up at sunrise

• How to approach a gobbling turkey

• How to use your knowledge of the lay of the land to your advantage

• All decisions related to calling, including when and why you should or should not

• What to do when turkeys aren’t calling and won’t respond to calls

• What to do when a turkey seems hung up, and how to avoid that in the first place

Only by practice through repetition will you learn all the right things to ask in any given situation. Take the lessons learned from your tutoring and apply them to your next trip into the woods. I encourage you to log the hours and make mistakes. Once you do, return with a new set of questions. Teaching a new turkey hunter is a rewarding process, but learning to ask the right questions is invaluable. Replace “what should I try first?” with “I’ve tried these things, where should I go from here?” and you will be far better off for it.

Writer Michael Martin With a Successful Harvest

Michael Martin is a full-time freelance photographer and Florida native. He is most passionate about turkey hunting, although his roots are in bowhunting whitetails, and his yellow lab, May, is drawing him to spend more days in the duck blind each season. Michael has hunted and fished since his early childhood and now strives to share his passion for the outdoors through his photography and writing.