Dawn is the turkey hunter’s favorite time. The treetops ring with gobbling, stirring hopes of a successful hunt. But even the best laid plans sometimes go astray. The turkeys are still out there later in the day, and there are far fewer hunters. You just might have to alter your
approach a little if you want to connect, but don’t give up when the sun climbs high in the sky.
Chill Out – Forget the aggressive calling; that’s for early in the morning. Now is the time to go “Old School.” Set up in an area you know holds birds. Break out your slate or box call, yelp three times and set it down for 15 or 20 minutes. Do that two or three times over the course of an hour and in between, stay silent and still but alert. Often times birds will slip in silently.
Go Back – Don’t be afraid to retrace your steps. That early bird that gobbled like a maniac at dawn but wouldn’t come to your calls is probably still out there, and now he’s lonely. Go back and give him another try. He may be more receptive to your calling now.
Dust Bowl Days – Early morning is time for breeding and feeding. Once both activities are dispensed with, turkeys settle down to more mundane tasks like feather maintenance. That includes grooming and taking a dust bath. You’ve probably seen small, rounded depressions around the area you hunt and now is a good time to stake one out.
Troll – Trolling – walking along and calling loudly to elicit a shock gobble – works any time but up in the day it may be the best way to find a responsive bird. It’s often harder to get a bird to gobble in the middle of the day but if you do, there’s a good chance you’ll kill him. By Bob Humphrey