Warmer temperatures, visions of swelled-up longbeards and the pre-dawn sounds of whippoorwills, barred owls and ground shaking gobbles control our one-track minds. Here are eight things to remember come opening day.
Do use high-impact scouting strategies If you want to consistently punch tags, implement high-impact scouting tactics that will give you an edge over gobblers and other hunters. Study aerial photos and hang a network of game cameras to pinpoint longbeards and establish daily patterns that can be exploited once the season opens. Multiple cameras can reveal exact locations of roosting sites, strut zones, feeding areas and travel corridors.
Don’t fail to learn the area High-impact scouting strategies can dramatically increase your chances of tagging out early, but there is no substitute for walking and learning your hunting area. Burning a little boot leather allows you to develop knowledge of the terrain and topography. You can locate natural barriers like ditches, creeks, cliffs, thickets, fences and blow-downs that typically cause gobblers to hang up just out of range. K nowing the land and understanding how it inf luences daily patterns will generate more shot opportunities.
Do locate multiple longbeards Locating and patterning a gobbler is just one step in the equation. To stack the cards in your favor, pinpoint and pattern multiple longbeards. Consider the possibility that another hunter might drop the hammer on your gobbler before you get the chance to strike up a conversation on opening morning. This is a common scenario for public-land hunters, but it also can happen on private property or leased land. Trespassers and the fact that lovesick longbeards will often follow a hen across boundary lines or respond to your neighbor’s calls are a few reasons why it pays to locate more than one gobbler.
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