EP92 When To Hunt Turkey From A Blind | The 5 Best Times

Show Notes:

While hunting spring turkey on foot can be a lot of fun, there are times when it is best to hunt gobblers from a blind. On this episode I talk about the 5 situations when hunting turkey from a blind is the most fun or gives you the best chances for success.

Take Aways:

  • No matter what anyone says, hunting turkey from a blind is REAL turkey hunting.
  • Real turkey hunting is best defined as the type that helps you safely enjoy the sport most.
  • Blinds offer certain advantages and disadvantages. Depending on your skill level and situation, the pros can outweigh the cons when it comes to your chances of success.
  • No usable trees or topography. Sometimes you just don’t have the cover you need to hunt turkeys, no matter how good your camo is. A blind can enable you to hunt certain spots that you would not have been able to hunt otherwise.
  • Injuries and disabilities. For some people, they are simply not able to hunt on the move or on the ground. A blind can help you successfully hunt gobblers when you not be physically able to otherwise.
  • Listen to the episode to hear about the other times when hunting from a turkey blind is the best option.

EP91 7 Critical Stealth Tips For Turkey Hunting

Show Notes:

Being stealthy is paramount when it comes to turkey hunting, it may be the single most important thing you can do to be more successful. On this episode I talk about specific and practical things you can do to become a stealthier turkey hunter.

Take Aways:

  • Stealth essentially refers to your ability to hunt without being noticed. You want to take every reasonable step to be undetected by turkeys.
  • You want turkeys to not know you are there, or better yet, think you are another turkey.
  • Good camo matters but silence and stillness matter more. 
  • Turkeys have great eye sight and excellent hearing. Couple that with the fact that they seem to live in a state of constant paranoia and you can see the great importance of stealth.
  • Stealth tip #1: Early and slow. Being in the woods early helps you get in position before the turkeys wake up, but it also gives you the time you need to move slowly and more stealthily.
  • Stealth tip #2: Lighter boots. The bigger and heavier the boot the larger the footprint and the heavier the footfall. Lighter boots enable you to walk quieter, avoid breaking as many twigs, and help you keep going longer without getting worn our and careless.
  • Stealth tip #3: Scout trails and access roads. Scouting in advance helps you find the quietest ways through the woods so you can get to your turkey hunting spots easily and efficiently. 
  • Stealth tip #4-#7: Listen to the episode to hear about these and more.

 

EP90 Intro To Turkey Hunting With Bow Or Crossbow

Show Notes:

Spring turkey hunting is one of the most exciting and energizing types of hunting. On this episode I talk about why you may want to hunt turkey with a bow or crossbow, when those tools may give you an advantage, and some tactics you need to be successful.

Take Aways:

  • Generally speaking, bows of any type add an additional layer of difficulty to turkey hunting.
  • New turkey hunters should not try to go directly to hunting with a bow to add difficulty, unless you live in an area where turkeys are easy to hunt or you are unable to use a shotgun. 
  • Vertical bows and crossbows do give you the advantage of being able to hunt on smaller parcels that are closer to houses and populated areas.
  • Turkey hunting is 90% experience/wordsmanship and 10% gear. Learning how to call and be stealthy as well as developing strategy and intuition will do far more for you than the weapon you choose or how fancy it is.
  • Crossbows are the recommended tool for new hunters when a bow is needed or desired.
  • Vertical bows take more time, work, and practice for you to be effective with them and are better suited for those who have already developed general proficiency in the basics of turkey hunting.
  • But as always, the best tool to use to start turkey hunting is the one you already have and know how to use. Be it a shotgun, crossbow, or vertical bow. If you have it, and you can use it reasonably well, then start with that.
  • Experience will teach you what tools are best for you or what features are the best fit for your style. 
  • Always try to make decisions and purchases based on your experience, not the opinions of others.

 

EP89 Five Multi-Spot Turkey Scouting Strategies

Show Notes:

When it comes to turkey hunting, you need multi spot strategies to optimize your chance for a successful season. On this episode I talk about five ways to scout for and find those locations.

Take Aways:

  • Turkeys in one area can behave very differently on any given week compared to turkeys a few miles away. 
  • Only hunting in one area limits you because you are stuck with how the turkeys are behaving there, and it puts a lot of hunting pressure on that spot.
  • Changing location mid season should be something you strongly consider when your main area has been quiet for multiple hunts.
  • You do not always have the time or energy to heavily scout secondary areas, so you need general strategies to help you find areas that are likely to contain birds with the scouting time you have available.
  • On this episode I cover 5 strategies to help you do just that. You can employ any one of them to help you pick a secondary turkey hunting location.
  • I do not recommend new hunters look for turkey roosting trees. The reason is any solid tree could be a roosting tree and it’s not a good way to narrow down where turkeys are.
    • If you see turkeys roosting then obviously that is a good sign but looking for ideal trees for roosting is not efficient unless you hunt in an area where trees are sparse.
  • Trail cams can be a great way to look for turkey sign, but you need to use strategy to find promising areas to place your trail cams.

EP88 Three Top Turkey Hunting Habitat Improvements

Show Notes:

Turkeys are a wily and wary adversary, but like all animals they need and like certain things to thrive. On this episode I talk about small, practical, and cost effective things you can do on your land to improve your turkey hunting habitat.

Turkeys Need:

  • Food, just like you.
  • Water, in many areas they will drink daily.
  • Roosting trees, even mythical birds need to sleep.
  • Cover, they need places to hide and feel secure, else they will run from your property every time they feel afraid.
  • Elevation, they are called upland birds for a reason. They will tolerate some wetlands but they are not ducks!
  • Mature hardwoods, they like big open forested areas, as long as they feel safe.
  • Clearings, they like open spaces where they can search for food and socialize.
  • Safety, they don’t want to be around people or predator’s.
  • Each other, where the hens are, the gobblers will follow.
  • Did I mention food?

Find out the top three habitat improvements that new hunters can make with the most efficiency and cost effectiveness on this episode.

 

EP87 Is Hunting Biblical?

Show Notes:

People tend to assert their opinions or feelings as the reason why hunting is ok or not ok. But what does the Bible have to say about it? On this episode I answer that question and touch on a number of related subjects.

On this episode I talk about what the Bible has to say about:

  • Eating meat in the beginning, historically, and today
  • Hunting in general
  • Hunting for food
  • Hunting for self defense
  • Hunting to protect property
  • Hunting for sport
  • Hunting ethics
  • Hunting tips and instructions
  • The game commission

Here are some of the scriptures that I mentioned on the episode:

Genesis 1:28
Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Genesis 2:15
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

Genesis 9:3-6
Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. Surely for your lifeblood I will demand a reckoning; from the hand of every beast I will require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother I will require the life of man. “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.”

Genesis 25:27
So the boys grew. And Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a mild man, dwelling in tents.

Leviticus 17:13
“Whatever man of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who hunts and catches any animal or bird that may be eaten, he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust;

Proverbs 12:27
The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting,
But diligence is man’s precious possession.

Deuteronomy 7:22
And the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.

EP86 If There Is One Thing I’ve Learned About Hunting… Be Ready!

Show Notes:

Is there a most important hunting tip that translates to all types and styles of hunting? Yes, absolutely.  On this episode I talk about the single most important lesson I’ve learned about hunting and that is developing mental and positional readiness.

Take Aways:

  • Mental readiness is having decided ahead of time what game you are going to take a shot at, what range you are comfortable shooting to, and the angles and scenarios you will pull the trigger in. 
  • Mental readiness enables you to operate within the critical two second rule.
  • Positional readiness is having your bow or firearm in a ready position with both hands always in their places so that you can bring the weapon to bare with just one pivot point. 
  • Positional readiness also enables you to operate within the two second rule.
  • Material readiness is having the right tools and gear to operate within the two second rule without making too much noise or having too much movement. Such as having a quiet and tight enough coat, etc. 
  • Material readiness also involves keeping you comfortable enough to maintain positional readiness.  Such as having warm enough gloves, etc.
  • The two second rule is a philosophy of hunting where you cannot count on having more than two seconds to make a decision to shoot, shoulder your weapon, and take the shoot. More time is a luxury that you must not depend on.
  • The two second rule is not about practicing fast target acquisition and trigger pulling, it is about maintaining mental and positional readiness.
  • You do not need to do speed drills at the shooting range, you need to be strategic in how you hunt.
  • Sometimes you should move very slowly and maybe take 10 seconds to shoulder your weapon, it is not just about fast movement but deliberate, efficient, and undetected movement. 

EP85 What Should You Eat Before Hunting?

Show Notes:

What you eat and drink matters a lot for hunting, and so does when you eat and drink it. On this episode I talk about what I have learned to be the best eating and drinking habits prior to hunting and even while you are in the woods.

Take Aways:

  • Nothing is more important than knowing how different foods effect your body.
  • If dairy causes you problems, don’t eat it before going hunting.
  • If bacon or sausage will put you in the bathroom before the end of the morning, don’t eat it before hunting!
  • The type of hunting matters a lot. Sitting requires less food and drinking, and the downside of eating and drinking is larger.
  • Moving and hunting requires more of both, and there is much less if any downside to eating and drinking if you are moving a lot.
  • Few things are as disruptive when hunting than getting up to go to the bathroom or unwrapping a few granola bars.
  • Everything about your eating and drinking strategy should be focused on making you a more effective hunter.
  • You want to maximize comfort and stealth in the field. 
  • If you are hunting in a hard walled blind from 200 yards then you can get away with a lot more than someone hunting game within 50 yards of a tree strand.

EP84 Should You Hunt With An AR-15?

Show Notes:

Are AR style rifles good for hunting? Should you hunt with one? Should new hunters use one? This is a hotly debated topic where opinions tend to overshadow facts. On this episode I talk about the pros and the cons without ranting or raving about either position.

Take Aways:

  • I cover both AR-15 rifles and AR-10 rifles because they are the most common.
  • I am familiar with the term “modern sporting rifle” but I’ve opted not to use it in this episode. It is not because I dislike the term but only a percentage of listeners would be familiar with it, so I’ve gone with the more familiar terms. No hate mail please.
  • Are there good reasons to hunt with an AR? Yes.
  • Are there good reason not to hunt with an AR? Yes.
  • Should you hunt with one? Maybe. You need to examine the pros and cons and YOUR situation to answer that question for yourself.
  • The answer an experienced hunter comes to and the answer a beginner comes to may be different however.
  • This episode is not politically motivated or charged. It is motivated by a hunter who wants to help other hunters navigate these questions logically and responsibly.
  • An AR-15 can be used effectively for coyotes, foxes, raccoons, woodchucks, and other small to mid size game, even turkeys with the right load.
  • AR-15s can be used to hunt deer under certain conditions I discuss in this episode but an AR-10 would be a better choice for hunting deer, elk, moose, and other large game.
  • I did not cover recoil in this episode. Mostly because I forgot, but also because it is not that big of a variable for most people. I have a bolt action 223 WIN that has less recoil than most AR-15 rifles that I’ve shot. It is really a non issue until you get to AR-10 platform.
    • In this case, the AR-10 would typically have a little less recoil than a manual action 308 WIN rifle of the same weight. But since most AR-10’s tend to weigh more than a conventional bolt action rife, the felt recoil is even more significantly reduced.
    • This is a benefit to those who are small framed, injured, or physically disabled in a way that they could not comfortably fire a traditional rifle due to recoil but could use an AR-10.
    • Reduced recoil could be a reason someone opts to use an AR-15 for deer hunting.

EP83 Five Reasons To Scout For Deer Antler Sheds

Show Notes:

Hunting for deer antler sheds is fun and rewarding and it can be enjoyed by the whole family. On this episode I talk about five reasons to get out and make the most of this great past time. I also cover some of the basics of how antlers grow and what we can learn from them.

Take Aways:

    • Antlers have intrinsic value but they also have cultural value. Throughout history they have been sought after.
    • Deer antlers have a lot of uses, perhaps more today than ever before.
    • Make sure to review your local laws about whether it is legal to buy, sell, or trade antlers. 
    • Finding sheds gives you very helpful and unique hunting intelligence that cannot be learned otherwise in most cases.
    • In some areas antler sheds can be devoured by squirrels and other animals within days, while in other habitats they may survive for months or longer. So periodic scouting throughout the prime season is ideal.
    • In most parts of the country, prime antler shed season for deer is mid January to mid March.
    • Antler sheds give you a great picture of the diversity of buck ages in a given area.
    • It is best to scout for sheds when there is no snow on the ground unless the snow has been there for a long time and fresh sheds may be laying on top of it.

 

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