Early Season Turkey Tactics

Early season can be feast or famine depending on whether you have an early or late spring. You will find turkeys in one of two phases.

Phase one – Turkeys during a late spring tend to stay flocked up longer so generally you are calling to a multitude of birds that are of a mixed flock, meaning gobblers, hens and jakes. When facing this, remember these birds are trying to establish dominance so mix your calling up with several types of calls such as a friction call, mouth call, and a box call. Try to sound like several birds fighting for dominance just like what the real birds are doing.  Often times you will find that this type of calling will spark the birds up and brings the whole flock toward you.  If you encounter wet weather, typical of early season, then you will be glad you packed your all weather Knight and Hale Stranglehold Friction call that produces sounds wet or dry.

Now that we have talked about how early season birds respond when there is a late spring, lets look at how the birds will react in the second phase, an early spring.

Phase two – Early spring can be a welcome sight as we anticipate warmer temperatures. This change in climate can also spark the turkeys to begin the mating dance a little sooner. You will many times find gobblers already having their harem of hens with them. Even though they have the ladies, most of the time the hens are not quite ready to breed. This push and pull between Gobblers and hens causes both to be fairly vocal. If you find yourself in an early spring scenario, set up as close as you can, as long as the turkeys continue to be vocal call to them with excitement. Many times you will draw a jealous hen to come check out the competition. When she does she will often bring the remainder of the turkeys including any gobblers that are present. However, remember if they start to quiet down with the calling, then it’s wise to also quite your calling down too.

Early season is a great time to be in the woods chasing after those spring gobblers!

Early season call recommendations: Stranglehold Pot call, Preacher Diaphragm Call, Long Spur Slate Call, and Sweet lil liar box call