Why I both love and hate turkey hunting.

I've only been turkey hunting since about 2018 or so. I was never into it as a kid and even as an adult, I never tried it, I'm not sure why. Then, one day I had an email from the Michigan DNR that turkey lottery applications were available. I looked at the different zones and decided to apply in the area I Grouse and Woodcock hunt in because the dogs and I have seen lots of turkeys in the same area. Did I have a plan on what I was going to do? No. Did I even know how to hunt turkeys? Also, No. But, for the $5 application fee, I figured what the heck. If I decide later I don't want to go, I just won't buy the tag.

Well, skip ahead a couple months and I get an email that I was successful in drawing a tag for the unit I applied to. I had a 2 week season in mid April. Ok, now what to do? Of course the obvious answer was to buy the tag, then go shopping to buy new turkey hunting gear, duh! Off I went to the store!

I already had a shotgun to use, so that saved some money, but I needed some camo that wasn't designed for cold weather since the hunting would likely take place in warmer temps. I needed a new choke for my shotgun since the chokes I had were for flying birds and not head shots on walking birds. And I needed some calls. All of which were easily found and purchased.

My first season hunting turkeys was rough. I scouted and saw a couple birds, then set up the next morning in the same area with no clue how I was going to get them to come my way. I called and had no response. I called more, same thing. I moved locations, still nothing. The next 4 days were the same. Sometimes I would get a response at a considerable distance, but never close enough to think I was going to have a chance. It was very frustrating. After 4 days of no action, I declared that I was never going to go turkey hunting again.

The following year, I had come around and figured I would do better. I spent more time scouting and had learned how to call better. Or, so I thought. I moved to some new locations, tired some different things and even brought a decoy, just in case. In the end, the result was the same. No Tom's close enough to feel like they were coming to me. Again, I decided I was no longer going to waste my time turkey hunting. As I tell people, nothing makes you feel worse than being outsmarted by a bird with a brain the size of a Hazelnut. I told my wife I was done. Maybe turkey hunting wasn't for me, after all.

My first turkey taken at the Estate.

Then, in 2020, we bought the Estate property. It was after turkey season, but I made plans to hunt it the following spring because we had a lot of turkeys in the area. I had some very large Tom's on camera and I was excited again. The Spring of 2021, I was fired up. I made a plan to spend 4-5 days at the Estate and hunt every day. I was up early and in the woods ready for action. Action I had, too. The first couple days had a couple hens coming to my decoy, and even a couple Jake's (young male turkey). Those were great, but I was waiting on the big birds I had seen on camera. Then, on the last day it happened. The night before, I had heard them roost on my neighbors property. There were 5-6 big Tom's in a group. I knew right where to set up and I was ready. Just as the sun came up, they began to gobble. I called to them and had responses immediately. I was pumped! Then, I realized they sounded like they were going to the opposite direction. I would call and they would respond but it was getting further away. I was getting frustrated again, so I tried something. I would call before they finished gobbling. Well, this seemed to upset one of the birds in the group. I heard what sounded like him coming thru the woods. I had set up a hen decoy in a clearing and as he came to the top of a small hill, he could see it. He went from walking to running toward it. BOOM! I had a turkey on the ground. It was a big Tom with a 9.5 inch beard. I was shaking with excitement. I was also hooked! This was the best thing ever!

Since that time, I've taken 3 birds off our property. Every year I at least hear birds, but some years they don't come to my calls. This is where the love/hate relationship comes in. I love to hunt turkeys but I hate it when they don't do what I want. I love the game of calling them, of "talking" to them and trying to convince them to come where I want. I hate that they don't always do that when I want them to.

Hunting turkeys the way we do is a little strange. See, in nature a Tom will gobble and the hens will come to his location. He will wander during the day, gobbling along the way in case there are other hens around he can possibly mate with. When we call them, we are acting as the hen. The difference is, we are trying to get him to come to us. That goes against what his usual pattern is. The idea is to make him think there is a rival and that is why the hen is not coming to him. Then, he might go looking for her and possibly fight whoever is with her. Some Tom's are easy to get to come along, some are not. When they come in, some will stop at the edge of the clearing, not sure they really want to go all in. Others come charging in looking for a fight. I currently also use a Jake decoy in my setup. I position the hen laying down and the Jake about 3 ft behind her, as if he's getting ready to mate. I had 2 Tom's come in once that went straight at my Jake decoy and started fighting him. It was something to watch. They immediately went about putting him in his place. It did end up with one of the Tom's coming home with me, but the plan worked. I've also had birds stop, just out of sight and hang up. They would still be gobbling, but would not come to the hen/Jake set. Eventually, they just walked away.

When deer hunting, you learn the patterns and behaviors. Then, you set up to intersect with them and allow you to have a decent chance at taking a shot. Turkeys are more random. They don't take the same path day after day. They don't frequent the same clearings at the same times. They do what they want and it's harder to try to position yourself in their possible path.

For me, turkey hunting is both relaxing and stress inducing. Listening to the forest wake up in the morning is a very relaxing feeling. The birds are singing, the woodpeckers are pounding on trees nearby, etc. It's great, and I love it. However, the turkeys not being where you were sure they roosted the night before, or hearing them as they walk the opposite direction is infuriating.

My 2026 turkey from the Estate

Will I keep turkey hunting? Yes. In fact, I was able to get another big Tom this year. After 3 days of hearing nothing, I had this one respond out of nowhere just about 50-60 yards away. He was a bit weary, but I convinced him to come close enough for a shot. I was just about to give up for the afternoon when I heard him. I was really in the hate phase at the time. But now, I am fully back in the love phase of turkey hunting and I can't wait until next year. I may even try for one during our fall season, who knows.