Let turkeys make you a better hunter
By Babe Winkelman

Harvesting a wary old longbeard with a bow & arrow is one of the top challenges in hunting. While turkeys don’t really possess a sense of smell, their eyes and ears are as good as it gets. And when they get spooked, they’re gone! Therefore, the savvy turkey hunter must have supreme stealth when moving through a turkey’s habitat – which means walking silently, using existing cover and terrain to avoid being “skylined,” and reading sign to identify key ambush areas. These are all critical talents that contribute to your success when bowhunting any animal. So, if you can put-the-sneak on a wary longbeard, it will prepare you for successful spot-and-stalks on big game.

After setting up in a promising turkey spot, it’s imperative to sit statue-still and be on constant watch. Turkey hunters quickly learn to scan the landscape using only their eyes, because even a slow head turn can alert a sharp-eyed Tom of your presence. Really concentrate when studying the terrain, and train yourself to NOT look for turkeys. Rather, become an expert at looking for “parts” of turkeys. And do this when deer hunting too. Spot that tail flick. Zero in on the horizontal backline of a deer; or the white throat patch; or the glint of an eye. The best deer hunters are the guys and gals who can spot game before the animals spot them.

Turkey hunting also teaches you to look with your ears. Pinpointing an unseen bird’s location by the sounds of soft calling and scratching will train you to put your ears to their best use ever. All of these skills translate into improved deer hunting proficiency.

If lady luck shines on you, and you have a big gobbler within bow range, you must still close the deal. That means first drawing the bow without getting busted. A s-m-o-o-t-h draw is absolutely critical, which can only happen if your bow is set at the ideal draw weight for your strength.

Too many bow hunters have their bows set at what their peak draw weight ability is. Drawing “the most you can pull” requires a lot of excessive movement, and this is especially true during cold weather when your muscles are chilled and you’re also wearing a lot of clothing. I can pull 83 pounds if I put some snot into it. But my Mathews Z7 is a modest 70-pounder, so I can draw it in one syrupy move.  Believe me, 70 pounds from a Mathews generates the speed and kinetic energy to send any creature on the planet to the butcher shop.

If you’re unsure about what draw weight is right for you, visit your Mathews retailer and they’ll help out. Mathews only sells through pro shops with seasoned archery experts who really know their stuff. I rely on my local retailer to work with me on paper tuning, peep installation, etc. When I leave with my bow, I have 100% confidence in both the bow and the set-up. That’s confidence I take into the field, whether it’s for turkeys, bull elk or anything in between!

Judging distance on a turkey needs to be much more precise than with a whitetail, because their vitals are the size of a baseball instead of a big dinner plate. And if you don’t bust bone or put that broadhead into the organs, then that bird is gone! S get good at judging distance. Use a rangefinder, and even put items (rocks, sticks, stakes) out at known distances so you can pick the right pin at the moment of truth. Do this for turkeys, and do it for ALL your fixed-position bowhunting. Some bowhunters I know put color-coded flags out at 20, 30, 40, etc. that match the color sequence of their sight pins. It’s a great idea, and because it eliminates the need to keep reaching for your rangefinder, it can mean the difference between a humane kill and a lost opportunity.

If your turkey hunting land is also the acreage where you hunt deer, the spring woods provide ideal scouting opportunities. Because the thick summer cover has yet to bloom, it’s easy to still see the previous year’s scrapes, rubs and trails. Deer are typically creatures of habit – so if their habitat and food supplies don’t change dramatically, they’ll use the same patterns year after year. When scouting during spring, you don’t have to worry about spooking deer – because even if you bump a big mature buck in May, he won’t remember or care about it five months later.

Remember to keep your eyes open for shed antlers too. Finding sheds lets you know which deer survived the previous hunting season (and probably the long winter too). And if you find a big shed, it charges you up for the upcoming season like you can’t believe! With all scouting, it’s helpful to have your handheld GPS along for setting waypoints on hot locations, potential stand sites, etc. Plus, a GPS is smart to have for your general safety.

If you’ve never bowhunted for turkeys before, then start. I promise, it’ll be one of the most rewarding and fun hunting adventures you’ve ever had. To those of you who have done it, keep going. And remember, next time you take to the spring woods, pay attention to all the ways turkey hunting can enhance your skills as an archery deer hunter. Come September, you’ll be glad you did.

Good Hunting!

Babe Winkelman is a nationally-known outdoorsman who has taught people to fish and hunt for nearly 30 years. Watch his award-winning “Good Fishing” and “Outdoor Secrets” television shows on Versus (VS.), Fox Sports Net, Wild TV and many local networks.  Visit www.winkelman.com for air times where you live.