Turkey
How to Avoid Gobbler Gibberish and Actually Learn to Talk Turkey
Two things taught me to be a much better turkey caller. The first was when I started to semi-regularly kill bucks by snort-wheezing at them. Now I know that might seem disconnected from turkey hunting, but hear me out. Most hunters look at the snort-wheeze call as a dominant buck vocalization that...
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Turkey
Worst Turkey Miss Contest with Stories from the Crew
Few things are more deflating than missing a turkey. If you think successful hunts are unforgettable, misses will etch themselves into the part of your brain that handles long-term memory. Months later, when you think you’ve gotten over it, you’ll wake up from that nightmare, drenched in sweat and...
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Turkey
How to Turkey Hunt: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide
If you're trying to kill your first turkey, this guide covers everything you need: when seasons open, essential turkey hunting gear, how to find and pattern birds, and where to aim when that gobbler finally steps into range. I can't think of a more thrilling hunt than calling a strutting gobbler...
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Turkey
How to Kill a Silent Tom
One of the most frustrating parts of chasing longbeards is having them go silent. We've all been there—and we've all failed to kill these birds. When this happens, start by asking yourself "why?" What part of the breeding cycle is it? If it’s late season, toms are likely cruising the landscape...
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Turkey
When to Get Aggressive Calling Turkeys
Back in the early '90s when I drew my first Minnesota gobbler tag, turkey hunting advice was all the same: Yelp three times and shut up. Give the toms time to commit and, whatever you do, don’t over-call. This advice was mostly bullshit. You can call in toms by yelping three times every hour, but...
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Turkey
How to Create the Perfect Turkey Setup
First light has come and gone and you find yourself on the move, covering ground and looking for birds. You rip a crow call and it happens—a tom cuts loose. He’s close, maybe a little too close. The moments after you locate a bird can be some of the most chaotic a hunter will ever experience, but...
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Turkey
3 Common Mistakes Turkey Hunters Make
Sunrises, ticks, and mistakes are all parts of turkey hunting. Some days the planets align and we can sling a dead turkey over our shoulder regardless of how many errors we made. But most other days we leave the woods frustrated and empty-handed. Sometimes it’s because the turkeys simply didn’t want...
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Turkey
How to Reap a Turkey
The beauty of spring turkey hunting is that success can be achieved through multiple hunting styles. You can run-and-gun with a shotgun or set up shop in a hub-style blind with your bow. You can crawl around and bushwhack them, or put out a whole spread of decoys and only take the safety off when a...
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Turkey
How to Hunt Urban Turkeys
It is no secret that urbanization is progressing rapidly across the nation—often at the expense of wildlife habitat. While development can be bad news for many species that depend on undisrupted habitat, some animals flourish in urban settings, especially wild turkeys. Calling on the edge of town...
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Gear
The Best Turkey Vests
Turkey hunting requires minimal gear. Most of the time, you can get away with just a call or two and your shotgun. Yet, the turkey vest remains an integral piece of turkey hunting gear. The vest style, pocket holders, and turkey seat are unmistakable. Some are more tailored for run and gun tactics...
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Firearms
4 Best Turkey Shotguns for Beginners
Dedicated turkey shotguns did not become popular until the early 2000s. At the time, turkey populations were booming—there were an estimated 7 million birds inhabiting the U.S. and Canada—which ushered in a new era of optics-ready, short-barreled shotguns that catered to turkey hunters. Truthfully...
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Video: Red Dot Turkey Sights in Jani’s Gear Shed
Hunting turkeys is my number-one favorite pursuit in the woods. While elk or bighorn sheep hunts obviously represent some pinnacle of the hunting experience, they also involve a ton of effort and stress. Not so much with gobblers. In the spring season, the weather is nice, the country gentle...
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Turkey
How to Pattern a Shotgun for Turkey Hunting
When it comes to turkey shotguns, modern choke-and-load combinations are capable of throwing ultra-tight patterns out to 40 yards or more. At the same time, turkey hunters should remember that a properly outfitted scattergun’s pattern is likely no larger than a baseball at 10 to 15 yards. I learned...
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Turkey
Roosted Birds and Favorite Decoy Setups: An Interview with Turkey Expert Will Primos
If you like turkeys, you’ve probably heard the name Will Primos. This man has helped generations of hardcore hunters speak to toms. Primos is a legendary turkey killer who built a game call and decoy business around his name. Lucky for me, when I reached out to Will, a big storm was headed toward...
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Recipes
Turkey Schnitzel
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I discovered turkey schnitzel while filming a backcountry turkey hunt in Montana. Our cameraman and director, Mo Fallon, took a look at our supplies, which included a dead turkey, salt, panko breadcrumbs, oil, and a lemon. He hatched a plan. We sliced the turkey breasts into thick slabs and then...
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Recipes
Turkey Stock
(0)
Stock is an essential ingredient in any good home cook’s kitchen. This liquid gold can make soup, stews, braises, and sauces into something special. Nothing you buy at the store will compare to the homemade version, especially when you use wild game. This spring, be sure to save the carcass, wings...
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Recipes
Turkey Hot and Sour Soup
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After a long, chilly morning hunt, nothing beats a bowl of hot soup—especially one that’s spicy, tangy, and filling. This version of the Chinese delivery classic makes use of one of the toughest wild game cuts out there—turkey legs. The legs provide both the base for the broth and a richly flavored...
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