Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff

Steve Hickoff is Realtree.com's editorial director and turkey hunting editor. He’s been beaten by more birds than he can remember. Still he kills enough to eat well, and fool with beards, spurs and fans until the next season. Pennsylvania born and raised, Maine is his home base now. A full-time outdoor communicator with a couple university writing degrees, he chases spring gobblers and fall flocks around the country.

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5 Excuses and the Truth: Why You Missed Turkeys This Season

May 17, 2019  |  Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff

Missing turkeys is part of the game. All veteran turkey hunters have been there, and if you haven't yet, brace yourself. It hurts. Memories of that strutter stepping up into range – and the 10 inches of swinging beard running off after you pull your shotgun's trigger – will haunt...

3 Reasons Why You Love and Hate the End of Turkey Hunting Season

May 11, 2019  |  Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff

Admit it, you both love and hate the end of turkey season. A few words follow on why. Early on, you love the early risings, driving through a sleeping town to an all-night gas station for early coffee and doughnuts, where you run into a few other camo-clad hunters and...

5 Tips for Hunting Tough Gobblers

May 7, 2019  |  Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff

If your spring turkey season is still open, and you're still carrying a tag, you likely have a few tough gobblers on your mind. Here's how to tag one. 1. Get Tight Get tight to its roost tree well before sunrise. Call softly with a no-hands mouth call, if at...

9 Things You Should Do After Killing a Turkey

April 27, 2019  |  Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff

The longbeard you want gobbles on the roost. Gobbles on the ground. Gobbles in range. And you make a clean, ethical shot. In the rush of sweet moments after killing a wild turkey, it's sometimes hard to catch your breath. Of course, a lot of folks first check the spurs...

Federal Introduces New Custom-Loaded Ammunition Shop

April 26, 2019  |  Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff

Here's some breaking news for hunters and shooters alike. Federal will introduce to its customers a concept for its new custom-loaded ammunition shop at the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Indianapolis, Indiana, April 26-28, 2019. The company is also taking surveys at the show to get feedback from consumers...

Blind Sit to Kill Your Late-Season Turkey

April 23, 2019  |  Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff

It's getting late. And you've still got a tag to fill. Maybe it’s time to blind sit to fill your final tag of the season. Hub-style blinds are light and compact enough to carry. Set up is easy as take down. Many can accommodate several hunters. Some have shoot-through mesh...

10 Dumb Things You Do While Turkey Hunting

April 23, 2019  |  Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff

You've all been there. Hunt enough and you'll be there again. And again. Ten dumb things you do while turkey hunting follow. Trust me, I'm an expert at it. You too? 1. Stand When You Should Sit Patience kills turkeys, the old saying goes. Lack of it scares them off...

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Top 5 May Turkey Hunting States

April 22, 2019  |  Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff

Southern turkey hunters get an early start on the rest of the country, often beginning their spring season in March. Up North, chances are some snow still covers the ground. Gobbler chasing often doesn't begin until late April or early May. In other parts of the country, it starts early...

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How to Bowhunt Turkeys on the Run

April 15, 2019  |  Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff

You don’t need a ground blind to arrow a spring gobbler. With the right approach, run-'n'-arrow ploys produce results. Editor's note: In the interest of safety, take precautions when repositioning while bowhunting turkeys. Always make sure your arrows are safely contained when on the move.

Rare White Wild Turkey Taken by Tennessee Hunter

April 15, 2019  |  Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff

As reported by WVTM 13 News , Tennessee hunter Cameron Bond tagged a 20-pound white gobbler this month. The late Lovett E. Williams, Jr. wrote extensively on color mutations in wild turkeys: Off-colored wild turkeys are seen from time to time. The "smoke gray" mutant is the most commonly reported...

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5 Worst States for Turkey Hunting

April 12, 2019  |  Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff

At Realtree's Turkey Hunting Nation , we've worked hard to include information to help you hunt states better. We've also tried to be honest with our comments, as a turkey hunter might in camp. In many cases, there are other great things about those states, even if turkey hunting isn't...

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5 Food Plots to Help You Tag More Turkeys

April 12, 2019  |  Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff

Not just for deer, a good food plot will draw in turkeys and hold them in your area, vastly increasing your odds at tagging a longbeard this spring. While food plots are most often associated with fall deer hunting, a green spring plot can be absolutely deadly on spring gobblers...

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