Wild turkey is one of our favorite meals. Forget the genetic freaks from the supermarket that modern poultry producers have bred to reach gigantic sizes in a few short months. They don’t taste like turkey. In fact, they don’t taste like much at all. Wild turkeys spend their days foraging...
It goes without saying that spring 2020 blindsided all of us. This unwanted, uncertain, unforgiving season sneaked in like a thief in the night, indiscriminately paralyzing the world with fear, sickness and financial fallout. Commanding our attention. Demanding a "new normal." But even in these turbulent times, there is hope...
Turkey season is over in many states and will be soon in others. Memories of strutting longbeards are still fresh in your mind, and hopefully there’s some fresh turkey breast in the freezer. But before putting your gear away, take a few minutes to clean your shotgun and ensure it’s...
There was a time when having an old longbeard thumb his nose at you from 50 yards meant you got to chase him the next day. But modern guns, custom choke tubes, and advanced loads have made turkey guns deadly even farther. But tell the truth: Doesn’t a small part...
Wild turkeys have big appetites. From large-bodied adults to broods of rapidly growing poults, they require considerable amounts of food. Their diets are varied, not only by region but by the season. Think of them as foodies of the bird world, with about a hundred different dietary items on the...
Some hunters get aggravated by jakes. Their immature antics smack of teenage boys stumbling their way toward manhood. They can be both funny and endearing, yet frustrating and overbearing as they come of age. Check out the gallery for a light-hearted look at how jakes live the “teens” all in...
The most paranoid game bird on the planet often tips its hand before making an escape move. And almost every gobbler will give you cues that tell you what he’s likely to do next (including the “dead” ones that sometimes get up and fly away). We carefully selected these 10...
Outwardly, the gun was nothing special. An old single-shot .410 with a loose action and decades of wear generates little interest from hunters or collectors. But the gun belonged to my grandfather, the man who taught me to shoot, walked with me through the dense woods bordering our farm, and...
After decades of turkey hunting, I think I’ve seen just about everything a gobbler can do to avoid taking a ride in a hunter’s pickup. In fact, I’ve been after them for so long that I’ve developed a system for categorizing the turkeys I hunt.
No matter your weapon of choice, the thunder of an approaching gobbler is sure to send a rush of adrenaline through your veins – and with a bow in hand, your heart will beat just a bit faster. Bone-crushing power and penetration are critical when you’re bowhunting big game. But...
Do you need a new turkey vest this year? Maybe a good pair of boots? What about a comfy chair to ease your aching back after a two-hour standoff with a hung-up bird? Maybe you don't need any of that. You've got your turkey, and just want some ways to...
It's tough to beat the sheer beauty of October sunlight falling through the red and yellow leaves of hardwood timber – unless, of course, you add to it a dose of kee-keeing and soft yelping from a scattered flock of turkeys. Then you have the recipe for something unrivaled in...
September 17, 2019 | Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff
You’ve been after him since daylight. He flew down the wrong direction, avoided you on the next two sets, and finally committed the fourth time you got in front of him. Trouble is, you are now a mile or more from the truck. And this old gobbler is big. Really...
In spring, you make hen yelps to fool gobblers. When you're fall turkey hunting, it pays to do the opposite. You should call like the turkey you want to pull into range. Want a young fall gobbler? Call like one. Targeting autumn longbeards? Gobbler cluck, yelp and gobble. Let’s break...
Every turkey hunter loves a long, sharp spur. And we love to show those spurs off on necklaces, key chains, hatbands and meter-long assemblies of hooks. But what about turning the leg of your trophy tom into a useful hunting tool? This knife, crafted with a turkey leg handle, is...
From simply pinning the fan to the wall of your hunting camp to elaborate plaques designed to show off the fan in all its glory, there are countless ways to hang a turkey fan. But what if you want to display your fan on your desk, or on a table...
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...
Eastern hunters sometimes view terrorized turkeys as a net positive. Egos are inflated by the belief that “my gobbler is smarter than yours.” Truth is, turkeys are turkeys, and whether or not they’re “call-shy” is influenced more heavily by repeated conditioning than genetics. But I’m not too proud to admit...
There was a time when I thought I’d never kill a turkey with a bow. They hung up out of range, or caught me tugging into full-draw when they got close. When I did get a shot, they all too often escaped, even when hit well. Those were different times...
It’s the gobble that pulls us out there, but it’s the adrenaline rush that keeps us there. And it’s the sight of that magnificent bird, just before we set him to flopping, that makes the whole thing worthwhile. But after it’s all over with, we have things left over. What...
