Mike Stroff's Turkey Hunting Tips

When it comes to turkey hunting tips, we turn to Savage ambassador Mike Stroff for expert advice on how to bag a big gobbler every spring. Host of "Savage Outdoors" and "The One", Stroff has seen it all and shared two turkey hunting tips that every novice hunter should focus on and every experienced hunter should master. 

Turkey Pattern Perfection

The first turkey hunting tip is essentially to optimize your gun and perfect your turkey pattern. Your gun, optic, ammo and choke combination are each critical components to your overall success as a turkey hunter, so choose wisely! Stroff goes to great lengths to choose his setup, so that each piece of gear works flawlessly together. All too many hunters oversimplify patterning their turkey shotgun, if they bother to do it at all.  Stroff stresses that it is worthwhile to fine tune your gear to provide the best, most consistent patterns. It's important to get time behind your turkey shotgun at the range before your season starts -- practice shooting at hi-vis turkey targets or a low budget piece of cardboard, so you know how your shotgun is patterning at 20, 30, 40 yards and where to adjust your aiming point. The last thing you want in the field is to miss your shot, or even worse, wound the bird.

Stroff's set up includes a Savage 212 Turkey (fun fact, the 212/220 Turkeys used to be available only in Savage's Special Order Shop, but are now available everywhere and have been upgraded with the AccuFit stocks!) with a turkey choke, a Weaver 1-4x scope with a turkey reticle, and Federal Premium 3rd Degree shotshells.

Two-Tone Turkey Calling

The second turkey hunting tip is to work on your turkey calls. In the turkey world, toms expect hens to come to them, not the other way around. So, pulling an old hook-spurred gobbler into range is all about creating the illusion that you're a hen he simply can't risk losing. And sometimes, the best way to do that is to sound like multiple hens. "Just like people, their voices are all different," says Stroff. Every hen sounds just a little bit different, so tag teaming between a diaphragm, slate, box or another call is a great way to produce several distinct sound signatures. Use this expert tip to up your turkey call game and watch as a longbeard comes strutting your way. You'll be ready to take the shot with confidence because you took the time before the season started to perfect your turkey pattern.