After a long, cold winter there is nothing more anticipated than Spring. For those of us who call ourselves outdoorsmen/women that means one thing, turkey hunting! Your season opener will be here before you know it so let’s save some time and frustration this year by taking a look at a few simple reminders and basic turkey hunting tips that’ll help you get started out on the right foot.

Use A Turkey Choke

A great turkey shotgun, like the Savage Renegauge Field, can be taken to the next level with the addition of a great turkey choke tube. Specialized turkey choke tubes not only allow for tighter patterning, extending your effective range, but also felt recoil may be reduced by some ported models. I like the JEBS Ported Head Hunter in a .660 restriction. Installation is a breeze, and the benefits are certainly worth the investment. Be sure to find the recommended restriction for your preferred turkey load.

Try A Red Dot

With today’s turkey rigs reaching out farther than ever before a red dot sight can be a great addition to increase effectiveness. You’ll get pinpoint accuracy you can count on and with some red dots, slight magnification for those extended range shots. We like Vortex’s Crossfire Red Dot. It’s easy to acquire your target, battery lasts 50,000 hours, it sports a 2 MOA dot and it’s built like a tank. If you haven’t already, give a red dot a try this season. My guess is that your confidence and effective range will increase!

Try Different Blinds

If you plan to use a pop-up blind this year, it’s always a good idea to test your setup first. Every blind is configured differently and that can make a difference. I like to have options. Different window configurations, footprints, and weight all factor for different situations. Don’t forget to try your stool or chair of choice before you head out to the turkey woods. Finding out your chair is too high or too low after the sun comes up is never good! Take a minute to test your blind and think thoroughly about your hunt setup. It might just be the difference between filling a tag or not being able to get a shot at that big tom.

Don’t Call Too Loudly 

Too many times I’ve heard hunters call too loudly right off the bat. Start soft and increase your call volume as necessary. Always assume there are birds nearby. Ripping out a loud, aggressive call when birds are close by is a surefire way to send them in the other direction. 

Put ‘Em To Bed

Take the time to scout! Your success will increase exponentially if you take the time to scout early and often. Even if you don’t plan on hunting the next day the more intel you can gain on your hunting properties the better. But, on evenings before you plan to hunt the following morning knowing where your toms have roosted changes your chance for success tremendously. Put ‘em to bed, set up nearby in the morning and be ready to walk out heavier than when you walked in!