With turkey season approaching for our friends across the pond, we thought it apt to delve deeper into the nature of the turkey shoot and the various regulations of the tradition. Although the term “turkey shoot” is used in everyday language to describe the completion of easy targets, the sport is much more complex than one would imagine.
Firstly, one must be able to identify which turkey they can shoot under the law, so distinguishing a Tom from a Jake is crucial before embarking. Unsure of the two? Not to worry. Both are colloquial terms for adult and juvenile male turkeys, with Tom used for the adult and Tom for the juvenile. The quickest way to identify the two is to observe their tails as they strut. A Tom’s tail feathers will all be the same length across the circumference while a Jake’s feathers will be longer at the centre. Depending on where you hunt, it may be illegal to kill turkey hens, so knowing the difference between a mature female turkey and a young male is crucial. Because of the various turkey breeds, we suggest researching them individually, depending on the area you are shooting.
Turkeys themselves are intelligent wild animals, and although they lack a strong sense of smell, they make up for it with their keen eyesight, which helps them detect even small movements. For a shooter to allow themselves an approach to the bird, camouflage is a hunter’s best friend. Calling can also be used to imitate a hen to play on the animal’s curious nature. Many hunters believe that if you spook a turkey, you can never call it again; however, patience is key (as with most shots), and by switching calls and positions, the bird is unlikely to resist because of the short breeding season.
Calling technique is often debated when it comes to turkey hunting. As a matter of personal preference, one can use their woodsmanship with minimal calling for a slower-paced hunt, or, for the more aggressive shooter, use more frequent and louder calling to try to force the issue. Although the extremes of subtle and aggressive calling have both proven to work, striking the balance between the two and reacting to the rafter’s behaviour is most likely to yield the most efficient results.
Although hunting is generally more varied in the USA thanks to the many shapes & sizes of their wildlife, the execution of a turkey hunt is not too dissimilar to our own shooting practices. It demonstrates the typical gamesmanship shared between our two nations. We wish our friends from across the pond the best of luck this Spring season, and to those closer to home, we hope this has furthered your appreciation for our sport.