Spring turkey season opens Monday, and reports of abundant turkeys have Arkansas hunters optimistic for success.
On the strength of at least two good years of reproduction, turkey numbers are their highest since 2012-13, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's 2022 turkey population survey. Excellent nesting and brood rearing conditions prevailed in 2023, as well.
Anecdotal reports from sportsmen, reinforced by photos and videos from remote cameras and handheld cameras, show large numbers of hens, adult gobblers and juvenile gobblers throughout the state.
Hunter success during the statewide youth turkey hunting season April 6-7 reinforced that perception. According to the Game and Fish Commission, hunters age 6-15 killed 1,143 turkeys, an increase of 75 from the 2023 youth season. This is the second straight year that hunters killed more than 1,000 turkeys in the youth season, according to the commission, and only the second time such numbers have been tallied since 2016.
The youth season harvest usually comprises about 10% of the statewide turkey harvest, said Allison Fowler, assistant chief of the the Game and Fish Commission's wildlife management division. That gives hunters reason for optimism in the upcoming regular season that starts Monday.
Get in position
Experienced hunters have been scouting for turkeys for weeks to determine areas that turkeys are using. To minimize chances of spooking gobblers, Alan Thomas of Benton does not go into the woods before the season. Instead, he goes to a certain spot in the mornings and listens for gobbles. In this way he distinguishes individual gobblers, their territories and their usual morning travel routines.
Youth hunters must be accompanied by an adults. Mentors that accompanied successful youth hunters obtained valuable information about turkey locations by helping youngsters bag gobblers.
In mid April, turkeys in central Arkansas and south Arkansas often gobble only after they've flown to the ground. This makes it difficult to determine precisely where gobblers roost, but ground gobbles give valuable clues about where toms go to strut - or display - for females, after leaving their roosts.
Turkeys also leave valuable clues in the form of discarded feathers, tracks, and droppings. Fresh droppings are moist and reveal a turkey's recent presence in a location. A hen's droppings look like small bits of popcorn. A gobbler's droppings are larger and J-shaped.
Also, gobblers drag their wingtips when they strut. In areas with bare dirt, you might find wingtip impressions with turkey tracks in the middle. The gobbler might return to that place later in the day, but the probability is high that it will strut there the next morning if left undisturbed.
Morning strategy
If you find an active strut site, be present at dawn before the gobbler arrives. Since the location is part of the gobbler's morning routine, a hunter does not need to call aggressively. A few short yelps and clucks will direct a gobbler's attention to that spot.
Placing a decoy will give a gobbler a visual objective, but decoys can often work against a hunter. When a gobbler sees a decoy, it will often stop or "hang up" and display at a distance, and then walk away expecting the "hen" to follow him. He might also stop and observe from a distance, often for a long time. He might eventually come closer, but just as likely he will walk away.
If he seems inclined to approach, there's no need to call unless he is hesitant. A few soft clucks and purrs might reassure him.
If the gobbler leaves, aggressive calling might turn him around. Mike Stanley of Highland, a highly accomplished turkey hunter, sometimes uses two calls to simulate two turkeys fighting. This often turns a gobbler around, especially late in the season.
The worst thing that can happen is for a live hen to intercept an approaching gobbler. A live hen will often lead a gobbler away from a competing "hen." If that happens it is almost impossible to separate him from her.
Mid-morning strategy
If a live hen ruins your morning hunt or if a hunt derails for a other reasons, don't despair. At some point in the morning a live hen will leave a gobbler and return to her nest. An abandoned gobbler will often return to a place where it earlier heard hen sounds or saw a decoy.
If you have the patience to wait, you have a very good chance of bagging that gobbler between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Highly accomplished hunters disagree about calling strategies for mid-morning hunts. Some believe in calling aggressively, and others insist on sparse calling. If a tom gobbles in mid morning, calling to him will announce your presence. Don't overdo it. He knows exactly where you are. He might run to you or he might take an hour or more to close the distance. He will probably come in quietly, so quell the urge to get up and move. Many hunters have quit only to rise and find that a gobbler was almost there.
If you are patient, you might only learn of a gobbler's presence abruptly when you hear it drumming and spitting nearby. Give him time. He will show himself.
Again, decoys can work for your or against you in that situation. If hunting with a buddy, one should face the decoy and the other should face away from the decoy, especially if the decoy is in an opening or in a field. Gobblers sometimes approach decoys from the open, but they usually approach from cover.
Late afternoon strategy
Turkeys roam in the afternoon feeding, but they also spend some of this time loafing. A lone gobbler can be called out of repose fairly easily.
Feeding turkeys cluck and purr lightly, but they will investigate loud calling if done in spurts. Aggressive calling can also provoke a dominant hen to fight in late afternoon. When she comes to put down a challenger, a gobbler will often follow.
Silent turkeys are frustrating to hunt, so be attuned to other clues. Crows, for example, love to harass turkeys. A crow that sounds off belligerently can tip you off to the presence of an approaching gobbler.
Patience will pay off more than anything. If turkeys are in the area, they will hear your calls. They can find your exact location from a very long distance. Be stubborn, and you will increase your chances of bagging a mature gobbler.