Stalking & Stand Hunting
Copyright © 1998 - 2002 Roger
W. Raisch * Nadine Adele, all rights reserved
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Some hunters try to
stalk a flock of turkeys. This can be done but a good shot at a stationary turkey
will be rare. Usually you will be detected and your shot will be taken at running,
flying, moving or out-of-range birds. Your ability to
stalk, however, is what is necessary to get close enough to a flock on the ground so that
you can flush them. Learn how to move quietly and
undetected through the woods.
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The SECRET to
stalking fall turkeys is not being seen. There will be
dozens of eyeballs keeping a sharp look out for danger. One of the birds is sure to
see you if you can see them. Locate
Flocks by listening for them to call or by the
sounds of them scratching in the leaves or walking and by spotting them at longer range
with binoculars or a spotting scope. A fall flock makes
a good deal of noise in the leaves. Carry your binoculars so you can watch open
fields and open woods to locate a flock. When you spot a flock, stay out of sight as
you make your slow, careful approach. When you have gotten as close as you can
without alerting the birds, Break Up The
Flock. Set up at the spot where you scattered them unless you simply fanned
them out. With a fanned flock, move quickly to the spot where they landed and try to
scatter them again. Set up your calling location at the first place you scattered
them if you got a good separation, otherwise set up where you re-scattered them after they
fanned out.
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Taking a stand for
fall turkey hunting is very much a Patience game. If have worked up to 100 birds in
a single field in a single day with this tactic, but I would have to spend the entire day
there waiting for the proper moment to take my shot. I enjoy the wait, and learn a
lot about turkeys while I observe them. If you know
where fall birds are congregating in good feeding locations, take a position there and
call fairly often to try to attract a flock. Calling a flock is difficult and they
usually won't come running over to you when they are together, especially if they are
together in the open. Your best bet is to observe their
behavior of how and when they enter and leave these feeding areas and then wait in the
appropriate place at the right time for them to appear. Call about every 10
minutes. Using Hen Decoys
and Jake Decoys
helps
fool them when they finally come to visit you after you've been calling a while.
Stand hunting can work very well when you know the habits of fall flocks. Otherwise,
it can be very frustrating. If you don't know their habits well, it's best to slowly
stalk around your hunting area to locate a flock and then execute a good scatter.
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God Bless America
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MARCH
2010
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