Close The Distance On That Gobbler

Close The Distance On The Gobbler

By Freddie McKnight

Set up about 100 yards away and call to the gobbler. That piece of conventional turkey hunting wisdom has been repeated for decades. I may have even penned it a time or two along the way, but that was before I took the advanced course on spring turkey hunting strategies. Learning from the best in the business, those wise old mountain gobblers, I have gleaned a thing or two along the way about how to consistently affix my tags to their legs. One of the lessons I apply the most is to get as close as possible.
Just think about this for a minute. With today's shotgun chokes and special turkey shells, it is quite possible to take a gobbler at ranges out to 40 yards or more, though most of us would like that distance cut in half. This means that if you set up in a situation about 100 yards from the bird, you need to make him walk only about 60 yards before you can shoot. Sixty yards might not sound like a far piece, but it sometimes seems like it when that bird hangs up and refuses to come. Hunt a while on public land and you will see the situation repeat itself with a line of consistency not found anywhere else, except for losing lottery tickets.
Knowing that Mother Nature has implanted in the gobbler the thought that the hen is supposed to go to him, why not use this in your favor? When conditions are right, why set up 100 yards away when you can cut that distance in half with ease? If you want to bring home your bird every year, this might very well be part of the equation you are missing in your formula of success.
One of the best times to apply this tactic is during the late season. Once the foliage comes out full on the trees, the bird's vision and hearing are dampened nearly as much as yours. He can't be spooked be something he cannot see. Be casual about your movements, something in the nature of a deer walking through the woods, and you can nearly set up where you will be able to see the gobbler's spurs on roost.
That is exactly the scenario I used, at least in part, when taking my first spring gobbler with a bow. I had my sights set on a mountain boss that would blast back at any call, but refused to take a step in my direction. I could roost this bird with ease, and pretty well knew his morning routine once he hit the ground.
Listening to him fly up one evening, I vowed to be in close the next morning. Two hours before the sun was even thinking about coming up over the horizon, I had everything in place. Under the cover of darkness, I had slipped in close enough to put out a lone hen decoy in a location where the old boy would surely see it once fly down time was here. Attaching a piece of fishing line to the turkey, I slipped back about 15 yards to a setup behind a large hickory tree and waited for the bird to start his morning routine.
The gobbler was up and moving around on his roost, so I figured it was about fly down time. Giving a couple of soft clucks on my mouth call, I knew the bird would be looking for the source of the cluck. I tugged the fishing line and moved the decoy on its stake. I just let that sink in and sat back to see what happened next.
The flapping of wings and a dull thud in the leaves told me that now my quarry was on the ground. Daring to peer around the base of the large tree I was hiding behind, I found myself looking at the back end of a strutting gobbler. I know it wasn't the most fascinating thing to be looking at, but to an archer that rear exit hole serves the same purpose as a bullseye on a target. Drawing the bow and leaning out far enough from the tree, I put my sight on that spot and took my first spring gobbler with archery gear. All of this transpired by one little simple effort of getting in close.
Another time to apply this approach is when wet weather sets in. Both rain and fog will allow you to get closer to a bird than normal. Darkness lingers longer into the morning as well, which means that a gobbler will usually stick to his roost for a longer period of time. If you can get him to talk early, or have him roosted from the night before, you can close the distance much more than under normal conditions.
Terrain sometimes allows you to get in close, especially if you hunt the tops of ridges or the fingers that jut off of their sides. Sticking to the opposite side of where the gobbler is will allow you to close the gap. Sometimes the benches on a mountain will allow you to get in close and be on the same level as the bird. They seem to be easier to call in when you are on their level.
Fencerows can sometimes help in a field situation if they are thick enough or the foliage is out far enough. Spot a gobbler who likes to strut in a certain section of the area and you may be able to get in close if he is already there. Sometimes these gobblers like to roost on the very edge of the field, making a morning approach a tricky one without spooking the bird. It will help to use whatever cover you can to mask your movements.
Make note of road systems in your hunting area, too. Using a muddy road to access an area close to a bird makes better sense than trying to close that gap on noisy leaves. Just keep in mind that this type of habitat also serves as his strutting zone, so keep this kind of gobbler talking while you close the gap. Likewise, the noise of traffic on a busy road can aid you in getting close to a turkey. Traveling on various interstates across the country, I have witnessed numerous gobblers using the grassy areas along these roads as strutting zones. Just be extra careful when you take the shot.
Getting in close is no certain guarantee of success, but it does make sense of what Mother Nature had planned for. If you act like the hen coming to the gobbler, he is more apt to act like the loved-crazed bird he is. This has worked for me during all phases of the spring season, and it can work for you as well. Just keep thinking on your feet and meet the gobblers head-on.