Hunting Turkey

    The art of successful turkey hunting is a mix of camouflage, calling, spotting, and effective shooting. Turkey season in Kootenai Country Montana is a great way to fill the fridge or have a great Thanksgiving!
    The wise turkey hunter in Kootenai Country Montana is sitting with his or her back to a solid stump or log watching the openings adjacent to a ponderosa pine stand at dawn. Binoculars can help spot the toms. Pre-scouting is important! Look for roosting trees, scattered feathers, scratch and dusting sites, and turkey scat. Roosting trees are generally mature to old growth ponderosa pines that allow the bird to...

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be a bit out of the wind and are usually near feeding areas. Refer to the article on wild turkeys on this site to familiarize with general characteristics of the Merriam’s turkey and optimum habitat components in our neck of the woods.
    Zoning in on toms is part of the challenge. Look for head adornments and the hair like beard hanging from adult male bird’s upper breast. Caution here, as it takes a couple years for this to show up on males and some females occasionally sport beards also. Check the lower breast feathers for shiny black feathers in males, and tan or whitish in females. Also scope the two outer wing feathers and make sure they are somewhat rounded and have white bars near the tip. Look for spurs on the lower back of the legs too. These clues will indicate an adult male bird. The binoculars can make a big difference in clarifying these details to see adult tom turkeys.
    Not being seen by the toms and other members of a flock is of major importance also! Camouflage clothing, hats, and facial paints are used by many successful hunters. At the very least, one’s clothing should blend in with the natural surroundings. Avoid wearing any clothing that is colored red, white, black, or blue. And above all, limit your movements! The combination of camouflage, or at least non-obvious colored hunting clothes and discreet movements will often contribute to a successful hunt.
    The world of turkey-talk is a vast and complicated aspect of this type of hunting. Even very savvy experienced callers will all have diverse opinions on optimum calls. A person can read up on this, and watch and listen to CD’s, DVD’s, and recordings to select a good fit for themselves. For beginners and veterans, the hinged box calls work well to imitate soft, seductive mating yelps of a hen and clucking calls. Calling up hill rather than down can be beneficial. Some hunters employ hen decoys or jake imitations. These can be bought or constructed and it is good to consider the weight you may have to pack when selecting these.     Never underestimate a tough turkey! They are fast on the ground, strong in flight, and resilient birds. The vital organs are protected by body armor like heavy feathering and adult males have a flak vest like breast sponge which is a large mass of fatty tissue. Patience, and effective and accurate shooting for head or neck shots with a 12-gauge full choke shotgun using number 2 or four shot may just bag you this noble bird here in Kootenai Country Montana!
(Author’s Note: Reference - Hunting the Merriam’s Turkey in Montana - Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Publications and Identification of Montana Upland Game Birds - Brooks and Jenkins.)