Spring turkey season officially opens for hunters on April 17 but that doesn’t mean practice didn’t start early. Many hunters have been scouting and practicing their calls since the fall season and in a couple weeks, when Lost Quarter Farms opens their doors to greenhorns and pros alike, the difference will be noticeable. If you’re nervous about going turkey hunting in Missouri, don’t be. The professionals at Lost Quarter Farms have put together a guide to help you prepare like a pro.
Scouting
Even though Lost Quarter Farms is just that, a farm, it would be advantageous to follow a hunting practice called scouting. If you are new to hunting, scouting means looking around and trying to determine animal patterns like sleeping areas, watering holes and food sources. In your case, the animal you’ll be scouting for is a turkey. Knowing where they roost will help you when you hunt so you can plan the perfect ambush location. As Lost Quarter Farms offers the finest Missouri turkey hunting guides, you can be sure that even if this is your first hunt, you’ll feel like a pro and leave with valuable knowledge for your next trip.
Prepare
If a shotgun is your choice of weapon this year, make sure you take it out and clean it ahead of time. You will want to pattern and test it with the choke and loads that you plan to use during the hunt. If you’re going to use a bow, then you will want to practice constantly to perfect your aim. Be aware that killing turkeys with a bow is surprisingly hard so come armed with broadhead arrows that have a large cutting diameter. If you bring the wrong kind of arrow, there will be very little blood to follow and once they are injured, they will try to hide, making them extremely difficult to locate.
Concealment
Be aware that gobblers have exceptionally good hearing and sight and can detect even the slightest movement and sound. Come prepared with comfortable camo that blends into the Missouri forestry. You will want to pack headgear, vests and facemasks for total concealment, as well as an orange vest suggested by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Your earlier scouting will have alerted you to the perfect location for your complimentary blind, so you can get a clear shot of your tom.
Decoys
When used properly, your complimentary decoy can become a huge asset. By placing your decoys in strategic locations you can fool even the most mature turkey, so consider bringing out both a jake and a hen so you can really get the gobblers fired up. As a rule of thumb, the best location for your decoys is at a 45 degree angle from you and on the opposite side of where the gobblers will be coming from, that way they have to pass directly in front of your location.
Tactics
As Missouri hunting law dictates, you have to wait at least half an hour before you make a kill, so use the time before then to prepare and set up, so that when the time does arrive, you are already waiting. You will want to slip in undetected so you can get the decoys placed and your blind set up in the optimal location. You will be able to hear the turkeys before you see them as they come out of their roost. Do not be nervous about moving, especially if you notice them heading in a different direction; get up and try to flank them. Be alert, as sometimes the gobblers won’t make a sound as they come in and you’ll have to be alert to any changes in the scenery before you miss a kill.
Lost Quarter Farms is the premier location for spring turkey hunting. As one of Missouri’s finest turkey hunting lodges, we do our best to provide you with warm accommodations and expert advice for all your hunting questions. Don’t let turkey season pass you by without making a reservation at Lost Quarter Farms. Contact us today!