Improve Your Spring Turkey Hunting Odds

The Diet of Wild Turkeys: What Do They Eat?

Understanding the food sources that wild turkeys rely on throughout the year can be beneficial for both hunters and wildlife managers. In the spring, turkeys may be more focused on breeding behavior, but they still need to eat to survive. Knowing what types of foods they are seeking out can help hunters identify areas where turkeys are likely to be feeding, which can increase their chances of a successful hunt.

During the spring, turkeys will often feed on a variety of foods, including insects, berries, and seeds. As the weather warms up and the vegetation starts to grow, turkeys will often shift their focus to new plant growth, which can provide them with the necessary nutrients they need to thrive. In the summer months, turkeys may also feed on fruits and other types of vegetation that are abundant in the area.

In the fall, turkeys may start to shift their focus to more energy-dense foods, such as nuts and acorns, as they prepare for the colder winter months. Understanding these seasonal shifts in turkey feeding behavior can help hunters identify the best areas to focus their scouting efforts, as well as help wildlife managers evaluate the productivity of different habitats and determine what types of management practices may be needed to support healthy turkey populations.

The 7 Best States to Hunt Turkeys,

is based on the stories of experienced hunters, as well as nationwide data - CamoSystems^®

Turkey Hunting

Is a popular sport in many states across the United States. However, some states are known for their abundant turkey populations, diverse terrain, open access to hunting, and limited hunting pressure.
There are many factors that go into deciding where to hunt turkeys, such population density, terrain, and hunting regulations.

• Different states may have different regulations regarding hunting methods and seasons, so make sure to check before planning your trip.
• Prioritize safety in all aspects of your hunt, including proper firearm handling, wearing blaze orange, and knowing the area and potential hazards like snakes or steep terrain.
• Research the best hunting areas within the state you choose, such as national forests or wildlife management areas, and consider hiring a local guide for added experience and knowledge.
• Don't forget about licensing requirements and fees, which vary from state to state and may have specific deadlines or application processes.
  Here are seven of the best turkey hunting states and what makes them great destinations:

I know that the season is just winding down so I say, Look ahead at the upcoming season an start planning your new adventure - CamoSystems^®

Use this information to get you thinking about the upcoming season

BY Ryan Newhouse

To read complete article see onX

Migratory Flyways

Part of waterfowl hunting is having a network of flyways that breaks up the country into four distinct sections. Understanding the purpose and description of these four flyways gives us a pattern for knowing what kinds of birds can be expected (and hunted) and knowing where they are going and when. Ducks and geese follow these pathways from their breeding grounds to wintering areas each year.

Here’s a rundown of the migratory flyways:

Atlantic Flyway

This flyway stretches more than 3,000 miles from the coast of Maine to the Gulf of Mexico and has exceptional public hunting opportunities for divers, dabblers, and geese. Though it is the most densely populated of the four flyways, there are still great spots to find birds in flight on cool mornings.

Mississippi Flyway

Covering every mile between northern Minnesota and the wetlands of Louisiana, the Mississippi flyway is a storied corridor through which most migratory and other birds fly in the U.S. At 2,300 miles long, covering 1.5 million square miles, and anchored by the mighty Mississippi River itself, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to hit bag limits hunting states along this flyway.

BY Patrick Bonin

To read complete article see Mississippi Sportsman

It might be 95 degrees with almost 100-percent humidity now, but believe it or not, teal season starts next month — so it’s actually not too early to start thinking about taking care of your duck blind.

And if the last time you visited it was picking up your decoys at the end of last season, chances are it could use some attention and a little TLC.
Aside from making sure it’s structurally sound for another hunting season, the main thing you’ll want to address is camouflaging the blind in preparation for opening day.

And an easy way to do that is with netting from Camo Unlimited. “The main thing netting does is diminish the outline of the blind, and our netting is made to last season after season outside,” said Eric Christman, general manager of Camo Unlimited in Marietta, Ga. “We get countless numbers of people who call us who have been using the same netting on their blinds for four, five, six and even seven years in a row.

“So we try to give people more time hunting and less time going back over and over again and putting more brush on that blind.”

Hunt more efficiently and effectively this season with these downsized decoy strategies

BY JOHN PULLMANN

To read complete article see Ducks Unlimited

There is no question that a massive decoy spread will command the attention of passing flocks of waterfowl, but the time, effort, and expense required to maintain a huge rig can be a challenge, especially for newcomers to the sport. The fact is, if you set up in a spot where the birds want to be, you can often be just as successful with a small spread as with a large one. And in some situations a smaller, simpler rig will actually decoy more birds.

The following spreads offered by veteran waterfowlers consist of no more than three dozen decoys. Sure, there are going to be hunts when you'll probably want to go with a bigger spread, but there will also be times when it pays to go small. Here are five downsized decoy spreads that just might help you put more birds in the bag this season with a lot less work.

BY JOHN PULLMANN

To read complete article see Meat Eaters

Outside of actually finding the birds and securing a place to hunt, there is no single factor more important to consistently killing ducks and geese than staying hidden. Effective concealment involves a whole lot more than simply picking a pattern of camouflage for your coat, hat, and gloves. If you truly want to avoid being busted by the watchful eyes of waterfowl, here are a few tips on how to stay out of sight.

Pre-Hunt Preparation Waterfowl hunting, with all of its different aspects like scouting, decoys, calling, dogs, and more, can be a lot of work. But thankfully there is a return on this investment of effort in the form of birds on the strap. The more you invest, typically, the more plucked mallards you have for the grill, and this includes the time you put into staying concealed. The good news is that you can put in a lot of the work to remain hidden before the hunt even begins.

When layout blinds first hit the market, the shine of the fabric was blamed for causing birds to flare in the field, so hunters began to “mud-in” the surfaces of their blinds by slopping on a mixture of dirt and water, letting it dry, and then use a broom to brush off the excess. This approach still works, but a light layer of flat black, brown or other natural color of spray paint works just as well, and this should be done to the surface of any blind made out of fabricated materials in order to reduce the glare.

After softening the sheen of these materials with mud or paint, go ahead and zip-tie enough bundles of natural or synthetic grass to the straps on the blind to create a base layer of cover. This little bit of preparation will go a long way toward breaking up the outline of the blind in the field. Be sure to choose colors of grass that match the general surroundings of those areas you plan to hunt. The zip-ties will keep the bundles in place between hunts, and all of this will save you time in the field—time that you should spend adding grass or other cover from the area (see below) to fill in the gaps and add a natural finish to your hide before enjoying a cup of coffee while waiting for the birds to arrive.

BY JOHN PULLMANN|

To read complete article see Ducks Unlimited

Top waterfowling pros offer sage advice for honing your duck and goose hunting skills

Photo credit Bill Ferrin

By John Pollmann

When it comes to waterfowling, professional guides have a decided advantage over the rest of us. It's what they do for a living. They spend more days afield and have the inside track on where to find the birds and how to lure them into shooting range. Fortunately, some guides are willing to share their secrets. Here's the inside scoop from seven of the nation's top waterfowling experts on how you can improve your chances for success next season.

1. Finding the X

Ben Fujan - South Dakota

Nothing comes easy when your job involves putting ducks and geese over the decoys on a daily basis, but veteran South Dakota guide Ben Fujan knows that the key to enjoying consistent success all boils down to one word: scouting. After years of pursuing waterfowl across the continent from Canada to Arkansas, this Banded-Avery pro-staff member has developed a process that makes it easier for him to find the X.

Fujan starts by exploring waterfowl roosting areas such as those found on refuges and other areas with large bodies of water. He then spends a day studying the birds' resting and feeding habits. "The idea is to find a pattern," he says, "and from there all kinds of opportunities will emerge for targeting birds within their daily routine."

Gaining hunting permission is another important step. Fujan uses a plat book or an app to track down hunting access and property owner information. And once he gets the green light from a landowner, he moves in for up-close surveillance of the birds' comings and goings.

"When scouting birds in the evening, I always keep watching them until they leave the area," Fujan says. "This allows me to see not only how many birds are out there but also exactly where they are going to roost. It's always easier to count the birds in the air, when they're moving from place to place. Plus, I can know whether they left on their own terms or were spooked out of the field. This is important information. When the field is clear, I'll drive out and mark exactly where I want to hunt, which will save me some time and effort the next morning."

Fujan begins the scouting process all over again shortly after a morning hunt. "It's always better to scout in the morning if you're planning to hunt around the same time the next day, so you can get a picture of what the birds are doing," he says. "Patterns can change quickly; you always have to stay one step ahead of the game."

BY JOE GENZEL | PUBLISHED MAR 25, 2020 8:18 PM

To read complete article see Outdoor Life

EDITOR’s NOTE: The following information is based on federal law. Be sure to check with state agencies to make sure you are in compliance with state law.

Ryan Warden became an expert on migratory gamebird regulations in 2011 after federal agents raided his Kansas duck lodge. He was later accused of breaking migratory bird laws—27 counts in total. Since Warden was an outfitter (taking money to take people hunting) each count was a felony. In the end, he avoided jail time and plead guilty to three misdemeanors: shooting one bird over his dove limit, shooting from a truck bed (he was sitting on the tailgate and you must have both feet on the ground to discharge a firearm), and not properly tagging his doves. Warden paid around $30,000 in fines and legal fees and was not allowed to hunt, fish, or trap in the U.S. for five years. He admits wrongdoing, but there were many rules he didn’t know. To assist the average hunter, he started a company called Toe Tags, LLC that helps hunters stay legal with proper tags, log books, and any other items you need when transporting, donating, or storing harvested waterfowl.

Stay legal by always tagging waterfowl. Toe Tags LLC