Do this tomorrow to kill a gobbler Saturday

N.C.’s statewide season runs April 11 through May 9

North Carolina’s turkey hunting season starts this weekend. So what can hunters do right now, with one day left before turkey season starts to improve their chances of success?

John Tanner of John Tanner Calls makes turkey calls for a living. But his advice for scouting does not involve the use of any calls this late in the preseason. He said right now, hunters should simply observe what the turkeys are doing. Use those observations to put yourself in position for success Saturday morning.

“Right now, before the season starts, even up to the very day before the season starts, absolutely do not call to a turkey in any way. They are in a routine and you don’t want to disrupt them. The best thing to do right now is to find out where they are traveling,” said Tanner (843-558-5472).

Find out where they’re roosting, where they’re flying down, and which way they’re walking. Then figure out where you need to be and what time you need to be there to intercept a gobbler.

Soft, limited calling is usually plenty once the season opens

“In the early days of the season, it’s going to be difficult to lure a gobbler away from his routine anyway. The birds are still in groups and he’s got hens traveling with him. So your best bet is to get set up on his travel route early enough that he’ll walk right in front of you during his natural routine,” he said.

And once opening day arrives, Tanner said he’s not opposed to calling to a gobbler that strays off his normal path, or whose path is too far away from a good place to set up. But he said hunters should keep the calling soft. He also suggests calling just a few times in those first few days of the season.

“The first few days of the season is a good time to kill a turkey, but only if you’ve done your scouting. Know where a gobbler is roosting, which direction he walks in the morning, and where he returns to his roosting area from. Just find yourself a place to set up and be there when he walks by. That’s the best way to kill an early-season or opening-day bird,” he said.