I hear all the time how turkey hunting is “just like elk hunting.” Then you’ll listen to someone say turkey hunting is stupid, and you should bear hunt instead. Well, I’m here to say, before I started hunting turkeys, I didn’t understand how it could compare to elk hunting, and I love bear hunting as much as the next guy. However, in the past 5 or 6 years, I have come to love hunting turkeys each spring.
I spent a few days in Eastern Oregon with my buddy Dustin this past week. Spring weather and wind gave us fits. There was still too much snow to access much of the ground we had planned to hunt, and the birds weren’t particularly cooperative. In the end, we managed to turn up and kill a really nice tom, but it didn’t go quite how we expected.
On the six-hour drive home, I started reflecting on the weekend, what worked, what didn’t, and what I could do to become a better turkey caller and hunter. Somewhere along the way, I got to thinking about the parallels between turkey hunting and my favorite pastime: bowhunting elk. I realized there are more similarities than you’d think, and how getting better at hunting these silly birds can make you a better elk hunter. Instead of just stating this as fact, I will give a few examples.
The Set up
The more I get into turkey hunting, the more I realize how vital your setup is. When you're trying to call a bird to your location, you need to make it as easy as possible for them to get to you. Like most wild critters, turkeys tend to take the path of least resistance, so ensure you’re not forcing them to cross major obstacles like rivers, steep ravines, cliffs, or thick brush. These give them a reason to pause, think, and maybe decide to head the other direction.
Another thing I’ve learned, especially when chasing public land birds, is to avoid wide-open spaces. Sure, turkeys like to hang out in those open areas, but they're much less likely to commit if they can see your setup from a long distance. Try to position yourself so they get within your effective shooting range before they can see where the call is coming from. That way, when they pop out, they’re already in range.
Speaking of setups, turkeys can see well. I mean, unbelievably well. So, you need something solid right behind you: a big bush, a tree, a rock, anything to break up your outline. Being in the shadows is another huge plus. Both of these help hide your movement. And when it comes to movement, go slow. Only shift when they're not looking directly at you.
Sometimes Less is More
Here, I’m talking specifically about calling. It’s easy to get carried away, especially when a gobbler is hammering back at every sound you make. I’ve definitely been guilty of that more times than I’d like to admit. But after hunting with guys like Dustin, who’ve been chasing turkeys a lot longer than I have, I’ve realized I’ve been overcalling in most situations.
I’m finding that a better approach is to call sparingly once you’ve engaged a bird. Sometimes they’ll gobble and gobble without ever closing the distance. Other times, they’ll respond a few times, then go quiet and come in silently, or gobble their way in. But especially with pressured birds, I’ve noticed it’s usually more effective to call just enough to keep them interested and cued in to your location. Calling every thirty seconds can actually work against you, like you’re forcing a response rather than creating curiosity.
Another thing: soft calling is often better than loud calling. Sure, volume has its place when you’re trying to locate birds. But when you’ve got one in range, calling just loud enough for them to hear you is usually the smarter play.
It Just Takes One
This has become my motto for all types of hunting, but it’s starting to ring true for turkeys: it only takes one.
Just like last week with Dustin, things weren’t exactly going our way. The trip we’d been looking forward to—and half-joked would be “easy”—turned out to be anything but. As I mentioned, the weather was a mess, limited access due to snow, and the birds weren’t cooperating. We heard a few gobbles for a day and a half but never got close to sealing the deal.
Then, around midday, we finished a hike into a promising area, only to get more of the same results. As we drove to our next spot, Dustin spotted a nice gobbler out the truck window, standing on the edge of a steep drop-off. We quickly drove out of sight and made a loop to move in closer.
Dustin started with subtle calling after letting the area settle for a few minutes. I was just over the break of the hill and worried the sound wasn’t reaching the bird, so I added a few quick chirps on my mouth call. Instantly, he hammered back.
A minute later, he was strutting at 40 yards. Thirty seconds after that, I shot him at 30.
What had felt impossible for the last day and a half turned into a successful hunt in the blink of an eye, proving once again that sometimes, it really does only take one.
What Does This Have to Do with Elk Hunting
So what does all this have to do with getting better at elk hunting?
Well, the short answer is: everything.
Your setup is one of the most critical factors in successfully calling in elk. If your setup is off, everything becomes exponentially more difficult—Turkey hunting forces you to dial that in. Pay close attention to where you’re set up, then take those same habits into elk season. Are you giving the bull (or gobbler) the easiest, most natural path to your location? Can he approach without hitting major obstacles? And most importantly, when he finally can see where the sound is coming from, is he already in range?
Also, just like with turkeys, ensure your outline is broken up. Use a tree, brush, or terrain features to hide your shape and stay in the shadows when you can. Elk don’t see quite like turkeys, but they’re not dumb, and any unnatural shape or movement can blow the whole deal.
Calling is another area where the lessons are carried over. Just like with turkeys, it’s easy to overcall a bull. You don’t need to blast their eardrums with loud bugles or cow calls, and you don’t need to call nonstop. Sure, there are times when cranking the volume and intensity might flip a switch, but more often, a few well-timed, realistic calls that spark curiosity are more effective. Let him stew on what he just heard. Let him want a response that you don’t give right away. Sometimes that’s precisely what pulls him or that gobbler into your lap.
And finally, maybe most important of all, it only takes one to turn your toughest hunt into your best memory. Keep grinding. Keep covering country. Keep doing the little things right. Turkey hunting may not carry the same weight for me as elk or bear hunting, but I genuinely love it. And I truly believe there’s something to be learned from every critter we chase.
Heck, turkey hunting is so fun, even a die-hard bear hunter might fall in love with it.
