Texas Turkey Hunting Tips for the Early Morning

While winter's last laugh dies down with the wind, Texas hunters are gathering their gear, cleaning their guns, and packing up their coolers for the next hunting season just around the corner. The Texas Spring Rio Grande Turkey hunting season officially kicks off on March 20 in South Texas and April 3 in the North Texas; the season ends on April 3 and May 2nd, in their respective zones.

Every hunter fully understands the importance of being properly prepared for hunting season. That means being up in the early morning on the first day to bag the first bird of the season. Don't be unprepared for your first shot, use these turkey hunting tips for the early morning, and may your gun roar with success.

Thunder at Dawn

At dawn, listen closely for gobbler thunder from a ridge top or knoll - the higher you hunt the easier it is to hear and course distance gobbles. If you are lucky enough to have a turkey roar just off the point of your ridge or on a nearby flat, sneak quietly down into calling position.

When you hear gobbler thunder, keep your cool and slip 25 to 50 yards in the direction of the thunder. Check up and listen, toms usually gobble more than two or three times. This should help you draw a solid line directly to the bird's roost.

Positioning is Key

Using foliage, ridges, and hollows, sneak within 125 to 100 yards of the turkey roost. The closer you can get the better the chances a turkey will drift to your early morning calls. Toms tend to strut downhill. Position yourself above the roost, or at least on even ground, when call.

Set up to call where you are comfortable with the terrain - free of fences, creeks, or gullies that may provide a hazard. Make it easy for a tom to strut right to your calls. A highly successful strategy has been to set up between where toms roost and where they gather hens. When the turkey pitches its branch and heads for its strut zone, you'll be there to call him into your crosshairs.

Early Morning Call

When a gobbler is roaring right you, it is overwhelmingly tempting to cluck, yelp, and cheer for joy! Be careful not to call too early. Too much calling in the early morning can hang a tom on his limb, waiting for the hen to come to him. The longer he sits without a hen appearing, the more suspicious he gets.

Once dawn breaks, give the turkey some soft pillow talk, with sultry tree clucks and yelps. If the turkey bellows, stop calling and wait for him to fly down and come looking for you.

Keep Your Stomach Full and Your Aim True

When that Texas trophy turkey lines up in your crosshairs at the eleventh hour, you don't want hunger for a warm meal and thirst for a cold beer to jeopardize your aim. Keep your stomach full, your aim true, and your blind stocked with plenty of man-fuel for the hunting soul.

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