My dad hunted in some way, shape, or form pretty much his entire life. He killed his share of turkeys but, like many people in South Texas, they were all harvested during fall turkey hunting season. I’m guessing that most of these harvests weren’t hunts that were set upon with turkeys in mind. But were rather just cases of gobblers in the wrong place at the wrong time during deer season.
Texas Turkey hunting Breakdown
For those who aren’t from Texas or are new to hunting – we have two turkey seasons. One season in the fall and one in the spring. Each super combo license allots hunters 4 total turkey tags for the license year (September 1 – August 31). And fall turkey season runs during the same time as deer season in most counties. As a result, turkeys are kind of an afterthought and are often harvested during deer season on days when whitetail are scarce or boredom is high.
This could just be a misconception I have about Texas hunters, but it seems like spring turkey season isn’t a big deal to most. Maybe it’s because we have the option to harvest gobblers all fall. Or maybe my family, friends, and their families have never been big turkey eaters. Maybe it’s the crazy unpredictable weather swings we experience during the spring turkey season months. Or maybe it’s the “skill” barrier of learning to call turkeys.
Regardless of the why, my dad, much like myself until a couple years ago, had never properly hunted spring turkeys. This means calls, decoys, and all the adrenaline of being up close with a strutting Tom.
Our Hunt
Without spoiling too much of the video below. We set out for a midday hunt on a windy Sunday afternoon and were able to call 3 large Toms into the field within minutes of sitting down. The gobblers kept their distance for a while but, eventually, a solo hen showed up and got interested in our calls. Soon she headed our way to investigate. Those big Toms followed that hen like I hoped they would and spotted my decoys as they crested a small rise in between us. From that moment on it was game time. Check out how it all went down below.
