While most people look forward to spring for the warm weather, hunters all over Michigan are waiting for spring turkey hunting season to start. Turkey hunting season is one of the most popular hunting seasons in Michigan, and it draws in quite a crowd each year. Because of this, it can sometimes be harder to get a turkey if you’re up against a lot of competition. Getting a good turkey is also a lot of work on its own, so it’s important that you’re well prepared before going out this season.
Opening day of turkey season in Michigan is coming up quickly, do you have a plan for it yet? Follow these four tips to ensure that you have a great turkey hunting season in Michigan this spring.
1. Find the Perfect Place to Hunt
Anytime you go hunting, one of the most important things to plan ahead of time is where exactly you’ll go. To do this, you’ll have to put some thought into it to get just the right place. One or two days before hunting season begins, you should scoop out the areas you’re planning to hunt in to make sure that you have a good chance of finding a turkey there. Fortunately, there are plenty of great locations on private and public land in both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas.
2. Be Patient
If you aren’t able to sit patiently for long periods of time, you probably shouldn’t be turkey hunting at all. Before you go turkey hunting, you’ll have to accept that it might take you a while to get one. While the turkey population in Michigan is large, it’s nowhere near as large as the deer population, so if you’re used to deer hunting, you can’t expect to run into as many turkeys. This might not only mean sitting out for a few hours, but it might take you several days to get one.
3. Get Ready for Turkey Calling
If you want to be able to get a turkey this spring, practicing your turkey calling is the best way to prepare yourself. Turkeys are very social animals, so they’re likely to try and find another turkey if they hear one. There’s also a variety of different methods you can use to create turkey calls, or if you’re able to, you can always train yourself to vocally call turkeys yourself. This is a great resource to have while you’re hunting turkeys, but it’s important to remember not to overdo it. If you make too much noise while calling turkeys, you could end up scaring them away.
4. Use Decoys
In addition to devices for turkey calling, decoys are another valuable item you can buy in advance to improve your turkey hunting. A decoy hen is a simple way of getting a turkey’s attention without requiring too much work on your part. By doing this, you get the chance to sit back and hopefully watch a turkey come right to you. Purchasing things like decoys are also a great investment that you can use year after year, so you’re always ahead of the other hunters.