When several parcels of public land are within easy driving distance of each other, sometimes the best plan is to move from one to the next looking for a responsive gobbler instead of waiting for something to happen on a single property. (Photo by Becca McDougal)
February 25, 2025
By Darron McDougal
Born and raised in the northern Midwest, I’ve spent 22 seasons hunting the king of spring in North America’s heartland. In my opinion, no species east of the Mississippi River lends itself to public-land hunting like the wild turkey. In one day, a turkey hunter can pop in and out of multiple parcels until he gets a tom gobbling. In other words, a persistent hunter who spends enough time in the timber stands a solid chance of finding a bird to hunt.
Of course, many other spring turkey hunters will be doing likewise—hopping between parcels and calling frequently—which puts a considerable amount of pressure on the birds. This means you have to bring your A-game if you want to outsmart a mature bird. To help you do that, I’ve drawn from two decades and dozens of successful hunts to compile 10 fundamentals I believe every public-land turkey hunter should know about pressured toms.
1. They’re Usually Few and Far Between Rarely have I had to decide which gobbler to pursue on pressured public land. On a normal day in a typical location, I consider myself fortunate if I find one gobbling bird. Expect to cover lots of ground and find very few gobblers where pressure is high. I don’t spend a lot of time in places that “look good.” I’ve done it in the past with minimal results. I find that my time is better spent moving around and calling until I get a gobbler to respond.
2. They’re Rarely Patternable I’ve killed a lot of gobblers by patterning them on private land where pressure is controlled, but public-land birds are different. There’s no consistency with regards to how hunting pressure will affect them. A given parcel might have one hunter on one day and then multiple hunters the next. It only takes one hunter bumping or killing the gobbler to cause a fruitless outing. Additionally, recreational enthusiasts can bump the bird that you’re trying to pattern. Folks walking their dogs, anglers and hikers can all spook a turkey, thus rendering your patterning efforts useless.
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My one exception is I often scout before the opener to determine a starting point. When the season is already open, however, I hunt the gobbler as soon as I see or hear him. There are no guarantees that he’ll be there again the next day. Swoop in and try to kill him right then rather than attempt to put a “perfect” plan together for the day after.
3. They’re Finicky and Cautious Birds that have been called to, bumped and missed have a knack for responding to calls but then going the other way. Sometimes they sneak in silently, but more often they’re farther away the next time they gobble. Other times they gobble but won’t budge.
Let me suggest some ploys for a finicky gobbler. First, if he’s responding but not coming closer, stop calling and let his curiosity escalate. Sometimes he won’t be able to take it and will come looking. Another thing to do when hunting in the timber is to scratch leaves to simulate feeding hens, which makes calling more realistic. I used this trick to tag a Wisconsin limb-hanger on a state-owned parcel.
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You can try to pattern public-land gobblers, but it’s often better to go after them as soon as you hear or spot them. Pressure from other hunters can cause birds to abruptly abandon any sort of routine. (Photo by Becca McDougal) He was with a hen just west of the public property when I spotted him. I moved in and began calling. He’d gobble at some of my calls but then go silent. I worked that bird for 40 minutes. After 10 minutes of no gobbling or any visuals, I climbed a pine tree to get a vantage. The tom and hen were still in the field, so I climbed down and put on my thinking cap. It was nearing late morning, and I knew he’d likely leave the hen at some point. So, I sat back down and started scratching and tossing leaves, mixing in only the occasional cluck and purr. It eventually brought him onto the public ground where my Benelli claimed him from 45 yards.
4. They Can Be Stupid Easy Once in a while, public-land gobblers can be a piece of cake to kill. For that reason, don’t overlook the low-hanging fruit. One morning I parked my truck along some state-owned land and slowly tip-toed into the timber to begin listening for roosted gobblers. I made it only 20 yards from my truck when a gobble jolted my senses. Not 60 yards away, a tom was hammering from the canopy. I walked another 20 yards and sat down.
Just before legal shooting light, I tree-yelped softly, shook my hat to sound like a bird flying down then went silent. The bird was gobbling hard, and he flew down right at legal shooting time, though I couldn’t tell where he went. Through the humming of mosquitoes, I heard spitting and drumming. He was right by my truck! I obviously couldn’t shoot him there, but I felt that I was too close to call to him. I scratched the leaves with my hand instead, and less than a minute later, he was flopping 20 yards away.
Gobblers may move through a piece of public land but not reside on it. If you find fresh sign but can’t strike a bird, try the spot at different times of the day to catch the tom when he is there. (Photo by Darron McDougal) 5. Some Are Transients Rather Than Residents On most of the pressured public lands that I’ve hunted for a few consecutive days, I’ve found birds can be there one day and gone the next. The reason? Hunting pressure moves them around, or the public land doesn’t offer everything they need. This doesn’t mean you can’t kill a gobbler on the parcel you’re hunting if there isn’t one gobbling at dawn. If there is a decent amount of fresh turkey sign but you can’t get anything going right away in the morning, either stay put and wait, or leave and then pop back in for a few hours during midday. It’s hit-and-miss, but you’ll have to catch the birds when they’re passing through.
6. They’re More Susceptible During Midday Few hunters want to miss the dawn hunt, so the timber is typically very busy for the first two or three hours each morning. Some folks have to head for work, others lose interest or head to the local diner for breakfast. Once the dust settles, it’s a good time to be in the woods. By this time, gobblers might have parted with hens, making them more susceptible to calls. Plus, as I said in my last point, turkeys are often transient on public land, so you might have a completely different gobbler show up if you stick around through midday (where legal, of course).
7. They Are Where You Find Them In the “Stupid Easy” anecdote above, I mentioend a hunt in which I got on a bird 60 yards from the truck. That wasn’t the only time I’ve pulled up to a parking lot and heard gobbling. The lesson: Don’t get out of your vehicle, slam your door and start talking loudly. In my 22 years of turkey hunting, I’ve gotten complacent a couple of times and bumped birds because I didn’t stop to call until I’d walked a certain distance from the parking area. Try not to have preconceived notions about where gobblers will be. Public-land turkeys are where you find them, and that can be just about anywhere.
When working a crafty gobbler, scale back your calling or quit altogether to pique his curiosity. Then add some leaf scratching to simulate feeding hens. (Photo by Becca McDougal) 8. You Aren’t the Only One Hunting Them If you hunt turkeys on public land, you must accept the fact that another hunter or several hunters will likely be working the same bird as you. If you find yourself in said situation, always prioritize safety. No turkey is worth an accident. If you know that someone was working the bird first, back off and don’t interfere.
9. Sometimes You Have to Set an Ambush Several years ago, I chased a bird for a couple of weeks on a chunk of private land enrolled in a program for open hunting access. I could get him gobbling almost any time of the day, but my calling and decoys wouldn’t bring him within range. No matter which angle I worked him from, he continually outsmarted me.
This tom, which the author called from private land onto public and shot during the midday hours, validated several facts outlined in this article. (Photo by Darron McDougal) On a Saturday morning, he was gobbling nice and early. I slipped in as close to the roost as I possibly could. He had hens around him, and I had calculated the direction I believed the flock would fly down and travel based on the terrain. Several minutes after legal light, my plan worked and my shotgun roared. The limb-hanger that had eluded me many times was finally down. When typical tactics aren’t working, try to ambush the gobbler using your smarts rather than your calls and decoys.
10. Taking a Public-Land Bird Is Turkey Hunting’s Biggest Accomplishment No matter how you slice it, public-land turkey hunting is almost always more difficult and less productive than private-land turkey hunting. Many of my private-land hunts last only a day or two. I’ve spent way more time hunting to kill far fewer birds on public land.
To that end, taking a mature gobbler on pressured public land is one of turkey hunting’s most satisfying accomplishments. Bank the 10 tidbits that I’ve outlined here, and you’ll have a better understanding of these witty birds and how to hunt them more effectively.
This article was featured in the 2004 issue of Public Land Hunter magazine.
