If you're wondering how to start turkey hunting, it can seem very intimidating from the outside.
There’s the calling, the camouflage, the gear, the sunrise starts and the nagging suspicion that everybody else knows something you don’t.
Si Colley says to get over that and go anyway.
Colley lives, eats and breathes turkey hunting. When I first met him, he hunted whitetails too, but mostly as something to do while waiting for turkey season to roll back around.
These days he’s taken some fine Alabama bucks, but make no mistake, spring gobblers are still his true obsession.
The Best Way to Start Turkey Hunting? Just Get Out There
Si is one of those small-town turkey fanatics you find all over the country, the kind of guy who fills his own tags and still gets up at 3:30 a.m. to help buddies call in birds. So I asked him a simple question: How do you start turkey hunting if you've never done it before?
His answer was refreshingly uncomplicated. If you want to try turkey hunting, listen to Si.
“The most important thing is to just get out there,” he said. “It’s just like anything else: Of course there are things you don’t know, and you’ll learn some lessons the hard way, but that’s part of the fun.” Chasing gobblers is also a great way to make lifetime hunting memories.
You Already Have Most of the Gear to Start Turkey Hunting
More good news for rookies: You probably don’t need a new shotgun, a second mortgage or a custom turkey vest with 47 pockets to start turkey hunting.
“As long as it accepts different chokes, the shotgun you already have is probably fine,” he said. “When you pull the trigger, it’s going to shoot. It comes down to the choke since that’s what gives you the pattern.”
Turkey chokes are tighter than standard bird-gun chokes, which means more pellets in a turkey’s head and neck at useful range. That’s the goal. But don’t just screw one in and hope for the best. Pattern your gun first.
“That choke is going to control what the pattern looks like,” Si said. “But you have to shoot your gun to see what it’s doing. The pattern could be to the left, it could be too tight or too loose … there are a lot of variables. Heading out without testing your gun is like going deer hunting without sighting in your rifle.”
Patterning your gun also tells you whether an optic might help. If the gun is printing off-center, a red dot can clean that up fast.
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Even Beginners Can Call in Turkeys
But even with a dialed-in shotgun, calling is where a lot of beginners start to sweat.
According to Si, a box call is the easiest call to use.
“A kid can run a box call. You can buy a quality box call and sound good on it without any actual hunting experience whatsoever.”
But how do you know what sounds to make?
“I was probably 3 or 4 when my dad was taking me turkey hunting, and I just listened to him and listened to turkeys and tried to mimic what I heard and from watching hunting shows.
“Today there is plenty of instructional material on YouTube. Shane Simpson is one of my favorites, but there is so much out there. YouTube is your friend, for sure.”
Of course, there’s no substitute for listening to real turkeys and trying to mimic them.
Si said he has several live turkey recordings that he listens to before each season just to warm up and knock off some of the rust. As to getting a feel for how to call in various situations, that comes with experience.
How to Read a Turkey: Nobody's an Expert Overnight
“You learn a lot from being out there,” said the Houndstooth Game Calls team member. “A turkey will tell you what kind of mood he’s in.
You can tell how a gobbler is feeling when he cuts you off mid-call or when he doesn’t really want to talk. It’s the same with a hen. You can tell when she’s calm or fired up, and over time you learn how to respond.”
In Si’s view, less is often more. Start soft, read the bird and turn it up only if you need to. You can always call more, but you can’t take back a call that was too much.
It's Better To Be a Good Hunter Than a Good Caller
Even more important than calling, however, is good woodsmanship. The best caller in the world can’t coax a turkey into going where it doesn’t want to go.
“If I know where a turkey wants to go, that’s where I’m going.
“There are times you can’t get exactly where you want based on property lines or whatever, but especially for beginners, try to figure out where the turkeys want to be.
“Most of the time they have their minds set right off the roost.”
First-Hunt Game Plan
Finally, for those who have no idea how to even approach their first turkey hunt, Si says it’s not complicated. The hardest part is having access to ground where there are turkeys.
“Show up before daylight and before any songbirds start singing. You want to be in a spot that allows you to hear as much of the property as possible. Next, just listen carefully for a gobble.”
Once you’ve heard a tom gobble, the next step is to get in a position to intercept him … or his hens.
Shortly after waking up, male turkey usually gobble several times from the tree limb where they spent the night. Not long after, they'll pitch down to the ground to start their day.
“It depends on the terrain. Look at your map and come up with the best way of getting to him or getting ahead of him without making too much noise and spooking him.”
After that, Si said, the most important thing is to remain motionless.
“Be still and be ready,” he said. “Have your gun on your knee. Have your eyes peeled. Pay attention to every little thing, and above all use your ears.
“Sometimes you’ll hear him drum, but even when turkeys go quiet they’ll tell on themselves if you’re paying attention. Be still and pay attention. Period.”
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Turkey Hunting is a Challenge, But That's the Point
Lastly, if you want to start turkey hunting, don’t get discouraged. Your first bird will come sooner or later.
“Just because he’s gobbling doesn’t mean he’s coming, and just because he’s coming doesn’t mean he’s gobbling.
“Base your calling on what’s on his mind. Sometimes you hardly even call and it just happens. And sometimes the bird gobbles his head off but never comes in. That’s turkey hunting, and that’s why I love it.”
In other words, turkey hunting is part chess match, part chaos and part faith. You may do everything right and still get worked by a bird with a walnut-sized brain. That’s also exactly why people like Si can’t get enough of it.
Si’s Alabama turkey season opens March 25. To follow his progress, check him out on Facebook or Instagram
