Wow! I can’t wait! I had such great success last year in New Hampshire that I am beside myself with thoughts of calling in a mature Tom this year with a long beard. The key to a successful hunt is to be prepared and that begins with good identification skills of a male Tom, knowing the differences of a hen and being safe yourself.
NEW HAMPSHIRE SAFETY TIPS AND BIRD ID’s HERE (Be sure to read it and understand it) :
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/Hunt_species/hunt_turkey.htm#spring
“Hunters are, therefore, legally obligated to know the difference between hens and gobblers. This skill can be acquired through reading, field observation, watching videos, and attending a turkey hunting seminar”.
I highly recommend the 2014 Turkey Hunting seminar on March 31 April 7th. See website below.
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Newsroom/News_2010/News_2010_Q1/HE_turkey_talks_032610.html
Gotta hava beard, gotta hava beard, gotta hava beard along with Red, White and blue head markings, size and other key features such as color of feathers. e.g., A Tom is almost black except for the head where a hen is more brown.
A beard is not a 100% positive ID of a Tom however.
Experts say 10 to 20 percent of females grow beards too so be on the lookout if you can tell the difference. Not illegal to shoot a female with a beard but if you can pass on them, its is better for the population. Photo’s from the Wild Turkey Federation website.
http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/new_turkey_look.html
The Hunt?
Full Camo for your body, face and your shotgun or bow. Leave nothing to chance if you wanna play to win. Just so you know, I am no expert at turkey hunting as I am always learning. I am just like you, trying my best. Turkeys can appear and melt into the forest like ghosts if you are detected. A full face mask is a must along with a camo hat and coat and firearm. There are tons of face masks out there. I will be trying a HooRag face mask this spring. http://www.hoorag.com/camouflage-bandanas/ I like the patterns too. I even purchased some camo band aids for around my eyes. On order from the website below.
http://www.whatonearthcatalog.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?
and some pin on camo leaves you can find on Amazon.com. Just ordered them! Here are some photo’s of the seamless face masks I have. Below is a proven Mossy Oak face mask and below that a deer camo mask from Hoo Rag. I have just purchased some pin on oak leaves too in green and brown for 12 dollars a bag from Amazon. I will pin a few green ones to my hat as well. wear some hunter orange when moving in the woods too like a hat. Never wear red white or blue as Toms are in similar head colors.
I have long since been an advocate of the Remington 870 Pump 12 gauge shotgun. I have killed many deer and a few turkeys with it. I use my goose barrel which is long with a full choke. Don’t leave it to chance. You want to pattern your shotgun each season with the loads you intend to hunt with. Outdoor Life has a great article on turkey loads to read below.
or
or
http://www.federalpremium.com/products/shotshell.aspx
or
http://www.winchester.com/Products/shotshell-ammunition/Advanced/Double-X/Pages/default.aspx?c=12
More as May 3rd approaches.