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John's Journal... Entry 137, Day 4

MASTER TURKEY HUNTERS

Ben Rodgers Lee Talks about Spring Turkey Hunting

EDITOR'S NOTE: Each year John E. Phillips hunts with some of the nation's top turkey hunters and learns all he can about their calling and hunting strategies. This week we'll talk with a couple of master turkey takers to learn more about how they hunt. The late Ben Rodgers Lee of Coffeeville, Alabama, made turkey-calling history when he became the only man to win five World Turkey Calling Championships. Lee grew up in a part of the country where turkey season never was closed and knew turkeys and their habits and habitat intimately in a way few others ever had. John interviewed Lee about what hunters needed to do for the most-productive spring turkey hunting. Although you may live where turkey season already has begun, you can use these tactics for next spring's season.

According to Ben Rodgers Lee, "To score during the spring, you must learn several calls. In addition to the kee-kee run, you need to know the yelp and the cluck. You can learn these easiest on a box caller or on a peg and an aluminum striker box. After you learn the yelp and the cluck, you're ready to go scouting. Ride the woods roads at daylight before the season begins, and listen for crows. Take a crow caller along. Then as soon as you hear them cawing, blow that caller about four times, good and loud. If a turkey is in the area, he'll gobble at your call. If you get no response, take your box caller out before you leave the area and yelp just as loud as you can. Go through this same process in the mornings and the afternoons, trying to locate three or four turkeys prior to the season. Then if you pull up on opening morning and there's a vehicle parked near the spot you planned to hunt, you'll still have other places where you can go.

"On opening morning, take a stand about 100 yards from the place where you think a turkey is roosting. If the roost is on a slope, try to find a stand on the high side of that slope. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, the turkey will fly to the high side of a slope, since the distance to the ground is shorter there. By positioning yourself on this side, you're already in a place where he wants to come. Once you sit down, give the turkey two or three soft clucks. If he gobbles at them, you'll know he doesn't need much more encouragement. Give him just a few more clucks. The closer the turkey gets to you, the less you need to call. If he doesn't gobble at your clucks, however, then start clucking more often. Once he starts coming in, put your box down, pick your gun up and get ready to shoot."

TOMORROW: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT TURKEYS THAT CAN HELP YOU BAG ONE





 

 

Check back each day this week for more about Master Turkey Hunters ...

Day 1 - Harold Knight on What Makes a Master Turkey Hunter
Day 2 - Harold Knight on More Master Turkey-Hunter Characteristics
Day 3 - Harold Knight Names More Master Turkey-Hunter Attributes
Day 4 - Ben Rodgers Lee Talks about Spring Turkey Hunting
Day 5 - What We Know about Turkeys That Can Help You Bag One


John's Journal