TALKING TURKEY WITH THE EXPERTS

Rob Keck On Tough Turkeys

EDITOR'S NOTE: To help those of us who are frustrated more often than not by America's most famous game bird, I posed some questions to several of the nation's top turkey hunters and turkey authorities. Today, Rob Keck of the National Wild Turkey Federation, champion turkey caller and veteran hunter, answers questions.

Question: How do you go about taking a tough turkey that other hunters haven't been able to kill?
Answer: I usually try to let somebody else kill the bird before I attempt to take him.

Question: Seriously, how do you set up to kill a tough ole gobbler that is hunter-wise?
Answer: This problem is one that I deal with on a regular basis. Most of the time when people invite me to turkey hunt with them they will tell me about an old turkey that nobody can take and suggest that because I have some kind of turkey hunting reputation, they want to see just how good I am. Usually they will lead me before daylight to the spot where the "unkillable" tom has been dealing everybody so much trouble. That turkey and I are a lot alike, I realize the tom knows that if somebody is going to try and kill him it will be the hunter who calls to the bird just as soon as he gobbles in the morning. And I understand that old turkey has already outsmarted some pretty good hunters. Therefore, as soon as the people who left me where I am supposed to call to the turkeys get out of sight, I move as hard and as fast as I can in the opposite direction to try and locate another bird to kill. If I kill a turkey, then the turkey hunters in that area will think I've taken the bad old gobbler, or they will tell me I killed the wrong turkey. However, I win either way.

But if I don't find a tom turkey by about 9 a.m., I come back to the place where the other hunters let me out of the truck. I go to the area where the tough turkey is supposed to be hanging out. I call about three or four times, lay my turkey caller down, put my shotgun across my lap and go to sleep in front of a big tree. The sleeping part is easy, because I probably have stayed up all night telling turkey tales. Oftentimes, I will be awakened by the sound of a turkey drumming or strutting. If not, when I wake up I move very slowly-looking all around me for a turkey. If I don't spot a tom, I may call about three more times and go back to sleep. When I wake up again about noon or 1 P.M., if there is no turkey in sight, I gather up my calls, get up from my nap and walk to camp. My buddies think I have really hunted that tough turkey hard. I'll never tell them otherwise. I've learned that taking a nap when you are hunting a tough turkey is one of the best ways to kill him.

TOMORROW: BILL HARPER ON BAGGING GOBBLERS