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“They are close,” I whispered to my father. We decided to sit down in the spot we were standing to prevent being seen. After hurrying to put on our gloves and facemask, I used a mouth call to signal the nearby roosted birds. After seven to eight minutes of periodically yelping on my mouth call, we heard wings flapping as the turkeys flew off the roost. As the sound grew louder, I quickly realized they would land directly in front of us. When the lead gobbler hit the ground, my trigger finger squeezed the shot from my 12-gauge shotgun.

The month of October can often catch a bad name from hunters; some refer to the slow period of deer movement as the “October lull.” Hunters respond by approaching October hunting as a time to be patient and wait for November rut action. If you fall under that category, you may be missing out on some of the best hunting opportunities all season.

Allowing a few minutes for everything to settle down, I selected coyote pup howls on my remote and began my calling sequence. With the howls only playing for a mere thirty seconds, I thought I heard a coyote howling back at my call.

At this point – my adrenaline was pumping. My heart was beating like I had set my eyes on a mature buck. After a few deep breaths, I came to full draw, aimed, and squeezed the trigger on my release.

For some hunters, the hunting season begins with a trip west searching for elk. Many western states begin their elk seasons at the end of August or sometime in September. The late-summer start is typically one to two months earlier than deer season in most hunters’ home states, and this earlier starting date is why eager hunters often head west for their first hunt of the year. They have high hopes of punching their elk tag early, setting the stage for continued success throughout the remainder of the year.

One might think supplemental watering is solely to help deer to stay cool during the hotter summer months, and that’s true; keeping your herd cool and hydrated is, in fact, a factor behind supplemental watering. One of the most prominent goals and benefits, however, is the same as supplemental feeding. Providing extra water aids in producing healthier deer and bigger bucks.

When turkey season ends and the days continue to grow longer and warmer, it’s hard to think about the dropping temperatures and crisp mornings that’ll come back around in just three to four months. Unless you’re an avid bowhunter. Throughout the summer, the months ahead consume the bowhunter’s thoughts. They know time passes fast. Preparations for the upcoming deer season must begin promptly to reap the benefits during those chilly fall mornings.

Many things can make a hunt go south in turkey hunting if one gives up or lets a mishap control the hunt's outcome. After talking with Michael Heffernon about his willfulness to keep hunting, he shared three common mistakes he experienced while turkey hunting. Again, not letting mistakes affect the hunt and continuing to hunt is vital for a successful turkey season.

All turkey hunters look forward to opening day and the excitement that comes from getting back into the woods after a long winter of sitting at home. Turkey calling skills have been practiced and honed, scouting is complete, and birds have been located. This is your year – the year you’ll harvest a mature gobbler on opening day. At least it can be. Follow these three tips to kick off your opening day with a literal bang!

Plenty of wild turkeys are successfully harvested by bowhunters each spring all over North America, and in many cases, it’s decoys that make it possible.