How to hunt for Turkeys in Oregon

As much as I would love to claim turkeys as yet another great creature born from our PNW landscapes, they haven’t always been around. Instead, turkeys are native to the Southern and Eastern states of the US. Just like many other species around the world who now occupy lands outside of their native regions, the man-driven desire to introduce new game species into every habitat on earth has led to the spread of these little velociraptors into 49 different states. On principle, I always vouch first and foremost for our native species, but it is hard to treat the wild turkey as an invader! The small fact of their alien nature always nags at me when I picture the scope of Oregon’s impressive catalog of wildlife. When driving through the coastal mountain foothills, the roving flocks of wild turkeys seem just as natural as the roosevelt’s elk who often live in the same pasturelands. I have to wonder, what native animal are they replacing? Are turkeys causing damage to our natural ecosystems? There has been little research into the biological impact they might create in Oregon. Native or not, any evidence of a negative ecosystem damage is absent, so we manage these creatures as honorary Oregonians.

Don’t be mistaken, turkeys are not a brand new addition to the North West. The turkeys you hear gobbling in the Spring have likely been propagating there for many decades. Release efforts in Oregon took place several different times throughout the 1900’s. Some sources even say turkeys were released in Oregon as early as the 1800’s, but it is mostly agreed upon that the self-sustaining turkey populations we hunt today didn't take root until release efforts in the 1960’s, when they finally found the right habitat and sub-species to provide a great hunting opportunity in Oregon. Today, we do not have an active turkey stocking system. The closest thing to that is when the ODFW traps and relocates problem birds, but we have so many land owner conflicts in recent years that they sometimes just kill them instead. Unfortunately, many land owners would rather have the ODFW trap or kill turkeys on their land than to give hunters a chance to harvest them. Overall, Oregon’s turkey populations continue to increase. That's why we can shoot 9 hens a year in some areas! If you are used to hunting on the east side of the Rocky Mountains, things are completely different here. In eastern states if you set up on public land and hear one turkey you are doing good. In a podcast with call maker and turkey guide David Van Epps, he remarked “if I don't hear ten or twelve [gobblers] in a day, I am not happy!”

David is a guy who lives with turkeys year round, a true student of the bird. He hunts every single day of the season, and reads every piece of turkey info he can get his hands on. In our conversation, I learned a ton about turkey behaviour and walked away with some great tips to take advantage of our awesome Oregon turkey populations. With turkey season only weeks away, I wanted to review that conversation and write this article to help any new Oregon turkey hunters who want to go out and witness that Spring Thunder!

Turkey Noises.

Turkeys are vocal creatures, and we love them for it. Talking to turkeys is 99% of the fun of turkey hunting! Even if you don’t choose to pull the trigger on a tom you called in, any day spent talking to turkeys is a successful day. As David says, “It’s ok if the turkey wins.” Turkeys have many different sounds they use and each one means something different, here is what we learned about the different turkey noises and when to use them:

• Yelps: This is probably the first turkey noise you will learn to make depending on the type of call you start with. It is the classic hen-turkey yelp that birds often use to locate each other. While it is easy to make realistic turkey yelps, cadence is more important than making a perfect sound. Try listening to birds talking and take note of how many times the hen yelps in a sequence. A good starting point to practice 6-8 yelps in a sequence.

  
  

• Bubble Cluck: David mentioned this sound was dubbed the “bubble cluck” by well known turkey hunter Scott Ellis. It is a high pitched, bubbly sounding cluck that is frequently used between hens and toms. It reminds me of the sound of dripping water. If you hang out with turkeys for any amount of time, you hear them do this a lot. Something clicks in a tom when he hears it, and it really drives them mad!

  
  

• Putts: This is an interesting one. I used a mixture of this sound and purrs when I killed my first jake, but since then I have only heard turkeys make this sound when they are nervous. If you are calling in a tom, and he makes that noise, it usually means he is spooked. Pay attention to body language, when they tuck their wings they are getting ready to split.

  
  

• Purrs: Callers often mix purrs with clucks to sound like multiple hens making a ruckus. Turkeys purr while in close proximity to each other and while eating. This call is hard to make with a mouth reed, but is a calming and alluring sound when you've got it nailed.

  
  

• Clucks: Very similar to putts, soft clucks are a noise that turkeys often make throughout the day. A yelp is more in the context of finding each other or just being plain loud, while a clucking hen can almost seem like she is talking to herself sometimes.

  
  

• Drumming: You have to have good hearing to notice this from any distance, but this sound is produced when a tom is strutting. It sounds like a bass-y air sack being filled with air and then punched, but extremely quietly. Sometimes toms will be strutting in Spring without Gobbling, but they will always drum.

  
  

• Gobbling: Is an uncommon turkey hunting method. Some people do it and have great success, just be very careful especially on public land. It is too easy to get shot that way as some losers will shoot at any movement they see when they hear gobbles.

Types of Calls.

There are many different types of turkey calls. Pot calls, push button calls, box calls, wing bone calls, mouth reeds, and even more. David’s advice is to carry multiple with you, because each call has its strengths and weaknesses. When going to buy your first call, you may consider getting multiple styles and trying them out to see what you find easiest to use. Here are my top three: 

• Pot Call: This uses a striker to scratch a glass, slate, or crystal surface. Many say that Pot calls are the easiest to learn on, and the most versatile calls for a beginner. You should check out David’s pot calls at Oregon Custom Calls as a great example. They are beautiful pieces of art!  

  
  

• Box Call: While somewhat limited in the range of sounds you can make, this call was the easiest for me to master as a new hunter and still is one of my first picks to use. The only downside is that they do not work when wet, which is where the next call comes in handy.

  
  

• Mouth Reed: It took me two seasons to learn how to effectively use a mouth call, but it was definitely worth all the practice. Today, this is my most realistic sounding call and I can make any noise at any time without moving my hands. It also works in the rain, so that is a big plus in the areas I hunt.

Turkey Habitat.

Wild turkeys are habitat generalists and can thrive in many different environments and regions so long as the predator load and feed allows them to reproduce. Surprisingly, they aren’t fond of water. Wet Springs easily kill broods of chicks who get chilled when soaked, but they still managed to find the right conditions in several different parts of Oregon to truly thrive. For the entire Western part of the state, I have learned the hard way that turkeys often inhabit the same landscapes where poison oak thrives.

• General habitat preferences: Look for mixed landscapes with wide open spaces (parks, meadows, fields, ranches), that are adjacent to woodlots with big trees for roosting and safety. Brush is fine, but it can also harbor predators so they don't usually spend much time in the thicker forests. Most of a turkey’s diet can be found in fields, and in the open turkeys can see problems coming from a  long ways away. Alternatively, open wood lands with big trees, especially oaks, are prime turkey habitat. 

  
  

• Western Oregon: Just like our other regions, turkeys and private land go hand in hand. This is a bigger problem in North Western Oregon where our timber-farm Coastal Mountains are too thick and predator heavy to support big populations of mountain birds. Most are found on the threshold between small pastures on the edge of towns and the public lands that surround them. If you can get permission, you will kill birds. If you don’t, you will find a rewarding challenge in discovering creative ways to access low lying public lands that match the needs of good turkey habitat. 

  
  

• Central Oregon: Is home to the open ponderosa and juniper forests. High-desert landscapes where turkeys are numerous. Snow is a limiting factor for early season scouting, and big flocks spend the winters condensed onto private land. As soon as the snow melts in Spring, though, they head up the mountain and become more huntable on public. David has killed birds as high as 5,500 feet so if you wanted a mountain bird, you might try central Oregon.

  
  

• Eastern Oregon: North Eastern Oregon across the whole Columbia basin region has loads of birds, once again private land access is a challenge. If you head a few units South into the Eastern Oregon desert there is another big turkey hot spot in the beardless turkey permit area. Don’t go too far, South East Oregon is not known for good turkey hunting. In fact, a number of South East Oregon hunting units reliably see zero turkeys killed during the Spring season.

  
  

• Southern Oregon: Has some amazing turkey habitat due to its ranches, open woodlands, and many acorn producing oak trees. This region is also home to a turkey hunting hotspot called the “golden triangle.” I refuse to elaborate for fear of blowing up people’s honey holes ;)

Turkey Strategy.

The first thing you need to do is find some turks. So… drive around and look for them! It can get pretty competitive, so don't put all your turkeys in one spot. Make sure you have a few different turkey areas in your back pocket to try. Once those birds start getting shot at in the easiest to access public spots, they have a real hard time crossing the fence onto public. Do your best to secure private land permission, but if you are relegated to public land hunting expect to be compacted to the same areas as all the other public land hunters, or prepare to drive a good distance to hunt turkeys further away from population centers. If you already live further away from population centers, good for you! 

• Cover Ground: Put in some miles searching for gobblers. David says “if you can cover some ground and you can hike a little bit, there’s lots [of turkeys].” In some areas turkey habitat may seem few and far between, but you would be surprised how many gobbles you can get by walking miles down gravel roads and calling. As long as there is turkey sign nearby, you have a good chance of working up a bird.

  
  

• Hide is extremely important: Duck hunters understand, how you hide will make or break your hunt. This is not like deer or elk where you can stand in front of a tree and have them waltz in. You need to really be hidden, these animals can see extremely well. Forget eagle eyes, think turkey eyes instead. 

  
  

• Pick your set up spot before you call. That way if you get a gobble 80 yards away from a tom who will be there in less than a minute, you have already got your hide picked out. 

  
  

• Raise your gun before the turkey is visible: If you flinch, they will see you. If you pull up your gun or work your box call, they will see you. I have busted more turkeys than I care to admit. The first turkey I ever called in was a nice big tom who gobbled the whole way in. He strutted right up to me, and just before he came into view I pulled up my gun and set myself into an aiming position. My heart was pounding so hard I thought he could hear it. I had so much adrenaline I actually went blind and couldn’t see. I tried blinking my eyes real hard to get my vision back, but my moving facial expression blew my cover and he bolted.

This is what makes turkey hunting such a joy. Nothing is more exciting than hearing that first gobble rip off in the morning! Hopefully this write up gave you some good tips to apply in the woods this season. Are you feeling turkeyish? It is coming so fast! Make sure to check out David Van Epps and Oregon Custom Calls. If you are looking for inspiration for your turkey seasons this year, you will want to listen to the episode where we learned all these tips while you pack your gear and drive up to the turkey woods! Good luck, be safe, and have fun!