Time to Pregame...

April is indeed upon us and just like every year that can only mean one thing, Turkey season is rapidly approaching. For most hunters the Spring Turkey season in the northeast is a time to get back into the woods and start chasing those longbeards. May 1st is opening day in New York State but I'll be in the woods scouting plenty before that. I'm pretty sure that it is safe to say that a good amount of people don't scout for birds as much as they will for deer season, but why is that? I used to be the same way until I realized that birds can be awfully predictable, especially if you know the land you're hunting on.

Starting around the second week of April, I'll get out in the woods right at daylight and listen for some gobbling. Each year is so different. So many times it seems to be just slightly too early to ever hear a bird sounding off. Other years, you would think Turkey season was in full swing. We'll see what kind of response we get this year.

By late in the second week/early third week I'll start to give some yelps back. Walking around some large fields, glassing and walking for most of the morning seems to always work well. I'll never set up on a bird before the season though. All you need to do is get busted by that longbeard and then you just educated him more. We all know those birds are smart enough!

By the last few weeks of April, I'll have a good if not great idea of what is happening in the Turkey woods for this season and by the time May 1st rolls around I'll know where to set up... if only things were that easy...

Preseason Gear:

• 1 Good Set of Binoculars
• 1 Cody Glass Call
• 1 Wood Witch Slate Call
• 4 Woods Wise Strikers
• 1 LL Bean Plenty O' Pockets Vest
• 4 Cups of Bold Coffee
• 1 Favorite Realtree Hunting Cap