How to Go Turkey Hunting Without a Weapon

As you may or may not know, I am a freelance writer. I have been lucky enough to find semi-permanent work with an organization that posts informative and instructive articles on various Internet compendiums. I would rather not mention the name of this organization as they can be vindictive.

In any case I take on work and am paid a flat rate based on how many articles they will accept from me. I consider myself lucky to get about 20 accepted a week. The rate at which their editors accept my work for publishing is severely hindering my earning potential as I am quite capable of writing in excess of 40 full length articles each week.

Occasionally they reject an article I write for one arbitrary reason or other. It seems to depend on which of their editors my work is given to. As one can imagine it is infuriating. Essentially the editor is taking money from my pocket because they feel like it. Also the time which I spent writing the article could've been better spent. When I appeal their decision I receive some snotty reply because the power-mad little twerp is enjoying the fact that they are physically thousands of miles distant from me and have the power of deciding whether or not I get paid.

That is why I would be willing to provide funds to any organization which can develop a monitor including a small wormhole device. When this device is engaged, a small portal is created between two computers, allowing me to horrendously beat the little SOB from across the country. I guarantee that Internet flame wars, scams, and general hostility would drop pretty quick with a self regulating system like that. The sense of anonymity that the Internet creates seems to bring out the worst in people, thinking they can act with impunity.

In any case, my train of thought seems to have derailed. What I meant to do was submit the article that was most recently rejected, both to get your opinion on whether you think it's rejection was valid, as well as to try to get some return on my investment of time and effort.

Turkey hunting is a common sport amongst many Americans. They can be hunted for food; wild turkey tastes different than farm raised turkey. They can be hunted for trophies. Traditionally one goes to a likely looking spot in the wilds during hunting season and waits in hiding for a turkey to appear. When the moment is right the hunter will shoot the turkey with a rifle, shotgun, pistol, or bow. There is actually an easier and less violent way to hunt turkey which allows you to claim multiple birds at once without the use of a weapon. In doing this you avoid the possibility of ruining the bird with your gun, making the turkey ineligible to be made into a trophy. Here is a guide on how to hunt a turkey without a weapon. I realize that many people think this is just a myth. But I have several friends who are avid hunters, who have assured me that this is really works. You can find corroboration online if you look hard enough. It's also funny as hell to watch.


Things You’ll Need:
Parched Corn and Bird Seed

Weather Forecast

Camera

Bird Blind and Hunting Grounds

Rain Proof Bad Weather Clothing

Hunting A Turkey
Step 1:
Use the weather forecast to find a day where heavy rainstorms are strongly predicted for the area where you intend to hunt.

Step 2:
Go out the hunting ground the day before the rainstorm is predicted.

Step 3:
Look for open ground a few yards from decent tree cover and within sight of a good hiding spot or animal blind in a nearby tree. You want rain to be able to fall unrestricted on the chosen ground, but for it to be nearby trees which turkeys would normally use as cover. The idea is to lure them out from under cover into the open ground.

Step 4:
Seed this area with a couple of pounds of parched corn kernels and bird seed.

Step 5:
Go home and periodically check the weather forecast. When rain is shown to be over your hunting ground, get dressed in your bad weather gear to stay dry.

Step 6:
Return to the hunting ground and take up position in your hiding spot. Make sure to bring your camera so you have bragging rights for later. Some people won’t believe that this was possible.

Step 7:
Wait for the turkeys to arrive. If its hunting season and you’re in decent hunting grounds then the turkeys will be drawn by the promise of food.

Step 8:
Watch the turkeys eat and take pictures of them periodically. You’ll see them pick up a seed or piece of corn with their beaks and tip their head back to help the dry food slide down their throats. After a turkey does this about half a dozen times it will slump and fall over dead. Once all the turkeys that you want have fallen over simply leave your hiding place and collect the birds. Make sure to get as many pictures as you like to show others. In case you’re wondering what happened, they drowned in the rainwater.

Tips & Warnings
A turkey will not look up when it feels raindrops, that myth is false. There is however a grain of truth behind this myth. A turkey will open its mouth and raise its beak directly upward when trying to swallow dry food particles. So if you lay dry corn and seed in an area where turkeys are likely to find it a day or so before a major rainstorm is predicted for the area, any turkey eating in the rain will have its lungs fill with water and drown shortly afterward. Make sure the camera you bring does not have a flash or make noise when it takes a picture. That way you can record what happens without disturbing the turkeys.

How to Make Turkey Calls

If you're an experienced turkey hunter you've probably bought and used thousand of dollars worth of equipment over the years. Camouflage clothing, feed, guns, ammunition, and lures all add up pretty quickly. It's likely you've already got a turkey call; many hunters have several they like to use because of the slightly different nuances each turkey call creates. Admittedly the average turkey call is not all that expensive, but when you make your own you are in control of the exact tone you want it to make. Different calls can communicate to different turkeys, some call to males, others females, and even to younger or older turkeys. To that end, here is a guide on how to make your own turkey call.

Things You’ll Need:
Rough Sandpaper

Wood Glue

Jigsaw

Precision Router

3/8 Inch Diameter Coil Spring

Drill with Small Bits

1 Inch Long Wood Screw with Fine Thread

Thin Aged Cedar 1/4 Inch Thick

1 Inch Thick Pine Board

Wood File

T-Square

Pencil

Making A Turkey Boxcall
Step 1:
Use your T square to measure out, mark, and cut three wood panels from the aged cedar. Each should be 1-3/4 Inches tall by 6 inches long. A fourth panel should be 1-3/4 inches wide by 8-1/2 inches long.

Step 2:
Measure two parallel lines on one of the three panels running down longwise approximately 1/8 of an inch from the panel's edges. Mark these lines with your pencil. With your precision router and a 1/8 inch diameter bit cut narrow channels on the panel following the marked lines. If possible angle the grooves slightly open outward toward the edges of the panel.

Step 3:
Draw a line 1/4 of an inch longwise on one edge of the two other panels. Then draw an arc from narrow end to narrow end, with the pencil line running to meet the straight line at the tips, but the center of the panel's long edge at its midline. Use the skill saw to cut along these arches, so on each of the two panels you have one long straight side and one curved long side. Sand out any jags along the curved sides, but not so fine as to loss the wood's original grain.

Step 4:
Line the grooves of the first panel with wood glue and fit the other two panels into place so that the straight sides go into the grooves. Set the box aside.

Step 5:
Measure out two square pieces of wood from the pine board, each should be 1 inch tall, 1inch wide, and 1 inch thick. Designate a top and a bottom for each of these cubes. On the bottoms draw a centered square using 3/4 inch lines. Use your wood file to taper the sides of the cubes so that the top is still a 1 inch square, but the bottom meets the pencil lines as a 3/4 inch square. Fit each of these tapering cubes into the ends of the box, they should be held in place by shear pressure and will require no fixing agent if done correctly.

Step 6:
Take the final wood panel and begin to shape one of the flat sides with the wood file. Unfortunately there's no other way to shape the paddle except through careful and exact workmanship, so take your time on this piece. The idea is to curve one flat side so that as it is worked over the top of the box, it will rub against the box's curved sides and produce a sound not unlike a turkey's call. Only work with one of the wood flats, leave the other side unmarked. Leave a line of untouched wood down the middle going longwise, and as you get further to the edges, the wood should become progressively narrower.

Step 7:
Fit the paddle to the box, curved side down. Drill a hole in the top corner through the paddle and into one of the tapered blocks beneath. The hole should be less than an inch deep and no greater in diameter than your screw. Fit the spring between the tapered block and the paddle so the box will create enough resistance to squeak when you use it. Then thread the screw through the paddle, spring, and tapered block and tighten it securely. You're done.

Tips & Warnings
The older the wood you use the better, the wood should be as dry as possible. Broken or damaged antique furniture is actually a good place to start looking for the right wood. Cedar is not the only wood you can use; different woods actually produce different tones when used in a boxcall. The key is to find a tight-grain wood with the rings as close together as possible.
Make sure to wear ear, eye, and hand protection when working with the saws.