Public Land Turkey Talk

Public land isn’t harder because of the birds… it’s harder because of the people.

Weekdays beat weekends.

That’s just reality. Most guys are punching a clock Monday–Friday and stacking up pressure for Saturday morning. Come the weekend, every parking lot’s full, every ridge has someone yelping, and those birds get educated fast. If you can sneak out on a Tuesday or Wednesday, do it. You’ll deal with less competition, and the birds act a whole lot more like they’re supposed to.

Run and gun works.

I’m not the guy sitting on one log all morning hoping something magically happens. Get in early, cover ground, and locate. Owl hoot, crow call—whatever gets one to shock gobble. When one answers and he sounds workable, close the distance and get set up. If he shuts up or hangs up, don’t get stubborn… move.
Too many guys waste a whole hunt sitting on dead ground because they “know he was here yesterday.” He was. He ain’t now.

Calling—keep it real.

I may be a Dave, but I’m no David Hale. But in my opinion, a good pot call you can purr on is worth its weight in gold. Everybody wants to cut and yelp loud, but soft, realistic stuff closes the deal, especially on pressured public birds. If you can sound like a content hen at 40 yards, you’ll kill more turkeys than the guy screaming across the county.

Respect the land like it’s yours.

Yeah it’s public, but that doesn’t mean act like a turd ball. Pick up your trash. Don’t crowd another hunter. If you hear someone working a bird, don’t try to snake it. There’s enough woods for everybody if people use a little common sense.
Act like you own the place.....in a good way.

Gear that actually matters.

You don’t need a pack full of junk. Boots that don’t suck, calls you trust, and a knife (shameless plug) like JACKALOPE that’ll do the job when it counts. Everything else is just extra weight when you’re covering ground.

Most guys overthink public land.
It’s not complicated.....get away from pressure, stay mobile, sound real, and don’t be an idiot out there.

That's the way I see it anyway,

-Dave Pratt
Bonds Creek Knives