Swamp gobblers can defy a lot of the conventional wisdom associated with turkey behavior, but patience and perseverance can result in memorable hunts.
Scout before the season. Know good roost spots, common travel corridors and where it is and isn’t safe to tread.- Many swamp birds like to roost near or over water.
- After roosting is over, they fly down to drier ground.
- Start your hunt on dry ground, and call the birds to you.
- Be patient. Stop calling after a bird has responded.
- Be prepared for rain in many Southeastern states. Lightweight raingear or a camouflaged umbrella can help you stay comfortable. A low “strutter” seat can help you avoid soggy-bottom syndrome.
- Set up at a low spot along the bank where turkeys usually fly across.
- Hunting from a blind helps and greatly decreases the likelihood of bumping birds.
- Use a Thermacell in your blind or wherever you set up. Mosquitoes and gnats can be relentless in a swamp. Bugs in your face tend to make you move, and swamp turkeys are keen to the slightest movements in thick cover.
- Learn to hear their calls through thick vegetation that can distort distances.
- Similar to showing restraint with hen calls, don’t overdo it with locator calls. Swamp birds sometimes won’t to gobble until they fly down.
- Find their favorite roost trees.
- Set up a couple of decoys on the closest dry ground to where the birds usually exit the swamp. Visibility from a distance is the key.