Synopses & Reviews
In the Turkey Woods is the result of Jerry Robinsons years spent searching for successful techniques from expert turkey hunters, guides, and turkey-calling champions. He details hunts for the Eastern, Osceola, Rio Grande, and Merriam subspecies in different parts of the country, as well as stalking, hunting from blinds, late-hour hunting, and the effects of weather conditions. He relates essential wild turkey lore from interviews with leading biologists. Emphasized, too, is the correct use of decoys, including discussions of Jakes, motion, and proper placement for hunting safety. He also describes a variety of turkey calls and explains how to use them in different situations. A special conservation chapter tells how to assist turkey populations during the difficult winter months.
Review
"Robinson has hit a grand slam with this one. It's all here: hard-core information on how to hunt successfully, with regional tips from experts across the country; field-tested advice on guns and gear; plus entertaining anecdotes about his many travels through the turkey woods of North America."
--Jay Cassell
"Long-time turkey hunter Jerome Robinson has given us a significant addition to the growing corpus of fine literature on the sport. . . . throughout the book one encounters tidbits of wisdome which no devotee can afford to overlook."
--Jim Casada, editor-at-large, Turkey & Turkey Hunting
Review
"Jerry Robinson's IN THE TURKEY WOODS is a written clinic in the tactics of turkey hunting. There is no substitute for experience. Robinson's vast storehouse of this commodity and the wisdom of the experts he has hunted with add up to a wealth of useful tips. For the turkey hunter who uses decoys, just the chapters on decoy selection and placement are worth the price of the book."
--Bob Saile, author of The Sultan of Spring
"Jerry has been at least one of the best outdoor writers that I've worked with in my years in the industry. He projects himself as a reporter first . . . his articles, and particularly this book, reflect the reporter's bias of who, what, where, when, and how. Not only is this refreshing, but it rings true and is consistent with what he has personally experienced."
--Dave Berkley, founder, FeatherFlex Decoys
Synopsis
A highly resourceful guide for all turkey hunters, novice or pro.
About the Author
JEROME B. ROBINSON was gun-dog editor and feature writer at Sports Afield, and has been a feature writer and wildlife-management columnist at Field & Stream. His articles have appeared in Outdoor Life. Robinson, author of Hunt Close! and Training the Hunting Retriever, lives in Lyme, New Hampshire.
Table of Contents
(vii) Acknowledgments (Introduction) (1) Daybreak in the Turkey Woods (2) Using Turkey Decoys--The Importance of the Jake Decoy--Jakes--Subdominant Gobblers--The Dominant Gobbler--Know Your Birds--Setting Decoys Safely (3) More on Decoys--Do Turkeys Get Decoy-Shy?--The Importance of Decoy Motion--Beware of Strutting Gobbler Decoys (4) The Orange-Headed Safety Decoy (5) How to Talk Turkey (6) Making Your Own Turkey Calls--Where to Get Materials and How to Construct: Slate-Faced Friction Calls--Box Calls--Wingbone Calls--Mouth Diaphragm Calls (7) Hunting the Hushed-Mouth Turkey (8) The Buffer Zone (9) Secret Sounds That Turkeys Hear (10) The Floating Caller (11) Masters of the Cut 'n' Run--Locator Calls (12) Late-Hour Turkey Hunting (13) Patterning Turkey Habits (14) Sit Where You Can See--The Turkey Lounger--Hunting Turkeys from a Blind (15) The Law of Averages (16) "Queer" Turkeys (17) Stalking Wild Turkeys (18) Why We Miss Turkeys (19) The Right Turkey Gun--Customizing Your Turkey Gun--Shot Size (20) Muzzleloaders for Turkeys--Getting Acquainted--Making It Fit--Another Shot--Getting on Target--The Final Test--Another Muzzleloader Turkey Hunt (21) A Horseback Hunt in the Black Hills (22) Canoe Camping for Turkeys (23) How to Hunt Gobblers in the Fall--One Way to Call Fall Gobblers (24) The Effects of Weather (25) How You Can Help Turkeys in Winter (26) Gourmet Wild Turkey (27) One Last Decoy Trick (Index)