A veteran hunter talks wild turkey

Dick Alford, 77, grew up in Brooklyn Center. He graduated from the U, where he played baseball, before moving to Wisconsin to coach and teach. Returning to the Twin Cities in 1969, he coached baseball and was dean of students at Lindbergh Senior High School for 20 years, and also was assistant basketball coach at Hopkins High School.

Alford has written five books about wild turkeys. Three are sold out. Two, including a wild-turkey cookbook and his most recent, "Up Close and Personal" — a how-to guide to turkey hunting — are available. (Purchasing information is at the end of this column.)

In the interview below, Alford discusses strategies and tips Minnesota hunters can employ when the state's gobbler season opens next month.

Q: When did you first hunt turkeys?

A: In 1974, I hunted in South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. I had seen turkeys while deer hunting, asked landowners about them, and came back later to hunt turkeys. The birds weren't very wary back then. I hunted my first time in Minnesota in 1980. I drew a permit and got a tom in a rainstorm.

Q: How many toms have you killed?

A: Almost 300.

Q: Have wild turkeys changed their behaviors in the past 40 years?

A: Here's one example: Pennsylvania has 500,000 turkey hunters. Unlike in Minnesota, their hunts aren't staggered. They all hunt at the same time. The same is true in the fall, when the same hunters go afield. Given this pressure, turkeys in Pennsylvania no longer gobble.

Q: In how many states have you chased turkeys?

A: Seventeen.

Q: Which did you enjoy most?

A: South Dakota. Over the years there, I've hunted on reservations, on private land and on public land.

Q: You've hunted turkeys in Hawaii — was that your farthest destination?

A: No. I've hunted in New Zealand. I was with a group that was the first to hunt turkeys there. There was no limit, but we imposed a three-bird limit on ourselves. Interestingly, on the first day the birds didn't know what was happening. But they learned quickly. Beginning the next day, they were very alert.

Q: How many states do you hunt now?

A: Just three: Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Dakota. But no matter where you hunt, you can't let a turkey know you're there. Calling is important, of course. And surprisingly enough, you need to know ranges, so you can accurately judge distance. In the end, safety should be first and foremost.

Q: When you scout, what do you look for?

A: Turkeys need food, water, shelter, roost trees and some predator protection. Specifically, when I scout, I ask someone familiar with an area 10 questions:

Has there been timber cutting in the area? Fires? Crop rotation? Recent trap and transplant efforts? How much hunting pressure will there be prior to when I hunt? Where did I, or someone, see birds? At what time? What were they doing when I saw them? Where do they go when they leave an area? How many toms and jakes are among the birds seen?

Q: In your turkey hunting books you talk about the four "Ps" of turkey hunting.

A: Yes. Develop a "passion" for the sport. "Plan" the hunt. Have "patience" and "persistence." But most important is location. Find turkeys and hunt where they are.

Q: What's your philosophy on decoys?

A: My approach is "match the hatch." When I see "more" turkeys in the field, I use "more" decoys. The most I've used is 11. As the season progresses, I use fewer and fewer, because hens start to go to nest and they won't be in the big numbers they were earlier.

Q: How about calling?

A: You have to make the right call. Buy a calling tape and practice. Clucks. Purrs. Yelps. Cutting. I use these calls, along with a wing flapper in the morning as birds come off the roost. When you call, and how often, are in part determined by what kind of day it is. One rule of thumb: mimic birds' calls. And when you hear hens calling, cut them off. They might come looking to see who's cutting them off and bring toms with them.

Q: How accurate are hunters at judging the distance to a turkey?

A: I did a study once, and only 6 percent of hunters estimated within a yard the distance of a decoy placed 57 yards away. Eighty-four percent thought it was only 43 yards away. About 10 percent thought it was further. This tells me hunters should pace off 40 yards from their blind so they can better know the distances birds are away.

I've got a "20-40" rule. Which is: Don't shoot at a turkey unless it is at least 20 yards away. Any nearer and your pattern can be pretty small.

Hunters in many situations also should not shoot at a turkey more than 40 yards away. That's less true if you're using a turkey gun vs. a regular shotgun. But it's a good rule of thumb.

Q: Do you use a hunting blind?

A: In recent years I've tried more often to hunt from locations where I can use a blind. A blind hides the sins of a turkey hunter. You can move, drink coffee, whatever. Keep in mind, however, that if you're looking out the window of a blind, the windows behind you have to be closed. Otherwise a turkey can see your movements.

Q: What's your opinion of the DNR expanding turkey hunting opportunities in Minnesota, and changing the season structure?

A: I don't think it will hurt the quality of the hunts — with one exception. The seasons now run continuous, one butting up against another. There are no "closed" days between the seasons. So let's say I have a license for the second season and I go out the day before the season to scout or otherwise prepare. I might bump into someone hunting in the first season. Also, I like to let the birds rest a couple of days and not hunt them every day of the season.

Editor's note: Dick Alford's wild turkey cooking, and hunting, books ($15 each) are available by e-mailing Alford at thealfords@frontier.com. Or phoning 952-472-6040.