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Gene Kroupa

Copycat and cover calling can close the deal on spring gobblers

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Copycat and cover calling will put more toms on the ground than any creative sounds you might conjure up to close the deal. Getting a boss hen hopping hot and heading your way is a prime example. If you’ve ever witnessed two hens trading barbs, you know what I mean.
Your calling job is to pull in the hen so that she is almost in your lap, i.e. close enough so that you can shoot any trailing tom.

Copycat and cover calling can close the deal on spring gobblers Read More »

‘Trifecta’ of tactics helps hone in on poult survival rates for Wisconsin’s wild turkeys

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Wisconsin wildlife biologists now have a new tool to measure turkey production thanks to an innovative study using trail cameras to track nesting hens and their poults.
“Our 2025 results confirmed what a smaller scale pilot program in 2024 signaled as being the likely outcome,” said Chris Pollentier, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) research biologist.

‘Trifecta’ of tactics helps hone in on poult survival rates for Wisconsin’s wild turkeys Read More »

A deer hunting formula that works in Illinois

Featured, Features, Hunting, Illinois /

Lots of farmland firearm bucks are shot accidentally on purpose. In most cases, the hunter plunks down in a favorite ground blind or climbs up into a box stand and waits. Or the misinformed hunter pulls guard duty for drives to drop any attempted escapees.
Some seasons Lady Luck smiles and delivers antlers and venison. Other years the hunter draws the joker and goes home with an unfilled tag. How will your season go? Here is a winning formula to make sure whatever season you hunt there is a rack or meat to show for it: Stop and think.

A deer hunting formula that works in Illinois Read More »

Black walnuts are a squirrel’s kryptonite

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The telltale black stains around its mouth told me that the squirrel I had just shot was hitting the walnuts. Finding the motherlode black walnut tree or stand can provide the lucky hunter with some season-long action. Hungry bushytails will start working on the walnut’s green skin and dark hull as soon as the meat inside is fit to eat.

Black walnuts are a squirrel’s kryptonite Read More »

98 turkeys ‘tagged’ for Phase II of Wisconsin study

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The second stage of a two-year GPS tracking study in Wisconsin designed to gain insights into hen turkey nesting behavior and movements, while also measure poult survival, is off to a strong start.
“With better weather conditions, we were able to trap and tag more birds (early this year),” said Chris Pollentier, a Wisconsin DNR upland research scientist.
A review of last year’s results led the researchers to make only minor tweaks in the methodology and technology employed for this next phase.

98 turkeys ‘tagged’ for Phase II of Wisconsin study Read More »

Turkey hunting from a blind is not all about blind luck; here’s how to up your odds

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Like so many older turkey hunters, my days of wandering the woods trying to strike up a tom are mostly over. As a result, more time is spent patiently sitting in a blind waiting for Lady Luck to smile down on me. But getting a gobbler to come close enough for a killing shot requires more than luck.
There are three things that can help stack the odds in your favor.

Turkey hunting from a blind is not all about blind luck; here’s how to up your odds Read More »

Understand these signs to better gauge when and where to be in the turkey woods

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Hunters might argue that any day and all days are good days for getting outside and turkey hunting. I get that if a person is limited to one tag and seven days of hunting, but I figure there will be a few fabulous days and an equal number of stinky days with the vast majority of our opportunity falling in between.
There are clues to indicate which way the scale of success could tip.

Understand these signs to better gauge when and where to be in the turkey woods Read More »

Two tactics for outsmarting roaming toms after hens are on their nest

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When turkey hens are on the nest, it’s good to know how to take advantage of “Roaming Romeos” in search of love. Some mornings these gobblers will start early in checking their home territory. Other days, savvy toms won’t get moving until mid-morning or even later.

You’ll hear them gobbling as they circle around field edges, move from one end to the other of a woodlot, or trek along fencelines bordering pastures.
Here are a couple tactics I’ve used successfully to bag them.

Two tactics for outsmarting roaming toms after hens are on their nest Read More »

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