Brandon Ellersen's Turkey Hunting Update Bagging the Dominant Gobbler Take on the Ultimate Challenge and Win with these Turkey Hunting Tips Anyone who thinks turkeys are the dumbest birds in the world has never tried to hunt one of these amazingly elusive creatures. Although big, loud and quite colorful, these birds really know how to get out of their own way to avoid landing on a dinner table. The smallest sound can spook them, and send them off. Yet, for those crafty and quiet enough to sneak up on a flock, there are some tips and tricks to help bring home the most prized of all catches - the dominant gobbler. Providing for the ultimate challenge in an already challenging situation, hunting the dominant gobbler will take patience and a lot of it. Before it's even possible to line up the sights or fire an arrow off, you have to figure out which of the strutting toms is "the one." While it might be easier to bag a different tom, getting the dominant gobbler in your sights is the stuff great tales are made of! If a flock has been found, there are some things that can be done to help find the big bird of the bunch. The keys to finding the dominant gobbler involve watching, listening and studying. If patience and extreme stillness come into play as well, he will most assuredly make himself known. Since the "big gobbler" may or may not actually be the biggest of the bunch, there are some other clues to look for. For example: Try to zero in on the long beard that does the most strutting. While all toms tend to strut at least a little, the dominant gobbler will do the most, if not all of the blatantly obvious fancy footwork. This is especially so in the spring when there's a fluttering hen nearby and he's anxious to show off his regal standing. Look at the tail fanning. The leader of the pack will almost always hold his tail fan open fuller. The other toms' fans will likely not be held in quite as an impressive stance. Carefully study how other toms interact with the suspected dominant. If he looks in their direction or stages an attack and the other toms take off out of his way or clear a path, the big guy has most likely been found. Listening is also a very solid way to ensure the big boss has been picked out of the crowd. The dominant gobbler is very often the first bird to gobble in the morning, or he's the one that will cause other toms to stop gobbling when he "speaks." The hens' reaction to his voice will also be much more excited than the sounds they produce when calling back to the others males in a flock. Hunters that are quiet and crafty enough to sneak up on a flock of turkeys before dawn breaks or as nightfall looms will very likely be able to pick the dominant gobbler out of the crowd if they exercise patience. When careful observation goes into play, the king of the toms tends to make himself readily known. Try these turkey hunting tips next time you're in the woods during turkey season!