Determining a Deer's Age

  Seems like every hunting related Facebook group, or even conversations amongst buddies always seems to drift towards heated discussions over the age of a certain buck. If I had a dollar for every time I had seen someone post a picture of a buck they have on camera with the caption "Age and Score?", hell, I'd be in New Mexico this September chasing elk! Many friends have also asked my thoughts on the age of a buck and I'm by no means an expert, but I'd like to think I have a solid grasp on the concept (at least enough to regurgitate what I've learned).

  First of all, if you're going to begin trying to age deer on-the-hoof, you'll want to know what not to do. Everyone always seems to think that the size of a buck's rack dictates his age, and that couldn't be further from the truth, so get a stack of Post-It Notes and put them over the antlers, we're aging deer, not measuring his rack. That being said, estimating the age of a buck isn't an exact science, nor is it 100% accurate every time, just like anything else, it's a skill, acquired overtime through tons of practice and experience gained by following through. More on that later.

You'll want your buck to be standing broadside to the camera, with his head up. 
You'll want him to be standing still, with his entire body visible 
and the camera parallel to the ground.

  Trail cameras have become an invaluable tool for deer management and scouting, and though its exciting to get that big buck on camera and try to age him, you want to make sure you're able to get an ideal photo before estimating age. What's an ideal photo look like? I'm glad you asked!! You'll want your buck to be standing broadside to the camera, with his head up. You'll want him to be standing still, with his entire body visible and the camera parallel to the ground. You'll also want to start estimating during pre-rut or near the peak of the rut, because that is when he will be the healthiest and all of his testosterone levels will be soaring. I know, cameras parallel to the ground goes against everything in the magazines about getting good trail cam pictures and not alerting the deer, but if you plan on aging deer then bite the bullet and set it at waist level, trust me, Mr. Big won't mind all that much (as long as you have self-control and stay out of the area as much as possible).

  Overtime, see if you can get multiple photos of the same buck, organize them in folders on your computer, and see if every photo coincides with what you estimate his age to be, if so, then you may be on to something.

  Finally, follow through! You can guess age all day, but it won't do you any good or help you get any better if you don't follow through by pulling the jaw and estimating an age that way or by pulling an incisor and sending it off to a lab to get analyzed. It's like taking a test in high school, doesn't do you any good if you don't know what you got right and what you got wrong. We follow through when we throw a punch, we follow through when we shoot our bow, so why not follow through on checking the accuracy of our aging abilities?

  Now, that we got that out of the way, the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) has a wealth of knowledge from all sorts of deer biologists with years and years of experience, so why not utilize it?! Hell, most of what I'm going to touch on you can read for yourself right here.

  So let's ask ourselves, what kind of deer do we want to shoot? Are you wanting to just fill the freezer? Kill a mature stud? Kill a young 'n' tender - I mean yearling? Ultimately, a trophy is in the eye of the hunter. I've shot a button buck and felt just as excited as when I shot a six and a half year old stud, so for me to tell you what to kill is asinine. Kill what makes you happy!

  Most hunters and biologists will agree that a buck is considered mature when he reaches four and a half years of age, however many will argue that the rack will be substantially larger when he hits five and a half, to each his own. A four and a half year old buck will have a fully developed chest, neck, and stomach making his legs appear short, his stomach and back will be sagging and his neck will be swelled up like you wouldn't believe! His waistline will be even with his chest and during the rut, his tarsal glands will have really heavy dark staining. Let's face it, we can easily tell when a buck is mature compared to a young buck, just like with people. An 18 year old kid, for the most part, is going to be lean and lanky compared to a young adult in his early 30s that's hit the gym everyday since he graduated, and that 32 year old man, is going to look way different than an 87 year old man that served in Vietnam. Deer aren't much different, observe their behavior while on stand, you can tell a young buck from an older buck by how they act around does. A young buck is gonna be chasing everything that moves, just like that 18 year old, whereas that mature buck is gonna let the ladies come to him just like that Vietnam vet and 32 year old gym rat. Now obviously, personalities differ from deer to deer, you may have an old mature buck that's chasing every doe in sight like an old man in a nursing home that just discovered Viagra, point is, nothing in this world is definite.

  Now, I can keep writing and go on and on, but I think visuals will work best for learning. 

I always post this photo when people begin to ask about deer age as a quick aid to help out. I realize it's difficult to read so I'm going to type out the key points below.

1.5 Year Old                                             2.5 Year Old

- Looks like a doe with antlers                 - Slightly thicker body than a yearling's

- Thin neck and body proportions            - Legs still look long compared to the body

3.5 Year Old                                            4.5 Year Old

- Looks like a toned athlete                      - Thick body and neck, stomach sags slightly

- Thicker neck and chest                          - Everything is in proportion - Solid antler growth

5.5 Year Old (and older)

- Everything is thick especially the neck

- Skin and belly start to sag

Even though, this is a great guide provided by Sigma Outdoors and Missouri DNR, there is no substitute for experience and practice. 

  Location, location, location! Again, this isn't an exact science, one size fits all method. Every deer is different and each area/region has it's differences. Let's face it, you can't even begin to compare a South Florida four and a half year old to a Saskatchewan four year old, you'd just end up confused and frustrated, which is why following through is so important! Gather your own data about the deer in your area, and use this all as a reference. 

  Below is another poster that was provided by the QDMA. If you'd like to purchase a large, laminated copy to display at your hunting camp, post up in your box blind or to reference out in the field, you can do so here. 

For now, here you are:

I can't begin to tell y'all how grateful I am to have your support, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day to read this little blog. If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to let me know! If you would like to see more of what I'm up to, or just follow along with my endeavors, I'd love to have you! Check out my Instagram page @Johnson.Outdoors or my YouTube Channel here, to see my latest hunts and videos, until next time, good luck out in the field, and God bless!

-Chris Johnson

Challenges Across the Board

   It's been a long time since my last post, but so much has changed and continued to change that it's been making my head spin. Sometimes change is good, other times not so much, but with hard work, dedication, support from friends and family and a whole lot of luck, you can push through and turn them all into a positive experience.

   First of all, the biggest change, Donald Trump is our next president. With all of his children into the outdoors in one way or another, it appears to be a bright future for the outdoor community. Dead Ringer Hunting's long time Pro Staff Director Greg Hopf had stepped down and he will be sorely missed, but in turn, Eddie "The Bird" Roberts has been appointed as the new Pro Staff Director, so the future looks bright for Dead Ringer as well.
   I have also recently picked up a position on the Wind Pro Field Staff as well, and I have to tell y'all, I have never had an attractant that wasn't food based work as well as these products have. I highly recommend for anyone reading to check them out.
   Scent Crusher has flipped the scent control industry on it's head. The new company is quickly growing and shows no signs of slowing, and with the largest Field Staff, it's no wonder why. Their products work!

   I've also been blessed after many trips to the woods, all day sits, and gallons of diesel spent, to have been able to harvest a yearling with my bow this season. What made this so special was that it was my second deer I've ever taken with my bow, the first deer I've ever harvested on public land and first deer ever harvested on film! That's right, a major milestone for me was to take an animal and get a good, clear video of the shot, recovery, and my reaction after the shot. Self-filming makes this nearly impossible as you're sure to always forget something, but I was able to pull it off!! If you would like to see the video, just click here.

   With all this positivity it's hard to imagine anything could go wrong, but as with anything, with all of the good, you must also be ready to take in the bad.

 The morning I shot my yearling, I found my number one hit-list buck dead in the ditch. He had been hit by a car that morning, the blood was still wet on his nose, luckily I was able to claim a salvage tag on him so he can get the respect he deserved. But I figure what hit me the hardest was having someone I care about tell me, "You will never have a normal life, a family, or anything as long as you continue to make hunting a priority." That was a blow I never saw coming, and has taken even longer to recover from. Prayer helps, as does time, but all in all, it takes determination and hard work to push past the negative and find a positive.

  So in closing, I guess the point I'm trying to make is to keep pushing yourself. Keep chasing that dream, that goal that you want to obtain in your lifetime. God has a plan for you and if anything, you have my support. Good luck in all of your endeavors, thanks for reading.

- Chris Johnson

The Big Five (Hunting Story)

  As the days before my scheduled hunting trip passed, the anticipation kept building. We had a small list of "hit-list" bucks and at the top of that list was a mature buck that we called The Forkhorn (aka the Big Five). We all agreed that this buck had a "kill on-site" policy, so much so, it became competitive as to who could get him first. But as season goes, we all went many sits without seeing any sign of him.

  Then the day finally came! The day I had looked forward to all month, November 13, 2014, the day my vacation began and I got to drive the eight hours north to my Georgia hunting lease. I drove straight through and by the time I got there, it was 2:00am, so now I had a decision to make; either unpack and set up camp and get less than two hours of sleep, or sleep in the truck and get about four hours asleep and set up camp the next day after the hunt. So the best idea seemed to get the most sleep I could and deal with camp after my hunt.

  As luck would have it, I woke up on time, but was so tired I was dragging. With sunrise being at 6:30am and fast approaching, I unloaded the four wheeler, unpacked my camo, and got dressed. By the time I got all my gear together, completely dressed out, and got on the four wheeler to leave camp, it was 6:33am! Needless to say I was late! I floored that Honda as fast as I could safely go, and tried my hardest to get to the stand as quickly as possible.

  When I got to the edge of the field, I had a very pressing feeling that there were already deer out on the field. The field was already harvested so it was nothing but dirt, but the feeling was there, so I stepped to the edge of the field and glassed the edge where there were usually deer and like a ghost, there he was the Big Five! I instantly dropped to my knee, grabbed my shooting sticks, and went to find him in the scope of my Browning X-bolt 7mm. As I was looking through the scope, my shooting sticks started to collapse, but I was able to confirm it was, in fact, him. I grabbed my range finder, and  saw that he was over 325 yards out, but I saw he was appearing to scan the field for does, so I grabbed my grunt call and hit it three short times. What happened next was by far the coolest thing I had ever seen! He began sprinting at me full speed, behind him was a big cloud of dust, I had never had a deer run towards me as fast as he did. As he began to close the distance, I grabbed my range finder again, he was at 177 yards, broadside, and had slowed to a trot. He began to bow up, hair raised on his back, head hung low, and ears laid back; it was clear he was not happy about having a second buck in the area.

  I put the crosshairs behind his shoulder, took a deep breath and slowly squeezed the trigger. In the scope I saw him lurch forward and his front leg come up off the ground as he disappeared off the field. Feeling I made a good shot, I walked to where he went in, found blood, dropped my shooting sticks to mark the area, and headed the rest of the way to my tree stand. As I was sitting in the stand, I kept hearing a thump, followed by the shuffling of leaves. I looked over, and once my eyes adjusted, through the brush I could see my buck taking his final kicks. Once I felt he had passed, I jumped down out of the stand and went to retrieve my buck. 

  He had such a huge body that I was very excited to put him up on the scale, I was also very excited to see that he was a partial piebald! He had white hooves with white socks, and a double white patch! Once I got him loaded and back to camp, I then realized where my priorities lie. I had a phenomenal buck on the ground and no place to put him. So after I got the camp all set up and put him on the scale I was surprised to see he weighed in at 220lbs! 

  When I got him back from the taxidermist, I decided that just for laughs, I would score him. Once again this buck shocked me with a gross score of 115 7/8"! To this day, he remains my absolute favorite buck, and every time I look at him up on the wall, I go back to that day, when a short series of grunts, landed me my oldest, and heaviest buck to date.

-Chris Johnson

Adapt and Overcome

  Hey everyone! And thank you for visiting Johnson Outdoors! Today I'm going to talk about adapting to new changes and learning new ways to overcome any obstacles that may be in your way.

  For those readers that are new to my little blog, or for those that didn't already know, I am active duty military (U.S. Coast Guard), but I'm doing everything I can to follow my dream of making a name for myself in the outdoor industry. One of the ways I'm doing that is by, not only writing in this blog, but also trying to film my hunts throughout the country and taking advantage of every opportunity I'm afforded.
  When I transfer to a new unit, I get a small say in where I go; it's called a "dream sheet". With this "dream sheet" I am given a list of billets (jobs) that are open for the position I hold, then you get to list those from the places you want most, to those you want the least. When choosing my billet, I think about not only the unit and what that might be like, but also where it's located and what sort of hunting and fishing opportunities I may be afforded there. These past couple months I've been doing just that, I got transferred from South Florida, where I'm from, to Northern Illinois. Huge change right?

Fishing
  My biggest adjustment came with figuring out what type of freshwater fish were up here and how to target them. Luckily for me, I'm stationed with a friend that's grown up fishing the Great Lakes, so I was able to learn a lot from him. Unlike South Florida fishing, here, its mostly panfish and catfish that get targeted so small hooks and nightcrawlers or leeches get the best results. First time out we ended up with six channel cats, so its safe to say that i think I'll be just fine with fishing up here.

Hunting
  It's a huge difference hunting up here compared to down south, the regulations are vastly different and I'm still getting used to learning how everything is up here. Only way to learn is to get out there and try right? So I've gotten all my licenses, and since Illinois is a primarily bowhunting state, there are a good amount of public land areas that allow bowhunting only, I've looked up the different public land areas around me and what they require to hunt them. I've also applied for a couple firearm permits so should I not be successful with the bow, I can still try with my shotgun which will also be a new experience for me. So stay tuned for any updates on how my season goes up here.

Overcoming Obstacles
  So as anyone trying to get into this industry knows, it takes a ton of blood, sweat, and tears. And over these past few years, I can tell you there are more tears than anything else, but if you're willing to put in the work and not give up, there are plenty of opportunities out there! This past weekend I had a fantastic opportunity to meet some of the biggest names in the hunting industry at Deer Fest. I got to talk with Lee and Tiffany Lakosky, Pat and Nicole Reeve, and Kip Campbell! I've looked up to these people my whole life and getting the chance to meet and talk hunting with them was by far the coolest thing I could have ask for.

  I had been getting a little discouraged, my initial excitement of moving to the land of giants had been dashed by my frustration of trying to figure out the regulations for the area. I hadn't given up on pursuing my dream, but it definitely fell on the back burner for a little while. Talking with Pat, Lee, Tiffany and Kip re-ignited that passion, and since this weekend, I feel as if I have a fire lit under me. Pat had noticed my Scent Crusher hat and we began to talk about how I held a Field-Staff position for them, he asked who all I was on with, and when I said Dead Ringer, he cracked this big grin and said "ohhh we like them too!" It was awesome, I had dreamed of being able to rub elbows with these people and here I had one standing in front of me smiling! I'll never forget what he told me, it almost brings tears of joy to my eyes as I'm writing this. He told me, "You're doing everything right, you've gotten on with some great companies. You know, we've been at this for 30 years, just keep doing what you're doing, and I guarantee you'll make it [in this industry]" I could barely contain my emotions, all the hard work, all the rejection, the advertising that seemed to fall on deaf ears, it all was finally coming together. After I took a picture with the Reeves and thanked them for everything, I  got to meet Kip Campbell. I had always wanted to meet Kip, from watching his show, to the commercials, just everything about him on TV made me think that he was definitely someone I would want to be around, and I'm happy to say that he is the most genuine person I have ever met. We talked about the commercials, the show, and overall about how many people in the industry (and out of the industry) aren't as they seem, I won't name drop. but his experiences kind of opened my eyes to how big some of the egos in the industry are, and it was very nice to see he was not one of those people.

So, what was taken away from this? There are many genuine people in the industry, and even though you always hear that, it's nice to see the truth behind it. I've looked up to these people so much and to see that they truly live up to their name and are genuinely great people. It puts things into perspective that as long as you stay yourself and remain humble, there is a spot for you in this industry. And even though I held these men and women in high regards before, now, I have gained even more respect for them and everything they've accomplished.

-Chris Johnson

A Little Respect Goes a Long Way.

In this post, we will talk about dealing with people. How to deal with anti-hunters
and any other negative people in your life.

Stay Positive
We all have those people that will knock you for trying to follow your dreams, those who will say you won't make it, it's impossible, you have to be rich in order to do that, etc. How often do you hear positive people in your life, those that will tell you you're going to make it, or simply that they're proud of what you're doing? You could probably count them on one hand, yet I'm sure if I asked how many people have told you that you'd never make it, you'd lose count. Unfortunately, you will always encounter negative influences in your life, it's important you don't let them get to you. A negative person is in many ways like a parasite, they will put doubts in your head and if you let them affect you enough, it can change who you are as a person. The only thing to do is smile, and stay positive! Surround yourself with positive people, positive influences, and those that have already achieved what you wanted to accomplish; ask them for help, advice, and gain any knowledge you can from them. We as humans are like sponges, if you surround yourself with greatness, you yourself will become great. Ask yourself, who do you look up to, who do you aspire to be like? For me, it's Cameron Hanes, he remains positive no matter what he faces, and despite getting older, I guarantee he can run circles around just about anyone. The man works hard and is rewarded everyday for what he earns, and for me, that's all I can hope to achieve in this industry. It's not about money or fame, for me, its about teaching others about what I love, it's about being there when someone pulls the trigger on their first animal, and it's about getting to see the results of the hard work I put in each and every season. I try to surround myself with positive, like-minded people in an effort to help us all achieve what we set out to do. From everything I've been told, the outdoor industry is small, and very tight knit, but no matter what, if you have honesty, integrity, a strong work ethic and are able to remain positive, you will be successful.


Dealing with Anti-Hunters
In today's day and age, it seems more and more like anti-hunters and other animal rights activists are consistently attacking us as hunters. They've been caught making death threats, slandering our names,  taking unwanted pictures of our vehicles, threatening our families, and much more. It seems that if you're willing to hunt, in their eyes, you're some sort of animal or serial killer. Recently in Florida, they're up in arms about the Florida Wildlife and Game Commission (FWC) approving a black bear hunt for the first time since it was banned over 30 years ago. The hunt was very well organized for the most part with there being multiple Bear Management Units (BMUs) and a set quota for areas that had a high enough population to support hunting. The hunt brought in well over $300,000 in permit sales alone, greatly helping to further conservation efforts of the species. Yet, in the news and all over social media and other websites, hunters were being attacked. I participated in the hunt myself, and fortunately for me, the protestors at the check station were peaceful, however, they were caught taking pictures of groups of hunters and posting them on their websites labeling us as murderers. We talked with one of them and she was trying to tell us that she only opposed bear hunting, not all hunting in general, and that since we were "deer hunting" she would label us as the  "good hunters". When we asked her, why she was so against the hunt, she began spouting off a bunch of political garble, stating that the hunt was only put on to make politicians rich and whatever other propaganda she had been fed. Then when we told her that the bear hunt was extremely well managed and documented she just reverted back to the propaganda. We then informed her that we hunt to provide our families with meat, whether it came from a bear, deer, duck, or hog, we intended to eat anything we harvested. She seemed almost taken aback, and when the question came up of how getting meat in a grocery store is less humane than hunting, she quickly spouted off more garble then walked away. We all just looked at each other and laughed, she obviously wasn't well educated and was only prepared for the political aspect and not what the actual reality of why we hunt.
  That's the main issue you face when dealing with any sort of anti-hunter, they're uneducated, and whether it's an actual lack of knowledge or just sheer stupidity, you can't reason with those types of people, which is why all the keyboard commandos revert to name calling and death threats. To answer the question of "How do we deal with those types of people?" Simply put, you treat them with respect. Trust me, I know it's hard to do, but when you speak calmly, respectfully, and intelligently, most people will tend to listen. You're not going to change their mind, but you could hope to educate them further on the values that we hold dear. Tell them about the Pittman Robertson Act, tell them the reason you hunt and what drives your passion! Tell them about how you revere the animals you pursue and have the opportunity to harvest. You'd be surprised what that respectful and calm attitude can do. For me, the most I ever ask is for is mutual respect; I respect their lifestyle and their choice to be a vegan or non-hunter, and in return, I expect them to respect my lifestyle to be a hunter and provide meat for my family.

Lessons Learned

  About a month or so back, I took my good buddy, Kyle, out to try to kill his first hog. He was getting married the following weekend and as a "best man to groom" gift, I set up a hunt with Black Tine Outfitters for the two of us to kill a hog, me with my bow and him with his World War II era Remington 1903 30-06.
  As we approached the stand, we spooked one hog, the guide seemed a little rattled having had a close call two weeks before, but we pressed on. We set up in the stand and waited, about an hour into the hunt we kept seeing hogs run along the fence line, but none presented us with a shot. When we had three come in, they all were about 115lb. so we decided to wait it out for a bigger one, shortly after a smaller one weighing about 90lb. came through so we just filmed them. The guide then showed up and told us that we were going to try to spot and stalk on them.
  While we were setting up a game plan, I saw a hog crossing in the swamp, Kyle set up against a cypress tree and fired, the hog dropped instantly. Being Kyle's first kill I began to ask him all about how he was feeling, remembering the feeling I had when I killed my first hog. It was pretty comical, Kyle is six foot four inches and weighs close to 212lb. To watch him shake like a leaf and try to talk after that adrenaline dump is a memory I won't soon forget. Unfortunately for us, everything happened so quickly that we weren't able to get it on camera, but redemption was around the corner.

  We set up that evening in a different spot, now it was my turn. I had Kyle on the camera while I was operating my GoPro and preparing myself to take a shot. Way off in the distance, I spotted two hogs, one large black and white sow, and a red boar. I told myself and Kyle the entire time, I was going to take the black and white one. Once the hogs came in, plans changed, I knew I wanted teeth, but being that we had meat already in the cooler, the sow didn't interest me, however, I began to see the ivory glint coming off the snout of the boar and I knew that would be my target. I told Kyle that I was going to take the red hog, it had presented a near perfect quartering away shot and I was starting to feel the adrenaline kick into overdrive.... I released the arrow, SMACK! As the hog ran off I was able to see the majority of my arrow sticking out of the side I hit him on, and the little green light on the knock didn't lie, I hit shoulder. After searching for blood we determined it was not a fatal shot, and even more so, I lost my arrow. We had seen the hog later in the night, walking with a slight limp and my arrow in his side, then he was gone.

  When you make a bad shot, you instantly become sick, I know I wanted to puke and even in the video you can see the look of worry on my face when I watched the hog run off. I don't know what caused me to rush my shot, worry about the approaching adrenaline dump, the fact I was filming and everything seemed to work out, the pressure from wanting to perform well for Dead Ringer and Florida Camo, the possibilities on "why" are endless, but the lessons learned from that hunt are some that won't be forgotten. After reviewing the footage over and over again, I realized I had missed my mark by an inch. If I had allowed the hog to take another step, and taken my time on the shot, maybe this would be a different story and I'd still have a full quiver. What's important though is you owe it to yourself and to the animal to practice, in all manners and different ways, continuously, practice.


If you'd like to watch the hunt for yourself, you can do so here.

Turkey Season Preparation and other "Off-Season" Options

As we reluctantly say good bye to deer and duck season, it's time to start gearing up and looking forward to turkey season. In this post, we're going to talk about just that; preparing for turkey season, what sort of opportunities may be available, and any alternative options for those that are either unable to put in the time, or just don't turkey hunt.

  For those that don't already know, there are five different subspecies of wild turkey: the Osceola, the Eastern, the Rio Grande, the Merriam, and the Oscillated. Osceola's are the smaller of the bunch and are only located in South Florida, they look very similar to the Eastern which is much more widespread. The Eastern is perhaps the most common of the subspecies ranging all over the United States and even parts of Canada. Merriam's are located throughout the Rocky Mountains and tend to have beautiful white tips on their tail feathers, they are probably one of the more easily recognized subspecies. Rio's , as they're called have perhaps one of the more diverse habitats, ranging from the continental climate in Kansas, all the way down to the subtropical climate of South Texas and Mexico. Finally, the Oscillated, perhaps the most colorful yet definitely the strangest of the subspecies, it has multiple colors ranging from blueish purples, to aquamarine colored greens. The Oscillated turkey can only be found in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and is perhaps one of the more challenging birds to hunt.
  I myself am fairly new to turkey hunting, but I'm going to share as much as I can and hopefully something may stick and help you harvest that bird of a lifetime. First off, unlike deer and hogs, turkeys see in full color, so good concealment is a must, but even more so, their eyesight is nearly unparalleled so it is imperative that you remain motionless if possible. Today, there's been many successful hunter's that throw caution to the wind and crawl across a field behind a fan and end up having big Tom's come running to them. Honestly, I've never tried this but I would love to one day, this season my challenge is to take one with my bow and I think that's enough to hope for in itself.
 Setting up: If you plan to hunt out of a blind, I suggest you get it set out sooner than later and get it brushed in well, otherwise, find yourself a tree to sit against, grab some branches and conceal yourself. you want to put your decoys 15-30 yards away from you and off to the side from where you think the birds will come out, the reason why is to limit the chances of being spotted. I know many older toms get weary so a piece of fishing line tied to a decoy may add that little bit of stimulus needed to bring him in.
 Calling: One of the biggest mistakes hunters make is over-calling. Turkeys have a phenomenal ability to pinpoint the exact location of where the calls are coming from. If you start your yelping and get an instant gobble, settle in and get ready because he is most likely on his way. If you don't know where the birds are, a crow or owl call will work as a "locator call". Hit the call and listen for a gobble, then head towards him. If he's responding, I personally wouldn't hit the crow call more than three times before setting up. Purrs, clucks, cuts, and the classic yelp alone are really all you need to bring in that gobbler, so practice up and get ready for opening day.
 Opportunities: Unfortunately, we don't all have access to private land to hunt on, but luckily, there are plenty of options. Wildlife Management Areas provide many great opportunities, check online or with your local Wildlife office to find out where you can hunt and what your options are. You can also look into hiring an outfitter, without being able to put in the time to scout, this may be your best option, however, make sure you shop around and find out what fits your budget best. Finally, farmland, no matter where you are, I'm sure there's an agricultural field or ranch close by, you can always ask the land owner for permission. When you meet with him/her, make sure you're respectful, polite, and well dressed; even if they say no, leave a card or your contact information, and thank them for their time. You never know, they may change their mind later or give you a call once deer season comes around.

Other Off-Season Options
You can get a head start on your scouting for the next deer season, and potentially set yourself up for greater success by going shed-hunting, it gets you out in the woods and you never know you may find something you missed last season. You can also plant a food plot to provide a source of nutrients for your deer during the summer months when their antler growth is just beginning. Lay out minerals, supplements, and set up a feeder if need be. Companies like Advanced Wildlife Solutions, spend countless hours of research to provide us with products that get results. Who knows, you may see that buck you passed this season, and with proper nutrition and minerals, I guarantee he'll be even better next season.

Thank you for reading, I honestly can't tell y'all how much I appreciate the support. Please feel free to check out my Instagram and let me know what you think, what topic you would like to see next, ect.
Thank you again for your time, good luck this season, and God bless!

-Chris Johnson