How To Hunt Turkey - A Four Tom Season... So Far!
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Mason Valenstein, a social media specialist at Vortex Optics and avid turkey hunter from Wisconsin, shares his four-tom turkey season so far on the Sportsmen's Empire podcast. Despite missing the first two seasons in Wisconsin due to a misfiled application, Mason secured a zone two season four tag and quickly made up for lost time by hunting in Minnesota during the first weekend of April. There, he and a group of six hunters tagged out five turkeys in just one day, capitalizing on a productive pocket of birds and excellent weather. Back in Wisconsin, the season proved more challenging, with birds increasingly henned up and less responsive after roosting. Mason adapted by abandoning long waits and adopting a 'run and gun' strategy, focusing on finding new birds rather than persisting with unresponsive toms. He also shares insights on calling, decoys, and the importance of patience and terrain use. Despite the difficulties, Mason remains optimistic and is chasing a final tag in the closing days of the season. The episode blends personal storytelling with practical turkey hunting advice, highlighting both the highs and frustrations of modern turkey hunting.
Adapt your strategy when birds are henned up—don’t waste time waiting; move on to find a new bird.
Use terrain and movement to your advantage, especially in thickening foliage.
Silence is powerful—when a turkey isn’t responding, going quiet can prompt it to come to you.
A successful hunt often comes from finding a productive pocket, not just luck.
Be ready to pivot: if a bird won’t come in, don’t stay put—go strike another one.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Sponsor: Interstate Batteries
Introductory ad for Interstate Batteries, highlighting their community mission, retail stores, and cell phone repair services.
Introducing Mason Valenstein: Hunter & Vortex Social Media Pro
Mason introduces himself as a Wisconsin native now working at Vortex Optics on the golf content team, balancing his love for hunting and golf. He shares how he landed his job and how both passions now coexist in his daily work.
Minnesota Hunt: A 5-Tom Opening Weekend
“It was pow, pow, pow, pow. I mean, there was probably eight birds in there. Just we were just surrounded, just covered in birds.”
Wisconsin’s Changing Turkey Landscape
“Now like the last couple of years, when I drive home, I'm looking around, I'm barely seeing birds.”
Adapting Strategy: From Roost to Run-and-Gun
“I don't like sitting there for hours waiting for a bird to split off from his hens. If he's not going to do the thing and he's off with his hens, um, I'll go to a different spot.”
“It was pow, pow, pow, pow. I mean, there was probably eight birds in there. Just we were just surrounded, just covered in birds.”
“I don't like sitting there for hours waiting for a bird to split off from his hens. If he's not going to do the thing and he's off with his hens, um, I'll go to a different spot.”
“Now like the last couple of years, when I drive home, I'm looking around, I'm barely seeing birds.”
Host
Guest
Wisconsin
place
Mason Valenstein
person
Vortex Optics
organization
Dan Johnson
person
Minnesota
place
Cole
person
Golf
other
Mac
person
Interstate Batteries
organization
Social Media
other
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