The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Prepare now for next week’s turkey season
Over the hills to the east the first hint of dawn appears as a pink glow on the horizon. The sounds of the woods and fields start to come alive, most notably the sound of gobbles from various hardwoods near the ridge top. From inside the brush line along the edge of a pasture comes the sounds of soft yelps and clucks, made not by a hen but by a hunter completely clad in camouflage. His calls are answered with a thunderous gobble from a few hundred yards away. The rush of adrenalin soon makes the hunter forget the chill of the early morning.
This is the scene that most hunters are hoping for Monday when turkey season opens on May 1. Of course the above scenario is only the beginning and there is a lot of action, excitement and frustration before this situation plays out with success or failure. In our excitement let’s be sure to not forget the basics of safety and turkey hunting strategy.
For safety purposes be sure to never wear anything red, white and blue. These are the colors of a gobbler’s head when it becomes excited. When you are calling find a large tree wider than your back to sit against. Not only does it give you support, but it protects you from possible accidental shots from behind. And it also gives you a little more protection from coyotes or bobcats mistaking you for a turkey and pouncing on you from behind.
As they constantly say, “talk, don’t stalk.” Not only is your best bet calling a turkey
in to you but it keeps you and other hunters from being in harm’s way. You will not stalk or sneak in on a gobbler; you will only spook them away. But most importantly by “stalking” what you hear as turkeys calling you are probably moving in on another hunter calling in a bird.
At the very least you will be unethical and ruin his hunt. More serious is the danger that you are putting yourself and the other hunter in by moving into range of hunters dressed in camouflage and perhaps shooting without identifying the target.
In recent years there has been a trend known as “reaping” where someone holds a large fan of turkey feathers and tries to close the gap by moving towards a gobbler while supposedly hiding behind the fan. Personally, I have always thought this was a gimmick and rather dumb, as well as unsafe, idea. Just recently this was proven to be unsafe when two people in another state were using this technique and they were shot by their third hunting partner!
Be sure of your target and beyond. Turkey hunting should be one of the safest sports since you are calling your quarry into very close range. But every year someone fires at the sound, movement or a decoy target and seriously injures some hunter unseen by the shooter. If you do see another hunter approach your position, call out in a loud voice – “Hunter Here!”
Some basics tips that we often forget in our excitement are to make sure and get to our area in the dark, and possibly travel through cover. Even in the grey light before dawn when you are completely dressed in camo, a turkey perched on a roost high in a hardwood tree can spot the grey shadow moving across the field and his brain registers that as potential danger.
Make sure you get situated, put up a decoy and get seated before you start calling. Too often we call and are surprised by the answer of a gobble nearby before we set up. Especially in the early season when there is lack of foliage a turkey can spot you and your movements if you are too close.
Consider all the things that may cause a tom turkey to “hang up” and not come in to your call. Are there potential obstacles like small streams, stone walls, fences, etc. between you and the route of the bird? Remember that even though the bird could easily clear these obstacles they rarely ever will. After all you are dealing with a creature with a brain the size of a small walnut.
Have alternate spots. Not only might the turkeys move their area, but you might find some other hunter in the area when you get there on opening morning. Be safe and ethical and go somewhere else.
When you get a response to your calls be sure to get in position and get your gun set up on your knee before the turkey gets close. Their fantastic eyesight will pick up the slightest motion so be ready and make any slight movements only when they turn the other way or their vision is blocked by brush, etc.
There is always the question of whether a hunter should keep moving and calling if they do not get an immediate response. Although some veteran hunters are very successful with the “run and gun” technique, most hunters will be better off by staying put, especially if they are sure that turkeys are in the vicinity. Remember that they can hear you at least one quarter mile away and many toms do not gobble much on the roost these days. Even in early season many toms will come back to that area later in the morning when the real hens have left him.
It is also a decision on how much to call or how aggressively to call. Each bird is an individual and responds differently. Lots of veteran hunters are good enough to change calls and excite the tom enough to come to the caller. But the average hunter is probably better off by calling less. Answer the calls the gobbler makes and perhaps change your cadence or even the call you are using. When the gobbler is approaching switch to some soft clucks and purrs and be patient.
There are always lots of little things to get ready but now is the time to start. This weekend check out your gear and start lining up your jackets and vests with the essentials you will need. Doing your homework now and paying attention to little details may pay big dividends later.
Good luck and let us know of any success or unusual experiences.
SHORT CASTS
OLA Meeting May 3: The annual Oneida Lake Association meeting will be Wednesday, May 3. This year the meeting will be in a new location, the Gillette Middle School. Doors open at 6 p.m. and meeting starts at 7. This years featured speaker will be Captain Tim Caza. There will also be a report on fisheries and the state of the lake.
Great Swamp Conservancy Spring Migration Festival: The Great Swamp Conservancy located at 8375 North Main St., Canastota will hold the Spring Migration Festival on May 6 and 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. There will be many attractions including Peaceful Hollow Farm, Wanderer’s Rest, Utica Zoo Mobile, Westy’s Birds of Prey and more organizations. Book author Spider Rybaak will be there along with several wildlife artists. There will be a chicken barbecue on Saturday, music and guided bird walks. For more information see the website greatswampconservancy.org.
Youth Turkey Hunt: The Oneida County Federation of Sportsmen held another successful youth turkey hunt last weekend. The number of participants was lower than other years due to the conflict with spring vacation in area schools. Nevertheless, four of the young hunters bagged tom turkeys, two others had misses, and all had an exciting and informative experience.