Turkey Time

Turkey Time

Outdoors Columnist

It’s still dark as you ease through the woods trying to hear turkey language. Stop and owl hoot. Suddenly a booming gobble shatters the early dawn quiet. You feel the excitement as your heart rate doubles. How far is he? Can you get closer or is it best to sit down by a tree and play invisible? As the night fades and visibility improves you hear him fly down and maybe gobble again. A few soft clucks on your call and he is gobbling, coming closer and closer. There he is! This is the moment all turkey hunters live for. Big Tom comes into range and the sights are on him. One more step and the gun booms leaving a thrashing big bird in the leaves. It’s surprising how fast you can get off the ground and run to the bird. It’s time for whooping and hollering and congratulations. Now some picture taking. Take a bunch. It don’t get no better than this!

The hunt above happens every spring but this year turkey populations in the tri-state are down. The game and fish commissions are saying a reduction of 25% in turkey populations. No one is quite sure why, except it is serious. Arkansas does not open the season until after the first mating phase when the gobblers are easiest to harvest. Is it because of habitat degradation or predation of poults or perhaps disease? High water behind the levee has a negative effect on nesting hens and young birds. It could just be a down cycle and numbers will come back. Nobody knows.

Before you go turkey hunting this weekend, get a AGFC Turkey Hunting Guidebook. Read it! There are always changes from season to season. Arkansas is divided into many zones with different hunting days and different bag limits. Season starts April 16, 2016 and closes on different dates depending on the zone. No jakes except for youth hunters in special zones and only one may be taken. No jakes for adult hunters. Read the book!

Camouflage is a must for turkey hunting and this includes face masks. A hunter must blend in because turks have very sharp eyes. Besides the camo, a call is necessary with a variety of types used. Mouth calls, slate calls, and box calls are the most popular calls. For the beginner the box call is the easiest to master. It’s a good way to start hunting. There are many companies that make varieties of the calls. Every hunter has his preference of call type and the manufacturer.

Shot guns are usually full chocked 12 ga with special turkey loads. They need to be camouflaged. Hunters should pattern their gun and see which load is most effective. Knee boots are a requirement because it is probably damp, turkeys like to roost over water, but most important, the snakes are coming out after a long dormant winter. Finally, do not forget the bug spray. It’s hard to sit still covered up with mosquitos, not counting the ticks.

The fishing is improving and will get better as we go into spring and the weather settles down. Crappie fishing is in full swing and the bream are starting to bite. Keep the pictures and stories coming. Tell me what you want to read about.

Turkey hunters, send me pictures and stories of the hunt. This last weekend was the youth hunt and I know some of you kids got your long beard. Send me pictures along with the story of the hunt. You know how to use a computer. Send them to my e-mail listed below. By the way, Lakeside Taxidermy does a great turkey mount.

Papa Duck Lakeside Taxidermy 870-732-0455 or 901-4823430 jhcriner@hotmail.com

By John Criner