SPRING TURKEY UP

Spring turkey season is just around the corner in most of the state. Depending on the area where you hunt, the season may already be underway.

Texas is divided into three spring turkey hunting zones, each with unique season dates designed to coincide with peak breeding activity. This is when gobbler turkeys are high on testosterone high and most receptive to calling.

The idea behind calling is to simulate the sounds of a lovesick hen turkey playing hard to get. If the timing is a right, a dominant gobbler may come shuffling in, often in a haughty display of self-importance accompanied by strutting, dancing, spitting and fits of uncontrollable gobbling. The behavior is meant to impress the ladies and discourage other suitors from infringing on his turf.

Anyone who has lured a vocal gobbler into shotgun range — 40 yards or less — is sure to agree that it is truly one of the greatest performances Mother Nature can deliver.

Season Dates

Spring turkey season dates vary with the hunting zone. Texas has three hunting zones and four different season frameworks.

The season dates and zones are as follows: * South Zone, March 14 - April 26 * North Zone, March 28 - May 10 in the North Zone; East Texas (xx counties), , April 1-30.

* Special One Turkey Bag Limit Counties: Bastrop, Brewster, Caldwell, Colorado, Comal (east of I35), Fayette, Guadalupe (north of I10), Hays (east of I35), Hill (east of I35), Jackson, Jeff Davis, Lavaca, Lee, Matagorda, McLennan (east of I35), Pecos, Terrell, Travis (east of I35), and Wharton.

* East Texas: All or part of 12 counties. Bowie, North of US-82, Cass, Fannin, North of US-82, Grayson, Jasper, Lamar, North of US-82, Marion, Nacogdoches, Newton, Polk, Red River, North of US-82, and Sabine.

There also are Youth Only seasons for Rio Grande turkeys. North Zone, March 21-22; May 16-17; and South Zone, March 7-8; May 2-3.

10 Common Mistakes

One of the cool things about spring gobbler hunting is no two hunts ever turn out the same. Some hunts end so quickly that it may hardly seem like a challenge. Others may turn into an exercise in disappointment that can leave even the most experienced hunters scratching their heads in frustration.

Jason Hardin of Buffalo has been playing the game for years and witnessed the taxing side of turkey hunting more than once. Hardin is the wild turkey program leader for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He says hunters can expect to good numbers of two and threeyear-old gobblers in the field season thanks to good production the last three years.

Hardin says finding success and having an enjoyable hunt in the field hinges heavily not making mistakes that can spoil your chances. I recently reached out to the wildlife biologist and asked him to list 10 common mistakes turkey hunters make. Here they are in random order: * Not knowing the rules and regulations for the area you are hunting: Visit TPWD’s website or the Outdoor Annual App for regulations in the county you plan to hunt. Season dates, bag limits, and legal means and methods of harvest vary by county and zone. Know before you go. And don’t forget, harvest reporting is mandatory. Download the Texas Hunt & Fish App or you can report your harvested bird on the TPWD Website.

* Not scouting: If you have the opportunity, get into the field a few days/weeks before your hunt. Having an idea of where birds are roosting, feeding and the corridors they prefer to travel will save you time during the hunt and help prevent bumping birds.

* Not patterning your shotgun: There are a bunch of different loads on the market. Many will pattern differently from the same shotgun. The loads may not be in perfect alignment with your shotgun. Patterning your gun provides extra confidence you will know where to aim when a gobbler finally comes in. It’s worth your time and effort. Nothing worse than crippling or missing a bird because you didn’t pattern your gun with the loads you are using this season.

* Focus on just hunting opening weekend: Most hunters focus on hunting opening weekend. However, Rio Grande wild turkey live in the semiarid regions of Texas and their breeding behavior is heavily influenced by annual rainfall. During dry winters like we are experiencing this year, hens are not in great condition going into the nesting season. These hens will not focus on nesting until the landscape begins to green-up. Once green-up occurs and hens start to nest, gobblers will more readily come to a hunter’s call.

* Not going where the turkeys are: In Texas, particularly in the Rio Grande turkey woods, the birds prefer to travel and roost along waterways both big and small. From dry creeks lined with taller mesquites and hackberries to river drainages lines with live oaks, pecans, and/ or cottonwoods, these areas offer the best sites to find a wild turkey in Texas. That’s not to say you won’t find them away from waterways, but this is a great place to start. And not getting off the road. I imagine a very large percentage of birds are harvested on or adjacent to roads. Wild turkeys readily use roads to travel, but you are missing out of a lot of country by just walking the roads. Have a little adventure and get off the roads.

* Lacking Patience: It is fun to run and gun wild turkeys. If you have enough area to hunt that is occupied by wild turkeys, you can get away with this. You will bump a few birds but can usually run into a hot one. But many times, if a gobbler gobbles at you, but doesn’t come in immediately, it doesn’t mean he is not interested. He may be henned-up or just waiting for you, to do what hens are supposed to do and go to him. If you stay put, many times the gobbler will note your location with great accuracy and come it later in the morning.

* Call too much: This isn’t always a problem. Some of the worst calling I have heard came from a live hen that would not stop calling. Those hens are usually on the move and headed to a gobbler. You do not have that luxury. You must sit still or risk bumping the gobbler. It is better to tease the gobbler with period calls to let him know you are still there and mildly interested, and to get him to gobble so you know he is still there and interested. If he gobbles at you, put the call away for a while and let him sweat it a little.

* Too long of shots: I see hunters taking shots at 50 yards or more. This is not very accurate for most shotguns. Modern ammo is much more efficient than turkey loads, but you still risk crippling a bird and losing it when taking long shots. Enjoy the hunt and let the bird get close. It just adds to the excitement.

* Not carrying bug repellent: It is spring, and often there are plenty of biting insects or just annoying gnats in your face to make you squirm just enough to let a gobbler see you before you see him. Plus, ticks are in full force this time of year and can carry some nasty diseases.

* Not taking a kid or new hunter: Hunter numbers are dwindling. It is up to us hunters to recruit the next generation of hunters to sustain this culture into the future. Turkey hunting is a great introduction to this hunting culture. It is interactive, can be great exercise, and we are not necessarily stuck in a blind for hour on end. Take a kid or someone new into the brush or woods this spring and make a new hunter or just someone who will have a better understanding of just how fun it can be to be in the outdoors watching birds and other wildlife with the off chance of fried turkey breast or fajitas that evening.

Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by email, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.