Hunting Archery Duck Deer

The state’s turkey hunting season runs from May 3-31, with youth weekend set for April 29-30. There are good flocks of turkeys throughout most of the state this year. Last year, spring hunters in New Hampshire took a total of 3,042 turkeys during the spring season, a 12 percent increase over 2004. Walski predicts an even higher record number for the spring 2006 season.”The turkey hatch during spring 2005 was above average, and the 2005-2006 winter was perhaps the easiest for turkeys and deer in 30 years or more,” said Walski. “So we have a lot of turkeys out there in the field.”A New Hampshire hunting license and $6 turkey permit are required for all hunters 16 years and older. Youth hunters need a turkey permit, but don’t need a license; hunters under age 16 always must be accompanied by a properly licensed adult 18 or older. Hunters can buy their license and permit online at www.nhfishandgame.com or from license agents statewide. In 2005, about 18,000 hunters purchased turkey-hunting permits in New Hampshire.Walski was pleasantly reminded of the amazing restoration success story of wild turkeys in New Hampshire earlier this year when he was in the field monitoring turkeys at a farm in the western part of the state. As he walked up a steep, wooded embankment to a cornfield, he encountered an impressive mass of 150 turkeys - many were gobblers with tails fanned out. The sky darkened as they took off into the air. That farm was less than a quarter-mile from the place where Walski had helped release 25 turkeys in New Hampshire during January 1975.

The original release was part of an effort to restore wild turkeys - birds that had disappeared completely from the state for more than 100 years. That initial flock of 25 turkeys has grown to about 30,000 birds across the state today, a true wildlife restoration success story - funded through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration program - and the reason we can look forward to an exciting spring gobbler season in the Granite State.

For more information on turkey hunting, including regulations for the 2006 hunt and a list of available hunter education classes (first-time hunters who need the required hunter education course should sign up soon if they want to get a license this spring), visit www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Hunting/hunting.htm.

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The Maine spring turkey season is split into two groups depending on your date of birth, and the first season (A) starts on May 1 and ends on May 6. The second season (B) starts May 8 and ends May 13. It is complicated (leave it to Maine to mess it up), so please check the law book.Other season A dates are May 22-27 and May 29 to June 3. Season B dates also include May 15-20 and May 29 to June 3. Only one bearded turkey is allowed per hunter per season.Check the Maine Web site at www.mefishwildlife.com to untangle these laws and regulations.

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All hunters should keep in mind some basic safety tips when turkey hunting:

Never stalk a turkey. Rather than stalking, scout out a good spot, call and wait for the turkeys to come to you.

Be seen! Turkey hunters should always wear a blaze orange hat or vest as they enter and leave the area they are hunting. Tying blaze-orange survey tape around a decoy/calling location can alert other hunters to your presence and won’t scare the birds. Avoid clothes with the colors red, white and blue and black, as these are the colors of the male turkey.

Be alert - remember that other hunters may be using a decoy and calling.

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If you are looking to increase your knowledge of reloading technique for all types of ammunition, come to the Kittery Trading Post on Route 1 in Kittery, Maine. An Introduction to Reloading seminar will be held on May 8 from 6 to 8 p.m., and Intermediate Reloading will be taught on May 22 from 6 to 8 p.m.Ammunition reloading seminars at the Kittery Trading Post are free and open to the public, but will be limited to 40 attendees for the Introduction to Reloading and 15 attendees for the Intermediate Reloading class.More and more shooting sports enthusiasts are reloading their own rifle and pistol cartridges and shotgun shells. Less expensive than buying factory loads, reloading also allows a shooter to develop more accurate loads for specific guns.Introduction to Reloading is designed for people considering or just getting started in reloading their own ammunition. It will cover basic tools and techniques; safety, powders and casings; how to efficiently set up and use a press; and will include plenty of time for questions.

The Intermediate Reloading seminar will be “hands on,” and is designed for people looking to increase their knowledge of reloading technique.

For more information and to reserve a space, please visit www.kitterytradingpost.com, e-mail info@ktp.com, call 1-888-KTP-MAINE or stop by the Kittery Trading Post and sign up in person at the Customer Service Counter.

By Wayne Hooper
sports@seacoastonline.com