Turkey hunting in North America
March 21st, 2006 by Administrator
Mississippi continues to provide some of the best turkey hunting in North America. That being so, let’s see which venues in the state are likely to emerge as this year’s hotspots.
When turkey seasons go bad, they really go bad. For many turkey hunters last season, finding a set of hen’s teeth was easier than locating a gobbling tom. In many areas of the state, the whole season seemed to be earmarked by two predominant factors — scant turkey observations, and a constantly blowing wind.
For central Mississippi, where I spent most of my own time in the woods, I dubbed the entire season the “Spring of the Gale-Force Winds.” At times, it felt like I was in Kansas or Iowa where those flatland breezes never seem to cease. Of course, on top of that, we had plenty of rains and violent storms, including tornadoes across the state. It was definitely an unusual season.
The irony is that in several isolated spots around the state, other hunters experienced just the reverse. Ronnie Foy, a renowned Magnolia turkey guide, called to provide an example.
“We are hearing so many gobblers we can’t get to them all,” he reported last season. “I’m talking to other guides around the state and for some reason, we seem to be in a pocket of active gobblers in our area.”
All of this just proves that determined turkey hunters have to be creative and flexible with plans to move around to where the gobbling activity is hottest.
In spite of the conditions, hunters still managed to bag roughly 40,000 birds.
TRIALS OF A TOUGH SEASON
The 2005 turkey season was one of the toughest I have ever personally hunted, yet it had a good ending. Since I participate in the annual Mississippi Spring Gobbler Hunting Survey, I keep data on each and every one of my hunts. This survey counts hunting in the morning and again in the afternoon as two hunts. Last season I went on 18 separate hunts, accumulating a total of 62 hours in the woods. I finally connected on a nice gobbler the last weekend of the season, though I had only heard three other gobblers during the season previously.
Participants in the Hunting Survey fill out data cards on each individual “hunt,” compiling information as to the county, private or public lands hunted, the date, starting and ending times, and data on turkeys seen and gobblers heard. Successful hunters report harvest data on the bird taken, such as weight, beard and spur lengths. At the end of the season, these cards are mailed in from all corners of the state and tallied up.
The information turned in is vital in judging the status of the flock all over the state. This data is then presented in the annual Mississippi Wild Turkey Report, known as the Spittin’ & Drummin’ Report. Most of the data is also posted at the wildlife Web page on the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Web site.
This information can be extremely helpful in narrowing down the search for the best areas of the Magnolia State to hunt.
CHECKING THE PREDICTIONS
Last year James Austin, the MDWFP wild turkey program leader, noted that since 2003, the poult hatches had been some of the lowest in many years. He went on to suggest that the impact might not be fully felt until 2005 or even the 2006 season.
“Jakes may be hard to find next season,” he explained. “In 2006, turkey hunters will feel the impacts much more.”
Boy, was he ever right on the mark with his comments regarding jake sightings last year!
Even though I spent 62 hours in the field hunting turkeys in several locations across the state in 2005, I saw just one jake the entire season. That was the most depressing result to come out of my whole season. Other jake reports I received from across the state were likewise less than optimistic. Obviously, if there were very few jakes out there last year, the number of two-year-old toms is going to be way down this time around. (Cont’d)
On the bright side, though, Mississippi’s overall turkey population is fairly stable at around 300,000 birds. The numbers are declining slightly in some areas, but are balanced out by areas that are doing. Spots around the state with good natural turkey habitat and plenty of browse — such as the Delta region and the southwest sector — are still reporting good numbers of turkeys, with lots of gobbling activity.
“I think this coming spring season is going to be pretty slow,” Austin stated. “Harvest was down slightly last year. Those poor hatches back in 2003 and 2004 are going to show up this year. Harvests could be down again.”
So the trick for 2006 is to pre-scout as many potential hunting sites as possible. The game plan is definitely going to be built on the concepts of flexibility and mobility. The odds are good that some of your selected sites are not going to have gobbling action at first light. Being prepared with a plan B — followed with C and D — is going to be your prescription for success. Acquiring access to a mix of public and private lands may also work better in the long haul.
NEW TURKEY REGULATIONS
Last year, the MDWFP commissioners voted to impose a user fee for all public wildlife-management areas in the state. The spring 2006 season is the first time this rule applies for turkey hunters.
All resident hunters aged 16 and older now must have an annual $15 permit, along with their regular license to hunt on state WMAs. All non-resident hunters have to pay $30 a year for this permit. In the case of non-residents, the permit is addition to a $20 spring turkey permit and a non-resident hunting license.
The permit is good for all state lands, except for Calhoun County WMA near Grenada. Because of increased leasing costs on that tract, a $30 permit fee was imposed there.
Even with the new fee, Mississippi hunters can access more than one million acres of hunting for just $15 annually. That remains a pretty good deal.
By John J. Woods