May is a premier month for an outdoors experience. Somewhere between fishing, gardening and spending quality time with family and friends, this month beckons you to walk the wooded edges and waterways. Early morning turkey gobbles signal that the great birds’ Spring ritual continues well into this month . Depending on weather and rising temperatures, dominant gobblers may “strut, drum and spit” beyond the last Day of Virginia’s 2001 Spring gobbler season on Saturday, May 19. Hunting hours for Spring Gobbler season are from one half hour before sunrise until noon. Even after the season closes, this amazing Springtime ritual warrants carrying a video or camera. Some of our more exciting gobbler hunting moments this past season didn’t always include harvesting a bird but captured some great film footage of wild turkeys in their habitat. 

    All in all it has been a good season for us. Along with quality hunting, we have seen plenty of birds and enjoyed some exciting visual experiences. As the season continues through May 19, keep hunting safety, ethics and respect for landowners top priorities. If you see trash in your travels, pick it up and dispose of it properly. Landowners or others using the path you walk will appreciate your efforts. Walks off the beaten path and into thicker cover warrant keeping alert for potential wild turkey nesting sites. May is a time when hen turkeys will either be on the nest with eggs or “educating” newly hatched poults in the way of surviving. Young fawns may be seen near or with their doe mothers, as new generations of whitetail deer enter the region. 

    Experiencing the outdoors can also include some enjoyable work. We recently planted a mixture of (20) Golden Chinkapin, Bald Cypress and Chinese Chestnut trees within a Forest Stewardship Area. The trees were given to us by the Northern Neck Wild Turkey Association. It was a family effort as some of the trees belonged to our daughter Brittany and her “Granddaddy”, Buddy. Planting these trees in open areas among the pines, black cherry, red oaks, maples, blackgum and sweetgums reminded us of how diverse the Chesapeake Bay regions’ forest habitat can be.

     An outdoor family day at Belle Isle State Park in Lancaster County takes place on Saturday, May 5. Sponsored by the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries’(DGIF) Outdoors Program and the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the day long event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Scheduled events include canoeing, kayaking, boat rides, boating safety, saltwater fly fishing, bird watching, decoy carving, horseback riding and many other events. For more information, contact Virginia’s DGIF Outdoors Program at 804-367-6351 or Belle Isle State Park at 804-462-5030.

     Early next month on June 8-9, the fishing fun and competition of the 18th annual Reedville Bluefish Derby takes place. With striped bass season already well underway, angling eyes will be looking for signs of bluefish to add to the tournament excitement. Cash prize categories for both blues and stripers are again part of this popular fund raiser for the Smith Point Sea Rescue. Cost to enter is $150 per boat. There are three daily prizes for the top three stripers and bluefish caught. Additionally, there are five primary cash prizes awarded for both stripers and bluefish. For information on how to enter this years’ Reedville Bluefish Derby, call Jetts Hardware at 804-453-5325.

     Also taking place early in June is the first annual “Talkin’ Turkey” Day, sponsored by the Northern Neck Wild Turkey Association, Virginia’s Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) and Hacks Neck Hunt Club. The event takes place at the hunt club property located at the intersection of Hacks Neck and VirMar Beach Roads near Ophelia in Northumberland County, Virginia. On Saturday June 2, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. youngsters 18 and younger will be able to enjoy several outdoor events which will teach them about wildlife and their related habitat. Pre-registration is required. Call Bruce Wilds at 804-580-8942 for information. 

© 2001 Chelly & Steve Scala. All rights reserved.