Gobblin’ in the great outdoors

A stormy April opener for the Maryland and Virginia spring gobbler seasons have given way to a time of hunting season which can be the best for many turkey hunters. With the hens on nest or getting ready to school their new, young poults in the way of daily survival, gobblers may be looking a little harder for a springtime mate.

    In addition to some hopefully better and more seasonable weather, there is also added hunting opportunity for those calling to gobblers in Virginia. Spring gobbler season is a wonderful time to be in the woods, enjoying the transition of a cold, early spring to the promise of early summer.

    Enjoy this premier hunting season, but do so safely. High tech camouflage is a requirement for successful spring gobbler hunting, which can make stealthy hunters fairly indistinguishable within the surrounding fauna and wood line. Never shoot at a bearded wild turkey unless you have positively identified your target as well as what is in front of, behind and on either side of the bird. There are hundreds of pellets in the preferred, legal shotgun loads popular with turkey hunters.

    Take the time to be sure before you pull the trigger. If you suspect or see another hunter entering your area, do not stand up, move or wave your arms. Call out in a clear voice, letting them know you are nearby and wait for them to acknowledge your presence before making any movement. Harvested gobblers should either be put in a blaze orange bag or have a wide strip of blaze orange cloth tied around them.

    While neither Maryland nor Virginia require hunters to wear blaze orange during the spring gobbler season, both jurisdictions recommend wearing it while moving to and from hunting locations. Another option is to tie a blaze orange strip of cloth to a tree close by to your hunting location. There are other safety tips which will be of benefit to hunters partaking in the remaining spring gobbler time this May, so visit the Maryland and Virginia web sites provided below for additional information.
Maryland’s current 2007 spring gobbler season continues through May 23, with a bag limit of one bearded bird per day and a maximum of two birds per season. Two gobblers can be harvested during the spring season but only if no turkeys were taken during the Maryland fall season, in 2006. Hunting hours are from one half hour before sunrise until noon.

    Biologists with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife and Heritage Service believe that turkey populations throughout most of the state are strong. Still, they advise hunters may need to work harder this spring to call a gobbler into range. The annual wild turkey survey conducted by the DNR resulted in below average poult production during the summers of 2005 and 2006. This translates into a prediction that there are fewer one and two-year old birds then prior to the 2005-06 surveys.

    Offsetting that data are survey results from 2004 indicating what Maryland refers to as “banner reproduction”. That year class of birds now provides higher numbers of three-year-old gobblers toms available for the 2007 spring season. Hunters who harvest a gobbler during the 2007 Maryland spring season must record the harvest on the Big Game Harvest Record portion of their hunting license. The next step is to register the turkey by calling 888-800-0121, or via the internet at www.gamecheck.dnr.state.md.us. Additional information about the 2007 Maryland spring gobbler season can be obtained by visiting the DNR website at, www.dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/hntgp.asp or in the publication entitled, 2006-07 Guide to Hunting & Trapping in Maryland. The DNR can be reached by toll free phone in Maryland at, 877-620-8DNR (8367) or out of state at 410-260-8DNR (8367).

    The 2007 spring gobbler season now underway in Virginia continues though May 19. Until May 5, hunting hours are from one half hour before sunrise until noon. Hunting hours for Virginia’s spring gobbler season from May 7 until May 19 are from one half hour before sunrise until sunset. The daily bag limit is one bearded bird per day with a maximum of three bearded turkeys per license year, if no turkeys were harvested during the Virginia 2006-07 fall season.

    Harvested gobblers must be checked in by either visiting one of the state’s local check stations authorized by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) or by calling 866-GOT-GAME. (468-4263). The additional hunting hours during the last two weeks of the Commonwealth’s spring gobbler season provides some interesting opportunities, especially for those who enjoy a later afternoon-early evening hunt. On warmer days, wild turkeys may congregate in shade areas and limit their movements and activities. In the afternoon as the day begins to cool off they become active and forage more in preparation to going on roost for the coming night. Also, gobblers may be more prone to responding to calls in mid-May if the hens are either on a late nest set or busy with young newly hatched poults and less interested in a boss tom’s attention. Detailed information on the 2007 spring gobbler season in Virginia can be found at the DGIF website www.dgif.virginia.gov , by calling 804-367-1000, or in the booklet entitled, Hunting & Trapping in Virginia July 2006-June 2007 Regulations and Information. For those who plan to split some time between fishing and hunting during the month of May, see this month’s Outdoors Online article (click Here ) about the great striped bass opportunities available in the Chesapeake Bay Region.