Shotgun -Saturday Mar.28, 2009 to Sunday May 3, 2009
Archery -Saturday Mar. 28, 2009 to Sunday May 17, 2009
Falconry -Saturday Mar.28, 2009 to Sunday May 3, 2009
Youth Hunt - Additional Spring Season for Hunters with Junior Hunting
Licenses. New for fall 2008. The youth hunt is 1 week before the general
turkey season opener. Saturday March 21 - March 22 2009.
Extended season for youth and bowhunters. Monday May 4, 2009 to Sunday May
17, 2009
LICENSE REQUIREMENTS: Hunting License: You must possess a
California hunting license in addition to the Upland Game Stamp. The cost of a hunting
license is:
Annual resident - $38.85. Junior annual resident hunting license - $10.25. Non resident annual hunting license - $134.95. Two-Day Nonresident license, age 16 and over (not valid for big game) - $38.85. Reduced Fee, Disabled Veteran - $6.00. Duplicate Hunting License - $6.30 . Hunter Education Stamp - $3.75.
The California hunting license is good from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009. California resident and nonresident hunting licenses are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
Upland Game Stamp The stamp is $7.90 and is required for all adult license holders who hunt pheasant, turkey, doves, pigeons, snipe, grouse, ptarmigan, quail, partridge or chukar. Junior license holders are NOT required to purchase the Upland Game Bird Stamp, but must have a Harvest Information Survey stamp (free). Under the Game Bird Heritage Program, funds generated from the sale of this stamp have provided a dedicated source of funding for promoting and enhancing upland game hunting opportunities and access to both private and public lands in California. Additionally, Game Bird Heritage provides the funds for the materials and postage for "Wing Beat News". Upland game bird stamps are available from Department license sales offices and license agents throughout the state.
Definition of Resident. A resident is defined as any person who has resided continuously in California for six months immediately before the date of application for a license, tag or permit; persons on active duty with the armed forces of the United States or an auxiliary branch; or Job Corps enrollees.
Disabled Veteran Hunting Licenses. A $5.75 hunting license is available for qualified disabled veterans. To be eligible, applicants must submit: (1) a letter from the Veterans Administration verifying that the applicant has a 70 percent or greater service-connected disability and was honorably discharged from the United States armed forces; and (2) evidence of meeting California hunter education requirements. Applicants renewing this license may submit their disabled veteran hunting license from the previous year as proof of meeting eligibility requirements. The reduced-fee provisions do not apply to hunting tags or species stamps. Disabled Veteran Hunting Licenses are issued only through DFG Offices.
Hunter Education Special Requirement. Hunting licenses shall be issued to hunters only upon presentation of one of the following:
An annual California hunting license from a prior year or evidence of having held such a license; a California hunter education completion or equivalency certificate; a certificate of competence or completion of a California approved hunter education training course from any state or Canadian province; or a current year hunting license from any state, province, European country or South Africa. For further information, contact any DFG office or license agent. A California hunter education validation stamp must be affixed to hunter education certificates from California.
SHOOTING HOURS: The shooting hours for the
spring wild turkey season shall be from one-half hour before sunrise to
4:00 p.m.
BAG LIMIT: 1 bearded turkey per day for 37
consecutive days. A bearded turkey is one having a beard visible
through the breast feathers. Bearded hens are legal to shoot as long as
the beard is visible.
POSSESSION LIMIT: 3 per season. You must also
fill out a "Declaration for Entry" form to comply with Importation law:
Section 2353 of the California Fish & Game Code if you bring any
game into California from another state or country. You can get the
"Declaration for Entry" form here.
WEAPONS ALLOWED: Shotguns 10 gauge or smaller
using shot shells only and incapable of holding more than three shells
in the magazine and chamber combined. If a plug is used to reduce the
capacity of a magazine to fulfill the requirements of this section, the
plug must be of one piece construction incapable of removal without
disassembling the gun; (b) Shotgun shells may not be used or possessed
that contain shot size larger than No. BB, except that shot size larger
than No. 2 may not be used or possessed when taking wild turkey. All
shot shall be loose in the shell.
(c) Muzzle-loading shotguns;
(d) Falconry;
(e) Bow and arrow. For the taking of migratory game
birds, resident small game, furbearers and nongame mammals and birds
any arrow or crossbow bolt may be used except as prohibited by
subsection (d) below. (d) No arrows or crossbow bolt with an explosive
head or with any substance which would tranquilize or poison any animal
may be used. No arrows or crossbow bolt without flu-flu fletching may
be used for the take of pheasants and migratory game birds, except for
provisions of section 507 (a). (e) No arrow or crossbow bolt may be
released from a bow or crossbow upon or across any highway, road or
other way open to vehicular traffic. (f) No bow or crossbow may be used
which will not cast a legal hunting arrow, except flu-flu arrows, a
horizontal distance of 130 yards. (g) Crossbows may not be used to take
game birds and game mammals during archery seasons. (h) Archers may not
possess a firearm while hunting in the field during any archery season,
or while hunting during a general season under the provisions of an
archery only tag. (i) No person may nock or fit the notch in the end of
an arrow to a bowstring or crossbow string in a ready-to-fire position
while in or on any vehicle.
(f) Air rifles firing pellets and powered by compressed
air or gas (0.20 caliber minimum for taking wild turkey).
BAITING: According to the California Fish and
Game Code, resident game birds and mammals may not be taken within 400
yards of any baited area. (a) Definition of Baited Area. As used in
this regulation, “baited area” shall mean any area where shelled,
shucked or unshucked corn, wheat or other grains, salt, or other feed
whatsoever capable of luring, attracting, or enticing such birds or
mammals is directly or indirectly placed, exposed, deposited,
distributed, or scattered, and such area shall remain a baited area for
ten days following complete removal of all such corn, wheat or other
grains, salt, or other feed.
ELECTRONIC CALLING: Electronic or
mechanically-operated calling or sound-reproducing devices are
prohibited when attempting to take resident game birds.
LIVE DECOYS: The use of live decoys is
prohibited when attempting to take resident game birds.
SHOOTING FROM VEHICLES: DFG reg. 252. No person
shall pursue, drive, herd, or take any bird or mammal from any type of
motor-driven air or land vehicles, motorboat, airboat, sailboat, or
snowmobile, except: 1) When the motor of such motorboat, airboat, or
sailboat has been shut off and/or the sails furled and its progress
therefrom has ceased, and it is drifting, beached, moored, resting at
anchor, or is being propelled by paddle, oar or pole. (2)if they have a
Mobility Disabled Persons Motor Vehicle License.
RADIO USE WHILE HUNTING: It is legal to use and posses
two way radios while hunting in California.
DOGS: You can use dogs to hunt turkeys in
California.
TRESPASS: If the land you hunt on is not your
own, it belongs to someone else. Make sure you have a legal right to be
there. Contact the owner or person who administers the property, and
secure written permission to hunt. A hunting license does not entitle
you to enter private property.“It is unlawful to enter any lands under
cultivation or enclosed by a
fence, belonging to, or occupied by, another, or to enter any
uncultivated or unenclosed lands, including lands temporarily inundated
by waters flowing outside the established banks of a river, stream,
slough, or other waterway, where signs forbidding trespass are
displayed at intervals not less than three to the mile along all
exterior boundaries and at all roads and trails entering such lands,
for the purpose of discharging any firearm or taking or destroying any
mammal or bird, including any waterfowl, on such lands without having
first obtained written permission from the owner of such lands, or his
agent, or the person in lawful possession thereof. Such signs may be of
any size and wording, other than the wording required for signs under
Section 2017, which will fairly advise persons about to enter the land
that the use to such land is so restricted.” Section 2016, Fish and
Game Code.
Click the link below to get a trespass permission slip you can print.
SAFETY: It is always unlawful to: Place on, or
carry or possess a loaded rifle or shotgun in a vehicle or conveyance
or its attachments on any public road or other way open to the public:
Hunt while intoxicated; Shoot at any game bird from a powerboat,
sailboat, motor vehicle, or aircraft while under power or still moving
from use of sail or motor. (See Section 251) Shoot any firearm from or
upon a public road or highway.
DISCHARGING FIREARMS OR OTHER DEADLY WEAPONS
SAFETY ZONE: It is unlawful for any person, other than the owner,
person in possession of the premises, or a person having the express
permission of the owner or person in possession of the premises, to
hunt or to discharge while hunting, any firearm or other deadly weapon
within 150 yards of any occupied dwelling house, residence, or other
building or any barn or other outbuilding used in connection therewith.
The 150-yard area is a “safety zone.”
2008 CALIFORNIA FALL TURKEY HUNT SEASON: is
November 8 2008 to November 23, 2008. New for fall 2008. There is now
a turkey season in San Diego.
DAILY BAG LIMIT: The daily bag limit is 1
turkey, either sex.
POSSESSION LIMITS: the possession limit is 1
turkey, either sex per season. You must also fill out a "Declaration
for Entry" form to comply with Importation law: Section 2353 of the
California Fish & Game Code if you bring any game into California
from another state or country. You can get the "Declaration for Entry"
form here.
SHOOTING HOURS: are from 1/2 hour before sunrise
to sunset.
LICENSE REQUIREMENTS: Hunting License: You must possess a
California hunting license in addition to the Upland Game Stamp. The cost of a hunting
license is:
Annual resident - $38.85. Junior annual resident hunting license - $10.25. Non resident annual hunting license - $134.95. Two-Day Nonresident license, age 16 and over (not valid for big game) - $38.85. Reduced Fee, Disabled Veteran - $6.00. Duplicate Hunting License - $6.30 . Hunter Education Stamp - $3.75.
The California hunting license is good from July 1,
2008 through June 30, 2009. California resident and nonresident hunting
licenses are nonrefundable and nontransferable.
Upland Game Stamp The stamp is $7.95 and is
required for all adult license holders who hunt pheasant, turkey,
doves, pigeons, snipe, grouse, ptarmigan, quail, partridge or chukar.
Junior license holders are NOT required to purchase the Upland Game
Bird Stamp, but must have a Harvest Information Survey stamp (free).
Under the Game Bird Heritage Program, funds generated from the sale of
this stamp have provided a dedicated source of funding for promoting
and enhancing upland game hunting opportunities and access to both
private and public lands in California. Additionally, Game Bird
Heritage provides the funds for the materials and postage for "Wing
Beat News". Upland game bird stamps are available from Department
license sales offices and license agents throughout the state.
Definition of Resident. A resident is defined as
any person who has resided continuously in California for six months
immediately before the date of application for a license, tag or
permit; persons on active duty with the armed forces of the United
States or an auxiliary branch; or Job Corps enrollees.
Disabled Veteran Hunting Licenses. A $5.75
hunting license is available for qualified disabled veterans. To be
eligible, applicants must submit: (1) a letter from the Veterans
Administration verifying that the applicant has a 70 percent or greater
service-connected disability and was honorably discharged from the
United States armed forces; and (2) evidence of meeting California
hunter education requirements. Applicants renewing this license may
submit their disabled veteran hunting license from the previous year as
proof of meeting eligibility requirements. The reduced-fee provisions
do not apply to hunting tags or species stamps. Disabled Veteran
Hunting Licenses are issued only through DFG Offices.
Hunter Education Special Requirement. Hunting
licenses shall be issued to hunters only upon presentation of one of
the following:
An annual California hunting license from a prior year
or evidence of having held such a license; a California hunter
education completion or equivalency certificate; a certificate of
competence or completion of a California approved hunter education
training course from any state or Canadian province; or a current year
hunting license from any state, province, European country or South
Africa. For further information, contact any DFG office or license
agent. A California hunter education validation stamp must be affixed
to hunter education certificates from California.
WEAPONS ALLOWED: Shotguns 10 gauge or smaller
using shot shells only and incapable of holding more than three shells
in the magazine and chamber combined. If a plug is used to reduce the
capacity of a magazine to fulfill the requirements of this section, the
plug must be of one piece construction incapable of removal without
disassembling the gun; (b) Shotgun shells may not be used or possessed
that contain shot size larger than No. BB, except that shot size larger
than No. 2 may not be used or possessed when taking wild turkey. All
shot shall be loose in the shell.
(c) Muzzle-loading shotguns;
(d) Falconry;
(e) Bow and arrow. For the taking of migratory game
birds, resident small game, furbearers and nongame mammals and birds
any arrow or crossbow bolt may be used except as prohibited by
subsection (d) below. (d) No arrows or crossbow bolt with an explosive
head or with any substance which would tranquilize or poison any animal
may be used. No arrows or crossbow bolt without flu-flu fletching may
be used for the take of pheasants and migratory game birds, except for
provisions of section 507 (a). (e) No arrow or crossbow bolt may be
released from a bow or crossbow upon or across any highway, road or
other way open to vehicular traffic. (f) No bow or crossbow may be used
which will not cast a legal hunting arrow, except flu-flu arrows, a
horizontal distance of 130 yards. (g) Crossbows may not be used to take
game birds and game mammals during archery seasons. (h) Archers may not
possess a firearm while hunting in the field during any archery season,
or while hunting during a general season under the provisions of an
archery only tag. (i) No person may nock or fit the notch in the end of
an arrow to a bowstring or crossbow string in a ready-to-fire position
while in or on any vehicle.
(f) Air rifles firing pellets and powered by compressed
air or gas (0.20 caliber minimum for taking wild turkey).
BAITING: According to the California Fish and
Game Code, resident game birds and mammals may not be taken within 400
yards of any baited area. (a) Definition of Baited Area. As used in
this regulation, “baited area” shall mean any area where shelled,
shucked or unshucked corn, wheat or other grains, salt, or other feed
whatsoever capable of luring, attracting, or enticing such birds or
mammals is directly or indirectly placed, exposed, deposited,
distributed, or scattered, and such area shall remain a baited area for
ten days following complete removal of all such corn, wheat or other
grains, salt, or other feed.
ELECTRONIC CALLING: Electronic or
mechanically-operated calling or sound-reproducing devices are
prohibited when attempting to take resident game birds.
LIVE DECOYS: The use of live decoys is
prohibited when attempting to take resident game birds
SHOOTING FROM VEHICLES: DFG reg. 252. No person
shall pursue, drive, herd, or take any bird or mammal from any type of
motor-driven air or land vehicles, motorboat, airboat, sailboat, or
snowmobile, except: 1) When the motor of such motorboat, airboat, or
sailboat has been shut off and/or the sails furled and its progress
therefrom has ceased, and it is drifting, beached, moored, resting at
anchor, or is being propelled by paddle, oar or pole. (2)if they have a
Mobility Disabled Persons Motor Vehicle License.
RADIO USE WHILE HUNTING: It is legal to use and posses two way radios while hunting in California.
DOGS: You can use dogs to hunt turkeys in
California.
The Inland Empire NWTF chapter is working on a turkey calling contest for California to be held in March 2010 in southern California. Please email us if you would like to be a contestant or a judge. Venders and sponsors are also encouraged to email us for info on how to attend the event.
Youth Turkey Hunt Give away for a guided hunt at My Country Club. You have to be a junior hunter and a member of the forum to enter the give away but it's worth it for a chance at this hunt. An adult can enter a junior for this hunt also. Enter the give away on the forum here.
The winner of the 2009 JHO Spring Turkey Hunt Give Away was member goes211. This hunt will be held at Bryson Hesperia Resort March 28-29 2009. We will be filming this hunt also. Huge thanks to DeeDee and crew at Bryson Hesperia Resort for offering this hunt to our members.
2008 JHO Youth Spring Turkey Hunt My Country Club at Lake Henshaw.
Tejon Ranch Junior Only Turkey Hunt. Kern
County. Info at Ph# (559)
243-4005 ext. 132 or 133.
Hunters must be junior hunters to apply or participate
as a guest in this special hunt. This is a guided hunt. Tejon Ranch is
located south of Bakersfield in the Tehachapi Mountains. The Department
released the Merriam’s subspecies of wild turkey on the Tejon Ranch in
1989. They have adapted well to the habitat, and large flocks now
populate the ranch. Tejon Ranch also provides surplus birds for
stocking on public lands to provide for increased hunting
opportunities.
The modern turkey is not native to the Golden State,
but does have ties back to prehistoric times. The extinct California
Turkey (Meliagris californica) is the second most common species of
bird found in the asphalt deposits of Rancho La Brea. Remains of more
than 700 individuals have been recovered, including the remains of very
young birds. The California Turkeys probably nested locally and may
have provided a source of food for many of the carnivorous animals
inhabiting Rancho La Brea. However, they went extinct during the last
ice age, following climatic changes that resulted in dramatic changes
in their habitats. The vast deserts that formed to the east in Nevada
and Arizona probably prevented the reestablishment of the modern wild
turkey in California.
Turkeys were initially introduced to California in
1877, when about 40 birds imported from Mexico were released onto Santa
Cruz Island. From then through the early part of the 20th century
several attempts were made to establish wild turkeys in California, but
none of these were deemed a success. In 1928, the Department of Fish
and Game began releasing game farm stock and continued this program
through 1951. Several hundred releases were attempted in 23 counties
statewide, but this program was only successful in establishing
marginal wild populations, primarily along the central coast.
The majority of the game farm era releases were
unsuccessful largely because game farm birds had not learned the skills
they needed to survive and successfully reproduce in the wild. In 1959,
the Department began an experiment with 59 wild trapped Rio Grande
turkeys from Texas. These birds were immediately successful in
establishing wild populations, and the Department adopted a program
using wild-trapped turkeys to expand populations statewide. In 1970, an
estimated 5,000 wild turkeys could be found in California, and today
about 100,000 turkeys roost in 57 of California's 58 counties. Only
urban San Francisco County is void entirely of wild turkeys.
The first hunting season in California was in 1968,
with a one-day fall hunt in San Luis Obispo County. By 1978, seasons
had opened statewide, and approximately 7,600 hunters bagged 2,800
turkeys. In the 1990s, wild turkey hunting became more popular than
ever, with about 20,000 hunters bagging about 16,000 turkeys
annually. Spring is the more popular season with 16,000 hunters in
1997, 28 percent higher than in 1996. Fall hunting is almost as
popular, and has remained steady this decade with about 10,000
hunters per year.
Through expeditious wildlife management conducted by
state and federal wildlife agencies and by the National Wild Turkey
Federation, populations were restored in 43 states, and quickly
expanded to 2 million turkeys in the country by 1980.
The geographical location and the type of habitat being used by the
wild turkey is an important clue in determining the subspecies. In
California, the Rio Grande turkeys are found in blue oak and gray pine
covered foothills, primarily in the valley-foothill hardwood and
valley-riparian habitats. They range from sea level in the Central
Valley to above 1,600 ft. in the northern Sacramento Valley, and 2,400
ft. to 3,300 ft. in San Diego County. Merriam's turkeys, first
established in Alpine County, inhabit high, forested and rugged
mountain areas. They are seldom found below the 3,500 ft. elevation.
California hybrids are found in the Coast Range from 660 ft. to 6,600
ft. elevation, and in the Sierra Nevada from 2,600 ft. to 5,200 ft.
elevation.
They use open stands of oak interspersed with grassy openings. The
eastern subspecies has a broad geographical range. They traditionally
occupy deciduous hardwood forests, and have been planted in San Diego,
Mendocino, Alpine, Glenn, and Trinity counties. Wild turkeys are now
present in 57 of 58 counties, with the highest numbers occurring in
Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Mendocino, Nevada, San Luis Obispo,
Shasta, Tehama, and Yuba counties. Many populations range on private
land, but populations can be found on property owned or controlled by
California Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Forest Service, timber
companies, the Bureau of Land Management, and public utilities such as
Pacific Gas and Electric.
Although turkeys have certain patterns of behavior,
turkey hunting is challenging because wild turkeys are extremely wary
and are not totally predictable. Your success will depend on your
selection of an area with good turkey numbers, your abilities to use
your equipment, your willingness to adapt your hunting techniques to
changing situations, your persistence, and a little bit of luck. Mr.
Murphy plays a small role too sometimes.
SCOUTING
The first step in turkey hunting is to scout the
woods before the season opens. You can start the scouting at home with topo maps and by using the phone to query state
biologists on what areas to key in on. If you would like info on aerial
photos, computer topo map programs and how to download free topo maps
off the Internet I have this on my webpage here:
aerial photos or topo maps. Turkeys favor
certain areas and will
use them year after year if the habitat does not change. A good time to
scout in the spring is a week or two before the season, especially if
the weather has turned warm which can trigger winter flock break-up and
calling by gobblers. Your objective in scouting should be to identify
those areas that turkeys frequent. These areas include roosting sites,
feeding sites, dusting and strutting areas. Look for turkeys and turkey
sign such as tracks, feathers, scratchings, dustings, and droppings.
Look for dusting areas with tracks in them or roost trees with
droppings and feathers under them. In dry areas, search around water
sources for turkey tracks.
If you spend enough time scouting, you will become very
familiar with the area and you may be able to determine regular
movement patterns of the flock. The best times to look or listen for
turkeys include the early morning hours from one-half hour before
sunrise until mid-morning, and late in the evening as the turkeys go to
roost. Resist the urge to call turkeys while scouting, you'll just
educate the birds to your calls. You can shock call to get toms to
gobble, but if you yelp up a tom, he'll remember the danger and
probably not come to your call again.
Turkey tracks that have a middle
toe longer than 4 inches were made by an adult gobbler. Droppings of a
Tom are usually long and J shaped, hen droppings are shorter. But,
droppings from either can be soft without any definite shape. If leaves
are turned over and the ground is moist, birds are using the area.
Leaves will be piled directly behind a scratching turkey in a V shape,
indicating the direction of travel. Look for turned over cow pies too,
as the turkeys love to eat the beetles that congregate underneath the
cow pies. Roost droppings look like someone shook a paintbrush of white
paint out on the leaves. Dusting areas will have small bowls, or
indentations, in the dust where the turkeys squat down to dust
themselves. You may find some feathers in a dusting area because the
birds like to preen themselves while dusting.
Although gobblers may roost or strut in different
areas, you will learn the locations they use most often. If you do not
hear gobblers calling, try a crow call, owl call, shock call or
predator call in early morning or just before dark. Gobblers will often
respond, giving away their location. This is an effective way to locate
roosting sites for spring turkey hunting. While scouting, pay close
attention to large trees that you may want to sit next to while
hunting. Use this time to roughly measure distances for shooting zones.
Also note the location of fences, ravines, dense brush or streams that
may keep a gobbler from coming to your call during the season. If
possible visit the area you will hunt a day or two prior to hunting.
This will familiarize you with the land, and you can determine whether
turkeys are still using the areas where you saw them earlier.
PLANNING
For fall or spring turkey hunting trips, use the
information gathered during scouting trips to plan your hunting
strategy before entering the field. Having a well-planned trip can mean
the difference between an enjoyable and successful hunt or a disaster.
A good safety precaution is to leave your hunting plan, including your
location and estimated time of return, with someone at home. You can
use a cellphone to call in your GPS coordinates if you have this toys
available. If you have put a gobbler to roost the night before, you
will know exactly where to set up in the morning.
CALLING TURKEYS
Researchers have identified at least 28 distinct calls
in the wild turkey vocabulary. The most effective way to get within
shotgun distance of a spring gobbler is to call him by reproducing the
sounds a hen makes. These hen sounds can be made with your voice or
with some type of turkey calling device. Commercially available turkeys
calls fall into two broad categories: friction calls, which produce
sound by rubbing two surfaces together; and mouth calls, through which
air is inhaled or exhaled.
One other type of call, a shaker, produces gobbles when
you shake it in a rapid motion. The easiest calls to master are the
friction calls (for example, box, peg and slate, peg and glass, or push
button). The major disadvantage is that you cannot hold a shotgun and
work them at the same time. This is important because you may spook
your wild bird when you put the call down and raise the shotgun. A
second disadvantage is that most calls do not always work well if they
get wet. Placing the friction calls in a loose plastic bag will allow
you to operate them during wet conditions. Diaphragm mouth calls are
popular among hunters. They are the most versatile calls but require
much practice. They are unaffected by wet weather, allow the hunter to
use both hands freely, and can be used without making any discernible
movement.
Two other types of calls, the turpin call and the tube
call, produce realistic calls, but require hand movement to operate.
Shaker calls are the only ones specifically designed to produce
realistic-sounding gobbles. No practice is necessary; the sound is the
same each time you shake them. They produce only the gobble sound and
are not usually considered a requirement for successful turkey hunting.
The type of call used is less important than how well the hunter
masters calling techniques. The best ways to learn turkey calling are
to listen to live turkeys, an instructional tape, and/or an experienced
turkey hunter. Turkeys have more than two dozen different calls, but
the hunter will rarely notice more than about 10. There are 10 basic
sounds the hunter should be able to recognize. Listed below are these
sounds and how to use them.
Tree yelp. This is the first turkey sound
heard in the morning. It is a slow, soft, nasal sound, consisting of
three or four yelps made only at daybreak from the roost. It is made
when turkeys are just becoming visible in trees It is a greeting call
to make sure that all is well after a dark night of not seeing or
hearing one another. This call can only be heard on still mornings in a
roosting area. Tree yelps should be the first call made by a turkey
hunter who has set up near a roosted turkey. This is where scouting
really pays off. Click here to
hear a tree yelp.
Plain yelp. The plain yelp is the one
sound most people associate with turkeys. Turkeys use this sound to
communicate with distant birds. The yelp is made by all turkeys in the
fall, winter and spring. A yelp from a gobbler is lower pitched, more
coarse, and less musical than from a hen. Click here to hear a tom yelp. The
plain yelp is best used routinely throughout the morning while hunting.
Plain yelps are usually done in a series of two to five in a row and
always have a very even rhythm. Plain yelps will evoke a response from
a spring gobbler and call him in if he is of a mind to come. It is the
standard call when working a spring gobbler. Some hunters use it
successfully with an occasional cluck. Click here to hear a hen yelp.
Cluck. The cluck has several meanings.
The sound is a short, soft, single-syllable, non-musical tone. It is
used to gain another turkey's attention. If used too loudly it will
alarm turkeys. It can be used in the following manner: "cluck (pause
briefly), cluck, cluck (pause), cluck (pause), cluck (pause), cluck,
cluck." Its major use is to evoke an answering cluck from any nearby
turkey. It works well because turkeys are curious about any other
turkey sound. Some successful hunters use an occasional cluck with the
plain yelp in this manner: "cluck (pause), yelp, yelp (pause), cluck,
cluck (pause), yelp, yelp, yelp." Click here to hear a cluck.
Purr. There are 2 purrs used by hen and
tom turkeys. The first purr is a soft fluttering call used by turkeys
when communicating to each other, usually when they are content and
relaxed. The second purr call is the fighting purr used when turkeys
are posturing for a fight or agitated at something. Hunters often use
purrs with clucks when gobblers are in close but not quite close
enough. Click here to hear some purring.
Putt. This is a short, sharp, loud cluck.
It sounds very similar to the cluck, only the cluck is softer and less
distinct. It will not call in turkeys, but you should know the call
when you hear it, because it is the worst sound a calling hunter can
make. It is the alarm call of the turkey, and generally will be the
last call you hear before a turkey departs.
Cackle. A cackle is an excited call of a
hen and is often emitted when flying down from a roost. It is usually a
series of 12 or more yelps which rise abruptly in pitch and cadence and
then gradually decline in pitch and cadence. The fly-down cackle of the
hen has been called the true mating call. Often the yelps are very
short and staccato. Turkeys will also cackle when they fly over open
water, fields or when jumping down off a deadfall or rock ledge.
Another cackle is the assemble cackle made in the fall when the hen
calls in the young poults. It's just a slowed-down version of the
regular cackle. Click here to hear a fly
down cackle.
Cut. A cut is a short, staccato yelp and
is usually emitted by the hen in a series varying in length and
cadence. It is often used by an aggravated hen as she defends her
nesting territory from other hens, but it will often excite a gobbler.
Sometimes used by lost or lonely hens who are searching for other
turkeys. They are usually loud and aggressive and about 15 seconds in
duration. Click here to hear some
cutting.
Kee Kee Run. This is a call made by a lost
young turkey trying to reassemble with its fall flock. It is a
high-pitched "kee kee, kee" followed by a short, raspy yelp or two. Click here to hear a kee kee run call.
Hen Assembly. This call is made by an
adult hen to gather her flock. It is a long series of yelps rising in
volume and pitch and then declining. The series may be as long as 15-20
yelps.
Lost Call. The lost call is used by an
adult of either sex who is looking for company. It will be a series of
plaintive yelps and you'd better be ready, because they might just run
in on you.
Gobble. The gobble has limited use and
affects turkeys in two ways: hens hear a potential mate and gobblers
hear a potential rival. Gobblers may investigate other gobbling in
their vicinity and may fight uninvited gobblers. The gobble call will
sometimes help you locate a gobbler but may not bring him into shotgun
range. Extreme caution should be used when using a gobble call as it
may attract other hunters into your calling territory, and you may find
yourself being hunted by another turkey hunter. For that reason gobbles
are not recommended while hunting but can be effective to locate
roosting birds in the evening. Click
here to hear a tom gobble.
Whine. The whine is a soft, high-pitched,
drawn-out call of the hen, usually used in combination with putts and
clucks. Click here to hear the whine
call,
Spittin' and Drumming.This call is done by
toms to attract hens for mating. The call is 2 notes, the first is the
spittin' sound, "pffffft", followed by the vroom sound. Some hunters
say the vroom sounds like an idling car muffler.
Beginners should keep several points in mind. It is better to call
too softly than too loudly, to call too rarely than too frequently, and
to perfect one or two calls rather than attempt some sound not yet
mastered. Timing, or rhythm, can be more important than the actual
quality of sound. Finally, remember that no two turkeys sound alike and
what works on one gobbler might send the next one in another direction.
If a gobbler will not respond to your call, change or vary your current
calling technique.
A wild turkey's eyesight is estimated to be about 10 times better
than a human's. In addition, turkeys can distinguish color to some
degree and are quick to spot unnatural colors in their environment. For
this reason, turkey hunters should avoid clothing that will draw
attention to them. The best camouflage clothing is both protective and
comfortable. Many hunters make the mistake of camouflaging everything
except their face and hands. This is a serious mistake because the face
and hands reflect light, and they are the body parts a hunter is most
likely to move. Face masks, gloves and camouflage make-up are most
frequently used to camouflage the face and hands.
Face masks can obscure vision, cause glasses to fog, and lead to
overheating. Facial greases tend to run if you get hot. Some new models
of face masks have provisions for fitting around the frames of glasses,
and are less likely to cause glasses to fog. Every hunter is different,
and like most equipment, trial and error is the only means of
determining the best combination. Gun camouflage is also important
because the gun barrel reflects light. Camouflage tape and camouflage
spray paint work well to mask the gun's shiny appearance. There are
camouflage paints available for guns that can be removed after the
turkey season is over.
FIREARMS AND PATTERNING
Shotguns. There is considerable difference of opinion on
shotgun ammunition for turkey hunting. But there is no argument that
the wild turkey is hard to bring down, and hunters have a
responsibility to use loads powerful enough for quick and humane kills.
Most experienced turkey hunters agree that the best turkey loads are 12
gauge 2 3/4 inch, 3 inch or 3 1/2 inch magnums of No. 4, 5 or 6 shot.
The 12 gauge 3 1/2 inch and 10 gauge 3 1/2 magnums are increasing in
popularity, because they can provide a few extra yards of range. But
with these bigger magnums you get more recoil. You can add a Pachmayr "Decelerator"
recoil pad to tame the nasty kick. The Remington
870 SPS-T™ Super Magnum and Mossberg
835 Ulti-Mag 12 gauge pump shotguns are favorites among many turkey
hunters. The Remington 870 comes with a 23" barrel, camo, 2 beads,
swivel studs and 2 turkey chokes. The Mossberg comes with a 24"
backbored barrel, the receivers drilled and tapped for scope mounts,
camo finish, 1 turkey choke, ambidextrous safety and have the fiber
optic sights already installed.
Chokes and getting better patterns. Because of the small
target, dense patterns which deliver most of the shot into the head and
neck region are preferred. For this reason, full-choke barrels are used
in most turkey guns. Also, installing a longer forcing cone and having
your shotgun barrel "backbored" will help in tighter patterns. A fine
gunsmith to have this gunsmithing work done is Gun
Docc. There is also a good explanation of what "backboring" and
longer forcing cones are on Gun Docc's webpage too.
Beads, scopes, and sights. A scope, open, fiber optic sight
or front and rear beads are additions to your shotgun which might
improve your aim. I've been using a Leupold 1 X 4 scope on my Rem 870
12 ga. for about 7 years now. Works great! It's really helped me look
for a beard since they plant stockers out here in California and you
can't shoot them the first year, they have to have a beard and F &
G trims them off when they release them. And yes, I manage to call in
at least one no shoot tom every year *L*. Some guys say they have
trouble looking for the turkey's head, but if you keep both eyes open
you still see everything. I've even shot geese with the scope on. The
scope also helps judging distance with the heavy duplex reticule. The
only drawback is when it rains, it can be a pain to keep the lens
clear. Click here for
more info and pics on mounting a scope to a shotgun.
Another plus is when the birds are in brush, you can pick out the
longbeard and know when he's about to step out instead of having to
make the decision as he runs across the opening. I carry the allen
wrench to take the scope and mount off just in case and can go to 2
beads in a pinch. Never had a problem with Leupold scopes through the
years, but ya never know. I leave it on 1 or 2 power and have had no
problems with sun flaring it. I use the anti-glare honeycomb lens
filters from Butler Creek and have never spooked a bird with scope
flash,,,,,, yet. *L* It's kinda spendy to dish out $225.00 for a scope
like this, but I use it on yotes and bobcats too.
A scope is also helpful in that it keeps your head down on the shot.
A lot of turkey hunters miss because they lift their heads too soon to
see the turkey. Other hunters like the "Tasco
Red Dot" scopes which uses a red dot for
the crosshairs. You can adjust the intensity of the red dot, but 1
drawback is these scopes run off a battery which can go dead at the
worst moment. Another scope that is popular is the Simmons "Pro
Diamond" which has a range diamond so you know when the turkey is in
range. I use the B-Square scope mount on my 870, which straddles the
shotgun receiver but can be rough on your hands while you carry it. I
recommend using the Remington vent rib mount to mount your scope, which
attaches to the vent rib with set screws and does not protrude around
the receiver.
Tru_Glo
makes fiber optic sights you can mount on
your vent rib shotgun. Simple snap-on or magnetic installation, no
screws required. These are some pretty slick sights, one of the best
for low light shooting.
Target patterning. A new turkey hunter, or an old turkey
hunter with a new shotgun, should spend some preseason time patterning
his/her gun with various size shot to pick the best load for the gun.
There are two important factors related to the way your shotgun shoots.
What is the effective killing range of your gun and how many pellets
will strike the vital neck and head region at various ranges. You
should test your gun with both standard and magnum loads. Some shotguns
shoot better patterns with standard loads than they do with magnums.
Turkey shells usually come in 10 to box, so it can get expensive to buy
a bunch to pattern. You can get 2 or 3 of your buddies to help out and
buy a bunch of different shells since you will only need 3 or 4 to find
your best results.
A person can make their own targets or purchase life-sized turkey
targets. Place these targets at 20, 30 and 40 yards and shoot each size
shell at each target. The objective to check your aiming point first
and secondly to check your pattern on the target. You should do all
your shooting from a sitting position as if you were turkey hunting.
This will give you practice in judging actual turkey size at the
various range and improve your aiming skills that will guarantee a
quick, clean kill. One last tip that has cost many hunters a turkey is
to practice shooting from both sides. Turkeys are not the most
cooperative birds, and if the bird walks in on your off shoulder, it's
almost impossible to swing all the way around to shoot them without
spooking the bird. It will feel very awkward at first, but with
practice you can become proficient enough to take what may be your only
shot of the year.
SPRING HUNTING TECHNIQUES
One successful technique that can greatly improve a turkey hunter's
chance of locating a bird is "putting a gobbler to bed." During the
early evening on the day before you are going to hunt, position
yourself on a ridge or at the mouth of a canyon. Take out a crow call,
owl call, gobbler box, or a predator call and give a call. If a gobbler
answers, try to pinpoint his location, noting prominent features where
the gobble seemed to come from. If time allows, move to another
location and repeat this procedure. Get up early the following morning,
well before sunrise, and sneak to within 100-150 yards of the gobbler's
roost tree at about the same elevation. You should be in place at least
one hour before sunrise. If you were unable to locate a roosted gobbler
the night before, try again early the morning of your hunt. Listen for
a gobbler when it gets light enough for song birds to begin singing,
which is well before sunrise. If there are no gobblers calling try to
shock one into gobbling with a loud owl hoot or crow call.
It is not advisable to use turkey sounds until you are concealed and
ready. If you do not hear a gobbler, you should move to another area,
watching for strutting gobblers, listening for gobbles, and trying
shock calls to locate a gobbler. Do not sit all morning at one spot
unless you are confident that gobblers frequent the area. Determining
the exact location of a gobbler can be difficult. The distance the
gobble can be heard and direction from which the sound seems to come
are influenced by topography, wind direction and velocity, the
direction in which the gobbler is facing, and the extent to which the
new green foliage is out. Heavy foliage can act as a sound barrier. In
most of the blue oak/grasslands and black oak/conifer habitats, turkeys
roost in oaks below the ridge lines and out of the prevailing winds. If
you hear a turkey gobbling from a roost site, remember that it is
easier to call a gobbler up a hill than down one. In addition, if you
try calling from too far away he might not respond, especially if he
has a hen nearby. After locating a roosting bird, try to get within
100-150 yards in a suitable location to begin calling. Choose a calling
site very carefully, as this will probably be the most important
decision of the day's hunt.
Try to pick a spot that a turkey will most likely go, such as west
of the roost where the gobbler can approach the site with the sun at
his back. Keep in mind that gobblers like to show off to their hens, so
a clearing that catches rays of the rising sun is a good bet for early
morning calling. Also, make it easy for the gobbler to get to your
calling location. Do not expect him to wade through thick brush or
cross a fence or creek. Choose a site such as a large tree or rock
where you have good visibility in all directions. It is critical to set
up so that you are able to see the gobbler, identify your target, and
have a clear shot. Start calling softly after legal shooting hours
begin. A good first call is the "tree-yelp." This tells the gobbler
that a hen is roosting nearby. When the gobbler hears it, he will often
gobble back. When this happens, stop calling and get in position.
Generally, within the next 10-15 minutes, you will either see or hear
him.
You may be able to hear him fly down, and his gobbles usually sound
farther away once he is on the ground. If he is within sight do not
call or he might see you. If you give him time, chances are he will
work right up to you. If you have positioned yourself up against a big
tree or rock, wait until he is well within 40 yards before you shoot.
If after about 10 minutes the gobbler does not answer your "tree-yelp,"
try a series of plain yelps and clucks. It may be that the gobbler you
"put to bed" last night has already assembled with a group of hens. In
this case, listen for gobbles and yelps. Remember that if a gobbler is
already with some hens he may not gobble much and may not be interested
in your calls. Aggressive calling to the hens can sometimes bring both
the hens and the gobbler to you. If the birds are far away, move as
quickly and quietly as possible to a place where the bird can be
called. Once in place try clucking and purring. Sometimes the gobbler
will come right away, other times he will wait, expecting the hen to
come to him. If he does not come after 5 minutes and you know he is
still in the area, try a few soft yelps, clucks and/or purrs. If your
gobbler is still in the area but has not come to your call, try other
calls such as a "cut" or "cackle" or any type of call that excites him
to try to bring him into range.
Sometimes aggressive calling will work, other times soft, infrequent
calling works better. Experiment with your own techniques. Many hunters
use a decoy to entice a gobbler into gun range and draw his attention
away from them. Hunters who use decoys will experience a variety of
results. Some gobblers will fight with or try to mount decoys. Others
will strut for hours around a fake hen. Yet, other turkeys will run in
the other direction or hesitate when they first spot a decoy. If you
can tell that a gobbler is moving away, one option is to try to get to
where he is headed. If the gobbler is moving back and forth along a
ridge or a fence, you may be able to move to a site along his track
while he is at the farthest point from you. But, if you move too often,
sooner or later you will find that the gobbler is where you just moved
from. It often pays to stay in one location for at least 45 minutes to
an hour. When a gobbler does come toward you, have your gun ready
before he comes into view. You may want to rest your elbows on your
knees while holding your gun.
You can lift your gun when a turkey walks behind a large tree, but
watch for other turkeys with the gobbler that may see you move. Once a
gobbler is in an open area in front of you, movement of your gun will
send him flying or running, leaving you without a shot. Wait to see if
the gobbler turns away while strutting, causing his tail to block his
view of you. This is the time to move. Do not shoot while a gobbler is
in full strut. A good opportunity is when he gobbles and his head and
neck are held up away from his body If you are ready to shoot, a cluck
on a mouth call will often bring the gobbler out of a strut. Shoot
immediately when the gobbler's head is raised. When using a shotgun, as
opposed to a bow, the head and neck are the only killing shots you have
on a turkey, so make sure you have a clear shot at them before you
squeeze the trigger. When you shoot a turkey, immediately move toward
the downed bird.
Many times a turkey will only be stunned and will regain his senses
and try to escape. By moving toward the bird you can cut the distance
for a second shot if needed, or physically subdue the bird. Placing a
knee on top of the bird and breaking its neck is a good technique. Use
caution if you grab for the legs, because the spurs of the gobbler have
injured many hunters. If your hunt does not go as expected, you are not
alone. That is the challenge of turkey hunting. Keep trying.
Persistent, patient hunters are the most successful. Turkey hunting is
one of the finest woodland sports. The attraction is not based
primarily on harvesting a wild turkey, but rather on the manner in
which it is taken. Whether you carry a gun, a bow or a camera, few
types of hunting in California require as much knowledge of animal
behavior as locating a gobbler and then successfully calling him, to
you. For those who have experienced it, the spring turkey hunt is often
their favorite.
FALL HUNTING TECHNIQUES
There has been a fall wild turkey hunting season in California since
1968. The fall turkey hunt is for either sex, and hunting techniques
are quite different from a spring gobbler hunt. One of the more
successful techniques is to locate and break up a fall brood flock, and
position yourself where they were and call them back. Locating a brood
flock often requires a great deal of time. However, local hunters and
Department of Fish and Game personnel can assist hunters with
information on flock locations. Large brood flocks, which are made up
of hens and their young of the year, leave sign similar to that of
spring turkeys, but on a larger scale. Look for tracks, droppings and
the telltale feeding areas with oak leaves scratched in lines. Fall
brood flocks are quite vocal, so listen for turkey talk as you scout
for the flock. Once a flock is located, a good break-up of the flock is
mandatory for a successful hunt with this technique. Many hunters rush
the flock, shouting and waving their arms to startle the flock into
scattering. Remember, do not run with a loaded gun in your hands. In
many turkey ranges in California, the rocky terrain makes it dangerous
to run at the flocks.
A well-trained dog can be used to break up the flock, but must be
hidden in a blind during the hunt or removed from the hunt area. After
you have broken up the flock, locate a calling site near the point of
the break up. Wait about one-half hour or until you hear birds calling
before you start to call them. The most frequently used call in the
fall is the "kee kee run" or lost bird call. It is a high pitched "kee
kee kee" in a series, usually followed by a yelp or two. Young birds
will "kee kee" frantically and try to locate each other a short time
after you have broken up the flock. By responding to this sound you can
get them to approach within shooting range. Another call to try if the
"kee kee run" is unsuccessful is a hen assembly call. This is the call
of an adult hen gathering her flock. It is a long series of yelps
raising slightly in volume and pitch and then declining in volume and
pitch.
Hens will often use a series of 15 to 20 yelps for a gathering call.
This will often lure a young bird within shooting range. A technique
for locating fall flocks is to locate a roost by listening for soft
yelps and birds flying into trees the evening before your hunt. If you
can locate a roost, this flock can usually be scattered at day break.
It is also possible to scatter roosting birds after shooting hours the
night before in the same way you would during the day. This will
separate the flock during the night, and reassembly will take place the
next morning. Hunters have also had success calling gobblers and hens
by locating their flock and reproducing the calls they are making.
Young birds usually will return within an hour while an old gobbler may
take 3 to 4 hours. Hens and their young tend to vocalize a lot as they
return. Old gobblers tend to return silently. Often a gobbler flock
will approach a coarse gobbler yelp to investigate the intruder.
Another technique worth trying if you are working adults without young
is to reproduce their call exactly and add more aggressive calls after
each series. Successful fall gobbler hunting is difficult and requires
a great deal of patience and knowledge.
Surprisingly, most hunters involved in hunting
accidents have many years of hunting experience. When interviewed, they
cannot believe that it happened to them. It can happen to you. By being
sure of your target and using the defensive measures outlined below,
you can help ensure that you have a safe, quality hunt. All California
hunters who have not held a California hunting license in a prior year
must successfully pass a hunter safety course before purchasing a
hunting license. Some prior license holders have taken the course as a
refresher, often with their children. Turkey hunting safety depends on
most of the principles taught in these courses, but there are many
unique aspects of turkey hunting safety that all turkey hunters should
also be aware of.
The National Rifle Association offers a turkey hunter
safety education course and publishes the hunter's educational series
which includes a book on wild turkey hunting. Contact the NRA for more
information. Most hunting accidents can be prevented. Accidents happen
when people disregard firearms safety fundamentals. Prevention involves
knowing and obeying basic safety rules. If the three basic rules for
handling firearms are followed most firearm-related tragedies could be
prevented.
1. Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.
Always check to make sure the gun is empty; never take anyone's word
that the gun is unloaded. Check for yourself, open the action, look,
then leave it open. "I didn't know it was loaded" is no excuse.
2. Always point the muzzle in a safe direction.
Experienced hunters always handle a gun safely. They never let the
muzzle point at anybody, including themselves. They also insist that
everyone follow the same rules.
3. Be sure of your target and beyond. Responsible
hunters are certain of the target before firing. They never shoot at a
sound. They never shoot at a patch of color. They never shoot at
anything except what they are hunting, and only after they have made a
positive identification. They will pass up a great trophy gobbler
rather than make a mistake and cause an accident.
You must always be alert when handling firearms and
while hunting. However, there are certain times when you must show
extra caution:
1) When carrying a firearm in rough terrain or
obstacles. Be sure of your footing and always keep your firearm pointed
in a safe direction.
2) When you are tired after a day's hunt.
Reserve enough energy to complete a safe hunt.
3) When you first spot or think you have spotted
a turkey. Do not rush into a careless shot.
4) When hunting companions forget or ignore the
safety rules. Immediately bring it to their attention.
5) When carrying a turkey out of the field, use a
field pack, a hunter-orange mesh bag or a hunter-orange ribbon to mark
the bird. Do not carry the bird over your shoulder.
CAMOUFLAGE SAFETY
Hunter camouflage is an important part of hunting the wild turkey,
but it may present a problem. The better you are camouflaged and
concealed, the less likely another hunter will be able to see you. The
proper way to notify an approaching hunter is to calmly and clearly
speak to him. DO NOT move or wave. DO NOT use a turkey call to alert
the hunter. If the other hunter does not respond to your first call,
repeat louder to announce that you are near. Not everyone has good
hearing, it is paramount in this situation to remain still until
recognized by the approaching hunter To dress for success and safety
follow these tips from the National Wild Turkey Federation:
Never wear clothing that contains the colors red, white, or blue because they can be mistaken for colors found on wild turkeys.
Be sure that the accessories you carry that are red, white, or blue (e.g. diaphragm calls, box calls, box call chalk, candy wrappers, apples, etc.,) are not visible to other hunters.
Camouflage your gun. If not, at least cover up white diamonds or other red or white markings.
Always keep your hands and head camouflaged when calling.
Wear dark-colored socks and pants that are long enough to keep your bare skin from being exposed.
Do not "over-camouflage" by sitting in vegetation so thick that it obscures your vision.
If you use a man-made blind of camouflage netting, maintain a clear field of view.
Other safety measures you may wish to consider include:
placing a blaze orange band around the tree you sit next to
placing a blaze orange sign "Camouflage Hunter in Area-Be Careful" in your vehicle window
wearing some blaze orange while moving from one spot to another
showing blaze orange on your decoy and decoy bag while transporting.
CALLING SITE LOCATION
Calling site selection is very important for both turkey hunting
success and safety. You cannot shoot a turkey you cannot see. Moreover,
gobblers do not like dense, brushy areas where they cannot see
potential trouble from natural predators. Use calling sites where you
can see for 75-100 yards. Do not sit near the edge of a hill that you
cannot see over; you may be surprised by a hunter. Sit against a tree,
stump or rock wider than your shoulders. Turkey hunting involves making
turkey sounds with various devices. Some require movement on the part
of the hunter When shaking a gobbler tube call it may resemble the
motion of a gobbling turkey, and in combination with the gobble sound
may be misinterpreted by an overanxious turkey hunter. By choosing a
large tree, stump or rock, slight movements will be shielded from view
of hunters coming from behind who you may not detect.
DECOY-RELATED SAFETY
Decoys can be effective for bringing turkeys in close and taking
their attention away from you, but caution should be used to avoid
dangerous situations. Hunters may stalk your calls, see your decoy, and
shoot at the decoy. If you are in line with the decoy you could be in
danger. Follow these defensive hunting tips from the National Wild
Turkey Federation:
1. A decoy should never be visible while being
transported. Never carry an uncovered (identifiable) decoy.
2. Whenever possible, set up by a tree that is
greater in diameter than the width of your shoulders.
3. From your seated position, identify the
clearest line of vision in front of you. Establish a "sight line" that
allows you 100 yards visibility, Then set your decoy approximately 20
yards from your position on the line.
4. Should you see another hunter, call out to
them in a loud clear voice. Their presence has already compromised your
location and an unintelligible response from you may only confuse them,
rather than alerting them to your presence.
5. If you are calling over decoys and then elect
to move to a new location, check carefully to ensure that no one is
stalking your decoys. Check before leaving your calling site location.
Should you see someone in the area, rule 4 applies. You may also
consider using one of the decoys that incorporate some blaze orange
color into the wing and tail feathers.
CONTROLLING YOUR REACTIONS
Always be aware that the mind can sometimes cause a person to "see"
what that person wants to see. Hunters may sometimes "see" wildlife
where there is none. This ability of the hunter's mind to "create" a
wild animal can be attributed partly to the strong desire to locate and
bag game. The moment of high excitement is triggered as soon as a buck,
bear, turkey or other game is seen, and it is in that moment of
greatest excitement accidents can and do occur Peer pressure and
overconfidence has been shown to play a part in your mental attitude,
so reconsider each "opportunity" for a brief second and make sure of
your target. Restrain your reflexes so you do not shoot without
thinking. Here are some basic rules:
1 - Never shoot at sounds or movements. Assume
every sound you hear and movement you see is another human being until
proven otherwise.
2. Never shoot at a patch of color. Positively
identify your target as a legal turkey first.
3. Always positively identify any target before
raising your gun, be certain it is legal game.
4. Double check before you shoot. Consider
placing a National Wild Turkey Federation "Hunt Safely" sticker on your
gun's receiver to remind you to make absolutely sure.
Field dressing your bird allows the body to cool down
as fast as possible. However, if you wish to document the weight, you
should have your turkey weighed on a certified scale before you dress
it. In any situation, it is important that you cool down the bird as
fast as possible. Careless handling of wild game can result in
spoilage. Turkeys that are not going to be mounted should be field
dressed like any other upland game bird. This is done by cutting just
above the vent to the brisket and removing the entrails. The heart,
liver and gizzard should be separated from the entrails. Cut open the
gizzard and remove the inner lining while it is warm. If you want to
save these three organs, they should be placed in a ziplock plastic bag
and cooled immediately.
You can clean turkeys much like you do ducks, geese,
grouse and pheasants. The advantage to plucking is that you leave the
skin on which keeps the bird from drying out while being cooked.
Plucking turkeys in the field after field dressing is easier when the
carcass is warm, and all wing and tail feathers can be removed by hand.
When the carcass is cold, dipping the bird in scalding water helps
feather removal. Skinning a turkey is cleaner and faster, but the meat
may dry out when cooked. To keep the turkey from drying, cook it in
foil or in a baking bag. Covering the bird's breast with strips of
bacon during cooking will also reduce drying.
Video on how to breast out a turkey.
THE FEATHER DISTRIBUTION
PROJECT
The Feather Distribution Project provides wild turkey
feathers to the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico and Arizona for use in
religious ceremonies. The Pueblos have used these feathers for over
1,000 years. I do not buy or sell feathers; all are given free as a
gift to the Pueblos. However, I am happy to reimburse postage costs.
The Project began in 1982 in response to requests from Pueblo men for
feathers. To date we have distributed more than 2,500,000 wild turkey
feathers free-of-charge to the Pueblos. Most have been donated by NWTF
members, including more than a dozen on the Bowsite.
Please send feathers to: Dr. Jonathan E. Reyman Illinois State Museum -
Research & Collections Center 1011 East Ash Street Springfield, IL
62703-3535. We prefer plucked feathers. If you send whole tails, wings,
or caped, please make sure that they are dried thoroughly before
shipping. I suggest removing as much meat as possible and then drying
them using borax for at least 30-45 days. Otherwise they tend to
decompose and are wasted.
7/20/99 - I just thought I say thanks to those of you
who sent feathers, wings, tails, beards, etc. We have received more
than 400,000 feathers and have distributed most of them. We have about
50,000 still awaiting delivery. This is a vast increase over the
2,000-3,000 we distributed in 1982, our first year. One hunter sent 2
dozen fans accumulated over a decade or so; others sent as many as a
dozen, and we also received more than 50 pairs of wings. The Pueblo
Indians are delighted to have them and wish you all a successful fall
hunt. The Feather Distribution Project is nearing the 5,000,000 mark in
feathers distributed in 18 years of operation. You've made it possible.
Thanks again, and good hunting. Dr. Jonathan E. Reyman
Any turkey is a magnificent bird and is considered to be a trophy
However, some hunters like to compare their gobblers with others taken
within their state or other states. The National Wild Turkey Federation
developed a turkey trophy scoring system that would allow all gobblers
to be compared against each other equitably. The scoring system is
based upon three measurements - weight, beard length(s) and spur
lengths. The formula for overall score is: weight (lbs. and oz.), plus
10 times spur lengths (right & left), plus 2 times the beard
length. All measurements are recorded in sixteenths of an inch. Weight
must be measured to the nearest ounce (for example, 22lbs. 3oz. = 22
3/16 points). Spurs must be measured along the outside center, from the
point at which the spur protrudes from the scaled leg skin to the tip
of the spur (for example, left spur 1 inch plus right spur 1 1/16
inches times 10 = 20 10/16 points).
Beard length is measured from the center point of the protrusion
from the skin to the end of the longest bristle (for example, 12 2 /16
inches times 2 = 24 4 /16 points). Turkeys with multiple beards must
have each beard measured and recorded separately. The total score for
the turkey in the example would be 22 3/16 + 20 10/16 + 24 4/ 16 = 67
1/16. Weights must be from certified scales with a current seal from
the Division of Weights and Measures, State Department of Agriculture.
Pictures are required for the measurements of the spurs and the beard.
In addition, the scores must be witnessed. To register your turkey,
write Entry Rules & Application, National Wild Turkey Federation,
P.O. Box 530, Edgefield, SC, 29824-0530 or telephone (803) 637-3106.
Guess what I found after cleaning up all the piles of
paper in my office. My lost San Bernardino Co. shooting map. These maps
show where it is legal to hunt with a rifle, bow, shotgun and at night
for varmints in San Bernardino County. I scanned it up and you can
download the maps for future reference if you want since S.B no longer
sells this map. From what I know, this map is still current but you can
check with the local sheriff office to make sure. I've drawn in some
crude boundaries for the National Parks and military land but you
should use a topo map or GPS to be sure where you are. Each little grid
square on these maps is a section on your topo map and all the sections
are marked with Township, Range and Section info.
These maps files are big, about 200k to 300k so they
may take time to load if you're on a dial up modem. If the map doesn't
load all the way, hit the refresh button on your browser.
To save the maps to your computer using Internet
Explorer, right click on the map after it downloads, and click save
"Save pic as" and then pick a folder or location to save the map on
your puter.
Click here
for Los Angeles County Shooting Zone map.
This map shows where you can use archery, shotgun and rifle to hunt.
The map is big (426k), so be patient for it to load. It should take
about 2 minutes to load. The map is published by the Los Angeles County
Fish and Game Commission and the issue date is 1994.
You have the Physic Turkey Hotline number in your phone's speed dial
list,
You look down one day while on the scale and you notice you now have
3 toes,
You spent more money on turkey season than you did your
wife's/husband's anniversary gift,
If people you work with still can't find where that noise is coming
from,
If when eating, you scratch your plate, then peck at it,
The mailman goes out sick with a hernia after all your turkey
hunting catalogs arrive,
You are oddly attracted to poultry farms,
Your dog and kids run at the sight of you pulling out another call,
You babble incoherently about a phantom tom from years past during
family dinner gatherings,
You refer to your bedroom as the "Struttin' Zone",
Every spring your house sounds like a bird sanctuary with all the
hooting, screeching and cawing,
Your trail mix is made out of whole corn, ticks, and wax worms,
You got excited when your wife's doctor told her to try using a
diaphragm,
Your office or den looks like a war room with topo maps, aerial
photos and notes slung everywhere,
You nearly cause a 3 car pileup while pulling a "u-ie" in the road
to take another look at that black object in the field,
You molt,
If you have any "You Might be a Turkey Hunter if...", email us at and we'll post them.
Relic's Top 10 Reasons Why He Has a Low Number of
Turkey Kills
10. My Mom was frightened by a
gobbler when she was pregnant with me. But that was nothing compared to
the fright she got upon first seeing me!
9. Started turkey hunting late in
life.
8. Napped through several
seasons.
7. From the mid-sixties to the
mid-eighties, the only wild turkey I was interested in came in a
bottle.
6. For many years I thought
hunting TURKEY was a grade school geography drill.
5. Palsy makes it difficult to
hold the gun steady and adversely affects concealment efforts.
Hopefully, someone will come out with a "Quaking Bush" camo pattern.
4. Tobacco juice dissolved all my
mouth calls.
3. Can't move through the woods
as quietly as I once did. Nowadays it's always left, right, walker ----
left, right, walker.
2. Spastic colon and flatulence
makes it hard to hide from birds and also curls the nose hairs of
unfortunate hunters downwind.
1. Every time I draw a bead on a
bird my glass eye pops out !!!
Sayings Overheard in the Turkey Woods
I want him so close I can smell the grasshoppers on his
breath.
The turkeys here have such long beards they have to
walk backwards so they don't trip over them.
Turkeys can hear you think and see you change your mind.
A deer sees you and thinks you are a stump. A turkey
sees a stump and think it's you.
Roosted ain't roasted.
I called like a hen in fishnet stockings and he still
wouldn't come in.
Breath son, breath!
That sleazy no good hen cut me off.
The difference between a cluck and a putt is whether
the turkey is coming or going.
Well. I called to him but he miscoursed me and went the
other way.
Turkey Hunting Stories
Peyton Griffis of Colorado turkey hunting career goes back a ways
and he recently told me a story of his late brother's turkey calling
prowess. Peyton said his brother used to tell about setting up on a big
gobbler and there was nothing to hide behind but a large log that was
maybe 6 inches off the ground. He said his brother hunkered down behind
that log and called that old gobbler in right up behind the log. Since
he couldn't get his gun up, he had to grab him by the legs from under
the log and he tried and tried to pull him under that log but there
just wasn't enough room so he had to turn him loose and call him around
the end of that log. "Must have been using a wingbone is all I can
figure, heh,heh", Payton said.
If you have any turkey humor you would like to share here please
email us at . Thanks!
Active Ammo
.... is no longer in business. Kent Cartridges bought the company in
1997 and Kent does not make the nickel plated shells anymore, sorry. Federal
Ammo .... HEVI-SHOT™
.... Revolutionary, non-toxic lead shot alternative. With HEVI-SHOT™
shells, you can shoot a smaller shot size with more lethality. More
pellets at a higher energy means more knock-down power.This new
shotshell pellet is actually heavier than lead with the hardness
similar to standard steel shot. It is made from a tungsten alloy and
the hardness and density allow hunters to use smaller shot sizes to get
equivalent energy as in larger lead or steel pellets. Because the
pellet is smaller, this allows for more pellet to be in a shotshell
cartridge which makes for a denser pattern, increasing the likelihood
of multiple hits on the target. Both penetration and retained velocity
are also greater with these pellets. Darryl Amick, who holds the patent
on the tungsten-nickel alloy used to make this new shot, said he set
out to offer something heavier than lead that would be even more
effective for hunters. "My passion for this product is that I hate the
fact that we wound these birds, that we have to shoot steel. I'm also
absolutely committed to making this product as inexpensive as possible,
and we'd like to be significantly under the other non-toxic
alternatives to steel," said Amick. "It's going to perform better. I
don't think anyone can argue that. It's just a matter of keeping costs
down so guys can afford it," said Amick. You will be hearing more about
Hevi-Shot in the near future as it becomes available for both reloaders
and in loaded offerings. Kent
Cartridge ..... IMPACT™ shot shells are specifically designed
to deliver the pattern density and down range lethality required by
dedicated turkey hunters. These loads may be used in any Nitro-proofed
shotgun without fear of barrel or choke damage. Standard choke
restrictions and lead shot size recommendations apply, including X-full
Turkey. Nitro
Company Ammunition.... They carry shells loaded with
Hevi-Shot. Turkey loads are made with a new high tech buffer. Special
formula coating to protect your barrel from scoring. Available in shot
sizes: 2x5x7 and 4x5x7 (more being developed). Hit the duck/goose link
on the webpage to find the shells. Remington
.... Guns and ammo. Winchester Ammo ....
Makers of great ammo.
A.I.M. Bows .... Samick and InterNature bows. Archery
Headquarters .... Out of business. Arrowdynamic Solutions .... Makers of the Gobbler Guillotine. Bowsite's
Arrow Building Tutorial .... Great
place to learn how to crown dip your arrows and much more. B&B
Archery and Bowhunting Books .... Books and
videos on archery and bowhunting.
Bear Archery .... Makers of excellent bows and bow equipment.
Fred Bear is a legend of the bowhunting world. Ben
Pearson Bow info .... Great place to look up info on old Ben
Pearson bows, broadheads, arrow boxes and logos. Black Widow
Bows .... Fine bows and arrows. Bowhunters Discount Warehouse .... As of 7/2001 their website
is closed. Bowhunter
Magazine .... The site of the number one bowhunting
magazine. Bowhunting.net .... The Bowhunting Netcenter. Bowsite .... If you're a bowhunter, this is one place you have to check out. Don Brown
Traditional Archery .... California
Archery Web .... Webring of California archery shops. Custom Feathers .... David Mitchell. 6117 Highway 190,
Chillicothe, MO 64601. Phone #s: 660-646-6630 (Work), 660-646-0469
(Home-eves.), 660-646-9703 (FAX), & 1-888-353-8246 (Orders only).
He makes custom arrows using fresh turkey wing primaries and some
secondaries. Most fletching is natural, but he'll custom dye colors on
large orders. He also buys wings, fans, and beards, so you might be
able to work a trade. Dink's Feather Shop .... They make custom arrows and sells
supplies. Murraysville, WV. Ph # 304-273-3485. Easton.... Fine arrows and other gear. edersbow .... Online bowhunting magazine. The
Essentials Of Archery .... Original printing 1942 (This document
has been liberally transcribed from the 1953 edition). "How to Use and
Make Bows and Arrows" by L. E. Stemmler , Manorville, L.I., N.Y. EXTERIOR
BALLISTICS OF BOWS AND ARROWS.... By W. J. Rheingans. Game
Tracker.... String tracking
system. 3476 Eastman Drive
Flushing, MI 48433 Phone (800)241-4833 Fax (810)733-2077 Hidden Wolf
Woolens .... Sorry folks, this company closed the
middle of 2000. High Mountain Archery Equipment
Sales .... they carry Gold Tip, Bow Tech, Champion, PSE,
Jennings, Hoyt, Golden Key, Sims, Archers Choice, and many other
quality products. How
to strip turkey feathers .... If you want to make your own
barred feather fletchings.
Hoyt USA Bows .... Makers of fine bows and bowhunting
equipment. International
Bowhunting Organization.... The IBO is a non profit
organization founded in 1984. Their intent is to provide a means by
which all persons, interested in the sport, can unite to ensure ours
and our children's rights to the pursuit of bowhunting. Jackson's
Archery and Hunting Page .... Check
out this San Diego California bowhunters website. Lots of good info and
links here. Magnus
Broadheads .... Martin
Archery .... Good bows. The National
Archery Association .... National
governing body for U.S. Olympic archery. Primitive
Archer ..... Good forum and quarterly magazine.
Professional Bowhunters Society .... PSE Archery .... Bows and other archery gear. RibTek Broadheads .... Good tough broadheads. Slick Trick Broadheads .... Stickbow .... Your traditional archery connection. Tammy
Jo's Archery Supplies .... Custom flemish-twist bowstrings for
recurves and longbows. Trackmaster
Arrow Tracking System.... Radio signal arrow recovery
system. Traditional Bowhunter Magazine .... 6 issues per year of good traditional bow info. Zwickey Broadheads ....
Calls
Adventure
Game Calls .... American
Friction .... Bruce Wurth from Suisun, CA . Quality products like
the award winning CUT-N-PADDLE paddle box call .The CUT-N-PADDLE paddle
box or the CUT-N-PURRFECT glass will be the best sounding call you will
ever own! Bald's Calls
.... Wingbones, Turpin yelpers, tube calls and scratch boxes by Don
Bald of Lebanon IL. Boss Calls
.... The
Box Call Page .... Chris (Bamaflier's)
great webpage on box calls. The history behind them, how to make them
and more. If you like to make turkey calls, please visit Bama's webpage
and join his call maker network. Thanks. B
& R Game Calls .... Diaphragms, Tube Calls, Friction Calls,
Game Calls, Hunting Videos & More Bud
& Betty Turkey Calls .... Russell Lynch has some nice calls
here. Buice Wild Turkey Calls .... Billy Buice. Canton GA. PH#
770-735-2645. Custom box calls and trumpet yelpers. Cabela's .... One of the biggest retailers of outdoor and hunting
gear. They have calls, decoys, shells, sights, blinds camo and tons
more. Callers
Choice Turkey Calls .... Call
"Purr"fect Turkey Call Kit .... If you want to make your own
mouth diaphragm calls, this is the place to go. Cannon
Country Game Calls Inc. .... 1 888-881-3415. Chestnut
Ridge Wild Turkey Calls .... Cody Turkey
Calls .... 1981 was the start of a new beginning in the turkey call
industry. The idea of building slate and glass calls with wooden pots
went from one man's dream to reality. Bill Zearing realized that like a
good violin or guitar, a quality turkey call should be made of wood,
not from plastics or other synthetic material.
Custom Calls Online .... Basil Ammerman "True Lure - Wild
Call", Don Carter "Singin Sams Turkey Calls", David W. Collins
"Yelper's Yelpers", Dave Constantine "Custom Wild Game Calls", Jerry
Epple "Lonesome Tom Products", Scott Hunt, Lanny "Turkey King", Kyle
"Turkey King Products", Craig Lariscy "Osceola Calls", Paul Meek
"Wildlife Art Series Turkey Calls", Tim Mooney & Jess Hayes "Mooney
& Hayes Turkey Calls", Kenny Morgan "Morgan's Turkey Callers",
Ralph Permar "Custom Wild Turkey Calls", Dennis Poeschel "Wildfowl Game
Calls", Ron Shealer "Triple Gobble Turkey Calls", Durk Stark "Custom
Wingbones by Durk", Curtis Terrell Jr. "Old Pro Turkey Calls", Doug
Totty Jr. "The Eastern Assassin", Chris Utke "Tribute Custom Calls",
Dan West "The Gobbler Getter". Custom Sawing
.... Quality wood, kits, parts and supplies for making turkey calls. Custom
Wingbones by Durk .... Fine wingbone yelpers. Dad's
Calls .... Jerry White maker of custom turkey calls, known as
Dad's Calls. Jerry handcrafts long box, collectors and slate turkey
calls. David Collins'
Yelpers .... Fine yelpers from David Collins
Rowanty Creek Calls in Petersburg Virginia. David
Constantine Wild Game Calls .... You have to stop by this
website and see David's awesome work. Delta
.... Turkey calls to help lure in that big gobbler. Dry Dog Ridge
Wing Bone Turkey Calls .... Dennis Behm has some
fine wing bone yelper calls here. Kent
Freeman Wildfowl Carvings and Calls .... Gene's
Turkey Calls .... Gene has mouth calls,
friction calls and locator calls with "Service and Prices that won't
ruffle your feathers". Grassy Creek
Game Calls .... Offer many call kits and parts for the call maker,
such as pot style kits, box call kits, striker material in carbon,
fiberglass, acrylic and any species of wood. We offer friction surfaces
in aluminum, copper, glass and Pennsylvania slate in many sizes. Hooks Custom Calls .... Fine turkey calls from Arkansas. JHO Sponsor. JHO
Custom Turkey Calls .... Custom calls from JHO and other fine
turkey call makers in our online store. Jim
Groenier's How to Make a Wingbone Yelper Page ..... Jim from Oregon Wisconsin has a great page on how to make a
yelper and some ideas on how to snazzy up your call. Haydel's Calls ..... Website in no longer up. Try 5018 Hazel Jones Rd. Bossier City,
LA. 71111. PH# 318 746-3586. IHW
Custom Calls.... Fine hand made calls from Irving Whitt in
Greenwood, South Carolina. Hunter
Specialties (H.S. Strut) .... Camo, turkey calls and more. JHO Online Store .... Hunting gear Johnny
Stewart Wildlife Calls .... Legacy Calls .... made by Wil Terry. Mouth calls and glass and
slate calls. 2211 Ogden Rd. Rockhill,SC 29730. PH# (803) 328-6829. Toll
Free: (877) 834-5372. Lights Out Custom Calls .... Great turkey calls by Wendell Rye from Arkansas. Lohman Calls .... Great turkey
calls. Buy them at Bass Pro or Cabela's. 4500 Doniphan Dr., Neosho MO
64850. PH# 800-922-9034. Knight & Hale Game Calls.... Excellent calls for turkey, elk,
varmints, waterfowl, hogs, and deer. M.A.D. Calls .... Mark Drury from Mo. Buy these calls from Bass
Pro or Cabela's. M.
L. Lynch Calls .... Famous for their calls.
Ozark Ridge Calls .... Billy Green of Lebanon Mo. has some calls
here. Check out his push button call. P.O. Box 802, Lebanon, Mo 65536.
PH# 417-532-4188.
Paul's Calls .... Hand-carved box calls by Albert Paul. Some of
the best out there. Penn's Woods
Calls .... Perfection Turkey Calls
.... P.O. Box 164, Stephenson, VA. 22656. 1 800-422-9357. Peters Game Calls
.... Peters Game Calls is a small, family business that emphasizes
quality not quantity. They specialize in finely crafted suction yelpers
and friction callers. Peyton's
Putter .... an original cedar box call from Peyton Griffis of
Pueblo Colorado. Peyton likes the higher frequency box calls. Pioneer Enterprise Inc.
.... Ron Epply. Bulk material to make your own mouth calls. They carry
latex at about $0.09 cents apiece. Comes in thicknesses from condom to
.005. They have the frames and tape also. 1008 Pinetown Road
Lewisberry, Pa. 17339 Phone # (717) 938-9388. They DO NOT take credit
cards so order early. Dennis
Poeschel Field Grade Box Calls .... Poor Valley Benchmade Turkey Calls.... Great turkey calls from
Jerry French from Rolla MO. Preston
Pittman .... Primos Hunting Calls
.... Website coming soon. Quaker
Boy Game Calls ..... Wholesale
Hunter carries the Quaker Boy line of calls. Reece
Turkey Calls .... They make the "Passion Player" box call. River Valley Game Calls
.... Ray Smith from Linden Pennsylvannia has some fine turkey calls
here. Robert's
Brother Turkey Calls .... 3760 Old Oakwood Road. Oakwood, Georgia
35066. PH# (770) 536-7374. Fax (770) 536-5632. Ross Custom Calls
.... Jeremiah Ross from Rochester Pennsylvannia has some fine box calls
here.
Roy Rhodes Championship Calls .... Ron
Shealer's Custom Calls .... Fine trumpet yelpers, box calls and
tube calls. Super
Yelper Turkey Calls .... Richard M. Shively from Stephens City,
VA. They have a push pin call and two scratch box calls. Supreme Turkey Calls.... Steve
Reeves. 5441 Ocumuglee East Blvd, Macaon , GA, 31217. PH# 478-741-1542.
They make the Strut Buster , Bearded Lady and Double Suicide slate
calls.
Sure-Shot Game Calls .... Top
Calls .... Eric S. Thomas Turpin
Custom Game Calls.... Fine
Turpin style yelpers by Steve Turpin. 4911
Essexshire Ave. Memphis,TN. 38117.PH# (901-685-0766). Email is gamecallmaster@aol.com. Al
Willis Custom Calls.... Al
Willis has been making calls since the late 70's. Started out as Al
Willis Turkey Calls. Changed the name to Keowee Game Calls in the mid
80's. Also hand makes Al Willis custom calls. Woods used in custom
calls include: cherry, holly, ebony, walnut, mahogany, eastern red
cedar, butternut, applewood, mimosa, black locust & willow. 20
calls made signed & numbered out of citrus orange. Al Willis makes
the boat paddle box, one-sided box & regular box. Also hand makes
double slate (hand turned) and glass over slate. Matched sets - boat
paddle & regular box. Email is Alwilliscalls@cs.com Vector Calls .... Great turkey and deer calls from
Vincent Crawford
in MO. Woodhaven
Custom Calls .... They make good friction and mouth calls. Woods Wise .... P.O. Box 681552
(S7), Franklin, TN 37068. PH# 800-735-8182.
Camo and Clothing
10X Wear
.... Camo Advantage Camo .... Aervoe-Pacific
Co.
.... Camouflage paint in all the military colors. Best supplier I've
found for painting your equipment. P.O. Box 483, Gardnerville, NV.,
89410, ph# 800-227-0196. ASAT Camo.... Beartooth Products
.... 3 piece camo kit for shotguns. Brigade Quartermasters
.... Outdoor gear, military issue gear, GPS, everything you need. Bug Out Outdoorwear
.... Bug nets and suits. Bushlan Camo .... Camo clothing. Bush Rag Camouflage Systems ....
Camo ghillies. Camo Skin .... Removable camo
overlays for shotguns. Camovision Eyewear
.... You can see out, game can't see in. UV protected, patented,
durable frames. I tried a pair of these and I found they kept the sun
out real good but it was like looking through a thick screen door. Too
distracting for me. Columbia Sportswear Co.
.... Desert
Shadow Camo .... Mafe by King's Outdoor World, this camo is great
for the western hunters. DK Flatwoods Camo .... 3D camo DownWind 3D Camo .... Hidden Wolf Woolens
.... Quality, Service, Dedication- Unexcelled -For your camouflage
clothing needs. Image Country Camouflage
.... Camo. Lacrosse ....
Excellent boots and waders. LongBeard Industries L.L.C.
.... Makers of the "The Backpack Recliner" . C. C. Filson
.... For 102 years, Filson has been supplying rugged clothing for
extreme conditions out of doors. Mossy Oak ....
America's most effective concealment system. Natural Gear Camo .... Polar Wrap .... Great
clothing to keep your face and head warm. Predator Camo .... Permanone
.... Spray this on your clothes to kill ticks, chiggers and other bugs.
Not a repellent like "Off" or "Repel", it actually kills the darn
creepy crawlies. PERMETHRIN is the generic name of the active
ingredient. It is a natural pesticide from pyretherum (African flower
in the daisy family) and the active ingredient is permanone. It is used
on cloths only because if applied to the skin, it mixes with oils and
sweat and becomes useless. It is harmless but some people may be
sensitive to it. It goes by several brand names, Permanone being the
most common. Once applied properly, it binds to the fabrics and lasts a
minimum of two weeks, even through several washings. Another brand is
called Duranon. Ranger Joe's .... Military, Law
enforcement and outdoor gear. Rancho Safari .... Camo
ghillies. Raven Wear Canada Ltd..... Extreme cold camo clothing. Realtree .... Excellent camo. Rightnour Manufacturing Co. Inc.
(RMC) .... Archery and Muzzleloading supplies, turkey vests, unique
Non-Typical shotgun sling. Scent-Lok .... Camo
clothing and scent control suits. Schnee's Boot's .... These guys
make the best cold weather elk boots I've ever owned. I like the 'air
bob' soles. Sleeping Indian Design
.... Wool and cotton camo clothing Stick N'
Limbs Camo .... Trebark Camo .... Underbrush .... Portable blinds and 3-D Leafy Camo Wear. Woolrich .... Fine wool
clothing.
Chokes
Ballistic
Specialties .... Angle Porting chokes. Briley Chokes
.... Carlson's
.... Comp-N-Choke.... Screw-in shotgun choke tubes with Slot-Ported Braking Systems Hastings
Chokes .... PH# 913-632-3169. Indian Creek Shooting Systems .... Great turkey chokes.
Johnny's Shotgun Chokes and Forcing Cones.... Kick's .... They make the famous "Gobblin' Thunder" choke. Patternmaster .... Primos Jellyhead Choke.... Rhino Chokes.... 21027 NE Highway 27, Williston, FL 32696.
PH# (800) 226-3613, (352) 528-6110, FAX: (352) 528-4111. Contact: Janet
Morales or Joe Morales. E-mail: rhinoman@atlantic.net. Seminole
Gunworks .... Seminole specializes in the making of precision
choke tubes for most makes and model of shotguns. Shotgun
Customizing .... by Curtis Wilbanks aka; Gun Docc. Whether you are
a turkey hunter who wants the ultimate turkey gun capable of 90% or
better patterns at a distance of 40 yards, or a deer hunter who wants
the ultimate buckshot gun capable of placing all the pellets in a 14 to
20 inch pattern at a distance of 40 yards, I can help you to achieve
this goal through my customized shotgun work. I have been customizing
shotguns for over 19 years. Trulock
Chokes .... Manufacturers of superior shotgun chokes. Wad Wizard ....
is an improved line of shotgun choke tubes for hunting, clay target
shooting and law enforcement purposes, which is manufactured of high
quality materials, with top-notch workmanship and great attention to
quality control standards.
Decoys
Advanced Decoy Research .... Great motion units for turkey and predator decoys. BuckWing Products
.... They make an umbrella like expander to use in foam decoys to
spread them out and a stake to go in he ground. Carry-Lite
Decoys .... 5203 West Clinton
Milwaukee, WI 53223 Phone (414)355-3520 Fax (414)355-4775. Decoy
Heart .... This is an independent power source that can be used
in all lightweight decoys that will create lifelike movement. It
creates feeding and breeding movements in turkey decoys. Delta
.... Turkey decoys to help lure in that big gobbler. Expedite
Moto Magnet II Motion Systems .... Add remote control motion to
your decoy with this "AA" powered unit. Featherflex
Decoys ..... Flambeau
Decoys .... Hidden
Valley Inflatable Decoys .... If you
need some room in your pack, check out these new dekes that fold up
into a ball in your hand. Higdon Motion
Decoys .... Uses a lightweight and rugged one piece frame and
coil spring neck and pull cord. M.
L. Lynch Decoys .... Outlaw Decoys
.... Turkey, goose and duck decoys. E.J.
Sceery Decoys .... 1 (800)-327-4322. Dave Smith Decoys .... Great turkey decoys. Tru-motion Decoy
Systems..... Whether you are looking for realistic flying
motion decoys or life-like motion in your field and water decoys,
TruMotion has the solution to your problem.
Bass Pro Shop
.... One of the biggest hunting and fishing gear suppliers. Stop by one
of their 'Outdoor World' stores, you'll be amazed. They have calls,
decoys, shells, sights, blinds camo and tons more. Brigade Quartermasters
.... Outdoor gear, military issue gear, GPS, everything you need. Cabela's....
One of the biggest retailers of outdoor and hunting gear. They have
calls, decoys, shells, sights, blinds camo and tons more. Crooked
Horn Outfitters .... Packs, Slide And Flex Bino-System, bow
sling and hook, spotting scope case and more. Herb's
Leatherworks .... If you like quality hand made leather
quivers then take a peek at these fine quivers from Herb at Herb's
Leatherworks. Lacrosse ....
Excellent boots and waders. Levergun
Leather Works
.... Great handmade leather pouches, cases, rifle butt holders, slings,
knife cases and sheaths, rifle scabbards and more from "Lever" at
Levergun Leather Works Midwest
Turkey Call Supply .... Everything you need for turkey
hunting. Ranger Joe's
.... Military, Law enforcement and outdoor gear. Reese
Outdoors Turkey Tote .... Carry that gobbler the easy way with the
over the shoulder tote made of parachute cord. REI ....The biggest outdoor
store on the net. Schnee's Boot's ....These
guys make the best cold weather elk boots I've ever owned. I like the
'air bob' soles. Shomer-tec
.... Law enforcement and military equipment. Box 28070, Bellingham, WA.
98228 ph# 360-733-6214. Call for free catalog. Snapshot
Sniper Digital Game Camera Scouting System .... Save yourself hours
of scouting in the field. With the Snapshot Sniper Digital Scouting
System, you will have the advantage you have been looking for when
scouting your favorite hunting area. With the use of a technologically
advanced motion detection system to trigger the game camera, you can
monitor activity night and day. By positioning the deer cam near a
trail, feeder, stand, or water you will have the advantage of knowing
what different types of animals are visiting these areas. The scouting
camera also will capture the date and time of the event so you will
know exactly when the activity is taking place in your area. Uncle Lee's Wing Supply .... PH#
1-800-388-9464 for your free catalog. They have GPS, clothing, and
turkey and duck hunting equipment. U.S. Cavalry ....
World's finest military and adventure equipment.
Guides, Outfitters, Hunting
Lodges and Ranches
If you know of any other quail hunting clubs or ranches please
e-mail us at and we will update the listing. This
listing is for informational purposes only. No endorsement is implied
from JHO. CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!
Berry Guide Service .... 2312 Castro Lane, Bakersfield, CA.
93304. PH# (661) 397-7008. Contact: Mike Berry. 28 miles NE of
Bakersfield. Established 1979. 1,000 acres. Public member on site
clubhouse, lodging, meals. Shoots: field. Birds: dove, quail, turkey.
Dogs available. Packages: 1 Day. Blue Ridge Guide Service .... Call
Bill Sweetser for quail, turkey, bear, bobcat, and deer in the southern
Sierra Mountains of California. 2 hours north of Los Angeles. PH#
661-539-5102. Boaring Experiences Unlimited .... P.O. Box 398, Atascadero, CA
93423. PH# (805) 461-0294 Contact: Kyler Hamann. 200 mi. N of Los
Angeles. 52,000 acres. Public on site lodging, meals, clays. Shoots:
field. Birds: dove, quail, turkey. Dogs available. Packages: 1 Day,
1-10 guns. Bryson Hesperia Resort .... DeeDee is a great guide. Turkey, hog, varmint hunts near Paso Robles. Beautiful cabins. JHO Sponsor. Cary Jellison .... He is an
outstanding guide with great properties. Auburn Ca. PH# 530-885-1492 Eagle Peak Ranch and Pheasant Club .... Pheasant,
chukar and spring turkey hunting on 120 acres near San Diego. Manager
is Jason Caringella. Ph #619-448-1679. Lakeview Farms, Inc. .... 5490 Riosa Rd. West, West, Lincoln,
CA. 95648. PH# (530) 633-9112. Contact: Donald Norris. 20 mi. NE of
Sacramento. 1,000 acres. Member only on site clubhouse, lodging.
Shoots: field, blinds. Birds: quail, pheasant, chukar, turkey, ducks,
geese. Dogs available. NAGA. Larry Lowell .... Bear and turkey hunts in SoCal. PH# (760)963-9790. JHO Sponsor. My Country Club.... Hunting club near Lake Henshaw, Santa
Ysabel
CA. Dove, turkey and deer hunts offered. Fishing, camping and and cabins at nearby Lake Henshaw. Beautiful mountain setting. PH# 760-782-3487. Pusch
Ridge Outfitters .... If you would like to hunt the Gould's
Turkey in Mexico, we are offering this same hunt for April and the
first week of May in 2001. The hunt is for 3 days, and sells for
$1650.00 including the license and tag! We supply the shotguns and
ammo, so it's not necessary to obtain a gun permit. If you wish to take
an additional bird, all you need is the $100 license fee and pay a $500
trophy fee after the kill! If you are interested, please let me know
ASAP, as we will only take a limited number of hunters. Kirk Kelso
Pusch Ridge Outfitters. e-mail
kirkkelso59@aol.com Rancho San Julian Outfitting .... Historic 20,000-acre land grand on the Central
Coast that has been in the same family ownership for over 140 years.
1527 Kowalski Avenue, Santa Barbara, CA. 93101. Brady Daniels. PH#
805-878-5958 or 805-560-6582. Red Bank
Ale & Quail Gamebird Club.... PO Box 8295, Red Bluff, CA.
96080. PH# (530) 529-9435, 8am-5pm. Contact: Brian Riley. 170 miles N
of San Francisco. Established 1976. 5,000 acres. Public on site
clubhouse, lodging, meals, clays. Shoots: field, blinds. Birds: dove,
quail, pheasant, turkey. Dogs Available, HDW. Packages: 1 Day, up to 22
guns. Richmond
Hunting Club .... We are a "non-profit" organization offering approximately 20,000 acres in California to hunt
Upland Game and Water Fowl with several localized club houses. All
hunting areas are posted and patrolled. You can be a member for a low
initiation fee of $200 and seasonal dues of $375. Jimmy Rizzo
.... For deer, turkey, bear, coyotes, bobcat and gray fox in the
southern California D14 area of the San Bernardino Mountains. PH#
714-903-1996, after 5 PM Licensed and bonded, good hunter and has the
area wired. Shasta
Outfitters .... John Drew has good turkey hunting in northern
California. South Butte Gun Club
.... 6790 South Butte Rd., Sutter, CA. 95982. PH# (530) 755-0524.
Contact: Larry Mungier. 160 miles N of San Francisco. 4,000 acres
Public member on site clubhouse. Shoots: field. Birds: quail, pheasant,
chukar, Huns, turkey. Dogs available, HDW. Packages: 1 Day NAGA. Stillwater Sportsmen's Club .... 7010 Hunting Club Rd.,
Anderson, CA. 96007. PH# (530) 365-6845. Contact: Doyle & Laurel
Besecker. 160 miles N of Sacramento. Acres 1,500. Members only. Shoots:
field, blinds. Birds: dove, quail, pheasant, chukar, Huns, turkey,
ducks. Dogs Available,HDW. Tejon
Ranch Company.... 1 hour
north of Los Angeles off I-5. Contact Don Geivet at PH# 661-248-6774 or
Sandy at 661-248-6775.
Timbuctoo Sporting Estate .... 625 Bridge St., Yuba City, CA.
95991. PH# (530) 639-2200. Contact: Donna Rauser. 50 miles NW of
Sacramento. Established 1988. 6,000 acres. Public on site clubhouse,
meals, clays. Shoots: field, driven, blinds, boat. Birds: quail,
chukar, Huns, turkey, ducks. Dogs Available, HDW. Packages: 1/2 Day,
1-8 guns. Wilderness
Unlimited .... 20974 Corsair Blvd., Hayward, CA. 94545. PH# (510)
785-4868. Anytime Fax (510) 785-4868. Locations throughout CA and OR.
200,000 acres. Member only on site clubhouse. Shoots: field, blinds.
Birds: dove, quail, pheasant, chukar, turkey, ducks, geese. Wingshooters
Lodge .... Based in Cuidad Obregon Mexico. Gould's turkey
hunt. Owners Ruben Del Castillo and Miguel Pugh. For information, call
or e-mail George Wright, Kentucky State Turkey Biologist. He books for
them. Email: Gobble@ziggycom.net
Guns & Gun Supplies
Americase
.... Gun cases since 1985. Beretta
.... Firearms. Boyt Harness Co. .... Gun cases. Ed Brown
Products .... High performance bolt-action rifles and 1911
handguns for those who expect the best. Brownells
.... Great supplier of gun parts. Browning .... Firearms. B-Square....
has been manufacturing and marketing a full line of premium quality
scopes mounts, accessories and gunsmithing tools for over 40 years. CanjarTriggers ....M. H. Canjar Co. 500 E. 45th Ave.,Denver, CO
80216, Voice: (303) 295-2638. Doskocil
.... Gun cases. E.A.R.
Hearing Protection and Hearing Aids .... Protect your precious
hearing with these fine quality ear plugs. Galati
International.com .... Your number one source for shooting and
gun accessories including Rifle Cases, Range Bags, Holsters, Shotgun
Accessories, Knives, Soft Air Guns, Scopes, Night Vision, T-Shirts and
Much More. Gamaliel Shooting
Supply .... Whatever you need - rifle scopes, reloading
supplies or gun accessories we've got them all at Gamaliel Shooting
Supply! We have all the types of rifle scopes, reloading supplies, and
gun accessories you need for hunting and target shooting. Gunbroker.com
.... Worlds largest sport shooting and hunting auction. Gun Guard
.... Good rifle, bow and pistol cases. Some case have wheels which are
real handy in the airport. Gun
Tests.com .... They have a no holds barred gun review website and
magazine that is very objective. If it sucks, they say so and why. No 3
to 3 1/2 out of 4 stars for every gun they review like you see in NAHC
or Guns and Ammo. They have no ads in their review so they are not
worried about stepping on toes. Impact
Case Company .... Gun cases. Ithaca.... Knight
Muzzleloaders .... Firearms. Kolpin.... Gun cases. Lilja
Precision Rifle Barrels .... Great barrels and lots of info on
long range shooting. Marlin
Firearms Co. .... Great firearms. McMillan .... Makers of tough dependable rifle stocks. Michael's .... Makers of Butler Creek and Uncle Mike's gun supplies. Midsouth
Shooters Supply Co. .... Your complete source for shooting
accessories and supplies. Midway USA .... The world's largest mail order shooting and reloading superstore. Mossberg....
Shotguns and rifles. MTM Case-Gard .... Ammo and accessory boxes, gun cleaning vises and target stands. The
Almost Complete List of Muzzle Loading and Buckskinning Links .... Muzzleloader
Magazine .... The publication for black powder shooters. Northwest Security
Products .... Cases, holsters, pouches and more from Alaska. Plano..... Gun cases. Quake
Industries .... For years I've searched for a rifle sling
that wouldn't slide off my shoulder. I finally found the Holy Grail
here at Quaker Industries, called the "Claw". They also make super
rifle swivels that don't squeak, scope covers and recoil pads. Remington .... Firearms. Ruger .... Firearms. Sako .... Firearms. Shilen .... Makers of excellent rifle barrels. Sinclair
International .... We are a 16 year old, Indiana based company
which specializes in high quality products designed for precision rifle
shooters. SKB .... Gun
cases.
Sniper Country .... A great site for long range shooting. They
have reviews on scopes, rangefinders, moly bullet coating and tons of
other info. Lots of military and law enforcement shooters hang out
here. Tactical
Intervention Specialists .... Precision rifle
accessories. Mike has come up with a great new sling too. Stop by his
website and see some of the goodies there. Thompson/Center Arms .... Whether a Traditional or a Modern In-Line... T/C has it all. Timney Trigger .... Timney Manufacturing, Inc. is one of the oldest and largest
trigger manufacturers in the world. Founded in 1946, Timney prides
itself on the quality of precision machining and workmanship that goes
into each and every Timney product. Traditions Performance MuzzleloadingWeatherby .... Tuffpak ....
Tuffpak is the only multi-gun case of its kind. Whether you're going
for a weekend or a month, taking 1 rifle or 5 shotguns . Weatherby .... Fine rifles and shotguns. Winchester .... Firearms.
Hearing Devices & Protection
E.A.R.
.... Hearing protection so you can hear those gobbles for many years.
Protect your precious
hearing with these fine quality ear plugs. Silver
Creek Industries .... They make a parabolic dish mic with
headphones called the Bionic Ear and sound enhancing hands free
headphones called the Action Ear. Walker's
Game Ear .... is a hearing enhancement and safety device
developed exclusively for bow and gun hunters. It fits behind the ear
like a hearing aid. I've tried using one of these and it really messes
up your sense of hearing direction. Also, when you turn them up to hear
better, you get a lot of noise from turning your head and your collar
rubbing your neck. Forget even still hunting with one of these in. 2
Walker's Game Ears helped on direction of sound, but I ended up
fiddling with the volume too much for my taste. 2 ears down on using
these in my most humble opinion.
Optics, Scopes, Binos, and Night Vision
Aimpoint
.... As the choice of the U.S. Army and elite forces around the world,
Aimpoint sights offer high performance, military-proven technology and
rugged durability. Aimpoint's both-eyes-open, heads-up, rapid target
acquisition and superior accuracy deliver unmatched precision for a
variety of applications. Backpack Hunter
.... Sorry to say it, but Don "Backpack Hunter" has shut down his
website after many years. Bear Basin ....
Good prices on binos, scopes and rangefinders. B & H .... The
Professional's source for tripods, photo gear, and video. Brunton
.... Makers of the 'Eterna' and 'Lite-Tech' line of binos. They also
make compasses, wind meters, and survey gear. Burris .... Fine American
made scopes and binos. Bushnell ....
Scopes, binos, and Yardage Pro rangefinder. Bogen .... Distributors for
'Gitzo' and 'Manfrotto' tripods. Canon
.... Makers of binos. Celestron .... Makers of binos
and scopes. Crooked Horn
Outfitters .... They make a bino harness that works real good for
$19.99. Custom Ophthalmics
.... Manufactures custom lenses to correct astigmatism. These small
lenses are made to your prescription and fitted into the eyecup of your
binoculars to let you remove your glasses while viewing. For more
information: 11603 Hampstead Drive, Fredericksburg, VA. 22407 . PH#
1-540-786-9276 voice/fax, e-mail:102171,2300@Compuserve.com Deutsche Optik
.... Retailers of 'Wild' and 'Barr & Stroud' rangefinders, Leitz
Intel Analyst Magnifiers, Visulette Aspheric Magnifiers, Hensoldt
binos, Optolyth scopes and binos, and WWII military optics. Doctor-Optic Technologies Inc.
.... Makers of great scopes and binos. Contact them at: 4685 Boulder
Highway, Suite A, Las Vegas, NV 89121 USA, PH# 1-800-290-3634,
1-702-898-7161, (fax) 1-702-898-3737. D & R Sports .... Good
prices on binos, scopes and rangefinders. Eagle
Optics .... Online Retailer of name brand optics, also good info on
scopes and binos specifications. Fujinon ....
Makers of fine scopes and binos. They also make the 'Staboscope', a
bino that you can use at night and while moving. Global Mart
.... Online retailer for Tasco scopes and rangefinders, Bushnell, and
ITT Night vision. 'Grippit'
.... With this strap and mount, you can mount your binos on a tripod
for more stability. $29.99. HawkEyes International ....
Online retailer of binos, scopes, laser sights, and night vision. HI VIZ Fiber Optic
Sights .... Kahles
.... Kahles Riflescope Manufacturing Company of Vienna, Austria is one
of the premier rifle scope manufacturers in the world. With over 100
years of optical engineering behind every scope they make, Kahles has
always been known by professional guides and hunters as "One of the
very best and most rugged rifle scopes". Kowa .... One of the better
scope and bino makers. Leica .... Fine
German binos and scopes. LensPen
.... LensPen is a lens cleaning device that uses a carbon-based
cleaning compound. Also has a little brush on the other end to aid in
removing debris. Leupold .... Fine American made
optics. Meade .... Makers of fine binos,
scopes, CCD cameras, and microscopes. Minolta .... Makers of binos. Nikon .... Great
binos and scopes. OP/TECH USA
.... Long been known for their comfortable binocular and camera straps.
They have branched out into several other products of interest that are
available via retailers: Fashion Strap: binocular and camera strap, E-Z
Comfort Strap: binocular and camera strap, Soft Pouch: binocular and
scope covers, Bino Caps: binocular, scope, and camera lens caps, Tripod
Strap: tripod strap, Tripod Leg Wraps: Cordura covered foam leg wraps.
For more information: PH# 1-800-251-7815 or 1-406-388-1377 Optolyth
.... Fine German optics. Contact: SCM Corporation, (distributor), PO
Box 7518 San Diego, CA 92167 USA, PH# 1-800-225-9407, (fax)
1-619-692-8199. Orion .... Online retailer of
binos and scopes. Pentax .... Makers of
binos. Redfield .... Scopes and
mount. Schmidt & Bender ....
Fine German optics. ScopLevel
.... ScopLevel is a device that dramatically increases your shooting
accuracy by dramatically reducing CANTING. Check out the effects of
canting and what ScopLevel does to reduce it's effect at this website. Segway-Industries home of
the Reticule Leveler
.... Segway Industries manufactures and sells the easiest-to-use scope
alignment tool ever developed for gun owners and gunsmiths. Shepherd Scopes Ltd.
.... This scope gives you a one shot zero and accurate range-finding.
Dual reticule system allows for better accuracy and reliability. Simmons .... Good scopes and
binos. Blount is the maker of this line of optics. Springfield
Armory
.... For more than a decade, Springfield Armory™ has been providing
high quality, proprietary counter-sniper sighting systems to the
world's most demanding customers. Now with eight Government Models™ to
choose from, Springfield provides outdoor, severe duty telescopic
sights designed to meet the most extreme performance demands of serious
law enforcement personnel and hunters world wide. Steiner .... Pioneer
Research is the maker and importer of Steiner optics. They also make
dive cameras. S.W.F.A. Inc. .... Great prices on
scopes, binos and rangefinders. Swarovski
.... Fine Austrian optics Swift Instruments Inc. ....
Makers of excellent binos, scopes, magnifiers, opera glasses, and
weather instruments. Tasco .... Makers
of binos, scopes, and rangefinders. Tru_Glo
.... Make fiber optic sights. US Optics
.... They design and build special purpose riflescopes for, Military
and Law Enforcement, sniper and tactical use. Also, riflescopes for
competition and Varmint shooting. V-Vax Products residual oil remover
.... The best lens cleaning solution since alcohol. A lot of optics
shops use it and it's available at retailers all over. Leica and Zeiss
use it to clean all of the internal components prior to assembly of
their binoculars. For more information: V-Vax Products, 1507 Elston
Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622. PH# 1-312-276-1747, (fax) 1-312-276-0909. Weaver .... Fine scopes.
Blount is the maker of this product. Wholesale
Hunter .... Good prices on binos, scopes and rangefinders. Williams Optics ....
Telescopes, mounts and camera adapters. Zeiss ....
Fine binos and scopes.
Organizations
Becoming an
Outdoors-Woman (BOW).... Offers
weekend skills clinics to women throughout North America. Explore our
pages and discover what's waiting in the great outdoors! Hunters
for the Hungry .... A great nationwide effort for sportsmen to
donate extra game meat to help those in need. Hunt Of A
Lifetime .... is a nonprofit organization that grants hunting and
fishing adventures to children who have been diagnosed with terminal or
life threatening illnesses. We are making a difference. We need your
help.
International Hunter Education Association .... Hunter
Education classes explore a variety of topics, including wildlife
identification, landowner relations, outdoor survival skills, wildlife
management, field care of game, and more. Volunteers teach all types of
hunter safety, including the use of various modern firearms, black
powder, and bow and arrow. National Rifle Association
.... If you're a gun owner, you really need to join, to maintain your
2nd amendment right to bear arms. National
Wild Turkey Federation NWTF .... Great people helping a great
bird. Theodore Roosevelt
Conservation Alliance .... The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation
Alliance is a huge grassroots effort to give hunters and anglers a
stronger collective voice. It's an alliance of individual sportsmen and
women, plus national conservation groups, as well as local and regional
clubs and organizations who care about the future of wildlife and
outdoor activities on the 192 million acres of National Forests and
grasslands. Safari Club
International .... Advocate for 45 million hunters and wildlife
conservation worldwide. Wildlife
Legislative Fund of America .... The Wildlife Legislative Fund of
America (WLFA) provides direct lobbying and grassroots coalition
support to protect and advance the rights of hunters, fishermen,
trappers and scientific wildlife management professionals. This is
accomplished through coalition building, ballot issue campaigning and
legislative and government relations.
Know of any other good turkey organizations? If you do,
drop us an email at
Publications, Videos
Department of Fish & Game Upland Bird Hunting
Publications
The following DFG publications provide useful
information for those wanting to hunt game in California:
Wing Beat News
To receive the Region 2 ( Sacramento Valley) edition of
Wing Beat News please call (916) 846-3315
or write to Gray Lodge Wildlife Area at 3207 Rutherford Road, Gridley,
CA 95948 and request to be placed on the mailing list.
To receive the Region 4 (Central San Joaquin Valley)
edition of Wing Beat News please contact the Los Banos Complex at (209)
826-0463.
To receive the Region 5 (Southern/Eastern Sierra), this
area includes the counties of Mono, Inyo, San Bernardino, Riverside,
Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and Imperial,
edition of Wing Beat News please contact the editor, Scott Harris, in
the Long Beach, Region 5 Office at 1-562-590-5100.
California Upland Game Magazine .... new 16 page
full magazine published twice yearly covering quail, pheasant, wild
turkeys, chukar, grouse, rabbits and squirrels. Call PH # 916-653-4263
to receive it in the mail, or pick it up at your nearest regional
office.
Fishing
and Hunting News .... A Whole Year! (22
Issues) of F&H News only $39.94. PH #
18004882827 Hours: Monday Friday 8:30 am to
5:00 PM PDT.
Western Birds
.... A great 8 page newsletter published by Jim Matthews, with maps and
insider info on all kinds of upland birds. $100.00 per year. Get 2 or 3
of your buddies to split the cost and you're into the birds. P.O. Box
9007, San Bernardino, CA 92427-0007 or call Jim Matthews at PH
#1-909-887-3444. Email is odwriter@verizon.net
.
Western Outdoor News
.... Fine weekly newspaper with maps and tons of timely reports. $36.95
for 52 issues. Ph# 1-714-546-4370. Call the 'Hunter's Hotline' to give
your story for publishing. Ph # 1-714-546-4370 ext. 48 or fax:
1-714-662-3486 or e-mail: wonmail@aol.com
After the Hunt with Lovett Williams. Williams, Lovett E., Jr.
Format: Paperback, 256pp. ISBN: 0873414217 Publisher: Krause
Publications Pub. Date: February 1996. Excellent book for after you
harvest a bird. Taxidermy tips, wingbone yelpers and biology info. Two
spurs up on this one. America's Greatest Game Bird: Archibald Rutledge's Turkey Hunting
Tales by Jim Casada (Editor), Archibald H. Rutledge (Editor).
Hardcover (February 1994) Univ of South Carolina Pr; ISBN: 0872499839 ;
Dimensions (in inches): 0.91 x 9.25 x 6.23. The American Wild Turkey. Davis, Henry E. 1949., Small Arms
Technical Publishing Co. Georgetown, S.C. 328 pp. The American Wild Turkey : Reflections on the Bird, the Hunt, and
the Hunter by John M. McDaniel. Hardcover - 240 pages (June 2000)
The Lyons Press; ISBN: 1585740373 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.96 x 9.16
x 6.22. The Art and Science of Wild Turkey Hunting. Williams, Lovett E.,
Jr. Hardcover (November 1989) Publisher: Real Turkeys Pub; ISBN:
0962480908. Better on a Rising Tide: Tales of Wild Turkeys, Turkey Hunting, and
Southern Folk by Tom Kelly. Hardcover - 196 pages 1 edition (August
1, 1995) Oak Knoll Books; ISBN: 1558214100 ; Dimensions (in inches):
0.77 x 9.23 x 6.28 . The Boat by Tom Kelly. Hardcover - 2295 pages (January 1998)
.The Lyons Press; ISBN: 1558216405 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.67 x
9.29 x 6.30 . The Book of the Wild Turkey. Williams, Lovett E., Jr. 1981
Winchester Press, Tulsa, OK. 181 pp. Bowhunting for Turkeys. Jack Brobst. Branton
Berryhill Publishers .... They sell callmaker Neil Cost's books.
Complete Book of the Wild Turkey. Latham, Roger M. 1956. Stackpole
Co., Harrisburg, PA. 265 pp. The Complete Book of Wild Turkey Hunting : A Handbook of Techniques
and Strategies by John, Jr. Trout. Paperback - 192 pages (November
2000) The Lyons Press; ISBN: 1585740993 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.78
x 9.00 x 5.89 The Complete Book of the Wild Turkey. Williams, Lovett E., Out
of print, try Amazon.com used book finder.
Dealer's Choice by Tom Kelly. Hardcover - 128 pages (January
1998). The Lyons Press; ISBN: 1558215891 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.55
x 9.25 x 6.25 The Education of a Turkey Hunter. Hanenkrat, William Frank.
1974. Winchester Press, N.Y. 216 pp. Gobblers I Have Known ... The Evolution and Ramblings of a Turkey
Hunter. By Tim Herald. You can purchase your copy directly from
Tim with a check or money order for $16.00 which includes shipping.
Your copy will be signed and numbered. Send to: Tim Herald, 816
Edgewood Dr.. Lexington, KY 40515. For Credit Card orders, this book
can be ordered from Barnes and
Noble & Amazon.com.
Paperback - 170 pages (September 2001) . 1stBooks Library; ISBN:
0759648700 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.47 x 9.00 x 5.98 Guide to the American Wild Turkey. Part 1: Status--Numbers,
Distribution, Season, Harvests and Regulations. National Wild
Turkey Federation, Inc., 1992. Nat. Wild. Turkey Fed., Inc. 149 pp. Hunting the Wild Turkey. Turpin, Tom. 1966 ed. from Penn's
Woods, Delmont, PA. 54 pp. Hunting Wild Turkeys With Ray Eye by Michael Pearce, Ray Eye.
Hardcover 1st Ed. edition (January 1990) Stackpole Books; ISBN:
0811708667.
Hunting Wild Turkey in the West. John Higley, Format: Paperback,
2nd ed., 154pp. ISBN: 0962835307 Publisher: Higley's High Country
Enterprises Pub. Date: April 1997. Illumination in the Flatwoods: A Season With the Wild Turkey by
Joe Hutto. Paperback - 288 pages Reprint edition (October 1998) The
Lyons Press; ISBN: 1558216944 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.55 x 8.95 x
6.01 Innovative Turkey Hunting : Advanced Tactics from Brad Harris &
Mark Drury by James A. Casada, Brian Lovett (Editor), Jim Casada.
Paperback - 208 pages (January 2001) Krause Publications; ISBN:
0873419944 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.43 x 9.02 x 6.02. Modern Turkey Hunting. Brady, James F. 1973. Crown Publishers,
Inc. N.Y. 160pp. The Season by Tom Kelly. Hardcover - 160 pages (January 1997)
The Lyons Press; ISBN: 1558214895 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.68 x 9.38
x 6.34. Spring Gobbler Fever by Michael Hanback. Paperback - 256 pages
(February 1996) Krause Publications; ISBN: 0873414233 ; Dimensions (in
inches): 0.68 x 9.00 x 5.96. Studies of the Wild Turkey in Florida. Williams, Lovett E.,
Jr. Format: Hardcover, 250pp. ISBN: 0813008743 Publisher: University
Press of Florida Pub. Date: April 1988 . Tenth Legion. Tom Kelly, Format: Paperback, 128pp. ISBN:
1558215395 Publisher: Lyons Press, The Pub. Date: January 1998 Edition
Desc: REPRINT. Turkey Calls, An Endearing American Folk Art. by Howard L.
Harlan. Hardcover - 170 pages (January 1, 1994). Harlan / Anderson
Press; ISBN: 0964618958.
Turkey Callmakers Past and Present Mick's Picks: Stories and History of
Callmakers. by Earl E. Mickel. Hardcover (March 1994) Earl E
Mickel; ISBN: 0964016400. Out of print and hard to find.
Turkey Hunters Digest. Dwain Bland, Format: Paperback, 1st ed.,
256pp. ISBN: 0873491645 Publisher: Krause Publications Pub. Date:
October 1994 Edition Desc: Rev. ed Turkey Hunting with Charlie Elliott. Elliott, Charles. 1979.
David McKay Co., Inc. N.Y. 275 pp.Harbour, Dav. 1983. Advanced Wild
Turkey Hunting and World Records. Winchester Press. 284 pp. Turkey Hunting With Gerry Blair. Hardcover (February 1991)
Krause Publications; ISBN: 0873411609.Out of print, try Amazon.com used
book finder. Turkey
Hunting Secrets . Roger Rasich has a
bunch of good info on hunting turkeys with a bow or shotgun. The Wild Turkey. Biology and Management.James G. Dickson (Editor),
Format: Hardcover, 463pp. ISBN: 081171859X Publisher: Stackpole
Books Pub. Date: October 1992. The Wild Turkey and its Management. Hewitt, O.H. ed. 1967. The
Wildl. Soc. 589 pp. The Wild Turkey in Virginia: Its Status, Life History and
Management. Mosby, Henry S. and C.O. Handley. 1943.Commission
of Game and Inland Fisheries, Richmond, VA. 281 pp. The Wild Turkey. Schorger, A.W. 1966. Univ. of Oklahoma Press.
625 pp. Wild Turkey (Hunting & Fishing Library) by Gary Clancy.
Hardcover - 128 pages (January 1997) Creative Publishing international;
ISBN: 0865730628 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.56 x 11.03 x 8.53 Wild Turkey Country, Williams, Lovett E., Jr. Gary Griffen
(Photographer) Format: Paperback ISBN: 1559712066 Publisher: Creative
Publishing International Pub. Date: November 1997 Edition Desc: REPRINT. Wild Turkeys: Hunting and Watching by John J. Mettler. Paperback
- 160 pages (September 1998) Storey Books; ISBN: 1580170692 ;
Dimensions (in inches): 0.46 x 9.00 x 6.01. The World of the Wild Turkey. Lewis, J.C. 1973. J.B. Lippincott
Co., N.Y. 158 pp.
If you know of any other turkey books, videos or publications please
e-mail us at and we will update the list.
Recipes
Susie Q's
wild turkey recipes.... Susie has
some great recipes here and some sent to here from turkey hunters
around the USA.
If you know of any other turkey recipe websites please e-mail us at and we will update the list.
The modern turkey is not native to the Golden State,
but does have ties back to prehistoric times. The extinct California
Turkey (Meliagris californica) is the second most common species of
bird found in the asphalt deposits of Rancho La Brea. Remains of more
than 700 individuals have been recovered, including the remains of very
young birds. The California Turkeys probably nested locally and may
have provided a source of food for many of the carnivorous animals
inhabiting Rancho La Brea. However, they went extinct during the last
ice age, following climatic changes that resulted in dramatic changes
in their habitats. The vast deserts that formed to the east in Nevada
and Arizona probably prevented the reestablishment of the modern wild
turkey in California. 
The first step in turkey hunting is to scout the
woods before the season opens. You can start the scouting at home with 
Turkey tracks that have a middle
toe longer than 4 inches were made by an adult gobbler. Droppings of a
Tom are usually long and J shaped, hen droppings are shorter. But,
droppings from either can be soft without any definite shape. If leaves
are turned over and the ground is moist, birds are using the area.
Leaves will be piled directly behind a scratching turkey in a V shape,
indicating the direction of travel. Look for turned over cow pies too,
as the turkeys love to eat the beetles that congregate underneath the
cow pies. Roost droppings look like someone shook a paintbrush of white
paint out on the leaves. Dusting areas will have small bowls, or
indentations, in the dust where the turkeys squat down to dust
themselves. You may find some feathers in a dusting area because the
birds like to preen themselves while dusting.
