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It's turkey time again in San Diego County
By Ed Zieralski, San Diego UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
March 22, 2003
Imagine, San Diego County is being listed right there with the Central Coast of California as one of the state's hot spots for hunting wild turkeys.
San Diego, a place that had very few wild turkeys before 243 were imported here in the winter of 1993, now a popular destination for turkey hunters.
The state's spring hunting season for gobblers opens next Saturday, and, unfortunately, word has leaked out to the masses about this area's gobbler population. More than one outdoor publication has touted the area with "scouting" reports on San Diego's wildest and wiliest birds.
The population may only be 10 years old, but it's strong and growing rapidly.
Local hunters know this is the week to find and "roost" a big tom for opening day. And if you manage to find some on public land, a challenge to be sure, consider yourself very lucky or very good.
How do you "roost" a bird. Or, how do you call one within shotgun range?
Here are a few tips, some from me and some from the National Wild Turkey Federation:
Sign: A wise turkey hunter once said, "Hunt where the turkeys are." Sounds overly simple, yes, but it's true. If you don't see turkeys or turkey sign, find another place to hunt. Look for such things as scat (male turkeys leave droppings about two inches long and J-shaped), tracks (a gobbler's middle toe is longer than his other digits), drags of wing tips in the dirt where they've been dancing for the females, scratching and dust bowls, feathers. If you're only seeing hens, be patient. It's spring, mating time.
Roosting: If you find a roost tree (littered with lots of feathers and droppings), set up within 100 to 150 yards from the roosting toms. This is the week to get out in the pre-dawn hours or late in the afternoon to check creek bottoms and wooded ridge areas for turkeys moving to or into roosting trees. If you can drive an area, get out every few hundred yards and try a shock gobble, crow call or owl hoot. If all that fails, throw in a hen call (more on calling later).
The Hunt: Complete camouflage is essential. Mesh face masks, face paint or camouflage netting are options. Hunt defensively. Pick out a large tree trunk, stump or rock wider than your shoulders and taller than your head to rest your back against. Study the area you're hunting. Read topographic maps, check for obstructions such as fence lines or downed trees that might detour a gobbler. And be still. Selecting the right camou and calls are very important, but the most important thing while turkey hunting is to remain still, completely still.
Calling: By now you've bought every call in the catalogs and then some, and you've practiced so much your parrot does an awesome hen turkey. A good turkey hunter has enough calls to set up a small concession, but it's crucial to be really good at one or two. Using a mouth call eliminates the chance of hand movement if a silent tom arrives. But they're tough to master. The box call and the slate call are the easiest to work. Most of all, call and stay patient.
Shooting: Pattern your shotgun and decide on the right ammunition. Some opt for choke tubes for tighter patterns. Forty yards is the maximum distance, really, so try shots from 40 yards to as close as 10 yards. Use No. 4, 5 or 6 shot. The 4s offer more range; the 6s deliver more pellets to the kill area; but the 5s give both.
Other stuff: Decoys work. Set them within 15 to 20 yards of your setup, and don't be afraid to use a mix of two hens and a jake. The jake may irritate a big tom to come in strutting and slugging.
If you're hunting on private property and you know no one else is hunting, don't be afraid to move toward gobblers that are moving away, especially if you know their daily routine. Set up ahead or above them, and it might lead to them showing renewed interest.
And finally, San Diegans have an awesome hunter safety record, so let's maintain it.
Honor another hunter's setup.
There may not be a more exciting time for a hunter than that moment the hunter knows a big tom turkey is answering calls and drumming his way close enough for a shot.
Ed Zieralski: (619) 293-1225 or ed.zieralski@uniontrib.com
By Ed Zieralski, San Diego UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
March 22, 2003
Imagine, San Diego County is being listed right there with the Central Coast of California as one of the state's hot spots for hunting wild turkeys.
San Diego, a place that had very few wild turkeys before 243 were imported here in the winter of 1993, now a popular destination for turkey hunters.
The state's spring hunting season for gobblers opens next Saturday, and, unfortunately, word has leaked out to the masses about this area's gobbler population. More than one outdoor publication has touted the area with "scouting" reports on San Diego's wildest and wiliest birds.
The population may only be 10 years old, but it's strong and growing rapidly.
Local hunters know this is the week to find and "roost" a big tom for opening day. And if you manage to find some on public land, a challenge to be sure, consider yourself very lucky or very good.
How do you "roost" a bird. Or, how do you call one within shotgun range?
Here are a few tips, some from me and some from the National Wild Turkey Federation:
Sign: A wise turkey hunter once said, "Hunt where the turkeys are." Sounds overly simple, yes, but it's true. If you don't see turkeys or turkey sign, find another place to hunt. Look for such things as scat (male turkeys leave droppings about two inches long and J-shaped), tracks (a gobbler's middle toe is longer than his other digits), drags of wing tips in the dirt where they've been dancing for the females, scratching and dust bowls, feathers. If you're only seeing hens, be patient. It's spring, mating time.
Roosting: If you find a roost tree (littered with lots of feathers and droppings), set up within 100 to 150 yards from the roosting toms. This is the week to get out in the pre-dawn hours or late in the afternoon to check creek bottoms and wooded ridge areas for turkeys moving to or into roosting trees. If you can drive an area, get out every few hundred yards and try a shock gobble, crow call or owl hoot. If all that fails, throw in a hen call (more on calling later).
The Hunt: Complete camouflage is essential. Mesh face masks, face paint or camouflage netting are options. Hunt defensively. Pick out a large tree trunk, stump or rock wider than your shoulders and taller than your head to rest your back against. Study the area you're hunting. Read topographic maps, check for obstructions such as fence lines or downed trees that might detour a gobbler. And be still. Selecting the right camou and calls are very important, but the most important thing while turkey hunting is to remain still, completely still.
Calling: By now you've bought every call in the catalogs and then some, and you've practiced so much your parrot does an awesome hen turkey. A good turkey hunter has enough calls to set up a small concession, but it's crucial to be really good at one or two. Using a mouth call eliminates the chance of hand movement if a silent tom arrives. But they're tough to master. The box call and the slate call are the easiest to work. Most of all, call and stay patient.
Shooting: Pattern your shotgun and decide on the right ammunition. Some opt for choke tubes for tighter patterns. Forty yards is the maximum distance, really, so try shots from 40 yards to as close as 10 yards. Use No. 4, 5 or 6 shot. The 4s offer more range; the 6s deliver more pellets to the kill area; but the 5s give both.
Other stuff: Decoys work. Set them within 15 to 20 yards of your setup, and don't be afraid to use a mix of two hens and a jake. The jake may irritate a big tom to come in strutting and slugging.
If you're hunting on private property and you know no one else is hunting, don't be afraid to move toward gobblers that are moving away, especially if you know their daily routine. Set up ahead or above them, and it might lead to them showing renewed interest.
And finally, San Diegans have an awesome hunter safety record, so let's maintain it.
Honor another hunter's setup.
There may not be a more exciting time for a hunter than that moment the hunter knows a big tom turkey is answering calls and drumming his way close enough for a shot.
Ed Zieralski: (619) 293-1225 or ed.zieralski@uniontrib.com
