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October 2, 2003
Charlie Farmer, Springfield News-Leader
Start targeting gobbles and gobbles of turkeys
The turkey opener in Missouri is October 13 and closes October 26. The glowing month of October offers near perfect weather conditions for stalking flocks of wild turkeys that are bent on stoking up acorns and insects for the winter months ahead.
For the hunter, this is the time to pitch a tent in the Mark Twain National Forest and celebrate the show of colors and a fall getaway into the forest.
There is good news. Spring and summer hatch of turkeys seems to be good. On recent dove and teal hunts in September with my son, turkey sighting were numerous.
A recent scouting trip in the Mark Twain near Cassville turned up a good crop of acorns on the ground. Turkey scratching were numerous. But the best proof of all that turkeys were using the areas was an actual sighting.
Walking slowly along a narrow ridgetop trail at sunrise, I heard yelps and clucks bellow me. I sat down against an oak tree and pulled my camouflaged mast down. I answered the yelp with a mouth call and received an immediate response. The birds were making their way up the ridge.
A few minutes later I heard footsteps in the dry grass adjacent to the trail. A few seconds later, the procession of turkeys was clearly visible for where I sat. It was a mixed flock of mature hens, two or three adult toms and the rest immature birds. Turkey heads bobbing up and down. The birds started to run on the trail.
They lingered for a minute or so then crossed the trail and wandered into a grove of cedar trees. I heard them in the powder-dry forest for 1O minutes and then there was silence.
Since the turkeys did not spook, the place where I sat that morning would be a good bet to try opening morning. If there was one negative to the scouting trip, it was the realization of how dry the forest was.ݠThe trail was relatively quiet and I was lucky to hear the birds below me.ݠDuring the hunting season, I might not be so lucky in hearing birds right off the trail.
Attempting to walk quietly in the woods with these dry conditions would be a gamble.
If there is no significant rainfall between now and the season opening, hugging a quiet trail would e the best plan. Hunters who elect to set up camps in the forest may be facing a ban pm open fires. Two or three good rains would remedy those concerns.
For those who have not hunted fall turkeys, the same techniques used for spring gobblers also work well for autumn birds. The main difference in October is that hunters can shootݠbirds of either sex.
The same importance is placed on getting to a spot about 45 minutes or so before sunrise. The reason for this is that fall birds are also vocal when still on their roost trees. While still dark, they commonly give their roosting positions away. This enables the fall turkey hunter to move into a strategic position, under cover of darkness.
Also, don't be surprised it you hear gobbling. These pleas from toms vary from year to year. Some fall seasons, mature birds gobble through October.
Other seasons toms, for some reason, never gobble in October.
Here's a tip, Carry your gobble call with you during the fall season. It the toms happen to be vocal, you can call them in just like you do in spring. Most of the calls you hear will be yelps, clucks, purrs, putts, kee-kee- and lost bird whistles.
Some birds will wander away for the flock and become lost and will respond readily to kee-kees and lost bird whistles. Both calls for a hunter best sounded with a mouth call.
Late afternoon until sunset is another good time for hunting fall turkeys. The birds are foraging and at the same time working their way to roosting areas. The same call used for early work can be applied for late in the day.
Be smart! If you don't have a Wildlife Code of Missouri, get one free of charge in stores that carry hunting and fishing equipment. The Wildlife Code is easy to read and will help you in knowing the rules of hunting and fishing.
Contact free-lance columnist Charlie Farmer at 1197 East Court, Ozark, MO 65721 or cjoutdoors318365@aol.com
Charlie Farmer, Springfield News-Leader
Start targeting gobbles and gobbles of turkeys
The turkey opener in Missouri is October 13 and closes October 26. The glowing month of October offers near perfect weather conditions for stalking flocks of wild turkeys that are bent on stoking up acorns and insects for the winter months ahead.
For the hunter, this is the time to pitch a tent in the Mark Twain National Forest and celebrate the show of colors and a fall getaway into the forest.
There is good news. Spring and summer hatch of turkeys seems to be good. On recent dove and teal hunts in September with my son, turkey sighting were numerous.
A recent scouting trip in the Mark Twain near Cassville turned up a good crop of acorns on the ground. Turkey scratching were numerous. But the best proof of all that turkeys were using the areas was an actual sighting.
Walking slowly along a narrow ridgetop trail at sunrise, I heard yelps and clucks bellow me. I sat down against an oak tree and pulled my camouflaged mast down. I answered the yelp with a mouth call and received an immediate response. The birds were making their way up the ridge.
A few minutes later I heard footsteps in the dry grass adjacent to the trail. A few seconds later, the procession of turkeys was clearly visible for where I sat. It was a mixed flock of mature hens, two or three adult toms and the rest immature birds. Turkey heads bobbing up and down. The birds started to run on the trail.
They lingered for a minute or so then crossed the trail and wandered into a grove of cedar trees. I heard them in the powder-dry forest for 1O minutes and then there was silence.
Since the turkeys did not spook, the place where I sat that morning would be a good bet to try opening morning. If there was one negative to the scouting trip, it was the realization of how dry the forest was.ݠThe trail was relatively quiet and I was lucky to hear the birds below me.ݠDuring the hunting season, I might not be so lucky in hearing birds right off the trail.
Attempting to walk quietly in the woods with these dry conditions would be a gamble.
If there is no significant rainfall between now and the season opening, hugging a quiet trail would e the best plan. Hunters who elect to set up camps in the forest may be facing a ban pm open fires. Two or three good rains would remedy those concerns.
For those who have not hunted fall turkeys, the same techniques used for spring gobblers also work well for autumn birds. The main difference in October is that hunters can shootݠbirds of either sex.
The same importance is placed on getting to a spot about 45 minutes or so before sunrise. The reason for this is that fall birds are also vocal when still on their roost trees. While still dark, they commonly give their roosting positions away. This enables the fall turkey hunter to move into a strategic position, under cover of darkness.
Also, don't be surprised it you hear gobbling. These pleas from toms vary from year to year. Some fall seasons, mature birds gobble through October.
Other seasons toms, for some reason, never gobble in October.
Here's a tip, Carry your gobble call with you during the fall season. It the toms happen to be vocal, you can call them in just like you do in spring. Most of the calls you hear will be yelps, clucks, purrs, putts, kee-kee- and lost bird whistles.
Some birds will wander away for the flock and become lost and will respond readily to kee-kees and lost bird whistles. Both calls for a hunter best sounded with a mouth call.
Late afternoon until sunset is another good time for hunting fall turkeys. The birds are foraging and at the same time working their way to roosting areas. The same call used for early work can be applied for late in the day.
Be smart! If you don't have a Wildlife Code of Missouri, get one free of charge in stores that carry hunting and fishing equipment. The Wildlife Code is easy to read and will help you in knowing the rules of hunting and fishing.
Contact free-lance columnist Charlie Farmer at 1197 East Court, Ozark, MO 65721 or cjoutdoors318365@aol.com
