The California fall wild turkey and pheasant seasons open Saturday. Whereas there are very few wild pheasants in Lake County, there are plenty of wild turkeys on both private and public land.
The annual Highland Springs Junior Pheasant Hunt takes place Saturday morning. Pen-raised birds are released prior to the hunt, which starts at 8 a.m. The Konocti Rod and Gun Club is providing a lunch for the junior hunters. In addition, the Lake County Rod and Gun Club is hosting a trap shoot for the young hunters. Volunteers are needed to assist in planting birds and helping the DFW personnel.
The fall turkey season runs through Dec. 7 and the limit is one bird of either sex for the season.
Wild turkeys and pheasants are not native to California. The turkeys were brought here from the eastern part of the country and pheasants, which are native to China, were brought to America in 1881. Both species found the California habitat ideal and they have prospered. In fact, pheasants are the most popular upland game bird in the state and draw thousands of hunters. Wild turkey hunting is also gaining in popularity, but it has been a slow process.
Despite the abundance of wild turkeys the fall season still hasn”t caught on among many California hunters. Most of the hunters are concentrating on waterfowl, quail or pheasants. However, for those few dedicated turkey hunters the fall season can be as exciting as the spring season.
Slightly different tactics are used during the fall season. The turkeys don”t respond to a call the same as they do in the spring. Rarely will you hear a gobble and when you do, the tom really has little interest in you. Most of the birds taken during the fall season are either young jakes or hens. The old gobblers tend to stay in small and isolated flocks and are extremely shy.
Starting in October, the smaller flocks of turkeys merge into one larger flock. In some areas it”s not unusual to see as many as 100 birds in one flock. Getting within shotgun range of this many birds can be difficult. In fact, even locating a flock of turkeys in the fall can be a challenge. They often find an isolated canyon where there is food and water and spend the entire winter there. Because turkeys are in largre flocks during the fall months, they tend to leave signs of their presence. Turkeys feed on seeds, acorns and insects and they obtain them by scratching. A flock of 25 turkeys will often dig up large areas under oak trees. Once you find these areas there is an excellent chance the flock is nearby.
Another method veteran hunters use to locate turkeys is to hike and glass the hillsides with binoculars. It”s not unusual to see a flock of turkeys feeding in open glades. As the weather turns colder, turkeys require more food and they spend more time feeding.
While there is very little gobbling during the fall, turkeys remain quite vocal. They yelp, cluck, chirp and peep while feeding. They do this to maintain communication with the flock. If a young bird wanders away from the flock it often makes a high-pitched whistling sound called the kee-kee. Usually the older hens respond with a loud yelp.
Once you have located a flock of turkeys or have seen fresh signs, be in the area well before daylight. The birds fly down from the roost trees at first light. At this time you will hear a lot of yelping and clucking as the flock reassembles.
When feeding, the flock tends to move in the same direction. They also can cover a lot of ground in a short time. One successful method is to get ahead of the feeding flock. Set up against a tree and start making a series of soft yelps. Often a younger bird will leave the flock and come toward you.
Another method is to scatter the flock. Once scattered, turkeys try and regroup the same as quail. After scattering the flock, set up and start calling. Use loud yelps and clucks to draw the birds to you. Often you have an entire flock of several dozen birds charging right up to you. If that happens, you have to be careful to select an isolated bird to prevent killing more than one bird with a single shot.
One advantage to fall turkey hunting is you can hunt until sunset and that last hour of shooting time can be very effective. Turkeys fly to the roost tree just before dark. Normally late in the afternoon a flock meanders toward the roost tree and assembles just before they fly up. Locate the roost tree and set up about 50 yards away. As the birds approach make a few soft clucks and putts. Often this draws a bird or two to you. Roost trees can be identified by feathers and droppings at the base of the tree. Unless disturbed, turkeys generally use the same tree over and over again.
A wild turkey makes an excellent Thanksgiving meal. The meat is less fatty compared to domesticated birds but is still tasty.
