The California general spring wild turkey season opens Saturday and runs through May 1. Hunters should have no trouble locating that big gobbler. The state’s wild turkey population continues to prosper, so much so that in many areas such as Lake, Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties turkeys are considered pests and farmers claim they are destroying their crops.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) issues a number of depredation permits each year to vineyard owners because of the overpopulation of turkeys. Lake County has thousands of acres of public land open for turkey hunting, the most popular being the Cache Creek Wildlife Area in eastern Lake County. The county-owned property at Highland Springs is also open for hunting but a permit is required from the Water Resources Department. The Mendocino National Forest also has a large population of wild turkeys.
The bag limit is one bearded turkey per day with a season limit of three. The DFW classes a bearded turkey as one having a beard visible through the breast feathers. Actually, about 10 percent of the hens have a visible beard and are legal to take although hunters are discouraged from shooting a hen during the spring season. The shooting hours for 2016 have slightly changed. The hours are one-half hour before sunrise to 5 p.m. Hunters are required to use either shotguns or archery equipment. Pellet guns also can be used.
The public and private lands in Lake County offer an excellent opportunity for those who are first-time turkey hunters to bag a bird. The trick is not so much as selecting the right place to hunt but to locate the birds. Years ago when I operated a turkey guiding business I quickly learned that on any given ranch most of the turkeys were found at only four or five prime locations. Finding these sweet spots can be a challenge but it’s well worth the effort. One successful method is to drive the back roads on ranches or in the national forest just after dark. Stop every quarter mile or so and blow a crow call. Some hunters even use a hand-held air horn, which sends out a loud blast. I can guarantee that if a tom hears that blast he will respond with a gobble. When you hear a gobble mentally lock in the location and plan on returning the next day before daylight.
The big mistake novice turkey hunters make is they don’t get into the woods early enough. For example, if the legal shooting time is 6 a.m., I’m in the woods up on a ridge by no later than 5 a.m. Toms will start to gobble from the roost tree as early as two hours before daylight. When you hear a gobble, try to move within 200 yards of the roost tree and set up your decoy and blind or locate suitable cover. Once you have heard the tom gobble and located his roost tree don’t call until the legal shooting time. The last thing you want to do is to call the tom to you before you can legally shoot. This has happened to just about every turkey hunter. I have had toms fly down and strut in front of me 30 minutes before shooting time.
Hunter ethics are also important for turkey hunting. If you arrive at your hunting location and see a vehicle parked there, leave and find another spot. I have had hunters set up within 30 yards of me and it can ruin the hunt. That is one reason why you should have several locations to hunt. If another hunter is there ahead of you, move to another spot. I had a hunter shoot my decoy because he thought it was a real turkey.
Safety is another major consideration. Never take a shot unless you have a clear view of the bird and what is beyond. Years ago one my best friends was hunting with his cousin and they separated. My friend was calling a turkey, which was gobbling hard. His cousin also heard the gobble and attempted to sneak up on the bird and saw a patch of brown moving in the brush. He fired a shot and hit my friend in the back. They had to airlift him out to a hospital in Redding and he has two BB pellets lodged in the heart to this day. He was lucky to have survive.
Make no mistake, once you hunt turkeys the chance is great you will become addicted to it. It is one of the most exciting of all hunting sports.
