Turkey hunters in California kick off their spring hunting season, which runs through May 2, on Saturday. Turkey hunting is one of the fastest growing hunting sports in the state. Whereas deer and waterfowl numbers have been in decline for years, the wild turkey population is booming.
Wild turkeys are now found in all but a few counties of the state. The population in Lake County has grown so fast they are becoming a nuisance in many areas. They can be found throughout the cities of Lakeport and Clearlake as well as other urban areas throughout the county. A drive down any backroad will reveal flocks of turkeys in the fields and woods. They were introduced by the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) in 1982 for hunters and have thrived ever since.
They are a fascinating bird. Some scientists claim wild turkeys aren’t native to California although fossil remains dating back more than 15,000 years have been found. They disappeared from the state thousands of years ago for some reason.The first wild turkeys were introduced into the state in 1857 but never became established until the 1970s. Lake County didn’t have any wild turkeys until the early 1980s.
California is home two types of wild turkeys, the Rio Grande and the Merriam. Both exist in the county. The Rio Grande is the most common bird and is found at lower elevations. It has a brown tip on its tail feathers. The birds seen along county roads are Rio Grandes. The Merriam is a mountain bird and has a white tip on is tail feathers. The only ones in the county are found on Hull Mountain near Lake Pillsbury.
Wild turkeys belong to the Galliformes class of fowl that includes grouse, pheasants and quail. Weighing up to 25 pounds, it is the largest game bird in North America. Wild male turkeys are called gobblers or toms. A juvenile male is called a jake. The adult female is called a hen and an immature female is called a jenny. The male can be identified by his bright red head, beard and spurs although a few hens also have beards. They are polygamous, meaning the tom will breed with any willing hen and does not assist in raising the young.
The breeding season starts in early March and runs through April and sometimes even into May. The adult tom will breed with as many hens as he can entice. He attracts the hens by gobbling and strutting. Each flock normally contains eight to 10 hens, two or three jakes and at least one adult tom. The toms will fight during the breeding season and have been known to kill other toms by spurring them. They have even been known to attack humans during their breeding season. A few years ago a tom turkey attacked an elderly man in Lakeport and the turkey had to be destroyed.
The hens select a nesting area, usually at the base of a tree or beneath a log and build a nest out of leaves and other debris. She will lay an egg or two a day and then return to the flock. In about two weeks the clutch can grow to eight to 10 eggs. At that time the hen will leave the flock and incubate the eggs for 28 days. The young are all hatched within a day or two of each other. After they hatch, the hen takes the young chicks to feed on small seeds and insects. The young chicks can fly to the roost tree when they are five days old. All turkeys roost in trees at night to protect themselves from predators.
Wild turkeys are classified by the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) as upland game birds or small game. The 2021 spring season opens Saturday and runs through May 2. The shooting hours are one-half hour before sunrise to 5 p.m. The limit is one bearded turkey per day and a possession limit of three for the season. In other words, the maximum number of turkeys one hunter can take for the entire season is three. The turkey must have a visible beard protruding through the breast feathers. It can actually be a tom or a hen as long as it has a beard. However, hunters are encouraged to shoot only toms.
You must have a current California hunting license and an Upland Game Stamp to hunt turkeys. Only shotguns (10-gauge or smaller) with the shot size being no larger than No. 2 may be used. Also, only non-lead shot can be used. You also can use a bow and arrow, crossbow, muzzle-loading shotguns and even air rifles with a .177 or larger caliber to hunt turkeys. For archery, any standard arrow with any type of broadhead or mechanical head can be used.
Hunters are cautioned that they can’t shoot a firearm within 150 yards of an occupied building and they can’t hunt on private land without written permission from the owner.
