Published: April 24, 2008 11:11 am            

THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Spring turkey season starts May 1

“Tom Turkey” will be fair game until noon each day from May 1 to 31. Hunters are allowed two bearded birds (one per day) during this spring season.

Being in the woods hunting this time of the year can be awesome. The forest is coming alive with nature since winter has released its grip. The sounds, smells and sights of spring make for a very enjoyable morning especially when a distant gobbler puts excitement into the air.

However, turkey hunting can be dangerous because you are camouflaged and making sounds like a turkey while other hunters are looking for turkeys.

Some simple tips can prevent you from having a hunting accident while you are out there enjoying yourself.

First, be 100 percent sure of your target and the background. Second, don’t wear anything with red, white, blue or black on it. These are normal colors for spring turkeys and another excited hunter may think he is seeing small patches of a turkey. The third tip is to sit and call; don’t try stalking what you think may be a turkey calling.

I do not get too excited about turkey hunting in the spring mainly because years ago on state land I had a guy sneak up over a bench on the side of a ridge with his gun raised thinking I was a turkey because of my calling. Lucky everything worked out OK but it could have been bad.

Oh, my blood really gets flowing when a nice tom comes strutting into range, but so many times I have just fallen asleep while listening and enjoying the peaceful spring day. I enjoy trying to fool old “Tom,” but it seems there are so many other things to enjoy or do at that time of the year and I don’t stick with it.

Don’t get me wrong, if I hear a gobble near the cabin, I will grab the gun and calls but if he doesn’t hurry to me he may find me asleep against a tree.

Speaking of camp, Pretty Boy has not been over on the west side of my big ravine in a week but I have had him find me when working on the apple trees on the east side and his lost tail feathers are starting to grow back already.

There is another male grouse drumming right by the ravine and I believe PB’s area is over farther and above that. Maybe he got beat up by that bird when he crossed his territory coming over to see me before and now stays clear of that spot.

Last week, Herb Linderman, a friend of mine who has a camp about 20 miles away, stopped over while he was in the area. We went up into the edge of PB’s area and after standing around for about 10 minutes, he showed up. At first he was shy of Herb but I assured him that he only had a camera and wanted some pictures. After a short photo session, we headed back to camp and PB escorted us part way back.

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One thing that has always bothered me and a few other folks is that the Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge has had its Youth Turkey Hunt after he season opens instead of before the regular season like the state does. This gives the young folks a better chance to get a turkey before the other hunters make the birds shy. Of course, the INWR had this special hunt before the state started its special spring youth hunt and the dates have never been changed. Like everything else with the government, it almost needs and act of Congress to change something even if it is for the better.

There is one way you can help change this date over to the times that the state has. If you let these folks know you would like to see this change, it would move the process along. You can do this by stopping in at the Iroquois headquarters on Casey road and filling out a comment form or by mailing your comment to Tomas Roster, Refuge Manager, Iroquois NWR, 1101 Casey Road, Basom, NY 14013 or by e-mailing northeastplanning@fws.gov.

As far as the few guys that complain about not being able to hunt on the refuge on youth day, why don’t you take a youth out hunting or go fishing?

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Last week’s column mentioned how the Friends of Iroquois, Inc. had a trash pickup day on April 3. The names of the folks who performed this job were eliminated in that article. Many thanks go out to Ed Fiorino, Ed Kramer, Tuneeshaw Hudson, Al Nice, Bob Schmidt, Gail Seamans, Don Swanson and Carl Zenger for their help in this project. You can help them next time by not throwing your trash out the window as you drive through the refuge on Route 63.

To get sportsman’s news and info into The Great Outdoors, call Doug Domedion at 798-4022 or e-mail him at woodduck2020@yahoo.com.

        

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