Hunting outlook: Spring turkey forecast 2008

By Brian Wakeling, big game management supervisor,
Arizona Game and Fish Department

Brian and son, Seth, after successful spring turkey hunt.

The spring turkey season is just around the corner, and many spring turkey hunters are watching the calendar with eager anticipation. Because calling turkeys with simulated hen vocalizations is the most effective strategy in the spring, many hunters are already annoying friends and families by practicing their imitations on mouth, box, and slate calls.

Spring turkey hunting can be challenging in the best of years. Weather and access can be two of those challenges. Every year it seems as though the weatherman first checks the spring season dates before he forecasts high winds. And if he can’t find the opening date, he simply piles up deep snow earlier in the winter so that getting to your favorite spot is impossible.

Deep snow and limited access can work in your favor if you are willing to hike a bit. Gobblers are often located near the receding snow line in pursuit of hens after a winter like the one we just experienced, and walking a ways can often put you within earshot of a gobbling tom. Should you harvest a bird “way back in there,” they are not nearly as difficult to pack out as an elk. This extra effort can also get you into an area where there are few hunters with which to compete.

If windy conditions prevail, those same gobblers have greater difficulty in hearing your calls, and you may have difficulty in hearing his as well. Be patient and persistent. Once you find fresh sign (droppings or tracks), you may have a turkey come to your calls that didn’t call or that you didn’t hear. Just last spring, I was able to watch a gobbler walk for at least 400 yards in response to my calls. He never made a sound, but he strutted almost the entire distance. The junior hunter at my side was able to harvest this bird because we did not move a muscle until he was well within range.

A turkey’s best defense is his eyesight.

So practice your calls or find an electronic call that works for you. Decoys can be effective at distracting his attention by giving the gobbler something on which to focus. Gobblers are used to hens coming to him, not having to go to the hen. They can be incredibly hard to convince at times. Should you find yourself at the end of the hunt with an unfilled tag in your pocket, you may receive solace if you recognize many other hunters are in the same boat with you. Successfully harvesting a bird often results from a great deal of hard work, practice, patience, and a generous sprinkling of good luck.

But a successful hunt is usually the result of just being out there, even if you don’t tag a bird. Enjoy the season. And if you didn’t get drawn, find someone that can use the help and lend a hand in camp or calling. Spring is a great time to be in the turkey woods!

Brian Wakeling has worked for the department for many years. He loves turkeys and turkey hunting. Brian has been instrumental in the reintroduction of the Gould’s turkey and feels that reintroduction will be one of the most important milestones of his career. Brian also enjoys hunting with his two sons.