Talkin' Turkey
As the traditional Thanksgiving holiday season approaches, hunters have just finished up their fall turkey hunting efforts and are looking forward to upcoming deer and bear camps.
But before heading off to take a monster buck or nice bruin, hunters have time to reflect on their successes during the fall turkey season before looking ahead to the next season in April, when blood pressure rises in response to a boss gobbler calling back to a box call.
Like many involved in the sport of turkey hunting, the tradition has been passed down from generation to generation.Glenn Montgomery of Jefferson Township learned how to hunt from his father, Bob Jr., who had learned from his father Bob. Both Glenn's father and grandfather still hunt, but now Glenn has the opportunity to pass the sport of turkey hunting on to his son, Dustin.Dustin, a student at Emily Brittain Elementary School in Butler, takes advantage of the opportunities provided though the Pennsylvania State Game Commission mentoring and youth hunting programs.Young Dustin has gone into the woods with his father both deer and turkey hunting since he was about 4-years-old."He's probably been in the woods more than anyone his age," his dad said.The first day of turkey season in 2007 saw Dustin, 12, joining his father on the thickly forested property of a friend along Golden City Road.When Montgomery used a mouth call to see if any feathered prey were lurking in the immediate area, four separate turkeys immediately called back."It was the coolest sound I ever heard, how it echoed off the trees and everything," said a grinning Dustin.Another call at a location deeper in the woods also produced audible results, much to the new turkey hunter's amazement."We could hear the gobblers all around us searching for the hen," Dustin recalled.Montgomery smiled at memories from Dustin's first forays into the forest on hunting trips as his companion at age 4. "There would be a big turkey coming right up to the blind and he'd be sound asleep," said Montgomery with a laugh.Dustin, a patient and mature hunter because of his experiences with his dad, said he doesn't mind getting up at the crack of dawn to bundle up and head out into the frozen Western Pennsylvania forest. The idea of sleeping in on such a Saturday morning during hunting season would never occur to him."I love it," said Dustin as he pulled on his camo hunting shirt in the brisk November morning air. "... listening to the sound of the birds and seeing the deer and everything."Dustin also said hunting allows him to spend quality time with his father, as his dad did with his father and grandfather.
For Ron Osselborn, current president of the Moraine Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation of Butler County, turkey hunting is a family affair as well, with his 15-year-old daughter Tiffany along for the hunts.The Osselborns of Lancaster Township have been hunting together for the past three years. Tiffany has already gotten her first deer and was most recently able to take a mature spring gobbler this past April.Tiffany has been fortunate to participate the past several years in the state NWTF Jakes Hunt of the Year, where two youth hunters are chosen from all the state chapters to participate in the special hunt.She bagged her first turkey, at age 12, near Shippenville."I had gotten a deer before I started turkey hunting, but I really like turkey hunting better," Tiffany said. "I just like seeing the turkeys come in struttin.'""She's a 15-year-old girl and like other girls that age, she has other priorities, maybe more so than boys," said her father. "But whenever she gets a chance to go hunting, she goes."Hunting also opened the door for her to get involved in trap shooting. Though she wasn't able to hit a single clay target out of 25 on her first attempt, after some instruction and practice, she has been able to land a spot on the junior scholastic team.The father/daughter hunting forays give both the Osselborns the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors and turkey hunting.Osselborn hopes to enjoy hunting with his younger daughter, Jessica, in the future.
Butler County's Moraine Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation is the local chapter charged with raising funds for habitat improvements for wild turkeys.Osselborn, as the current president, said the chapter holds an annual banquet and raffles to raise money for habitat improvement. The next NWTF Hunting Heritage Banquet is set for Feb. 2 at the Butler Days Inn.The chapter has helped the Pennsylvania Game Commission purchase lime to use on food plots on state game lands and has work with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources on projects in the Moraine State Park area.Members help plant and cut trees and plant food sources such as crab apple trees that not only benefit wild turkeys, but other wildlife, said Osselborn.The NWTF in the state of Pennsylvania has contributed more than $4 million to habitat improvement across the state."I really enjoy being a part of the chapter because you get to see the money we raise go back into Butler County and the habitat improvements. You're seeing where your money is going and its real benefits."Osselborn pointed out that as early as the 1930s, wild turkeys were on the verge of extinction in North America.Thanks to organizations like the NWTF, there now are more than 7 million wild turkeys across the U.S.For information about the Moraine chapter of the NWTF, call Carl Mowry at 724-283-5708 or e-mail him at cmpanwtf@zoominternet.net.
The American Thanksgiving tradition celebrates the harvest, the land's bounty and the coming of winter.For some families, that celebration begins with another tradition, a wild turkey hunt surrounded by autumn's colorful glow."Today, more people than ever are enjoying wild turkey hunting in the fall, the traditional form of the sport," said National Wild Turkey Federation chief executive officer Rob Keck. "Even with several other hunting opportunities to choose from, fall turkey hunters throughout the country are dedicating their time to pursuing America's largest game bird."Hunting wild turkeys during the fall often requires tactics different than those used during the spring season.Following these tips from the National Wild Turkey Federation will help you bag your bird next fall.Unlike turkey hunting during the spring — when toms can be found by the sound of their gobbles — fall hunters must rely on less audible yelps, clucks and kee-kees, or the sounds of turkeys scratching in leaves or flapping their wings.And unlike the spring season when turkeys typically roost, strut and feed in the same areas day in and day out, fall flocks range over a wider area in their search for food, sometimes not returning to the same tract for days.The typical range for a fall flock is between 250 and 400 acres, depending on the habitat and availability of food, according to Bryan Burhans, NWTF's director of land management programs. "But if food is found easily along corridors that stretch for great distances, turkeys may range much farther, maybe even for miles."Whether you limit your hunt to gangs of old gobblers or tail the more vocal hens and young birds, remember that the only thing on their minds in the fall is food.Turkey flocks will move throughout an area, scratching for acorns and berries among the leaves. They'll also look for waste grain in fields that have been harvested or "bug" for insects along grassy lanes.Once you've identified those feeding zones, look for turkey tracks, droppings and feathers. Large, j-shaped droppings indicate a gobbler has come and gone, while smaller droppings, shaped like popcorn, signal that hens and young birds have passed.
"Scratching also lets you know where turkeys have been feeding and in which direction they are traveling," said Keck. "If the soil is still dark and damp, chances are that the birds have been there in the past few hours."On opening day, hit the hot spots before fly-down. Despite not having the advantage of gobbling birds, large flocks often make a ruckus when they descend from their roosts and gather on the ground.Listen for the sound of frantic wing beats, loud yelps and cutts and the kee-keeing of young birds. Once gathered, flocks usually don't call much, so the earlier arrival is best, but be prepared to cover some ground.Ease through the woods and listen for the occasional call of a turkey or for the sound of scratching. Don't worry much about the sound of your walking through the leaves, though; other birds might mistake you for a turkey, and that's a good thing.Keep in mind, however, that other hunters could be around so be cautious and never call while you are walking or stalking through heavy cover.When you're able to call, call from a large tree for safety's sake. And if that big ole bird should appear, you'll be able to set up quickly.
