Spring Gobbler Season is the second most popular day of the Pennsylvania hunting seasons around these parts.

The statewide opening day for wily gobblers is this weekend and will be in full swing until the end of May.

Turkey hunters acquire more specialty gear than any other group of hunters and often need every bit of help they can muster to harvest a truly wily big Tom.

A truly accomplished turkey hunter is a master in the turkey hunting craft. He must be the master of disguise, an accomplished caller of turkey talk, a tactician who plans the proper meeting of the gobbler and the hunter, and have the patience to sit still for hours.

He must scout out his target bird, pattern the gobblers’ movements and master his shotgun and all of its capabilities.

He selects the ammunition he will use and decide if he will use a blind or a natural cover.

As you can see this is no feat for an inexperienced hunter and having someone mentor you with the Spring Gobbler Hunt is a sage move.

Plenty of hunters have watched videotaped hunts and outdoor shows to get hunting knowledge but there is nothing like in the field experiences.

You can blunder along on your own and get frustrating hunting experiences or you can seek help from an experienced hunting partner and shorten the learning curve.

Unfortunately, not every hunter has a master NWTF hunter at his side so you will learn by experiences in the field.

The good news is that there are many levels of turkeys out in the wild too!

The youngest male turkeys that are legal quarry are known as Jakes.

The Jakes are just getting into the gobbling business and they sport short cigar sized beards which are located in the center of their breast region.

These guys are more likely to fall for a poor calling effort or decoy set up.

Many first year hunters harvest a Jake and learn about turkey behavior from them.

The next level is the two or three year old gobblers that are larger and sport some nicer beards in the 5 to 8 inch length.

These are not push over birds and will have a bit more savvy in recognizing the set up of a hunter if it is flawed in any way.

The Boss Gobbler is the one that all hunters seek and is the most difficult to fool and call into an ambush.

These birds have long beards that at times reach lengths that nearly drag on the ground as they walk about.

These gobblers also grow long spurs which are located at the back of their legs just above the feet. These spurs are for fighting and self defense and can be formidable weapons if the enemy is caught just right, many hunters sport the spurs as a part of their trophy hunt with a 2” spur or longer considered a prize possession.

I have had wonderful and memorable hunts and I have had my follies while turkey hunting.

Messing up on a gobbler isn’t the end of the world and thousands of hunters would admit if they were truthful that they either messed up or a gobbler was too wily for them on previous hunts. Once when I was walking out to hunting location I was practicing a few hen clucks on a call, much to my surprise a gobbler hopped out of a thicket along the trail to greet his prize hen!

I am not sure who was more shocked as we unexpectedly spotted each other a few yards apart…he’s still running and I’m still laughing at that folly. Lesson learned…always be ready…and quiet until you are set up!

Safety is the biggest and most important point to emphasize.

Not everything is as it seems, what sounds like a turkey or may seem like the movement of a turkey always is a turkey.

You want to be extra careful and be absolutely sure of your target…take the time to look over your bird and what is beyond him.

More than one turkey hunter can locate in the same locale and actually call to each other.

That is why you put a large tree to your back and have a clear vantage point in front of you.

Put out a marker ribbon near your blind or tree to warn other hunters that you are near.

They sell hundreds of turkeys every week at the grocery stores and no wild turkey is worth an accidental shooting episode.

Until we meet again I hope your shotgun is shooting tight patterns and your gobbler is dragging his beard on the ground...good luck and safe hunting!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.