Truth be told, I’m finding it difficult to cope as I wait anxiously for Nebraska’s spring wild turkey hunting seasons to arrive. The days are getting longer, we’ve had some of those abnormally warm winter days, and hints of green are emerging on my lawn!
Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m really looking forward to experiencing the spring migration of waterfowl and sandhill cranes, in addition to hunting snow geese, but it’s hard not to not think about wild turkeys in the springtime when there is a day filled with warm sunshine and calm southwest breezes.
I’m certain that the birds on my hunting properties are still bunched in larger flocks as they were a couple weeks ago.
It shouldn’t be too much longer before wild turkey courtship rituals enter the picture, right? I know that breeding is dictated by photoperiod (day length or amount of sunlight in a 24-hour period) and is fine tuned by local environmental conditions.
I realize there’s plenty to do to get ready for Nebraska’s spring wild turkey hunting season openers – Archery/Crossbow – March 25, Youth Shotgun – April 9 and Regular Shotgun – April 16.
While many outdoor enthusiasts begin to prepare for fishing, camping, golfing and other spring pastimes, a note of caution is advised for those gearing up to spring wild turkey hunt.
There needs to be some sort of product manufacturer warning labels on turkey hunting gear (calls, decoys, camouflaged blinds, camouflaged clothing, etc.), seriously! It should read:
Warning: this product may cause extreme hazards to your health and well-being! Expect obsessive behavior, nervousness, insomnia, weight loss, irritability, paranoia, rapid pulse rates, heart palpitations and occasions of intense euphoria.
Noted turkey hunter and outdoor writer Tom Kelly once wrote, “I do not hunt turkeys because I want to. I hunt them because I have to. I would, really, rather not. But I am helpless in the grip of my compulsion.”
Anyone who has ever spent a gorgeous Nebraska spring morning with their back leaning against the base of a mature hardwood tree, or sitting in a camouflaged blind, using a call and decoys to lure a wild gobbling tom turkey to within shooting range — as he struts almost the entire way — can attest to the addiction of this outdoor lifestyle.
There are few experiences in nature as electrifying as spring wild turkey hunting! But, what makes spring wild turkey hunting so uniquely special?
Let’s explore it.
The antics of the bird imprint the hunter’s psyche. I don’t know of many other game species, maybe except bull elk, that get as wound up as jealous male turkeys do during their mating season. The entire courtship display they put on from gobbling activity to tail fanning, puffing of feathers, strutting, stamping, drumming and fighting is quite something to see and unforgettable!
Calling wild turkeys is like a chess match. They make a move, you make a move. A tom gobbles. Should I call, or not call? The tom gobbles again. Do I continue calling, stop calling altogether or use a different call? The challenge of the hunt is fooling a majestic bird that is wary and elusive. Will I draw him into the decoys or spook him into running over the next ridge?
Every turkey, every hunt is different. Successful turkey hunters know that you have to be willing to adapt strategies quickly. No two toms are the same. No two toms respond to the same call the same way. They all react differently to certain scenarios and conditions. What works to lure one gobbler to within shooting range, may not work for another gobbler in the same location out of the same flock!
Great respect for the quarry. Despite having a brain the size of a peanut, calling a sharp-eyed wild tom turkey with acute hearing close while pretending to be a blob of brush at the base of a tree is the essential thrill of turkey hunting. A number of hunters have never experienced it! While harvesting a bearded bird is an accomplishment, it is secondary. As a friend of mine once said: “If spring wild turkey hunting was easy none of us would be doing it. It’s the only outdoor activity I am aware of where you come out of the woods and talk favorably about how you were defeated by the birds.”
Turkey isn’t the only delicacy in those woods. A freshly harvested, roasted wild turkey is a delicacy on the dinner table, but there are other tasty wild things that can be found in the woods during the spring wild turkey hunting season. Patches of wild asparagus and morel mushrooms may appear in the woods. While you’re trying to locate some birds, keep your eyes peeled amid the leaf matter for these tasty treats in late April or early May in Nebraska.
The spring countryside offers a great reality show. Whether it’s the red buds opening or white-tailed deer feeding, spring wild turkey hunting offers one of the best, close-quarter opportunities to watch flora and fauna! As a turkey hunter, you’ve blended into your surroundings. You’re sitting, not moving much at all. You’re quiet. You’re intently surveying the area around you. There is much to witness.
Hooked on hunting turkeys in the spring yet?
Nebraska boasts some of the nation’s best and most liberal wild turkey hunting. Learn more details about our spring seasons by clicking here.
Still not fully convinced to go spring wild turkey hunting?
Click the link highlighted below to see video of my first wild gobbler harvested with a crossbow during last year’s spring season, courtesy of the Omaha World-Herald.
Nebraska Spring Wild Turkey Hunt (Crossbow).
Good hunting!
GIL-OBBLE-OBBLE-OBBLE! … GIL-OBBLE-OBBLE-OBBLE! … GIL-OBBLE-OBBLE-OBBLE!
The post The Addiction: Spring Wild Turkey Hunting appeared first on NEBRASKALand Magazine.
