Spring Gunning
LACEY- The thunder of the spring woods is fading into the memories of turkey hunters across the country. The need to chase the bronze god of spring has spread from the oak and hickory stands of the south to the far reaches of the western states. Hunters in the Gem State (Idaho) report turkeys in great numbers. I was personally lead to belief that the tennis racket was the turkey gun of choice in north Idaho. Washington hunters have been witness to a great increase in turkey numbers, and are currently grappling with birds on private land vice public land turkeys. While there have been no report cases of wounded hunters, there was at least one case of a hunter having his decoys shot by another hunter while the owner over watched his set.
The region has little culture of turkey hunting and sportsmen in the northwest are take a step closer to their own turkey hunting culture every year. There have been complaints about "uneducated" hunters "driving" turkey in much the same way as deer are driven. While not an approved hunting technique in most turkey states, it is a reasonable step for a new turkey hunter who has little knowledge of turkey behavior to take.
Hunters in the Pacific Northwest must state to learn about turkey now, to be successful in the spring o 2000. Yes, there are many new hunters who take to the woods in the spring and bag a bird on their first hunt. This rarely happens more than once. My brother, who is a skilled waterfowler hunter, took birds on two consecutive years, and then started hunting by himself. There is a great deal of turkey knowledge between being a "shooter" and a hunter. New hunters need to learn to call turkey. The skill level necessary to hunt turkey is not that of a competitive caller. Today, a turkey would have a difficult time placing in a national calling contest. A hunter must be able to yelp, cut, purr, and cluck. All of these calls can be made with a friction call as well as the popular diaphragm. Quaker Boy, the call company I represent, makes a full range of calls for callers of every skill level. Quaker boy calls are well made, durable, and they sound like turkeys. Quaker Boy calls are also affordable. Dick and Chris Kirby along with the Quaker Boy Pro Staff have produced a wide range of audio and video tapes that will walk a new hunter through the complex task of becoming a turkey hunter. I know that books are not a popular resource in the era of the Internet, but they are many books on turkey hunting that are valuable resources. I read Doug Camps’ book "Hunting Spring Turkey" prior to my first turkey hunt, and the hunt unfolded as if it had been scripted in Camps’ book.
Now is the time to get out and locate some birds. In Washington, many of the landowners that have birds on their land have started to feed the birds, and charge access fees for hunters who wish to hunt them.
I don’t agree with either activity, but I don’t have turkey on my land. However, now is the time to get close to landowners and develop relationships. In many cases, ground that holds turkey is also good deer country too, and may well be good varmint ground as well. Now, the end of the current season is the time to get ready for the next season and to boost field craft and hunting skills.
Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia are all grearing up for State or Provincial shoots in the next 6 weeks. These states wand BC will all have 2 state shoots, one for the Pacific International Trap Association, and one for the Amateur Trap Association. Trap is still the dominant clay target sport in the PNW, but sporting shooters are pushing their single shot brothers and sisters. Sporting clubs, and regularly scheduled sporting shoots can be found throughout the PNW. Washington sporting clay clubs of note are the Upper Nisqually Gun Club, Sunny Dell, R&M Game Birds, Land Farms, and Winter Hawk. The list grows every year. Sporting clays are beginning to draw the upland gunner and the waterfowl hunter who has long gazed upon the competitive target with disdain. Somehow, the sporting target, competitive or otherwise, is different. The reason is these shooters have found their way to the gun club is not important, that they have joined the others shooting clay targets is important. It is not the clay target discipline that is meaningful, it is the fact that yet one more shooter has come out of the marsh and the shooting community is one shooter stronger.
Lisi mlisi@goosepit.com