With spring having just arrived on our calendars on March 20, many turkey hunters are simply in a holding pattern.
During this time, we await the opening of our home state spring gobbler season, which begins on April 21. During this anticipation phase, there isn’t anything we can do to speed up time besides consuming as much turkey-related information as possible to pass the time.
I break into my turkey hunting book collection and reread old and new books written by some of the greatest outdoor storytellers of our time. I always pick up a few tried-and-true tips and tactics from their experience, and I honestly believe that doing so has made me a better turkey hunter.
I also drive my household up the wall by tuning old turkey calls and trying new ones on the shelf, which are dormant and ready for me to put in the rotation. I admit changing my calls is not easy, with most of them in my turkey-hunting vest being nearly 20 years old, and with that, they hold a ton of memories from the field when I have them in my hand.
With modern social media, finding turkey-hunting content is not hard. Like the big box stores before any major holiday, which tend to display their wares months before the actual day of the holiday, a turkey hunter’s news feed can easily contain enough turkey-hunting content to increase your screen time significantly.
But for those of us who prefer to be present and in the moment entirely seeing things firsthand with our eyes, a preseason walk through your hunting grounds in search of recent turkey signs and listening for the first gobble of the spring is a much-needed break from our screens. Plus, getting a little exercise after a winter we just experienced is never a bad idea.
We push ourselves pretty hard during spring gobbler season, and a little preseason conditioning can only assist before the season opens. A little fresh air in our lungs, some hills to walk up to get our blood flowing and a drink of water on a high ridgeline always seem to be rewarding.
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But we can’t speed up time no matter what. Our season will be here soon enough.
Having said that, I found a way to scratch the turkey-hunting itch before our West Virginia season opens: I received an invite from a couple of dear friends who have hosted a turkey-hunting camp in South Florida for many decades. The offer was very kind and, honestly, just what I needed to melt the ice and snow of Old Man Winter’s cold grip.
With a Florida nonresident hunting license and turkey tag in my pocket, I flew the friendly skies to meet up with my friends. We laughed, told stories both old and new and, of course, hunted for the subspecies of wild turkey known as the Osceola.
We were rewarded for our efforts when two gobblers responded to our calls by quickly walking across an opening surrounded by thick, deep woods. The gobblers were in total concentration, trying to locate the hens from which the calls were coming.
At the report of our two shotguns that rang out across the opening, we gathered ourselves and walked over to put our hands on the first gobblers of the season for both of us.
As I smiled at the sun and felt the warmth of its rays on my face, I stopped for a long moment to give thanks. It was a perfect day in the spring gobbler woods and one I plan to remember for many years. I am grateful.
