What do you think? Is a wild turkey hunt more like a game chess in the woods or is it more like the card game solitaire?
Something, perhaps mostly unknown about charlie elk is the fact it took him five wild turkey seasons before he finally killed a gobbler.
What took him so long?
After all, he helped Minnesota catch grouse for the Minnesota/Missouri turkey/grouse exchange release program so he should have learned something about turkeys during that long restoration period. Well, not so fast. Charlie was an accomplished big game hunter who frequently stalked within longbow range of bedded cervids across the North American Continent. And then, in the early eighties along came the wild turkey opportunities.
After finally being drawn for a Minnesota turkey license in the zone where a band of turkey nuts, including Charlie had released turkeys from Missouri years before; the young, cocky, self-assured Charlie was humbled by a bird with a brain about the size of a walnut. It is amazing how a feathered bird-brained creature could be so elusive.
He planned all his hunts so carefully, doing research to determine in advance where the turkeys roosted, where they would want to go from roost and how they would get there, all to no avail. Then late one morning he saw a truck with plates from Missouri pull into the parking area, an elderly gentleman stepped out walked around surveying the area and then did some cutting on a long box call. Answered by a robust gobble, not more than 100 yards down the trail Charlie had just walked back to camp. The veteran hunter headed down the path and soon a there was a gunshot. The fellow came walking back with a very nice turkey over his shoulder.
The mistake Charlie had been making, in his humble opinion was that he’d been hunting turkeys using many of same tactics as he used for hunting big game. Big game animals do things for reasons that are quite apparent to an experienced hunter. Whereas the wild turkey does things that are apparently done for well, maybe no clear reason at all.
A lot of turkey behavior, if not most, is random, much like the shuffling of a deck of cards. For example, if a turkey is flushed and somewhere different with suitable habitat and maybe an available hen during the spring— that turkey is likely to be just as content in the new location as he was in the previous one, he’ll just roost in whatever tree is convenient as it gets dark. Once this randomness soaked into charlie’s sometimes, most times, dense head, he has killed a turkey in every season he has hunted over the last 40 years.
Mo Turkeys says
Tell us more about the Minnesota/Missouri turkey/grouse exchange release program. Were you working for the MN DNR, as they’re the only one authorized to trap and transplant wild birds? Or maybe helped as a member of the NWTF?
Charlie says
It was a very different world 50 years ago. The DNR was a small government department mostly concerned with enforcement of game laws. There was no law against releasing or stocking. Sporting clubs released pen-raised turkeys on their own, these efforts mostly failed.
Active sports folk worked to raise private money to fund habitat and stocking programs from about 1965 forward.
In MN the exchange program started in 1970 as a private club effort with volunteers and one state-employed biologist for technical advice.
Quite a few of the volunteers were high school students, members of the FFA and enrolled in agriculture courses. That’s what I was and enjoyed a lot of time out of the classroom, catching ruffed grouse, driving them to Kirksville, Missouri and returning to Houston, MN with wild turkeys for release.
As the stocking efforts proved successful, both states added more paid staff who took over and expanded the restoration program.
If memory serves me correctly, the first affiliated MN chapter of NWTF started in 1976.
Mo Turkeys says
Charlie – you were one of the few. You might be old, but you have a good memory. “In 1971 and 1973, 29 eastern wild turkeys, trapped in Missouri and released in Houston County. In 1976 the Minnesota state NWTF chapter was formed providing additional funding for the wild turkey program.” http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/recreation/hunting/turkey/long_range_turkey_plan_2007.pdf
“WI sold turkeys to MN: Beginning in 1990, nearly 1,400 turkeys were shipped to Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Kentucky, Texas, and Louisiana over the next decade.” http://www.turkeydog.org/legislation.html
Minnesota was a leader in restoration, but why are they so prejudiced against bird dogs?
“Between January 1 and July 14, a dog that is observed wounding, killing,or pursuing in a way that endangers big game may be killed by any person.
But they hate horses too. A person may not use a dog or horse to take big game.
Some rules make no sense:
During the small game season, hunting dogs must be under the
immediate control of the hunter. Training and allowing pets off leash
are prohibited.” What?
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/regulations/hunting/2016/full_regs.pdf#page=61
Charlie says
Many turkey hunters are unaware of turkey dogging. MN has a short fall season with a one bird limit (hardly worth the time needed to put into a dog), most of the birds are usually taken by deer bowhunters; indicating little interest from dedicated turkey hunters.
Blame Teddy Roosevelt for the horse ban; he advocated coursing as an efficient way to kill turkeys. Coursing turkeys is done by line of horse riders moving abreast flushing turkeys over and over until the birds were too tired to fly anymore. The riders then dismounted and killed the worn out turkeys, this is why Iowa prohibits horses, the MN prohibition is something I was unaware of, but assume it is to regulate the coursing tactic.
FirstBubba says
Chess or solitaire?
Hmm…!
Good question!
Chess!
NO WAIT….!
Solitaire!
NO….!
WAIT…!
Oh drat! I don’t know!
I’d say more like Chinese Checkers!
Players can approach from ANY direction and move in ANY direction…and if somebody bumps the board, you can lose YOUR MARBLES!
Yep! Sounds like turkey hunting!
Charlie says
Hmm, I may need to learn of this Chinese Checkers of which you speak.
FirstBubba says
You wanna lose YOUR marbles?
Charlie says
Yeah, what the heck. I’ve lost so much, what’re a few marbles? I’m game for a lot of things.;)
N.C.L.W. says
I’d be more inclined to lose mine over the wait for those bird xrays, Bubba!
: D
Hope that project is still on and going well.
FirstBubba says
N.C.L.W.
I’m happy to report, “Project X-Ray” complete!
I should be in possession of the xrays today or tomorrow.
Then, it will just be waiting for Charlie telling me he’s ready for them!
Charlie says
Ready whenever you are FirstBubba.
huntfishtrap says
I don’t know…I think turkey hunting is in a class of it’s own, and can’t really be compared to anything else.
N.C.L.W. says
‘Cept maybe Elk Hunting, People like to compare the two plenty where I live.
huntfishtrap says
Yeah, that’s the closest thing I know of to it. Elk are kind of like big, 4-legged turkeys. Or are turkeys like small, 2-legged elk? I never know which it is…
N.C.L.W. says
Another Great article Charlie, lots of info!
I have been at it for a few springs. I sort of tried one fall but was more into Ruffed Grouse and Whitetail… A bit obsessed there. But I do keep my eyes out for birds.
As per the question – Are Turkey Hunts like Chess Match or Card Game of Chance?
I do not believe that any Hunting is a sport or game of any kind. Furthermore, the environment in the wilds is not controlled like a sports field or card table. Neither simile is suitable in my mind.
Charlie says
Thanks, NCLW.
What would be a suitable simile from your point of view?
N.C.L.W. says
I’d say the Hunter better be crazy like the Fox, because those wild Turkeys certainly seem to be!
: )
No points for originality perhaps yet that’s what i figure, Sir.
Charlie says
Sure can’t argue that a turkey hunter needs to be a little crazy here and there. Some of us might even go a bit overboard. 🙂
Oak Tree says
Maybe it’s more like a random game of hide-n-seek?
N.C.L.W. says
Very nice one Oak Tree, +1!