March 2009 Updates page 17
31 March
Spring Turkey
Thanks to Association hunters Jerad and Jimmy we have articles on Missouri http://mdc.mo.gov/conmag/2009/03/10.htm and Kansas http://www.cjonline.com/sports/2009-03-28/turkey_numbers_up_across_state turkey populations and hunt expectations. Thanks guys, good to know folks care enough to share.
A short bearded mature tom showing off for a half dozen hens. Typical conditions for early season spring turkey hunting.
Many out of state hunters think the food source has been ruined once the soybeans have been harvested. Four months after the beans have been cut there is still an abundance of food for all types of wildlife.
On the Association staff side we have enjoyment of variety through working with multiple hunting discipline hunters. The non-turkey hunter may likely be bored by these pictures. To that end we have found an approach that occasionally overcomes that boredom.
Over the years we found that once one hunter of one primary hunting discipline begins to learn the nuances of an unfamiliar hunting discipline the transition to a new wildlife hunt is more likely. For those non-turkey hunters that are interested in the value of these turkey pictures there are several points an experienced turkey hunter will pick up on.
First there is only one tom indicating the bachelor tom flocks have broken up moving into the boss hen flocks. Second, there are some jakes that have a good chance after having made it this far to survive to become toms next year. This flock has a good hen population, not great, but good enough to make for plenty of young or a survivable flock likely to be found in this area next year baring drastic habitat change. The bean field they are on is just a matter of luck of what was planted in the home range of the boss hen flock and will be a different crop this spring due to beans being a legume making for less fertilizer requirements for a more profitable higher chemical demand crop such as corn. By the time spring turkey season arrives the bean field is likely to be plowed under and as the spring turkey season progresses planted in the next crop. If hunting in Kansas a winter wheat field will be more valued during early spring turkey season when short and less so once taller. There is more of course about spring turkey hunting. This paragraph is just a small word count of the 1,000 words each picture is supposed to contain.
