Howdy Okies! It’s me again, having the privilege of discussing the great outdoors here in Northwest Oklahoma. Spring turkey season has just wrapped up. Spring season ran from April 6-May 6 this year. The Tom turkeys were out spreading their tail feathers wide doing their annual strut, trying to entice the hens. Reports were relatively strong in our part of the state with a good number of harvested turkeys. Unlike fall turkey season, the male turkeys (Toms and Jakes) are out wondering about looking for a female counterpart. As such, a hunter typically dawns his best camo and facemask (hopefully in addition to mosquito/tick repellant) and uses either a mouth call, a box call or a slate call to get the males to wander on over. Decoys are generally used and sometimes it’s amazing how quickly a young Jake will come sprinting in. The old wise Toms however can be frustrating and stubborn. Every call generally is returned by a booming gobble, but many times they hang just outside of reach. On occasion a hunter is lucky enough to get an old Tom to strut in just close enough for a shot. I don’t know about you, but my favorite way to cook wild turkey is the same way one cooks a chicken fried steak. Perhaps not the healthiest option, but with limited numbers of Toms (depending on region), it certainly can’t be a diet killer.
Be sure to check your local regulations as to how many turkeys one can legally take. Additionally, like deer, turkeys must be immediately tagged in the location of the kill, tagged and checked in with the Department of Wildlife. Evidence of sex (beard or attached foot) must remain on the animal until it reaches its final destination. Oklahoma has made it easy to check in tagged animals on their E-check system at www.wildlifedepartment.com (or the department’s mobile app). Even if a shot isn’t fired, turkey hunting is a tremendous way to enjoy the beautiful spring weather and viewing other wildlife of our great state. Happy hunting!
