Turkey time

Friday, November 7, 2014

With Thanksgiving knocking on our doors and the thoughts of deep-fried turkeys on our minds, Oklahomans are gearing up for the holidays. A simple trip to the local grocery store for a frozen bird would do the trick, but some folks prefer the old fashioned way of looking for the perfect turkey – down the barrel of a shotgun.

Archery season began Oct. 1 in Oklahoma and runs through Jan. 15, while gun season began Nov. 1 and will last only three weeks. Armed with a shotgun, decked out in camouflage and using a call to lure in a monster gobbler has been a popular pastime for Oklahomans for years.

“We have Eastern turkeys and Rio Grande turkeys in Oklahoma after years of restoration efforts by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation,” said Dwayne Elmore, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension wildlife specialist. “The Eastern subspecies is a little heavier and has darker tail feathers than the Rio Grande turkeys.”

Male turkeys, called gobblers or toms, can stand as tall as 3 feet, are up to 4 feet long and weigh 16 to 22 pounds, on average. The turkeys have been fattening up all summer on large quantities of insects, seeds, berries and green leaves.

However, their diet is changing to acorns, dogwood fruits, waste grain and cool season grass as the temperature continues to drop.

“Eastern turkeys tend to feed in prairies, forest openings or open understudies in forests,” said Terry Bidwell, OSU Cooperative Extension specialist, rangeland ecology and management. “They require expanses of hardwood timber for winter.”

During the fall, turkeys can be found anywhere with food, water and shelter, and are generally easy to pattern.

When a hunter spots a group of turkeys, he or she better be ready to shoot because turkeys are skittish and have keen eyesight and hearing. The birds can fly an estimated 40-55 miles per hour; however, they usually try to make their escape by running at speeds of up to 18 miles per hour.

For those hunters who miss their opportunity at having a wild turkey this Thanksgiving, they will have another chance when the spring season opens in April.