Memories of the 2009 turkey season

By DAN LADD, Adirondack Hunting & Fishing Report,

June 14, 2009 03:22 am

— Although the 2009 turkey season is now a bunch of memories, I'd like to take the opportunity to share a few from my spring hunts; Like the coyote attacking my decoy, which I wrote about two weeks ago, I had some usual experiences this season.

In mid-May I attended the New York State Outdoor Writer's Association's annual Spring Safari held this year in Clayton in the St. Lawrence Valley. It's a beautiful area well worth a visit if you haven't done so. Many of the writers chased trophy pike in the river, but I spent two mornings turkey hunting on a farm just outside town.

This was classic turkey country, and we even put a few birds to bed the first night we were there. They flew down the next morning, and one of our crew missed a shot that may have been a little too long. The tom was coming into their decoy set-up but then changed his mind when he spotted two real hens in the field. The hunter took the shot at that point but things didn't work out.

I saw plenty of deer that weekend, including a young buck in the velvet. But, while stretching my legs that first morning and scouting for another possible location, I stumbled onto the skull and antlers of what had to be a fine four-point buck. That's something you don't find every day!

The second day, however, found just myself and Ed Noonan from the Daily Gazette in Schenectady chasing turkeys. We knew it would be a short morning with thunderstorms bearing down on us, but we went out just the same. During my travels, I passed through a small wood lot and flushed a hen. Sure enough, upon closer investigation, I found she was guarding a clutch of exactly one dozen eggs. That's something you don't find every day!

Back in my hometown on yet another turkey hunt, I thought I smelled a campfire on my way into the woods one dark morning. Later on, I began to hear voices and had the uncomfortable feeling that I was being stalked by other hunters. When I went to pick up my decoys, I found the source of the sounds and smells. A group of three young kids had decided to camp out in these woods and had their tents set up about 100 yards from my hunting spot. Needless to say, I didn't see or hear any birds that morning.

Gobblers were coming tough for hunters everywhere this spring, especially in the Adirondack mountains. A few birds were killed, though. My chance came with only three days left in the season. Another discovery I made this May was hunting from a blind. My partner had two blinds set up in a good hunting area and we ventured out one rainy morning.

Birds flew down instantly, including a flock of jakes with a couple of nice toms. Unfortunately, they were spooked by two deer that ran across the field. Although they weren't gobbling, they were making their way to our setup.

Two other birds were in another clearing feeding their way toward us and bedding down whenever heavy rain fell. We sat tight, and by 8 a.m. one of the birds was almost in shooting range. Although it didn't look too big, it clearly had a good beard. When it got into range, I put the sights of my 10-gauge shotgun on it and the hunt was over.

Upon examining the bird, which had a six-inch beard, I noticed no spurs, a very even set of tail feathers and also feathers missing from its underside. Unfortunately, as I would later confirm, I had shot a bearded hen. This bird looked entirely different from the hen it was with, and I thought was a tom. I later read a study that said one in 10 hens have a beard, but they are usually small and can only be identified once the bird is down. This one had a beard that rivaled most of the gobblers in this area. Now, that's something you don't find every day!

Dan Ladd is the author of "Deer Hunting in the Adirondacks," outdoors editor for the Glens Falls Chronicle, columnist for Outdoors Magazine and contributor to New York Outdoor News. Contact him at www.adkhunter.com.

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