Pennsylvania Game News - May 2019 - 8

Jacob Dingel

"But jakes can surprise you," Casalena
offered. "I've watched a band of jakes
dominate an older gobbler several times."
Consider locating birds using owl or
crows calls. And once you get a response,
stop calling.
That response lets you know you're
in the ballpark. After that, sit, watch and
listen in areas that offer promise: forest
openings, prominent trails, benches with
mature oaks and beech.
Remain discreet. The idea is to establish hunting spots based upon turkey
movements and communications.
Scouting provides the confidence you
need to sit tight in an area even when gobblers aren't hollering.
"As long as they're not pushed away by
other hunters, or disturbances, gobblers
tend to stay where they are in late April
and May," Casalena said. "They're usually
where they want to be!"
Casalena said sometimes calls fetch
no responses, even in areas where birds
were located through preseason scouting.
"That doesn't mean they're gone,"
Casalena advised. "Sometimes they wise
up and come in quietly. That's when
knowing how many gobblers are in an
area really pays off: it ensures you won't
pull out before that gobbler sneaks up to
you."
It's also important to remember that
when a boss gobbler is taken, the area's
subordinate gobblers will knock each
other around until a new boss has proven
itself. That could be a good situation for
a second gobbler if you took the boss, or
a chance for your first gobbler if another
hunter did.
The bottom line is: you'll never know
what opportunities remain if you don't
scout before and in-season.
If you're not a good caller, try to scout
areas that don't draw substantial numbers
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of spring turkey hunters, Casalena said.
Gobblers can, after all, be chased from
areas by excessive hunting pressure. It
also ensures that the gobblers called to
aren't inclined to get fussy. Nothing beats
an eager gobbler.

AN EARLIER START

Pennsylvania's spring turkey season
starts April 27, which is earlier than most
recent spring seasons. It will make for a
longer season, though the opening week
isn't perfectly timed for hunters.
"Many gobblers will still be 'henned
up,' because April 27 is prior to the normal
wild turkey median peak incubation date
range of May 1 to 4," Casalena explained.
"That means many hens will still be with
gobblers, because they won't yet be incubating their clutch of eggs."
So, wherever there aren't many boisterous 2-year-old gobblers, gobbling activity
likely will be restricted to roost gobbling,
without much gobbling once gobblers
come off roost, because they'll still be
with hens, Casalena explained. That's
why it's crucial for hunters to scout, so
they'll know where the gobblers should
be and where they like to strut for hens,
she said.
Rain, fog and high humidity also tend
to quiet gobblers, making them harder
to find. So, if you plan to go out without
scouting that first week and "hunt the
gobble," know that the earlier start and
weather could influence whether you hear
gobblers, Casalena emphasized.
If it's a rainy opening week, consider
heading to farm areas, or herbaceous
openings on state game lands.
"In constant rain, turkeys often will
go to more open areas - fields, powerline
rights-of-way, logging roads," Casalena
said. "The theory is these areas away
from the woods are less noisy and easier
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2019

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