WILD TURKEY FOR THANKSGIVING?; FALL GOBBLERS HUNTING'S TOUGHEST MISSION.Byline: Brett Pauly Daily News Staff Writer The hunting camps are split when it comes to fall turkey season, which runs through Dec. 7. One side says it's the ultimate challenge, because the birds don't respond as well to calls and must be tracked deep into the backcountry. The other side - traditionalists who view turkey calling as gospel - maintains it isn't hunting at all, but luck. Whichever perspective you favor, one thing's a given: Bagging a tom - the dominant male with the beard, the distinctive gobble 1. gobble - To consume, usually used with "up". "The output spy gobbles characters out of a tty output buffer." 2. gobble - To obtain, usually used with "down". "I guess I'll gobble down a copy of the documentation tomorrow." See also snarf. , gobble and the trophy size - for Thanksgiving dinner isn't going to be like shooting fish in a barrel. ``The most difficult thing in all of turkey hunting is to attract an old gobbler gobbler male turkey. Called also tom. in fall,'' said Charlie Ryan of Folsom, supervising regional director for the National Wild Turkey Federation. Unlike the mating season of spring, when hunters attempt to coax a gobbler into shooting range by imitating the yelp of a hen, toms are unresponsive in autumn. ``You can't get fancy with them in the fall,'' said Mike Toth of Woodland Hills, owner of White Deer Ranch east of Fresno, one of a few private facilities that offers guided fall turkey-hunting trips. ``Calls won't hold their attention; they just know it's not the right season.'' In fall, the idea is to break apart a flock of turkeys - that is, physically rush or charge into the gathering to disperse them - then wait for the birds to reassemble re·as·sem·ble v. re·as·sem·bled, re·as·sem·bling, re·as·sem·bles v.tr. 1. To bring or gather together again: reassembled the band for a reunion tour. 2. . ``The problem is that the gobblers may not get back together for a couple of a days or a week,'' Ryan said. By that time you may have missed Thanksgiving altogether. It's better to concentrate on breaking up a hen and her brood of juveniles; they reassemble much faster when the proper calls are offered, said Jesse Garcia, the Department of Fish and Game's state turkey coordinator. Hunters try to mimic an adolescent's call - the kee-kee run it emanates while learning to yelp - to attract other siblings back to the flock and take their best shot. It's tougher to imitate the yelp of the hen to draw in her offspring, because the young tend to recognize an impostor's offering of their mother's call. ``It's a worthy endeavor, but in no way is it as exciting as spring hunting,'' Ryan said. Fall is all about stalking, ambushing and generally a lot of work finding the game, whereas in spring the trick is to get the bird to come to you, which many hunters consider the real craft. ``Most established turkey hunters look down their noses at fall hunters,'' said John Massie of Ramona, the DFG's southern turkey coordinator. ``It's a challenge, but it is not something you are going to overcome with skill. They don't call them in, they come upon a flock incidentally.'' Tustin's Jim Niemiec, a writer for Fishing & Hunting News, disagrees. ``Our forefathers forefathers npl → antepasados mpl forefathers npl → ancêtres mpl forefathers npl → Vorfahren went out and hunted turkeys in the fall and, if our forefathers did it, why can't we?'' said Niemiec, who finds the challenge of fall hunting in separating a trophy tom from the flock. ``I've passed over hens and jakes (subordinate, non-gobbling males) and never did shoot till I saw a tom.'' The spring hunting hot spots hot spots acute moist dermatitis. are the same places you should target in fall, but you'll have to dig deeper in the woods. ``You have to get a little bit farther off the road, because the quail, bear and deer hunters have pushed them farther in farther in Of or relating to an option contract with an earlier expiration date than a contract that is currently owned or being considered. ,'' said spring-hunting guide Jimmie Rizzo of Garden Grove. ``But once you find them, you find a lot of them. It's the mother lode, from 10 birds up to 200 or more. They all flock together in the fall.'' Turkeys gang together and find a winter roost tree or grove for shelter from predators, which include the mountain lion, coyote coyote (kī`ōt, kīō`tē) or prairie wolf, small, swift wolf, Canis latrans, native to W North America. It is found in deserts, prairies, open woodlands, and brush country; it is also called brush wolf. , bobcat bobcat: see lynx. bobcat Bobtailed, long-legged North American cat (Lynx rufus) found in forests and deserts from southern Canada to southern Mexico. It is a close relative of the lynx and caracal. , golden eagle, goshawk goshawk: see hawk. goshawk Any of the more powerful accipiters (hawks in the genus Accipiter), primarily short-winged, forest-dwelling bird catchers. Best known is the northern goshawk, which reaches about 2 ft (60 cm) in length with a 4.3-ft (1. and great horned owl great horned owl Horned owl species (Bubo virginianus) that ranges from Arctic tree limits south to the Strait of Magellan. A powerful, mottled-brown predator, it is often more than 2 ft (60 cm) long, with a wingspan often approaching 80 in. (200 cm). . ``Once they come down in the morning, they all come down at the same time,'' Massie said. ``It may be 300 to 400 birds.'' Turkeys look for secure places and often wind up on privately owned land, where hunters are less likely to be allowed to travel, especially in fall. The state offers dozens of special wild turkey hunts in spring, but it's a different story in fall, when only a handful are offered, the last of which ends today at Lake Sonoma in Sonoma County. Guides are lean in fall, too. ``There's so much else going on - bear, deer, duck - and it's tougher to hunt turkey in fall,'' Rizzo said. So you're on your own and left to track on public lands. The Southland's national forests provide the majority of opportunities for turkey hunters. Sites to consider: Los Padres National Forest Los Padres National Forest is a forest located in southern and central California, which includes most of the mountainous land along the California coast from Ventura to Monterey, extending inland. Elevations range from sea level to 8,831 feet. : Santa Maria, Colon Canyon and Pine Canyon areas (Santa Barbara County; information: (805) 683-6711). San Bernardino National Forest San Bernardino National Forest has two main divisions which are the San Bernardino Mountains on the easternmost of the Transverse Range, and the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains on the northernmost of the Peninsular Range. : Mojave River drainage, Willow Creek drainage, Bacon Flats, Rouse Meadows, Crab Flats, Deer Mountain, Shay shay n. Informal A chaise. [Back-formation from chaise (taken as pl. )] Noun 1. Mountain, Deep Creek draining where Coxey Creek and Holcomb Creek meet and Santa Ana River The Santa Ana River begins in San Bernardino County, California in the San Bernardino National Forest. Its highest source lakes are Dollar Lake (9220') and Dry Lake (9065'), both on the northern flank of San Gorgonio Mountain (11,502') in the San Gorgonio Wilderness. drainage from Seven Oaks Dam The Seven Oaks Dam is located on the Santa Ana River, 4 miles (6 km) northeast of Redlands, California. It was constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as a flood control dam. to Onyx Summit, especially around Sugarloaf Mountain, Sugarloaf Meadows and Staircase Canyon. (San Bernardino County; information: (909) 383-5588). California has liberal fall limits. While only one bird of either sex - regardless of whether it has a beard - can be in possession, once it is consumed or given away, a hunter can repeat the process to his or her heart's content. In spring, only two bearded birds can be taken in the season. Hunters prefer 12-gauge shotguns, 2-3/4- or 3-inch shells and shot size Nos. 4 to 6 for a dense pattern in full choke, Garcia said. Only shotguns 10 gauge or smaller are permitted. Shot size larger than No. 2 cannot be used or possessed. Falconry falconry (fôl`kənrē, fô`–, făl`–), sport of hunting birds or small animals with falcons or other types of hawks; eagles are used in some parts of the world. , bow hunting and muzzle-loading shotguns are also popular methods of taking turkey. A state hunting license ($27.05 for adults; $6.85 for juniors 15 and younger) and a $6.05 upland game-bird stamp are required. And the best way to take a tom? ``Wait until spring,'' Garcia said. Are you game for cooking? Hunters successful in the field will be dining on wild turkey Thanksgiving Day. A recipe with a spicy sweetness combining Creole seasoning and honey glaze is offered by the National Wild Turkey Federation: Ingredients: 1 10-pound turkey 6 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper Turkey stuffing 3/4 cup chopped onion 2 cups white wine 1/2 cup chicken broth 1 teaspoon parsley flakes 1 stick butter, melted 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning Directions: Brush entire turkey with warm honey. Salt and pepper
tr.v. bast·ed, bast·ing, bastes To sew loosely with large running stitches so as to hold together temporarily. with the wine mixture. Yields 10 to 12 servings. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos, Illustration, Box PHOTO (1) no caption (Turkey) Armin Neubert / Special to the Daily News (2--color) no caption (Raffle of Turkeys) Bob Clamo / Special to the Daily News Illustration: Wild Turkey for Thanksgiving Michael Bocci / Special to the Daily News BOX: Are you game for cooking? (see text) |
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