North Carolina Bow Hunters Association -- By Talmage Dunn

I hope everyone had an interesting and successful small game season. We are now in the process of winding down from the major part of our hunting seasons, but fear not, we still have one more big game season ahead... Spring Gobbler season!! If you have never heard a gobbler come down from the roost in the morning looking for hens you are missing out on an awesome spring ritual. To hear that majestic bird sing out in the morning woods is a marvelous joy. It conjures hopes of a big bird to come into bow range, tests your patience, and excites the blood. What a feeling it is!!

Hopefully you will be scouting this month for good turkey habitat or perhaps you already have a good place to go. Keep tabs on those birds. What can we do to prepare for the spring turkey season?

• Proper scouting to find where the turkeys are roosting
• Check out the feeding and strutting areas
• Practice your calling and note the different types of calls you can make to entice a nice gobbler
• Are you using a decoy ? Practice setting it up.
• Practice your shooting techniques, sitting, standing, or kneeling.

Speaking of calling … what type of call do you use? There are several types. Some people use a wing-bone caller. Made from the wing bones of a turkey. I have made several from some of my “thanksgiving and Christmas” guests. But you can also buy an “air” caller. I also use an old base to a ball-point pen, but thats working on the cheap side! Another type of call is a diaphragm call, a type of mouth call. This call requires diligent practice on the part of the caller but many different turkey sounds can be made on it. A box call is one of the most common calls that can be used. It is simply what its name implies, a box with a scraper that creates a resonance sound. They have been used for years and are quite effective. Lastly, there are “slate” calls. These calls require the use of a stylus and a slate or glass to scrape the stylus across to create the desired sound. I cannot tell you how important it is to practice these calls. There are several places to go to learn the types of calls to make. By far the best way is to get with an experienced turkey hunter and have him/her teach you. Of course, there is always the internet and various sites to learn what sound resonates the most in the woods.

Have you practiced shooting at turkey sized objects? I know that there are various 3-D turkey figures that can be bought, but these can be expensive and have a tendency to get “shot out” rapidly. I make my own turkey sized targets. To give me a strutting turkey size target I use a 1-gallon milk jug mounted up about the right height for a nice “Tom.” Sometimes I will paint them black or brown to simulate the color. For “jake” sized turkey targets I use the 2-liter soda bottles. Both of these targets are perfect for honing in my shooting skills for spring gobblers. So sharpen those broadheads and get busy practicing. The season will be here before we realize it.

Remember: March 3 – 5, 2017 – Dixie Deer Classic and the NCBA 3D shoot.

March 25, 2017 - NCBA Annual Awards Banquet at the McCleansville Wildlife Club.

Respectfully submitted.Talmage Dunn, District 1 Wildlife Rep.bowhuntor@yahoo.com 252-265-5437