Matthew Dickerson, Addison Independent, April 29, 1999 (reprinted by permission)
I remember learning in elementary school that Benjamin Franklin wanted our national bird to be the wild turkey instead of the bald eagle--which, despite its seeming majesty, is just a big carion bird. Hunters are likely to second Mr. Franklin's appreciation for the noble wild turkey. Despite its small brain, the turkey is a rather wiley creature of the woods. Its phenomenal eyesight, matched with a highly cautious nature, make it one of the more difficult game species to hunt succesfully.
Having just moved from a home near the center of Bristol to one a little more removed from regular human intrusion, I myself have taken a sudden interest in turkeys. That interest grew the first evening in the new home when several turkeys wandered into the edge of my yard. So with turkey hunting season opening this Saturday (May 1st), I decided to do a little wandering of my own, down to Vermont Field Sports. After perusing a large aisle full of turkey calls--and receiving a demonstration on a few of the better models--I was sent in the direction of Tim Little who stood behind the gun and archery counter waiting to help somebody.
Tim--who the previous week had given me some advise on purchasing a new compound bow--was happy to talk a little turkey with me. While a turkey hunting video played in the corner of the store over his head, he talked about his own past experiences with the bird. He usually hunts out of a blind with his father and brother up in Ferrisburg and North Ferrisburg. (The blind is only 5'x5'x6' so I'm not quite sure how all three of them fit.) In the past, Tim has taken the responsibility of calling the turkeys in, giving his relatives the first shots. To add realism to his imitation of a turkey hen, Tim uses a pair of decoys: a hen and a "jake" which is a young male. Apparently a big old tom doesn't appreciate the site of some young jake moving on his harem and will charge over pretty quick if he spots such a situation. After his father and brother have gotten their birds, Tim calls one in for himself--handing the call over to his father when the bird gets close.
His last turkey was taken at 35 yards with a Remington 870 with a 3" chamber. However he prefers to call the birds in closer than 30 yards to insure a good shot, and has just switched to an Mossburg 835 with a 3.5" chamber which can pack a little more shot. With his new shotgun, he's hoping he and his partners will have their first turkeys by mid-morning on opening day.
The spring turkey hunting season lasts the month of May. Shooting is allowed from 1/2 hour before sunrise until noon, with a limit of two bearded turkeys during the spring season. (The fall season allows one turkey of either sex). In the fall, the birds travel about in large flocks and from the roadside can often be seen at the far edges of large fields. In the spring when the hens are nesting, the packs break up into smaller harems around a protective tom. In either case, their key eyesight makes them nearly impossible to approach and succesful turkey hunting is done by calling the birds in.
As with any sport involving firearms, turkey hunting can be dangerous. Despite the smaller number of hunters involved, there are more accidental shootings of other hunters during turkey season than deer season. Hunter safety is required in Vermont before the purchase of a hunting license. However when proper precautions are taken, turkey hunting should be very safe.