News from Sportsman's Elite

Depending on who you ask, the spring turkey season that begins next weekend in 101 northern counties elicits a variety of prognostications from biologists and land managers here and elsewhere. The debate about what type of season we'll have largely is centered on the drought that affected hatching and nesting success in previous years.

However, superb moisture levels in much of the state have prospects blooming for spring greens and wildflowers, and despite talk of a subpar year, spring turkey hunting again should be good in many areas.

Ralph Suarez, a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist in Ballinger, works in a turkey hot spot, and the Central and West Texas area between Interstates 10 and 20 boasts one of the highest Rio Grande turkey densities in the state. Suarez noted that widespread drought affected nesting success in 2008 and was much worse in 2009, but Suarez said that superb range conditions usually will entice turkeys to take advantage of nesting habitat as early as possible.

That could affect gobbling activity in the early portion of the season, especially if toms are henned up or are tending to hens they've enticed to breed with. This scenario in turn could lead some hunters to believe gobbling activity has stopped, and they may pack it in earlier than they should. The lull in turkey talk always will be replaced with boisterous birds after hens have been bred and are sitting on their nests.

Suarez noted that production the last two seasons was down, which in turn limits the number of 1- and 2-year-old jakes and gobblers - the easiest birds to call in - but there should be a solid number of 3- and 4-year-old toms lurking across the state.

Here are five quick things that could increase your chances of harvesting a mature gobbler in April and into May.

Patience: This is key especially since many hunters pack it in between periods of peak gobbling activity thinking birds have become call-shy. Gobbling peaks right before breeding season (early) and again after hens are on nests (late).

Timing: Hunt as much as possible later in the season when hens are sitting on nests and gobblers are roaming around looking for attention. It's tough to break a mature bird away from a harem of hens.

Talking: There is a variety of vivid calls on the market and each is suited to fooling a wily critter with a brain the size of a walnut. It should be noted that electronic calls are legal during the spring season, though I've seen turkeys still not fall for that ruse on occasion. And yes, there is an iPhone app that features 21 calls, which actually is a good template with which to practice your technique.

Decoys: It's all about being seen, and once you catch an amorous gobbler's attention with any number of lifelike models, you've got a much better chance of calling it in.

Other lures: In the early season, sometimes you've got to hunt near food sources or supplemental feeders if birds aren't responding. Calling birds into shotgun range is the ultimate attraction of spring hunting, however, many a turkey has been taken with small-caliber rifles during April-May dates.

Sportsman's Elite......