Gobbler season opens next week

Red buds, plums and other blooming trees signal one of the best times of the year to head outside in Oklahoma. And next week’s Spring Turkey season opener is the perfect excuse to do just that!

The season runs April 16- May 16, statewide, (the youth season is April 13-14) and is open to shotgun and archery equipment. Keeping with last years reduced bag limit, hunters can only harvest one tom turkey. For regulations, specific firearms and archery requirements, consult the current “Oklahoma Hunting Guide.”

Turkey numbers are seeming to rebound a little in Southwest Oklahoma, after a downward trend in turkey populations the past three seasons.

The Wildlife Department has prioritized turkey research as a critical need, resulting in a research partnership with Oklahoma State University to address turkey population concerns. The OSU research team is in the third year of a 4 ½-year investigation to address wild turkey population dynamics and brood survival. In order to get answers for why our turkey population has declined, this research will take a very intentional and stepwise look at several important life stages of the species, with the hope of finding variables impacting the population at each step in the life of a wild turkey.

Oklahoma is home to two main subspecies of wild turkeys — the Rio Grande and the Eastern — but occasionally the Merriam subspecies can be found in the far western edge of the Panhandle. According to biologists with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, hunters should be successful during turkey season in areas across the state.

According to Ron Smith, SW wildlife supervisor with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, it looks like strutting and normal early breeding activity is in progress. Birds are spread out pretty good and some landowners are seeing birds in places where they have been absent for a few years.

“Many factors have worked against turkeys the last few years,” said Smith. “Roost degradation has really changed things from historical norms. Fire, drought, ice storms and cottonwoods aging out have all taken a toll on traditional roosts.”

Vegetation growth is good in many areas, making visibility more difficult. Western counties have had less rain, so wheat fields are not as deep.

If hunters don’t have access to private land, Smith recommends Black Kettle, Packsaddle, Waurika, Fort Cobb, and Sandy Sanders WMAs. Be sure to consult the Hunting Guide for WMA regulations.

To hunt turkeys, sportsmen need an appropriate state hunting license and fishing and hunting legacy permit as well as a turkey license, unless exempt. Upon harvesting a turkey, all annual license holders and lifetime license holders, must attach their name and hunting license number to their turkey as soon as it is harvested. Only toms, or bearded turkeys, may be taken during the spring season.

Hunters may use shotguns with pellets, or archery equipment for the spring season. Rifles, pistols or muzzleloaders that shoot single bullets are not allowed.

Youth who have completed a hunter education course can purchase a turkey license and hunt unaccompanied (except for during the youth turkey season, when they must be accompanied by an adult age 18 or older). Resident youth under 16 and non-residents under 14 who have not completed a hunter education course can purchase a turkey license, but it will have an apprentice designation and they must be accompanied by a qualified licensed adult hunter.

For requirements on who must accompany apprentice hunters in the field, or for more information about the spring turkey season, consult the current “Oklahoma Hunting Guide” or log on to the Wildlife Department’s Web site at wildlifedepartment.com.