ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 17, 1996 TAG: 9603180023
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-10 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: OUTDOORS
SOURCE: BILL COCHRAN
If you are planning to set aside a few days for spring gobbler hunting, the latter part of the April 13-May 18 season might be a prudent choice.
This is a tricky call - aren't they all in turkey hunting - but here's the deal: The annual spring green-up is believed to play an important role in the activities of turkeys, and it may be late this year.
The flourishing of spring grasses and forbs provides a shot of energy that may stimulate egg-laying and nest incubation, said Gary Norman, the upland game birds research biologist for the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. This sudden interest in procreation isn't overlooked by the gobblers.
The harsh winter and potentially late spring could delay the 1996 green-up, stalling the ardor of turkeys. That could result in gobblers still having large harems of hens when hunters move into the woods during the early season. The already supreme challenge of luring a tom turkey is intensified when box calls and diaphragms go up against the real thing.
``Over the last five years, we've had only a couple of springs where the spring green-up was significantly delayed and hunting success may have been affected,'' Norman said. ``These delays were associated with late-winter snowstorms and generally cold winter temperatures.''
This doesn't mean the first couple of weeks won't be productive. They always are, because hunters are dealing with the largest number of gobblers, and some of them are going to be vocal and vulnerable.
``Seventy percent of the harvest comes the first two weeks,'' Norman said. ``By the time you get to the third week of the season, a lot of people are tired and don't want to hunt anymore, or they think that every bird out there has been killed. Consequently, pressure drops off considerably.''
This can be an excellent time for serious hunters to go afield, perhaps more so this season than most. But there are no sure things in turkey hunting.
``We are probably trying to split hairs with all of this analysis,'' Norman said.
When you get to the bottom line, the best time to go turkey hunting is whenever you can: early, late, cold, hot, windy, rainy, sunny, wet, dry. Just go.
This season should have more than its share of excellent days.
``I am really optimistic,'' Norman said. ``It looks like we probably are at a modern-time population high right now. I think I am comfortable in saying that we ought to exceed our harvest of last year.''
That would result in a state record. Last year's spring season established a mark of 11,694 toms reported killed.
There were above-average spring hatches in 1993 and 1994, and these 2- to 3-year old toms are at a peak age to challenge hunters. What's more, Norman believes there has been an excellent carry-over of turkeys from last year, even though the winter was rough.
The new regulations designed to boost the population by decreasing fall hunting opportunities have had a positive impact, he said. But it shouldn't be overlooked that they came at an ideal time, when the population had received a huge boost from banner hatches and food crops.
``It is fortuitous that this combination has come together like it has,'' Norman said. ``Initially, we are going to enjoy a really rapid jump-start. But I think we are due for some mast failures and reproduction failures. In the future, things may slow down. People need to realize we can't expect this kind of year every year.''
Norman is looking for hunters willing to assist in a spring gobbler survey by recording data that includes their hours afield and the number of toms they hear. For a survey packet, write him at P.O. Box 996, Verona, 24482.
LENGTH: Medium: 69 linesby CNB