Huntsville's Roadside Turkeys

It’s amazing to me that these turkeys are still going strong this year – despite our recent, heavy snowfall! The turkeys that we are seeing in our area are a result of a program that began in 1984. Turkeys were trapped in Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Jersey, and Tennessee and transplanted in Ontario. In 1986, turkeys from successful Ontario ranges were also transplanted to various other locations in Ontario. A total of 440o turkeys were initially “borrowed” to begin the program. There are now estimated to be 70,000 turkeys in Ontario (source: Ontario’s Wild Turkey Management Plan).

Many outdoors enthusiasts are talking turkey this week, as Ontario’s wild turkey season opened Monday, April 27 in much of southern Ontario. This year’s season includes an expansion into several new wildlife management units (W.M.U.’s) introduced by the Ministry of Natural Resources (M.N.R.) for 2009. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H.), Ontario’s largest nonprofit fish and wildlife-based conservation organization, welcomes the additional opportunities for its members and wishes all hunters a safe and enjoyable season in the great outdoors.

“The spring wild turkey season continues to grow in popularity with hunters of all ages and walks of life. Spring is an ideal time to be in the field, and this challenging game bird makes for a memorable experience,” said O.F.A.H. Executive Director, Mike Reader. “The addition of new wildlife management units this year means that even more enthusiasts can experience time in the outdoors, and if they’re fortunate, harvest a wild turkey.”

W.M.U.’s 46, 54, 55A and 57 are now included in the spring wild turkey season, and W.M.U.’s 65, 66A, 80, 85, 87 and 91 will be part of the 2009 fall season.

The reintroduction of wild turkey, a partnership effort of the M.N.R., O.F.A.H., National Wild Turkey Federation, landowners, volunteers and others, is one of the province’s most successful wildlife restoration initiatives, and led to the introduction of a wild turkey season in 1987. The O.F.A.H. invested over half a million dollars in the restoration program, and as the population became well established, supported a second turkey hunting licence, all-day turkey hunting, Sunday gun hunting, and most recently, a fall season, which began in 2008. Conservative estimates place the province’s wild turkey population between 70,000 and 100,000.

According to the M.N.R., a total of 10,964 birds were harvested in 2008, including 472 harvested in the first fall season. Mandatory reporting is in place for wild turkey. For more information on hunting regulations, pick up a copy of the ministry’s Ontario 2009 Hunting Regulations Summary guide, available at ServiceOntario Centres and outfitters, or visit www.ontario.ca/hunting.

Wild turkey licensing fees generate approximately one million dollars annually for the M.N.R.’s Special Purpose Account, which is used to support fish and wildlife programs across Ontario. The socioeconomic value of Ontario’s wild turkey hunt, with outfitting, travel, accommodation and other expenditures, is estimated to be more than ten million dollars annually.

With over 100,000 members, subscribers and supporters, and 660 member clubs, the O.F.A.H. is Ontario’s leading fish and wildlife conservation organization, and the voice of anglers and hunters. For more information, visit www.ofah.org.

*Press Release Used With Permission

It is that time of year. Many Ontario hunters will be out trying to bring home their own wild turkey for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, there is still no turkey hunt in my Wildlife Management Unit 49. I recently had to ‘encourage’ 6 turkeys to leave my driveway so I could get to work. It has been encouraging to see turkeys in our area where once there were none.

Here are some important 2009 Ontario Turkey Hunting links provided by the Ontario MNR:

• 2009 Wild Turkey Harvest Report Worksheet (PDF, 615 kb)
• 2008 Fall Wild Turkey Harvest Statistics (PDF, 27 kb)
• Wild Turkey Management Plan for Ontario, 2007 (PDF, 2.3 mb)
• Map: Wildlife Management Units in Ontario with an Open Season for Fall Wild Turkey Hunting in 2009 (PDF, 359 kb)
• Summary of Fall Wild Turkey Hunting Regulations (PDF, 28 kb)
• Map: Wildlife Management Units in Ontario with an Open Season for Spring Wild Turkey Hunting in 2009 (PDF, 349 kb)

If you would like to read about my first turkey hunt in Virginia – follow this link.

Hunt safe out there everybody and please send along some photos for those of you who are fortunate to bag an Ontario Turkey!

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H.) is informing hunters who intend to purchase wild turkey tags for the new fall hunt, that the tags are not as widely available as the spring version.

With few exceptions, hunters wishing to purchase a wild turkey tag will need to travel to a Wildlife Management Unit (W.M.U.) that will have an open wild turkey season this year. Within these specific W.M.U.’s, tags will be available at ServiceOntario centres and from licence issuers that stocked wild turkey tags in the spring. Issuers outside the designated W.M.U.’s who specifically requested tags may also have some availability. There will be no fall wild turkey tags available through the Interactive Voice Response (I.V.R.) system.

This past spring the Ministry of Natural Resources (M.N.R.) announced the opening of a fall wild turkey season in parts of southeastern and southwestern Ontario. The new fall hunting regulations include an open season for W.M.U.’s 64, 67, 68, 73, 76, 77, 78, 81, 82, 84, 89, 90, 92, and 93. Regulations for the fall season vary from the spring, with hunters allowed to take one bird, which can be of either gender. The fall season runs from October 14 to 26 in 2008.

To accommodate interest in the wild turkey certification seminars, the O.F.A.H. ran several courses in early September. The next opportunity to take the mandatory seminar for those wishing to hunt wild turkey, will begin in February, with registration anticipated to open in January.

Wild Turkey Facts:

* The O.F.A.H. initiated the highly successful program to bring back the extirpated eastern wild turkey to Ontario more than twenty years ago.
* There has been a wild turkey hunting season since 1987, and during that time, wild turkey populations have continually increased. Conservative estimates place Ontario’s turkey population at over 70,000 birds.
* Since 1987, the O.F.A.H. has trained 78,300 wild turkey hunters in seminars held across Ontario.
* Last year, wild turkey licence sales contributed $936,789 to the M.N.R. Special Purpose Account.

With 82,000 members and 655 member clubs, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is the leading fishing, hunting and conservation organization in Ontario. For more information visit www.ofah.org.

-Copied and used with permission-

There is a particular edition of Ontario Out of Doors Magazine publishes that I anticipate the most each year. It is usually the September edition because they publish the Annual Ontario Hunting Forecast for the current and upcoming hunting year. It is very in-depth and generally covers all Ontario WMU’s.

To read the 2008 Ontario Hunting Forecast from Ontario Out of Doors -CLICK HERE-

To summarize their ‘intel’ on the hunting WMU 49 (the wildlife management Unit where huntsville is), this is what they are saying (click on the photo for a large view):

If you are looking for an excellent hunting and fishing magazine that covers topics and issues that relate to hunting and fishing in Ontario, consider this publication.

In anticipation of the upcoming Ontario fall turkey hunt, I have re-posted an old story about my first turkey hunt.

“This is going to be easy.”, I said to myself…

I was just watching my university teacher put the last shell into his shotgun chamber while all around us we began to here numerous turkeys gobbling into the cold morning air. I grinned at my biology teacher who was pointing out where he thought the best call was coming from.

I had never turkey hunted before, and my teacher from an American university thought I might enjoy a turkey hunt in Virginia. At 5am we found ourselves packed into his small pic-up leaving my school and heading for his acreage out of town.

We crept low parallel to a tree line that that flanked a small stream. On the opposite side of the stream (from where we where stalking) was a tall 5′ bank. We were using the bank and the trees as cover as we moved toward the direction of the turkey’s regular call. I was thinking to myself that we were in an ideal situation with the bank as cover and the noisy stream would hide our steps. As we crawled along for what seemed like hours, my teacher crossed the stream and slowly lifted his head over the bank. He wanted to see if he could get a visual on our quarry. After a few moments he ducked back down and whispered, “There are 5 females on the edge of an upcoming field. I hear the male in the trees beside the females but I can’t see him.”

He reached into his pack and pulled out a wooden box and stick. I watched him move the stick along the inside of this box to replicate a similar call to the one we have been hearing all morning. It was obvious he had mastered what he was doing. After a few moments he put the call down and scanned above the bank. I was getting anxious because up to this point I have never seen a wild turkey and it was killing me to not see things from his vantage point. My teacher must have sensed my thoughts as he ducked down from above the bank. He said,” Take a look, but move slowly.”

Edging slowly up, my eyes scanned ahead to the field where the female turkeys were. Sure enough there was a group of them just standing/walking by the edge of the field. I assumed the male was still not there as I did not see a large fan one would expect. Crouching back below the bank I asked, “What now?”

He picked up the call again and asked me to watch if the male came out after a few calls. That’s what we did for nearly an hour. I would watch and he would call for few moments. Suddenly, I noticed a large black shape materialize from the forest edge. Then I saw a large tail feather unravel. The male was on the move! I ducked down and my teacher could tell from my excitement his plan had worked.

He handed me his shotgun and told me to slowly crawl along the bank another 40 yds. He would watch where we were and motion to me when to stand up for the best shot. This felt like an eternity and every muscle ached. I kept thinking that I would not be able to keep the gun steady when it was time. After about 10 minutes, I got the sign and slowly stood up. I no sooner got a bead on the gobbler when he blitzed back to the forest from where he had came. The females scattered with him. So much for easy! We tried for another hour to entice the male back out, but to no avail.

I was disappointed but not discouraged. We had a plan and it almost worked. We deepened a friendship. I got to hunt something new as turkeys are just now being re-introduced in our area. I keep waiting year after year for the go ahead to hunt turkey here in Huntsville. I know if I wait, they will come!

The Ontario MNR has posted the following 2008 Ontario turkey hunting regulations and and guidelines:

• 2008 Wild Turkey Harvest Report Worksheet (PDF, 96 kb)
• Wild Turkey Management Plan for Ontario, 2007 (PDF, 2.3 mb)
• Map: Wildlife Management Units in Ontario with an Open Season for Fall Wild Turkey Hunting in 2008 (PDF, 252 kb)
• Summary of Fall Wild Turkey Hunting Regulations (PDF, 28 kb)
• Map: Wildlife Management Units in Ontario with an Open Season for Spring Wild Turkey Hunting in 2008 (PDF, 854 kb)

To hunt turkeys in Ontario you need to successfully complete the Ontario Wild Turkey Hunter Education Course. Listing of course dates and location can be found on the OFAH website.