Spring Turkey season Texas Style

[dusty texian]

Next wk. end Spring Turkey season starts here in Texas. Two of the three ranchs have huntable numbers of Rio Grande Turkey . It's a beautiful time of yr. Bluebonnets . Indian Paint. Mexian Hat , cover the broken country. Starting about Wed. or so Brother and I will be visiting our ranch's Greeting hunters giving advice on where and how . After they get done we will spend our time hunting Wild Boar and training my new pup Jaeger on blood trailing . He had his first blood trailing experiences this past Fall/ Winter at just two month's old . He is catching on Quick! Deer steak's cooked rare once a wk. shared with me help's keep him interested in deer.  Spring time is the worst time for Rattler's in Tx. The hardest thing I have to do is convince Jaeger that the Rattle Snakes are for me to deal with . The oldest Cowboy I could have ask what to do is now past on. If anyone has any suggestions I am all ear's . Want to keep Jaeger safe , but he must learn. ,,,DT

[Cliff Fendley]

Ours in Kentucky is in a couple weeks. We aren't allowed rifles for turkey we use shotguns.

[dusty texian]

Shotguns, or Muzzleloader's  are the sporting way to go , in my opinion. The fun is in the calling . The Spring season it's rare that I am on the trigger since the Grandboy's have started hunting and all the guest hunters. Have some ammo stoked-up for the 50/95 Express rifle , think the hog's are going to get a taste of it! The last few yrs. my attention has turned to Wild hogs and Varmints. And they can be hunted yr. around. Are the snake's very bad in KY. during the Spring season. They sure are on the move here now! ,,DT

[Cliff Fendley]

I've been lucky not to encounter snakes during spring season but I'm certainly careful where I hunker down. Sometimes it's still pretty cool here at night and in the mornings during spring turkey.

It's been three or four years since I've shot a turkey because of my neck and shoulder but I'm thinking I'm going to give it a whirl this year.

[dusty texian]

Good luck getting over the neck problems . I know that kind of pain ,and its to the core!  Go get you one of them big old gobblers! ,,DT

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Dusty
Good luck on your Hunts . I hunt in Western Kentucky and the snakes aren't a problem , ALMOST no Rattlers here but we do have Copper heads and a occasional water moccasin . But with that said I always inspect my sit up sights . Don't want to sit on a Copper Head that would make a bad day . I plan on getting my long barreled 87 out and my black powder shells out . I love Turkey hunting and it's a lot of fun in the Spring .

[arlen]

I have 15 Rio Grande turkeys in my yard right now.  The tom displays and struts constantly.  There are 3 younger jakes in the group with 2" beards.  Another group of turkeys were challenging this group earlier.  The toms were fighting each other.  This second group was about 13 members.
The most turkeys that I have seen in my yard this year is 33 at one time.
Last year there were 18 hens and no toms.  Year before that there were 13 hens and no toms.

These birds come in for the grain that we feed our livestock.