Let's all get along out there: Guidelines for spring turkey hunting and fishing
While the spring turkey scene is all about being quiet, fishing often requires talk and cooperation
Keep your distance, shut up and listen.
Now there is line that might have cued up some folks to punch you in the nose in 2020.
Offered now, the words are intended to help you have more fun and find success in the woods and on the water this spring.
Let’s tackle item No. 1 first: Shut up.
Turkey season opens in less than a month and it is time to scout.
I was lucky enough to learn about turkey hunting from a guy nicknamed Turkey Jack, and lesson number one from local guide Jack Morris pretty much repeated what is stated in the first paragraph here. The best way to find turkeys is to shut up and listen, preferably around sunrise or sunset and from a high vantage point.
Just be quiet, be happy with what you hear and form a game plan from there.
Don’t be going out there introducing all the birds to your brand of hootin’ yappin’ and squawkin’ to raise shock gobbles. And don’t even think about introducing those birds to the sounds of your yelps before you’re sitting within earshot with a shotgun in your lap.
If you feel a need to talk, then talk to the landowner or ranch hand, folks who live near where you hunt, talk to biologists and game wardens or rangers or techs at the Wildlife Management Area or other public land you have the opportunity to hunt.
They are the ones who see the turkeys cross the road in a certain spot every day or see them out in the corner of that same field every day or hear them down in this hollow or that or up on this ridge or the other.
Otherwise, keep that turkey call in your pocket.
This goes double for public hunting areas. Don’t be the guy that hops in there before season and screws things up for everyone else.
Don’t ever practice calling on your own turkeys—that was an early lesson from Jack. If you feel like you really have to practice calling on real turkeys then go to your worst friend’s place and set up on the road and call them out to the gate. That will seal the end of that friendship.
(Note: Folks can contact Jack Morris for guided turkey hunting at 918-691-3840)
Now let’s dive into item No. 2: Keep your distance.
None of us owns the water but people do have their fishing spots, and we all know what that means.
As the sand bass start and the paddlefish start to run things can get pretty congested out there and, unlike the turkey scouting deal, speaking up and communicating is key here.
I have fished for 50-pound king salmon literally standing shoulder-to-shoulder with other anglers so I know the group-fish thing can be done even under the most extreme conditions.
I hooked into a big king one time and 20 people all reeled up, stepped out of the way to let me work it down stream and they all moved up a spot while cheering me on as I worked my way downstream. One guy dropped his rod, grabbed my net for me and even helped me land that fish.
When you get with a group of people who cooperate and understand how to make it work that kind of fishing can restore your faith in humanity more than any church chorus or barstool banter with everyone supporting the same team on the tube.
I’ve witnessed similar cooperation along the riverbanks in Oklahoma with folks snagging paddlefish and along a small stream with folks lined up catching stringers loaded with sand bass.
On the other hand, that kind of fishing didn’t get the nickname “combat fishing” for nothing.
The thing is, if you know you’re going to a spot that might get crowded, be mentally prepared for that.
Knowing that people sometimes crowd in a certain part of the river at certain times of the year is part of knowing “your fishing spot.” Be mentally prepared, or limit your fishing times to weekday mornings.
Sometimes you have to be social, introduce yourself and work with the other anglers by asking to join in. Think of it much like a team effort. Help each other and share tips. It’s fun!
By and large, however, anglers want space and if possible it should be afforded.
For a lot of folks, fishing is a time for peace, relaxation, relative solitude or time with a good fishing buddy. I always try to keep my distance, especially when there is plenty more river or lake to fish.
Some folks are paying a guide for their time on the water and I especially try to respect that they might be just learning or new to the sport. The fact that I’m out there for fun and another angler is out there is trying to make a living teaching people about a sport that I love is another reason to let those folks go about their business undisturbed if possible.
I’m not so all-fired set on catching fish that I want to horn in on someone else’s day to cast a line in one particular space, but at the same time we all have to recognize we have time and money and hopes invested in getting out on the water and there is little space for a broadly cast cold shoulder.
It can make things tense for both parties and we’re all out there to have fun and relax.
Fun and relaxation: That defines a successful day of fishing. Otherwise they’d call it catching. We’ve all heard that one.
Recognize that if you only have one spot in mind when you head out to a public fishing area you’ve doomed your chances for success from the start.
If you get there and see that someone else beat you to your favorite spot, then go to your second or third spot or start exploring to find new places. Hang out where you can keep an eye on that place and wait for them to leave or—get this—politely approach, tell them you had your eye on that spot and just ask if they plan to be there awhile.
“Hi! Looks like you landed the best spot on the river/lake/cove today. I was headed here myself. I’m just trying to figure out my strategy for the day, you folks plan to stay here for awhile?”
I’ve met some real nice folks that way, been lucky enough to catch some who said they were just about to leave, even some who invited me to fish right along with them. A little polite communication can go a long way.
I’ve also met some grumpy folks and others that said something like, “Tough luck buddy, we’re camped out here until we fill six limits!”
Just smile and move on. Believe me, there’s plenty of water out there where you can find success.
