Charlie Elk

pseudonym of a man

Wisconsin 2016 Fall Turkey Permits are available

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As Monday, August 22, 2016, the Wisconsin fall wild turkey drawing is complete.  Turkey hunters must check their turkey permit status online; www.GoWild.wi.gov. At least that is the message on Go Wild, however, on the WDNR traditional website it still says-

 Successful applicants will be notified by mail the week of August 22, 2016

Last week, when I inquired about the fall turkey permits via phone, the DNR representative told me the usual postcard would be mailed to hunters the week of August 22.   Being a fellow who feels a sense of completeness when his license is in hand checked the new Go Wild site on Monday and found my turkey license waiting for me to print.

Come on fall! There has been enough video watching to this to last a lifetime.

Come on fall! There has been enough video watching to this to last a lifetime.

Where to find and buy a Wisconsin fall turkey license

  • After logging in at Go Wild and confirming your personal information, you will see your home page.
  • Select “Buy License.” Then the WDNR product catalog will appear.
  • Under the featured or Hunt/Trap tab “Awarded Fall Turkey Tag” line appears, select to bring up the Awarded Fall Turkey Tag screen.
  • The drawn tag is included with the purchase a fall turkey license at this time.
  • Conservation Patron license holders have the fall turkey license included.

Now don’t forget-

  • Remaining permits will go on sale beginning Saturday, August 27 at 10 a.m. Leftover permits will be issued on a one per-day basis.
  • Permits are $5.00 for 10 and 11 year olds, $10.00 for residents, and $15.00 for nonresidents.
  • One per day per customer, until they are sold out.

Please note that at the time you purchase your permit you will be required to purchase a fall turkey license. If you did not purchase a spring turkey license, you will also need to purchase a Wild Turkey Stamp.

Go here to review the leftover permits.

As usual, an internal review is being conducted to make sure the drawing was accurate.  The leftover turkey permits will be posted soon.

Update 9:20 pm August 23: The leftover permits are posted.  Here’s the chart of available over the counter turkey permits.

WDNR – Permit Availability

Zone Remaining Permits
FM 0
Zone 1 15,346
Zone 2 4,254
Zone 3 18,150
Zone 4 7,816
Zone 5 0
Zone 6 0
Zone 7 0

Best of luck turkey hunting and above all else have fun, enjoyable hunt.

Update August 24, 2016, WDNR mailed drawing notification postcards.  The cost of this mailing is about $17,789 including postage and the cost of printing the card and hunters still have to go online to buy their turkey license.  The game fund is operating in deficit; Why did they waste our money on this expense?

Velvet Trophy Shows His Stuff

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vic preparing for setup

Due to Vic’s training, he will not chase deer.

On Sunday, Vic and I were out for a woodland stroll during the lunch hour.  Of course, our ultimate goal is to locate turkeys and check on the local flock dynamics.  There are so many deer across the landscape these days that most of the time they just blend into the background, but then on occasion, a few standout.

You never know what you'll see on a summertime stroll in a Wisconsin Woodland

You never know what you’ll see on a summertime stroll in a Wisconsin Woodland.

This smallish velvet buck was eating small burning nettles, as Vic and I approached he lifted his head and walked over to get a better look at us.  Fortunately, I had my camera and was able to get out and turned on.

Deer, including trophy class bucks are not afraid of dogs.

Deer, including trophy class bucks, are not afraid of dogs.

As the deer approached, Vic sat near my left leg, so I was able to snap this picture of a beautiful public land buck.  After spending the better part of a half a century pursuing trophies like this, I marvel at how at home they are around dogs.  I wrote about deer and dogs here.   I know what some readers are thinking, “Oh, well, that’s just a summertime buck.”  Wrong, this happens in the fall while wild turkey hunting, pheasant, grouse, or woodcock hunting.  At that time of year, a shotgun is in my hands, and the camera is in a waterproof, cushioned pocket so getting a picture like this is more challenging.  Interestingly the deer will tolerate my dog even if he growls or barks at them, but they will not stand around when I start digging in my pockets.

My passion these days, fall turkey hunting, so now the question I ponder; Should I go out this season and take him or should I give the GPS coordinates to some other deserving hunter?

Deer can’t be reliably saved for future years because there are too many hazards in the wild that most likely will take their lives.  In Wisconsin, a buck deer like this has about a 50% CWD infection rate.  There is a 50/50 chance  that any buck you encounter will look like this next year.

Patrick Durkin wrote an excellent piece on CWD in WI.

Patrick Durkin wrote an excellent piece on CWD in WI.  His article should be mandatory reading for all hunters.

Somewhere along the line this fall I’ll meet a deerhunter who’d like a crack at a nice buck and I’ll give them the coordinates.  Perhaps, they’ll tip me off as to where all those turkeys I’ve been seeing went.

Deadline; Wisconsin Hunting & Trapping August 1

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In Wisconsin hunters and trappers have deadlines to meet.  August 1 is approaching fast; it is the fall permit deadline for wild turkey, bobcat, sharp-tailed grouse, fisher, and otter.

MADISON – August 1 is an important deadline for fall hunters and trappers pursuing wild turkey, sharp-tailed grouse, bobcat, fisher and otter.
Permit applications for fall hunting can be purchased for $3 ($6 for bobcat applications) online at gowild.wi.gov, at Department of Natural Resources service centers, and at all license agents. License sales are no longer available by phone, but the live operators at the DNR Call Center can help answer any questions hunters may have about the permit application process. The Call Center is available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, and can be reached at 888-WDNR-INFo (1-888-936-7463).

Fall wild turkey

Unit 1-5

  • Sept. 17 through Dec. 31

Zones 6 & 7

  • Sept. 17 through Nov. 18

Sharp-tailed grouse:

  • Oct. 15 through Nov. 6

Bobcat hunting and trapping

  • Season 1 – Oct. 15 through Dec. 25
  • Season 2 – Dec. 26 through Jan. 31, 2017

Fisher trapping

  • Oct. 15 through Dec. 31

Otter trapping

  • North Unit; Nov. 5 through Apr. 30, 2017
  • Central & Southern Units; Nov. 5 through Mar. 31, 2017

Fall Turkey info;

  • There will be 101,300 wild turkey permits available to hunters for the fall 2016 turkey hunting season.
  • Permit availability was increased by 200 in each of the three northernmost turkey management zones (Unit 5, 6 & 7) to meet hunter demand better.
  • Any fall turkey permits remaining after the initial drawing will go on sale beginning at 10 a.m. on August 27.
  • Leftover fall turkey permits will be sold by unit until sold out or the season ends.
  • Units 1-5 – 2016 is the first year fall turkey hunting will be open statewide on the Friday before the opening of the firearm deer season.
  • Hunters may use dogs to hunt wild turkeys during the fall season throughout the state of Wisconsin.
  • The bag limit is one turkey of any age or sex per fall turkey hunting permit.

Sharp-tailed Grouse info;

  • 25 sharp-tailed grouse hunting permits will be available for Unit 8 only.
  • Represents a 75 percent decrease from 2015.
  • Permit levels were decreased to balance hunter opportunity with a more prudent level of harvest.
  • Sharp-tailed grouse management units use the same boundaries and designations as game management units (GMUs); a map is available on the sharp-tailed grouse page on the WDNR website.
  • Hunters are reminded to review the zone map carefully and apply only for the open unit.

River Otter, Fisher & Bobcat Info;

    • Approved quotas for river otter, fisher, and are available on the trapping page of the Wisconsin DNR website.
    • Quotas for most zones are similar or slightly higher than 2015.
    • Permit numbers, based on success rates, and drawings for all three species will take place in August 2016
    • Permits will be available in early September.
    • Applicants need to check their online Go Wild account early September for an awarded a permit.

 

 

July Gobbling in Wisconsin; when and why wild turkeys gobble

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Turkeys gobble all year long.

 

July 21, 2016, the sunrise was greeted by profuse gobbling.  How cool is that on what is predicted to be the hottest day of the summer?

Why do gobblers gobble in July?

This morning is not the first time I have heard gobbling toms during the summer months.  There always has been a bit of mystery as to why there is any gobbling outside of the traditional spring mating season.  As a matter of fact, I’ve heard male turkeys sounding off during every month of the year, plus, many of my fellow hunters report the same type of off-season gobbling all year long.

Here is my reasoning as to the timing of gobbles

Late January – March:

  • Male turkeys are coming out of winter with different levels of physical strength along with differing levels of mating hormones.  The pecking order as established last fall is in the process of being reorganized while the bachelor flocks are beginning to separate.  All of this change is very exciting causing much gobbling.

April – May:

  • Of course, all hunters know this is mating time, the gobbling is an attempt to attract hens and scare off lower ranking toms and jakes. A mystery many hunters ponder is why on some of the spring days the sound of gobbling rings throughout woodlands and on other equally nice weather days mornings can be greeted by silence?  Personally, for the most part, I believe the amount of gobbling is directly related to the willingness of hens to mate and the number of gobblers competing for the hen’s attention.

June – August

  • During June gobbling for mating is winding down and the remaining male turkeys are becoming more interested in forming their
    Courtesy of D Gordon Robertson

    Courtesy of D Gordon Robertson

    summertime bachelor groups.  Some strutting and gobbling continue in an attempt to locate hens that did not breed or have lost their nest.  I’ve seen toms strutting in fields with attentive hens as late as the first week in August.

  • Male turkeys are less competitive and because they are seeking each other’s company rather than only focusing on hens.  Gobbling and coarse yelps are used to find each other.  A lot less fighting takes place at this time of year.

 

September

  • The jakes of the year are asserting themselves and anytime during the day short higher pitch gobbles will be heard.  They will be leaving
    Jakes milling around

    Jakes milling around

    their broods to form what I think of as gangs, much like teenagers who don’t want anything to do with the brood hen.  Many times these jakes seek out broods of hens with jennies to target for harassment.

  • September is an exciting time to hunt these jakes.  When you find them, they respond quickly and aggressively to calling.  Wisconsin fall turkey season opens mid-September.

October – November

  • Winter flock formation begins to take place in earnest.  As these weeks click by the flocks become larger as more birds join male flocks with separate flocks for the ladies.  Establishing pecking order in both flocks is contentious, so wild turkey calls abound at all times of the day.
  • Male turkeys, in particular, will fight, gobble and yell at each other.; This is the best time to get a fall gobbler, considered an extra special trophy by many hunters.

December – January

  • Winter has arrived, the turkeys settle in with the acquisition of food high on their daily agenda.  Occasional tiffs and arguments erupt beard swinging gobblerover the more desired food sources.  A few gobble will be heard from time to time, but mostly angry purrs or clucks warn off an encroaching turkey.
  • If a band of turkeys finds one particularly, abundant food source they will call to others and males may gobble.

All of the above is reason enough to get hooked on year-round turkey hunting.

 

Planked Wild Turkey Breast

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Time to eat wild turkey.

One of my summertime favorites is cedar planked turkey breast.  Here in Wisconsin cedar trees are considered a native invasive because they turn the soil acid and use a lot of water.   Foresters encourage editing cedar out of hardwood stands this provides me with ample opportunity to acquire 10-12 inch red cedar logs which are kept under the overhang of the shed so that direct sunlight will not over dry them.  When a disk of cedar is required for cooking, I saunter out, fire up the chainsaw and cut the disks about an inch thick.  Unlike the over-dried, thin store-bought planking wood these fresh cut cedar disks do not require soaking.

One half wild turkey breast with the silver skin and wing tendon removed.  Use a Jaccard type meat tenderizer to perforate both sides of the turkey breast to facilitate penetration of the marinade.

Marinade 

  • 1 cup soy sauce
  •  1 cup white wine, white vinegar or balsamic vinegar
  •  One quarter cup sugar (I prefer brown sugar)
  •  3 Tbsp. Lemon juice or one lemon
  •  Two clove garlic smashed or diced
  •  One sweet onion sliced thin
    Combine all ingredients, place in a ziplock freezer bag and shake the bag a bit to dissolve sugar.

Marinade the turkey overnight then drain, rinse and set aside to dry while you prepare the grill.

Place marinated turkey on red cedar disk and close the grill cover.

Place marinated turkey breast on the red cedar disk and with a closed grill cover.

Cook to an internal temperature 165 Fahrenheit.

Cook to an internal temperature of 165 Fahrenheit.

Remove from grill and rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

Remove from grill and rest for 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

The method will result in tender, moist wild turkey breast meat that can be eaten with your favorites sides or sliced thin for use in sandwiches and snacks.

Other woods can be used to plank turkeys such as oak, hickory or apple.  If you don’t have a wild turkey a domestic turkey from the grocery store can be cooked using this method.

Reflecting at the End of Spring Turkey Season 2016

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The hen makes gentle clucks from a treetop behind me, odd perhaps, but this is one of the last days of the 2016 spring turkey season.  For the most part, the hens are now sitting to incubating their eggs.  The made morning rush is giving way to deliberate calm.  At least on the part of the hen, not so with gobbler booming in the morning to my front.  He is not in the mood to let go of his dominance or mating drive.

As the rays of sunlight begin piercing the woodland, my mind wanders over the passing days. Reminiscing about a turkey season before sunrise light shaftscompletion; who would think that is possible? This morning I’m having trouble shaking the feeling of melancholy, it’s typical at the end of a season to feel a certain reverence, but it’s not quite over yet.  As the rays of sunlight begin piercing the woodland, in spite of the hard gobbling tom, my mind wanders over the last passing days.

Gobble gobble at the hen’s soft clucks.

It all started by accompanying my grandson on his youth hunt, the memory of those seven long beards coming in while he caused and earthquake in the magnitude of 3.6. The moment of consternation when he missed one of the biggest turkeys I’d ever seen afield that quickly gave way to a warm, confident feeling he’s on the road to becoming a hunter.  He saw that insight that keeps us all hunting for just one more of those sights.

Gobble gobble the hen softly clucks.

My good friend Kody from Alberta, Canada, here on his first ever, heck he was the first Canadian ever to hunt spring turkeys in Wisconsin. Kody on set upOnly two days to hunt but we crammed a full array of turkey hunting experiences into those days.  This gobbler ushering the morning could very likely be one that Kody set up tight on; it’s in the same area.  If only Kody could have hunted one more day.  No one can predict the actions or behavior of turkeys; they are so random.  The melancholy feeling set in after Kody departed for the airport so I setup in the field point where we had a close call with several different turkeys.  I called a few times and let my mind wander savoring the memories of hunting with Kodyhunt’s highs.  Suddenly the sight of two toms walking towards the decoy jerks me back into focusing on the now.  With twotwoturkeys tags still open in my pocket, the last day of the fourth Wisconsin season, I realized the tom’s heads were going to intersect which would allow me to kill them both with one shot. A feeling of frustration enveloped me as stood over the two dead birds; why didn’t, couldn’t this have happened when Kody was here? No predicting turkeys.

The hen’s wings caress the air as she flys off roost to her nest, and I take over her clucking.  The tom does not seem to notice any difference and gobbled right back. 

Last week Rye, my Grandson from Texas came to visit, he’s seven and wants to hunt so bad.  With his help, we set up a pop-up blind, and then he had a blast randomly sticking out the decoys. He called his little heart out, dang, no turkeys showed up only some crows.  A couple of years ago I gave him a crow call to use on Texas crows, so I told him to order those crows to go away.  Well, I don’t know what he said in crow to make those crows go so wild. Whatever his calls meant to the crows remains a mystery, we were soon witnessing 25-30 crows darting about trees around us, screaming and diving at the blind.  Had it been crow season we’d have had to eat a bunch of crows.  As it was, he just blew that call with more urgency and laughing between breaths.  Oh yeah on the way back he begged to carry my gun, it’s all about fun, so he was my gun bearer.

Gobble, gobble, yelp, cluck.

Those last calls were a whole lot closer with some mind clearing directness bringing my attention fully back to the present, the shafts of sunlight are lighting the woods glistening through the rising mist. The canopy is thick late in the season limiting visibility for that turkey and me.  The early morning wet dampened the woods allowed me to move quietly and get real close to this gobbler, him and I have a little contest to settle.  The hen quietly flew off to her nest some time ago, so I took over her clucking without the old gobbler realizing the change.  His gobbles had an urgency to them now at times he sounded like he was moving away and the next sound like he was in range, but I had not heard him fly down yet.  Oh, of course, he is hopping from tree branch to branch trying see me through all the leaves.  The gobbling sounded closer and farther depending on which direction he pointed his beak during the gobble.

For a moment all went quiet and then the tell-tale thud, he is on the ground and my gun is pointed at exactly that location.  I cannot see him only his feathers are making noise as they shake and rattle with his movement.  The turkey is in range all I need to do is see him.  Tension has a way of building in these situations; I dare not move, or the turkey may periscope me and then fade away as he did on so many other turkeymornings this season.  The gun is comfortable on my knee as I grip the striker for one last cluck while hoping he is not looking directly at me.  There is no reaction to my cluck; all is quiet until that red, white and blue pulsing bulb of a head appears as if floating up a little draw in the hillside, it’s all I can see moving along.  The turkey’s body is not visible only the head; it’s in range… At the blast, the bright head disappears being replaced by a wing tip skidding down the draw.  I race to grab him to avoid joining his slide all the way to the bottom for retrieval.

A genuinely fine bird, double beard, 1 3/8” spurred gobbler.   Heck, they are all fine birds I just love turkey hunting.

spurs tongue teaser call

Wisconsin 2016 Spring Wild Turkey Beats 2015 Registrations

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WP_20160522_004Wisconsin’s spring 2016 wild turkey registration total is 11% higher than last year.  Preliminary total harvest has 45,496 turkeys registered spring 2016.

  • Unit 1 had the highest turkey harvest 13,862 for a 22% success rate.
  • Unit 2 registered 11,083 turkeys 23% success rate.
  • Unit 3 registered 10,348 birds 20% success rate.
  • Unit 4 registered 6,698 birds, success rate 21%
  • Unit 5 total 2,071
  • Unit 6 total 813
  • Unit 7 total 510
  • Fort McCoy checked in with 111

Total 2016 turkey permits issued 213,672 compared to 2015 issued permits 208,250. About 26,000 applicants who were drawn did not buy their license.

Keep in mind the number of turkey hunters is less than the number of issued permits because each hunter is allowed to buy more than one tag.  The total number of spring turkey hunting licenses sold each spring in Wisconsin ranges between 100,000 to 120,000.

How should hunter success rates be calculated?

Currently, WDNR calculates the state success rate using the total number of permits issued giving Wisconsin hunters a statewide success rate of 21.3%.  If the success rate calculation is done using the number of hunting licenses sold, which would accurately represent the number of individual hunters, the success rate is 41.36% assuming 110,000 spring hunting licenses were sold.

If the average hunter in Wisconsin buys two permits;  And that hunter shoots one turkey are they successful? Or do they need to fill both permits to be successful?

What about the obsessed turkey hunter who purchases at least one permit per weekly season, perhaps more than one permit in the later seasons, so they have 7 or more permits to hunt.   How many of those permits do they need to fill to be considered successful?

Other hunters buy extra permits in other units and time periods so that they can spend time hunting friends or family in those areas. Perhaps they only hunt a day for two or don’t hunt at all due to personal scheduling conflicts.

Bottom line. Does the success rate percentage really matter?

Hunters can apply now for their 2017 spring turkey tags.  Log into your account on www.GoWild.gov, “Buy permit application”, under application and points.  Applications can be changed anytime and as many times as needed until the December 10th deadline.

 

 

First Canadian Who Turkey Hunted in Wisconsin

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Kody on huntFirst Canadian Hunts Turkeys in Wisconsin

The gobbler raucously ushered in the sunrise causing the Albertan hunter to shiver.  It had to be excitement because it’s a lot cooler from where he came, so considering this was the first turkey he’d ever heard no turkey hunter would think there any other reason for the quaking.

All the way from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Kody came to West Central Wisconsin for his first-ever wild turkey hunt.  To my knowledge and that of the turkey Maven within the Wisconsin DNR Kody is the first Canadian to attempt the spring turkey hunt here.

Kody and Charlie met each other seven years ago as contributors on the Outdoor Life forum.  At first, they exchanged good-natured jabs and humored filled stories then moved on to email exchanges and phone conversations. There are those who think it odd or even a bit dangerous to hunt with someone you only know via “technological conversations.”   However, I have not found that to be the case rather when someone is or thinks they are anonymous the real person is on display for all to see. Whereas, in person, we are all more careful to maintain the veneer of respectability.

The adventure started as soon as Kody arrived to pick up his rental car, incredibly customs was not a problem rather as events were to unfold it was the map provided by the car rental folks.  Since Canadian I phones don’t work in the states, Kody would need to rely on this sketchy map, in the dark as he attempts to navigate to Charlie elk’s humble, very rural adobe.

Kody stops at the local BP station in “town” to inquire with the young lady minding the store if she could fix his Apple phone.  Older folks always think any young person can fix anything tech, but in this case, the poor lass was helpless to help, so she offers the use of the station’s landline to call me.  After giving Kody detailed direction a feeling of what could go wrong stuck with me.  In hindsight, I realized he would likely miss seeing the sign for my road and drive to who knows where.  Sure enough, he has Kim call me from her house in a neighboring micro-village.  After I convinced Kim this was not a con, Kody really was from Alberta here to turkey hunt she agreed to keep him there so that I could personally retrieve him.

Finally, Kody and I are shaking hands slapping each other on the back; that is after I pull Kody away from showing Kim all his grandkid and horse pictures.  Later as we sit in the trophy room drinking introductory adult beverages, Kody remarks about how friendly everyone is so late at night.  Of course, that is because Wisconsinites are the most heavily armed folks in the nation, so everyone has learned to be very polite.  “Even more than Texas?” Yes indeed, Wisconsin has more CC permits issued per capita than anywhere else and a strong castle doctrine to boot.  At 9:30p we’d roll up the sidewalks, that is if there were sidewalks.  “She might have had a gun under her table as we talked…”  Very likely so Kody.

Knowing Kody was coming to hunt I had tried to avoid killing the gobbler at the start of this post.  He is one of those birds that roosts in the same general area every morning gobbling his head off; this is not to say he would have given me a chance to kill him if I’d tried.   Rather it’s the temptation to a veteran turkey hunter is hard to resist.  Kody had never hunted or for that matter seen a wild turkey. Whenever I mentor a new hunter, right or wrong, I try to arrange a full flavored hunt; there is so much more to a turkey hunt than a kill.  Now we are about 50 yards from the roost tree of a very robust gobbler and his henchmen who Kody on set upare ushering in the morning with all the fanfare any veteran turkey hunter appreciates; we are what is called “tight” on these birds. Getting in this close was not hard because Kody is a veteran of many other species, so he is nimble and quiet while on the move.  There is nothing between these birds and us, turkey hunting mornings like this are intoxicating. For a good 45 minutes as the sun starts to crest the ridgetop, I’m starting to think a turkey for the new guy on the first morning is a real possibility.  As happens more often than not the turkeys begin pitching off roost flying to wherever they hear hens.  The real hens had beaten my calling.

Time to move, we started trolling our way through the valley and busted a few turkeys still on roost an hour and a half after sunrise.  We spent the morning on setups working some birds here and there.  At one point as I led the way up a field crest, a couple of gobblers were strutting within gun range.  I immediately dropped back below and motioned Kody to sneak up; he got a good look at those birds as they impressed him with their getaway speed.  Turkeys run 35 mph, fly 50 mph, see like us with eight-power binoculars, and they can see 358 degrees around.  The only chink in that defense is their sight is only two-dimensional requiring them to juke their heads constantly to focus.

Kody checking the most visited area tourist attraction.

Kody checking the most visited area tourist attraction.

After lunch, a trip to see some tourist attraction and the gun range were in order so that Kody could shoot my Benelli M2.  He shot it well, and he was deeply impressed with the tight pattern produced by the Carlson turkey choke with Fiocchi nickel plated lead shells. Kody is a guy who relishes new, different things. The lush green woodland with all the sounds of life. Northern forests are generally very hard to move through and devoid of all the noisy small critters operating on the

Kody is reading the history posters.

Kody is reading the history posters.

background canvas, some locals take it all for granted. Kody noticed it all, asked lots of questions making him a real delight to hunt alongside.

We set up in the afternoon on a wooded point that extended into a corn field we called, snoozed and called some more.  Of course, all turkey hunters know what happen when we stood up to leave. That’s right, three turkeys crested the horizon and busted us. Another 5-10 minutes of sitting still while staying awake may have produced a shot.

The next morning we had to set up further away from the gobbling birds due to thin aerial cover and they had moved their roosts to the tree we had called from yesterday.  A rushed or forced set up rarely makes an ideal situation but once you are there with the gobblers right uphill, few choices remain.  Besides turkey hunters are almost always optimistic, that is until 20/20 hindsight kicks in as the birds leave going straight up the hill away from you.

As we snuck up that hill, Kody whispers “this is real hunting, I understand why turkey hunters are so addicted.”  Just then it happened again, three gobblers in strut right in front me. In my mind, Kody came

They're back...

all the from Alberta, so any possible shot is his to take.  I back away and down for Kody to get into position, again they vanish in a blur of feathers. Many times disturbed turkeys are easier to call in, with Kody in the lead we move up the rest of the way to the previous day’s afternoon setup.

gobbler-wakingWithin ten minutes of settling in and laying out a set of kee kees and lost yelps, a very nice gobbler comes running towards us.  A stern cluck stops him to turn and look at the decoy; he takes a couple of steps towards us then abruptly stops with neck extended straight up. Kody’s heart must have been beating overtime because his shoulders, head, and gun were bobbing like a cork in some big waves. The tom stood there stationary for quite some time studying the situation; this was the first time I ever wished for a turkey gun capable of shooting 60 yards.  It was tempting to have Kody take the shot and hope for the golden BB, but that is not the way I hunt and happily not the way Kody hunts.  The gobbler sauntered off in spite of my purr-clucking pleas to come 15 yards closer.

During the close encounter, my phone kept vibrating this is why I hate cell phones while hunting.  However, I have continually carried it afield just in case mrs. elk needed me back quickly. This time, it was not mrs. elk rather it was Shane who had wounded a tom at 8 am inquiring if I would drive up with Vic the turkey dog to help him recover the bird. Vic and I have provided many successful turkey recoveries to bowhunters.  My only hesitation, this time, was one a turkey was on the way in and two Kody only had 2 and half days to hunt so I did not want to burn up any of his hunting time.  When asked Kody did not hesitate to agree to help find that bird, besides, we were tired of sitting in the same place watching a dirt field without any turkey life in visual range.

When we met up with Shane Simpson, founder of Calling all Turkeys and Joe Slaton—Linden, CA 2015 NWTF national gobbler calling champion.  Kody was duly impressed with my pro turkey connections. Shane brought us up to speed with the day’s earlier event by explaining and show video of the shot.  The gobbler being hit hard probably had not gone too far after reaching the woods.  Took Vic to the last blood, he immediately scented and went after it.  The cover was thorny and think with several fallen trees.  As I typical of turkeys under stress they usually hunker down tight in stuff like this and rely on staying still to keep them out of sight. Vic’s tracker showed me that he went directly to what turned out to be the turkey squatting against one of those fallen tree tops.  However, Vic is a pointer, and I could not lay eyes on him nor could he see me due to the thick cover, so he came back.  I made what I consider an operator error; Vic pointed that tree with me standing there and the turkey hiding on the other side.  We walked around all through all the brush and brush piles; a few rodents darted about so I thought Vic may have just pointed them.  The offseason is hard on Vic as I train him not to grab turkeys he finds spring and summer, come the fall season I train him back to holding turkeys. When Joe spotted the turkey, I repeated the mantra to myself “trust your dog,” I knew better but failed my dog.  Gosh, darn it. I’ll do better next time Vic.

Those few days flew by and too soon it was Monday noon with Kody thinking more about how to find his way back to the airport and less concerned about the gobbler sounding off on the opposite hilltop. As with all the good times in life they eventually they end, it’s one of those bitter-sweet things.

Kody is a great hunting partner and guest.  He is a good hunter who is polite, considerate and came bearing healing flowers for mrs elk.  He took the time to visit with her to bring extra joy to her day.  We are both grateful he chose to visit us.

 

 

Grandson on The Wisconsin Youth Hunt

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“Grandpa I see turkeys coming.”

“Where son?”

“Coming down the hill behind us.” Boy, does he have a good game eye, a gaggle of turkeys was weaving its way downhill in our direction.

As excited as we were to get started turkey hunting on Saturday it seemed life was conspiring to keep us from it.  The game of turkey hunting is supposed to commence in the early morning dark and span the day, and that was not the way the 2016 Wisconsin spring wild turkey hunt began for us.

10:00- Found us set up in a small woodland bordered by some Ag fields. A lot of hunters would prefer setting up a blind and spread of decoys in an area like this. My grandson, like most young hunters, prefers to be outside a blind rather than in one.  Within a half hour, the craggy bark of that old tree bit into our backs making the idea of moving very appealing.  Or was it the lack of the turkeys? We moved, several miles away.

Nugget the turkey decoy. Keeps it interesting for the young ones.

Nugget the turkey decoy. Keeps it interesting for the young ones.

10:45- We left the parked truck to hike across a prickly pear littered sand barren field, clearly an area that did not look like it would hold any turkeys, at least to the casual passerby. Down an embankment along the edge of a swamp with too much water for easy walking we headed up to a hillside step and for no other reason than there were fresh turkey scratchings everywhere we setup Nugget, (yes, he named the new decoy).  We situated ourselves in a decaying blow down.  Walker on my left.

Walker turkey 04092016

A tom like this gets the most seasoned hunter’s heart beating overtime.

11:10- Walker’s picked those turkeys out, and he knew immediately they were gobblers with a gang of jakes bringing up the rear.  With all those turkeys meandering a line towards us his excitement was quite contagious.  I must admit my heart skipped a beat or two when it becomes clear exactly how big the lead gobbler was, and he was heading directly towards Nugget.

For some reason, turkey decoys don’t usually work for me.  In spite of all those past failures a few days ago I purchased a Scheel’s decoy that had been on sale for $17.89 figuring Walker would like it.  Apparently, the lead gobbler liked her too because his focus was on Nugget and seemed not to care in the least there was a trembling 13 year old trying to get a bead on his pulsing head only 12 yards away.

For me, it was an eternity from the time that old gobbler stopped, extended his head high to get a better look at Nugget and the roar of Walker’s 20 gauge.  Then inside the scream, NOOOOO… as those big wings clawed air carrying that very large turkey up above the trees and out of our lives. Shots at turkeys do not come much more perfect than that, how could he miss?  Outwardly, I whispered, “your turkey nuggets flew away, stay still and be ready.”

The following turkeys had scattered at the shot.  Turkeys have short memories and can’t rationalize what happens, they just react.  In short order, my calls calmed them down, and they started to stroll back to us.  Now you must understand the turkeys have calmed, but my grandson is still shaking from the first encounter, there is no doubt he is rationalizing the situation.

They're back...

They’re back…

Four turkeys move back into shooting range if Walker was shaking before; this time, it’s an earthquake allowing the turkeys to bust our position and retreat.  Again I call to them, for some reason, my turkey calling calms the turkeys but still does very little to calm Walker.  Six turkeys come back in range to mill around clucking and purring their contentment.  But as turkeys are prone to do given too much time they bust us and fade away again.  At this point I remind Walker about how much fun this is, he agrees grinning ear to ear.  I ask him if he is hungry for some turkey nuggets, of course, he replies.  Then let me know when you are calm, and I will call those turkeys back, again.

After about 15 minutes Walker assures me he is ready to try again.  Soft yelps and purrs waft thru the woodland soon the turkeys eagerly answer, and I amp up the calls causing the toms to do about faces and march in; who can blame a 13 old for all his excitement, we had no blind, so there was nothing between the turkeys and us.  We were sitting on the ground, so when those birds were in close, they looked down on us.  Heck, I know some veteran turkey hunters who’d crack too.

It was important to figure out why my grandson missed that first gobbler, so I measured the distance, exactly 12 yards.  Later at the gun range he never missed a turkey target at that range and then it occurred to me;  the target was just a turkey head, not the whole bird. I forgot to tell him to make sure he picks out only the head when he shoots at a live turkey.

Wisconsin 2016 Spring Turkey Hunt Forecast

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dreamstime_l_17622897

The following 2016 Wisconsin spring turkey hunt forecast or if you prefer “prediction” is based on observations reports from my network of year-round turkey hunters.  Not only do we hunt spring, summer, fall and winter; During the offseason, we explore all 7 of Wisconsin’s turkey units noting habitat condition, flock composition, and numbers. We get out from behind the windshield to hike and glass the areas.

Admittedly this preview is subject to a lot my perception based on the field reports, experiences and years of turkey hunting.  Before the 2014 Wisconsin spring turkey hunt, I wrote a forecast based on my hunter river turkeynetwork field reports.  At that time nearly everyone, including the current WDNR Wildlife managers were predicting a horrible spring hunt, it was supposed to be so bad they cut tags by 25%; this was the first time in state history the number of available turkey tags slashed. I stuck my neck out as a contrarian with a forecast of an above average hunt.  Wisconsin’s spring turkey harvest was the second highest in the nation.

2016 Wisconsin turkey habitat is about as full of turkeys as it can get.  No one “counts” turkeys in Wisconsin so it’s left to a variety of opinions.  I think a reasonable estimate of long snoodstatewide turkey numbers is around 600,000 birds perhaps approaching 650,000; this makes Wisconsin the number one turkey state in the nation based on population.
Wisconsin appears to be at carrying capacity statewide and is some southern areas turkeys may be over their carrying capacity.   Wisconsin has experienced back to back mild winters followed by excellent springtime nesting conditions making excellent recruitment.. 2015  fall turkey hunters found high numbers of bird groups with diverse age structures.

2016 Spring Turkey Forecast for Wisconsin Turkey Management Unit 1, 3 & 4

In particular, these units have abundant turkey populations.  With the exception of northern unit 4, turkeys numbers may be over carrying capacity.  Carrying capacity is the number of a species the habitat can support during worst case conditions. i.e. severe winter.

Active fall turkey hunters reported encountering unprecedented bird numbers.  Official WDNR kill stats show a decrease in the harvest.  I believe this is due to hunter effort.  The number of fall turkey hunters has been in steady decline for several years; perhaps there are only 27,000 fall turkey hunters statewide. My point is fall hunter harvest is not a reliable indicator of the turkey population.

2016 Spring Turkey Forecast for Wisconsin Turkey Management Unit 2

I have no experience hunting in unit 2.  Tags are limited there versus the population of turkey hunters, so I leave the available tags for those hunters.  The network reports nearly the same abundance as the 1,3, and Proud Gobbler4.  So it will be an excellent spring hunt in zone 2.

2016 Spring Turkey Forecast for Wisconsin Turkey Management Units 5,6, & 7

Again reports are indicating unprecedented high numbers of wild turkeys.  There are so few tags available in these units that I have not tried to get any. For the most part, it appears residents are the primary purchasers of these rare turkey tags.  Hunters should see excellent success this spring.

charlie elk’s 2016 Wisconsin Spring Wild Turkey Hunt Forecast Summary

Can’t wait to start hunting!  This spring 2016 is set to be a record-setting season.  Unless there is significantly bad spring weather that keeps hunters out the field, the total ’16 turkey harvest will exceed 51,000 turkeys.

If you’d like to join the  charlie elk turkey reporting network please fill out this form.  Even if you don’t want to join the network please leave a reply regarding your thoughts.

2 year old turkeys are the bread and butter of spring hunting. There should be more of turkeys found this spring.

2 year old turkeys are the bread and butter of spring hunting. There should be more of these  turkeys found this spring.

How I Kill Afternoon Gobblers, the lessons of many years

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The thing about afternoon turkey hunting that gives hunters fits is the lack of, or significantly reduced gobbling. Spring turkey hunters have a tendency to assume if they hear no gobbles, there are none in the area. I started regularly killing afternoon birds when I realized toms make other more subtle calls which I needed to be closer in order to hear.

After I spend a morning camped out on my rear, some 2015 first turkey at kill site (13) (640x469)afternoon strolling/trolling feels good. Fortunately, a walking turkey sounds very much like a walking human, so long as the human stops, pauses, slows down and does not walk in a straight line from here to there and if the person makes turkey sounds it becomes even more naturally convincing. Old-time hunters used to call this moseying, not run and gun.
In my area of west.central Wisconsin public land offers the most productive afternoon turkey hunting. The nesting habitat is better than private so hens will be more likely to be loafing, nesting, laying and uninterested in the toms.Nesting turkeys prefer more open, almost park-like woodlands for

Nesting turkeys prefer more open, almost park-like woodlands or edges of short grassy fields. Rarely will hens nest in brushy areas that diminish visibility.  The incredible eyesight of a  turkey is its number one defense. Clearly, it is not in their best interest to get into places of reduced visibility; this makes for ideal trolling conditions.

Trolling for turkeys involves moseying along making turkey calls. Think of it as if you were moving along searching for a buddy calling out their name occasionally.  In this case, we’re looking for a gobbler who in turn is looking for company. So the hunter should yelp (hey anyone here?), cluck (I’m here, where are you?) purr with leaf scratch (yum this is tasty, and I’m content).  Keep in mind the response may be a gobble, but more likely it will be a single course sounding yelp or cluck.  Hearing the quieter turkey sound indicates, of course, the turkey is probably close by, so setup immediately and try to engage in conversation with the bird. Don’t be afraid to call, err on the side of more calling rather than less.  Keep it soft and conversational matching the mood of the turkey with just a bit more urgency.

Another all too common springtime afternoon situation is the gobbler or gobblers strutting in a field with disinterested hens. The gobblers are openly competing for that lady’s attention, but well guys it can be frustrating, to say the least.  Like nearly every other hunter I’ve tried sneaking along an opposing edge of the field, setting up and calling to the gobblers as they get more excited with each of my calls.  Only to have those disinterested hens lead them off to parts unknown. Oh, well, what’s new in turkey hunting?

In this situation, I try, the edge set up and call first.  Not sure why, it rarely works, it’s just that starting with the least aggressive strategy first seems to make some sense.

My experiences continue to demonstrate the fall turkey hunting tactic of scattering or break up the birds usually works better.  Depending on the position of the field turkeys I wait for them to get into a position that gives me a chance of separating the hens and gobblers.  The goal is to get them to run or fly off in different directions.  Ideally, hens one way the gobblers go in another direction.   Most spring turkey hunting articles conclude when turkeys are bumped they leave the county, and the hunt is done there for the day or week, this is not true.  Years of fall turkey hunting have taught me flocked up turkeys rarely move off more than 300 yards and most of the time much less than that.

During my young hunter days, I would rush the flock by running, yelling and occasionally shooting just make more noise for a better scatter.  Somewhere along the line a little more wisdom developed in my head, my running skills declined or a combination thereof, not sure which.  Nowadays I “walk” the turkeys out of the field then setup to call the gobblers back.

How walking turkeys works.  The field hens are more alert to my approach so as soon as they detect me moving in, they start moving towards the cover.  The strutting gobblers are distracted competing with each other and ideally don’t notice the hens moving away at first.   When the gobblers are looking/facing away from the hen’s direction I then yell or whistle.  Toms then start of drift out of strut peri-scoping their heads up at this point it’s time to blow the whistle again in a solid, loud blast, wave and move directly to them.  Since turkeys are birds that don’t “think” more times than not they keep going the direction their body points. As soon as the birds are in the cover, I move in and setup. Wait about 20 minutes before calling.  If the turkeys start calling before that time, answer back.

Scattered turkeys will usually respond within about 45 minutes from the start of calling.  Spring gobblers are known to respond faster because they are more vocal and driven with urgency. Keep in mind the gobblers who walked into the cover at this point are eager to reunite with the hens they abandoned.

Good hunting.

Field Turkey

 

 

Wisconsin Go Wild Turkey Tags; Get Ready to be Queue-it-ed

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Many of Wisconsin’s most experienced wild turkey hunters worried the new GO WILD licensing would fail them.  On Monday, March 21st it did fail to meet even the most basic of expectations. So often it seems

My Go Wild E-Q screen.

My Go Wild E-Q screen.

those who set up and operate government systems think all of those who have jobs in the private sector, their customer’s, have nothing better to do than sit around a wait.  On the first day of turkey tags sale, someone at Go Wild thought the installation of a queue system was a good idea?!  this stretched a 5-minute license buying process into more than and an hour of waiting.

Here’s what happen on the opening day of leftover permit sales, Go Wild style.

9 am – As usual I checked to make sure my computer was set up correctly, login credentials functioned properly and most of all the Go Wild site as still operating.

9:06 a – started my work day.

9:55 a – opened a browser to get ready for login on Go Wild.

9:59 Attempted navigating to Go Wild home page. Found the site closed off and my browser was placed in a queue by Queue.It.  Really!? an e-Q!?  No way, so I tried to access Go Wild via another tab, the same thing.  The message read

“Spring Turkey Leftover Permits has not yet begun.  When Spring Turkey Leftover Permits begins, you will be assigned a random place in line (alongside everyone else who also arrives before Spring Turkey Leftover Permits begins.)

When your turn comes you’ll have 20 minutes to enter.

 You may go get a cup coffee

10:03 AM – I notice pain in my lower jaw due to its dropping onto the desk.  The next words are not fit to print on a family-friendly site like this.

10:06 AM – Anger gives way to thinking, a little bit anyway.  So I used other computers, browsers, phones and any additional miscellaneous devices I found lying about.  All were immediately placed in the Go Wild e-Q with their own special place in line ranging from 1,268 to 5,701.

10:15 AM – The e-Q paused.  I called the local license vendor to check on their status. Diane, the owner, was, let’s say, less than happy and swears she is going to discontinue the business relationship with WDNR.

10:25 AM – the e-Q goes from pause to slow mo off and on until 11 a.

11:06 AM – My first e- Q line place is up, and the screen says I can enter.  Takes 2 minutes before the GoWild home page opens.   Logging in and putting the turkey tag in my cart went OK.  The pay portal continued to tell me my credit card was invalid.  Tried the second card only to be told it too was invalid.  Entered the information very carefully over and over with the same invalid message appearing.  I know my credit cards are valid. So, I just ignored the message and hit the continue button.  Payment was then promptly accepted.

11:13 AM – Finally after  1 hour and 13 minutes the purchase of a unit 1 turkey tag was completed.  Previously using the old system, this simple task would have taken about 5 minutes.

At 11:30 the Go Wild system “paused” again.  Of course would have been hunters taking their lunch breaks to purchase a tag.   A hunting buddy called and said he was number 4,687 and could not wait that long.    Sadly my grandson who forgot to apply and planned to buy a tag for us to hunt together has been unable to complete his transaction because of school schedule conflicting with e-Q.  We will still hunt, but it will be some unknown later season.

As you can tell by my previous post, I really wanted the Go Wild system to work and work well.  It sure looked good and sure did turn out to be a disappointment.  Also, the spring turkey leftover permits availability page is very slow refreshing the number of remaining permits.  It took 30 minutes or more to display the remaining permit numbers.

Turkey hunting plans are hard to make under Wisconsin’s turkey licensing scheme.  Especially now with this Go Wild mess.    One thing that became quite apparent today – Go Wild has many different meanings.  Good luck hunters.

Update March 23 10:45 a:  After being queued for 31 minutes I was able to purchase a zone 3 tag smoothly.  Delays can be expected from 10 to 10:45 and again starting at 11:30 am or so. (during lunch breaks)  The rest of the first-day tag sales go with minor wait times.

Wonder what is going to happen Saturday during all zone free for all sale?

Wisconsin Go Wild; How to Buy License

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Link to new post, August 17, 2017, Wisconsin Collector Stamps; How to order

Update August 23/ 2016 – Wisconsin 2016 Fall Turkey Permits are available
Updated March 21, 2016, See here for how it worked on the first day of leftover turkey tag sales.

Wisconsin DNR has almost completed the testing on the new Go Wild site.  This is where we will be purchasing license and permits for the upcoming 2016 hunting and fishing seasons starting early next week.

Scroll down for previous  updates

Here’s what’s new

  • Deer and bear hunters will no longer be issued back tags.  Governor Walker signed the bill eliminating the back tag requirement.  It passed the legislature with over whelming bipartisan support.
  • All outdoor license and permits will be purchased via Go Wild.

License and permits

  • Stored on a Wisconsin driver license.  Accomplished automatically for online purchases.  License vendors will swipe the driver license to load your purchases onto your license.
  • Don’t want to use your driver license? Purchase the new $3.50 Conservation Card.  This card will be collectible with a new card gowild3each year.  Made of plastic like a credit card.
  • Keep copies of license on your smart phone.
  • Print paper copies either on your printer or at the license vendor.

Carcass tags will no longer be required to be attached to the harvested game.  We will keep the tags in our pocket.  After harvest, write the date and time on the tag.  If cell connection is available in the area you may immediately register your harvest. In any case, hunters are required to carry a hard copy of their license/tag.    Once registered a validated tag can be printed which will have the registration number on it and kept until all meat is consumed.

Update 3/16/16 – Some are concerned if you decide to carry your license on your cell phone and hand it to a warden or other law enforcement officer for license verification; they will be able to search it.  I posed this question to Administrative Warden  Matthew O’Brien.  Here is his reply;

In using the term “search”, I assume you are implying looking at things beyond the license documentation, such as photos or text messages.

A warden’s ability to conduct a 4th amendment search of an electronic device is the same now as it was before; absent consent, both substantive and procedural prongs of the constitutional protections would need to be satisfied before a search could lawfully occur.

So the mere fact that you are lawfully exhibiting your license on an electronic device will not automatically permit a search of your phone’s contents.  No different than exhibiting your driver’s license on a traffic stop does not permit an officer to automatically search the wallet from where the license emerged.

 

The convenience fee is now whatever the credit card company charge is, that should be less than the old $3.00 charge.  If you pay with the routing and account number of your checking account there is no fee.

License vendors will continue to receive 50 cents for each license they issue and 15 cents for each stamp sold.  The vendors rely on us to buy other things while purchasing our licenses.

go-wild-screen-shot

When the Go Wild system opens for business.  You will need to create an account with user name and password.  Once this is done you can log in without entering all of your personal data.

go-wild-sign-in

 

Update March  14, 2016, 9:38 pm: Go Wild site is still not up and running even though Secretary Stepp radio commercials were being broadcast on many AM stations today.  It’s critical the Go Wild site is flawlessly running by March 21st because this is the start of 2016 Spring Turkey OTC  Permits go on sale. First come first serve basis.

DNR personal have given me assurance that a backup plan is set just in case.  What is that plan entail?  Glad you asked.  Remember the old telephone call in system.  Yeah, the one where we call in repeatedly trying to get past the busy signal and when that’s accomplished wait on hold for your turn.  Ugh.  Make sure your phone battery is well charged.  In person, license vendors will not be sell permits unless the Go Wild system is up and running.

Update March 15, 2016, Wisconsin Go Wild site is not active yet. I found this page on WDNR. Just a little more information to study while we wait.  For those who plan to buy a leftover spring turkey permit understanding the new licensing process and navigation is paramount.

Go WildProve it

The new Go Wild system secures your license, permits, state stamps and hunter safety education information online which can be accessed through a variety of items including your original paper document, a paper reprint, an optional conservation card, your authenticated Wisconsin driver’s license, or a department-generated PDF displayed on your electronic device – no more worries about losing your one and only copy. Depending on which item you choose to use, you will have access to all of these records. Please note all forms of proof are NOT acceptable for all types of authorizations – see tables for details.

Update March 17, 2016, 8:00 AM: GoWild.wi.gov is up and looks good on my mobile device.  Will purchase conservation patron license later.

Update March 17, 2016, 10:56 AM:  Began the signup process.  Easy to follow the screens through the conservation patron license application for 2016 fall turkey, 2017 spring turkey, hip, goose, fisher, otter, &  sturgeon.

Antlerless tags did not display, nor did any of the stamps;  pheasant, turkey, trout.  This provided an opportunity to contact WDNR customer service.

Called the DNR service phone number and clicked for the chat, connected to a rep in about 6 minutes for the chat line and received answers to all my questions. There is no print selection on the chat box so if you want a transcript you’ll need to print screen.  The phone stayed on hold listening to music and WDNR promos for a little over 11 minutes.  The chat was significantly faster than the phone call.  For help during the spring turkey, OTC sale go for the chat.  Actually, I’d do both just in case.

Learned the antlerless tags will be mailed when they become available. This is different, in the past, those were printed at the time of CP purchase.   The conservation patron license includes all the stamps so they’re not printed out on the receipt separately. The conservation card does not come up as an option to buy until clicking the “featured product. If you desire the conservation card it can be purchased later.   If a resident all your purchases are automatically connected to your driver license.  NR will need to keep an e-copy or paper.

If speed is important at the start of the turkey OTC tag sales make sure you register in the new GoWild system and set up a username and password.  This takes a few extra minutes.

Using a credit card will cost 1.75% of total sale.  Conservation license card fee was $2.89 that’s a little less than the old $3 convenience.  The big saving will be for each OTC turkey tag, fee 18 cents for residents.  If you really want to save on the “conveniences” then use a checking account by providing the bank’s routing number and bank account number.

A hat tip to the WDNR on the new Go Wild system is intuitive and easy to understand.  It is hosted on the main Wisconsin state government computer system with, what appears to be the same payment process backbone as the state revenue department.   You actually leave the Go Wild side to make a payment.   I practiced navigating through the system a few times in order to be ready for the turkey sale.  Got to stay in shape you know.  Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments here.

Wisconsin 2016 Spring Turkey License Procedure is Changing

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Regular phone call will no longer work to purchase a license or permit from WDNR starting March 2016

Regular phone call will no longer work to purchase a license or permit from WDNR starting March 2016

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is changing the way hunters and all outdoor users buy their permits and licenses.  The first test of this new system Go Wild will debut for the 2016 spring turkey licenses.  Beware this includes the purchase of leftover over the counter tags which go on sale March 21, 2016 on a first come first serve basis.  Starting spring 2016 The leftover spring turkey tags and turkey license can only be purchased online or at license vendors.  Telephone sales are no longer available except via the phone app which provides online access for smart phones. All permits, licenses and tags must be purchased at the new gowild.wi.gov starting in March 2016.  The site is not active yet there is just a coming soon landing page.

License purchaseThe Go Wild system replaces the current Automated License Issuance System (ALIS) that has served Wisconsin’s outdoor enthusiasts since 1999.  As most longtime avid turkey hunters remember the ALIS system has not been perfect.  In its early days it crashed system wide during the over the counter turkey permits sale period.  The current system needs updating but it has been working well during spring turkey OTC sales.  So it would be nice, I think, to have waited until after the spring turkey permit sale.  Just call me paranoid.

There could be one advantage to the new Go Wild system for those who are very dedicated turkey hunters paying attention to any and all new developments.  A certain number of hunters will not be made aware of this change until they are on their computers scrambling to purchase a leftover permit.  Those precious seconds they spend trying find the new deal will give those in know a critical advantage to land one of the more hard to get permits. However, because there is a phone app available there could a lot more folks able to join the buying rush.  So who knows?

That assumes of course that this new Go Wild system works as advertised.  Sure hope it does. I will be testing it as soon as it opens on March 2.  I always purchase a Conservation Patron license and apply for my fall turkey license and spring 2017 license early March each year.  That prevents me from becoming busy thus forgetting to submit  application.  Once an application is submitted it can be edited up until the deadline has passed.

 

 

 

 

2016 Wisconsin Wild Turkey Drawing Results Announced!

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The wild turkeys are out there waiting for us.

The wild turkeys are out there waiting

Update August 23, 2016 –  Wisconsin 2016 Fall Turkey Permits are available

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as announced the 2016 spring wild turkey drawing results.  The postcard notifications will be mailed soon.  For those turkey hunters anxious to know if they drew their first choice permit go WI Online Conservation License site sign in and check under licenses.

As I write this post, the available over the counter, leftover spring turkey permits are not posted yet.  When they are you can check them here Spring Turkey leftover permits.

Time to start making spring turkey hunting plans in the best turkey hunting state in the nation–Wisconsin.  Good luck getting your first choice and good hunting this season.

Update 1/23/16 9:00 AM:  As of Friday, Jan. 22 the spring turkey link has been disabled making it impossible to check your application status results.  Apparently, yet again, the WDNR has screwed up the spring turkey license drawing.  Those who have had experience with this system will not be surprised and just think, “Well what’s new?”

Update 1/23/16 9:39 AM: According to a WDNR phone representative results will not be available online until sometime next week.  The DNR does not think it’s fair for hunters who have online access to know the drawing results before those who have to wait for the postcard in the mail.

Update 1/25/16 8:30 AM:  You can check your spring wild turkey permit status is now online.  The leftover spring tags should be posted sometime today.

Update 1/25/16 2:05 PM  Here’s the chart of leftover permits.  You can also view this on WDNR website

WI-OTC-Leftover-Wild-Turkey-Permits

Schedule as posted on WDNR 

Remaining permits will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Each zone will have a designated sales date with sales starting at 10:00 a.m. and running through midnight each day. These sales will be held for five consecutive days with customers able to purchase one permit per day. Remaining permits for all zones will go on sale on the sixth day (one permit per day).
The scheduled sales dates are:
• Zone 1 – Monday, March 21
• Zone 2 – Tuesday, March 22
• Zone 3 – Wednesday, March 23
• Zone 4 – Thursday, March 24
• Zone 5 – Friday, March 25
• Zone 6 – Friday, March 25
• Zone 7 – Friday, March 25
All leftover permits go on sale on Saturday, March 26, 2016 at 10 a.m.

What do Wild Turkeys Eat? Crops tell the story

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turkeybywater

Turkeys have sometimes been referred to as feathered goats when it comes to their eating habits.  The wild turkey’s diet is very diverse.  It might be easier to list what they don’t eat rather than trying to come up with a list of things they do eat.

When I kill a turkey, I always inspect its crop contents. Sometimes referred to as the craw by our southern friends.  The crop clearly shows what turkeys are feeding in a given area.   The crop is an enlarged muscle area of the esophagus near the gullet or throat.. See #4 on A.E. Shipley’s diagram.

PigeonAnatomy

OK you’re on the ball the diagram is a pigeon, that’s fine because almost all birds have crops.  One exception that may be of interest to hunters are geese; they do not have a crop.  I continue to be surprised by the number of bird hunters I meet who do not regularly open the crops of harvested birds to determine what they are eating.

Images of wild turkey crops and their contents.

From one of the gobblers who was feeding on watercress in a creek.

From one of the gobblers who was feeding on watercress in a creek. Story here.

Same turkey crop as above cut open. All those roots are watercress and some grasses apparently from feeding on the prairie.

Same turkey crop as above cut open. All those roots are watercress and some grasses apparently from feeding on the prairie.

 

Bird of year. Soybeans and some grass. Grass is one of the wild turkey's staples. Courtesy of www.turkeydog .org

Bird of year. Soybeans and some grass. Blades of grass is one of the wild turkey’s staples. Courtesy of Jon Freis www.turkeydog .org

 

Jake crop Oct. 15 Full of grasshoppers and crickets along with a few berries.

Jake crop Oct. 15 Full of grasshoppers and crickets along with a few berries, waste corn kernels.

 

Jake of the year Sept. 18 a summer bird. Stuffed with clover and grass seeds.

Jake of the year Sept. 18 a summer bird. Stuffed with clover and grass seeds.

A lot of hunters assume turkeys eat primarily agricultural crops and focus their hunting efforts on these fields; this is understandable since field turkeys are the easiest to see. Unfortunately, hunters who primarily focus on fields are missing out on a lot good turkey hunting in all the other out of sight areas.

Many assume wild turkeys primarily eat agriculture crops.  They do, but it’s the waste they go after not the standing crops. Think feathered goat.

  • How can you say turkeys eat the waste grain when I see them feeding in fields before harvest?
Even when turkeys are feeding in green agriculture fields, they are feeding on waste from the previous season, or they’re eating insects.  Proof of this is in the crops of dead turkeys.  A few years ago WDNR with volunteers from NWTF tracked a brood flock of turkeys on a southern Wisconsin farm that had requested a turkey shooting permit to stop the depredation.  In other words, this farm believed the turkeys were eating their growing crops.  The volunteer shooters monitored the brood flock all day as they fed.  As the flock begins moving to roost the shooters moved in and killed the entire flock; this was in the name of science.  The turkey’s crops were then dissected to see what they had consumed all day.  All the crops contained primarily insects and small amounts of waste grain, and this affirms what I see in the crops of turkeys.  I have never shot a turkey that had any recently planted grain; this includes the turkeys I’ve killed on farms with WDNR shooting permits for depredation.

Pheasants to a Last Minute Gobbler on New Year Eve

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December 31, 2015, found Vic and I coursing through a likely pheasant field. Wild pheasants in Wisconsin can be very hard to find especially on the last day of the season. Most pheasant hunting here is a put and take proposition. The DNR’s yearly stocking is usually done by the 2nd week of December. The last pheasants released are anemic and short lived due to predators getting easy meals before the onset of severe winter.

Vic learned to hold turkeys by the neck so figures all birds should be held by the neck.

Vic learned to hold turkeys by the neck so figures all birds should be held by the neck.

Turkey dog Vic has turned out to be an accomplished upland game dog. He can change tactics to match the requirements of hunting conditions. For a couple of afternoon hours, Vic coursed around me in his effort to force a pheasant or 2 to rise at my feet. One rooster nearly ran into my legs before flushing a few yards in front. Pheasant number 1 of the 2 daily limit.

Tired and wind burn we headed back to the truck. There was a brush line containing some bulldozed brush piles. Vic earnestly began working a scent trail that I thought was the most likely rabbit. He came to a rigid point at one of those piles. He had worked hard so I thought I’d humor him by kicking the pile to flush the bunny.
Well, these “bunnies” had multicolored iridescent feathers, long tails and all 6 of them cackled as they broke off heading to different points of the compass. So startled was I target panic set in as I fired three rapid shots to no effect. “I can’t miss all these pheasants of last season flush” raced to my mind. “dang it, pick a target you fool!” Luckily I did and the biggest and final rooster of the year crashed to the ground. With a limit of pheasants in the bag, single digit temperature, a brisk wind, and an hour & half of daylight left I pondered whether or not to try for a turkey at the buzzer, and this was the first year in decades it looked like we were not going to get a Wisconsin Slam.

Super secret Wisconsin wild pheasant location

Super secret Wisconsin wild pheasant location

The Wisconsin Slam sounds easy, just get a turkey each season of the year; spring, summer, fall and winter. Due to mrs. elk’s chronic health condition my time afield was more limited than normal. And mrs. elk prefers eating pheasants, so we spent more time out pheasant hunting than turkey hunting.

On the way to our super secret pheasant field, a small pod of gobblers had crossed the road onto private land just before the old creek bridge. First time I’d seen turkeys in that area so what the heck, time to investigate. It was only a 5-minute drive back there.
As I drove slowly across the bridge, I scanned the fields, no turkeys, when I looked into the creek valley black blobs were moving in the water. What the heck?  I cursed myself for not having the binoculars in the truck. Stopped to study those blobs with squinted eyes. The blobs materialized into a flock of turkeys wading in the water. Not exactly where they’re expected to be.

Turned around to park the truck about a half mile at the public parking area. Vic and I dumped the orange to change into snow camo jackets, slipped on the turkey pack and headed towards the creek keeping Vic on a heel. A glance at my watch revealed about 45 minutes of 2015 season time left.

The turkeys were there, in the creek heads submerged much like feeding ducks. They do this in the spring to eat invertebrates, first time I’ve seen this behavior in the winter.

The 2015 turkey season continues ticking down as we stalk in closer. As Vic catches their scent as he becomes more eager by the second to do his job. On release, he tears down the ravine in a blur snow powder and yipping. The turkeys take to winged frenzy cackling and clucking as they go water drops are clearly visible dripping off their beards while others have icicles hanging causing a mirage of diamond spears protruding from their breasts.

The beard is ice covered from feeding in the creek.

The beard is ice covered from feeding in the creek.

This late in the day I feared the gobblers might just go to roost. However, in late season turkeys prefer roosting together and with toms on opposite sides of the creek, one group would most likely want to rejoin the other before roosting.

Half of the turkeys flushed out the creek

Half of the turkeys that flushed out the creek, the other half went the opposite way.

Picking a setup was tough, the wind was icy especially for Vic; he has very little hair, so something sheltered was a must. That put us below the field sitting against a tree on the slope towards the creek below. Visibility to see any incoming turkeys was more limited than I like.

After 5 minutes, of course, aggressive calling Vic started trembling. At first, I thought he was cold but no, he was on point, head laying across my lap staring intently to my right. Then I heard it- prrt putt, prrrrrt putt, if I can hear that sound the turkeys are close. Slowly I turn my head and came eyeball to eyeball with a frozen bearded gobbler. He backed away putting; his head darted behind a tree, and my body twists to get the gun on him just when another gobbler sticks his head up to see what all the putting was about- Boom!

Vic smelling success

 

Vic charges to our prize and flushes more previously unseen gobblers. It always surprises me when the gunshot does not scare them. About 15 minutes left of season 2015 so we reset to end the season with a nice gobbler in the bag, a leftover tag for tag soup and best of all memories of gobbling, yelping and roosting turkeys against the red sky sunset.

The last gobbler of season 2015 on Dec 3, 15 minutes before the buzzer.

The last gobbler of season 2015 on Dec 3, 15 minutes before the buzzer.

Take The Wisconsin Slam Challenge

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There’s no better place to hunt turkeys

Vic, my turkey dog, a Vizsla (member of the pointer group), and I begin our fall hunting adventure together, typically setting up where Vic scattered a flock of turkeys. Vic lays next to my left leg with the look of happiness only a dog can express at a glance. As the scattered turkeys start their lost “kee kee” whistles looking to find each other in order to regroup, we know that’s my cue to start lost yelping and assembly calling.  In the case of scattered gobblers, coarse yelps, and aggressive purrs can bring them back into the gun. 

The woods is filled with turkey calls. Vic the turkey dog can't understand why we're waiting.

The woods are filled with turkey calls and Vic, the turkey dog, can’t understand why we’re waiting.

I love it when the woodlands are filled with the sounds of turkeys whistling and yelping at each other and back at us. Vic and I then become part of the flock, talking back and forth. As the conversation continues, Vic stiffens on a laying point towards the direction of the approaching turkeys. My gun will be up at the ready. There are two tags in my pocket and with a couple of gunshots, I’ll be hoping to validate those.

Turkeys are not just another upland bird to be flushed and shot. You can certainly do that; it’s legal. However, to a traditional turkey hunter like me, turkeys are special birds that require more finesse to tag. After all, what other upland game bird can be called in?

And there is no better place to hunt turkeys than in Wisconsin. The combination of seasons, habitat and the fact I can take my dog along in the fall make it turkey hunting heaven.

Summer gobbler Vic's first hunt. Beginner's luck?

Summer gobbler Vic’s first hunt. Beginner’s luck?

The Wisconsin Slam

Summer turkey? Wait you can’t shoot turkeys in the summer.  There is only a spring and fall season, right?

Most think of Wisconsin’s two turkey seasons; spring (April 15 to May 26) and Fall (Sept. 12 to Dec. 31 —  closes during nine-day gun deer season then reopens at the end of deer season).

But if you check the calendar, the fall turkey season dates overlap the official calendar dates of summer and winter. Summer officially runs June 21 to Sept. 22 allowing one to bag a summer turkey in the fall season, and winter officially starts on Dec. 22 giving Wisconsin fall turkey hunters a 10-day opportunity to shoot a “winter” turkey.

It was about eight years ago when it dawned on me that Wisconsin hunters can shoot a turkey during each of the four calendar-based seasons of the year: spring, summer, fall and winter.

Think of it as “The Wisconsin Slam” — taking a turkey in each of the seasons. Who do you know who has accomplished this? No trophies are awarded, and there is no official recognition. It’s all about the personal satisfaction a turkey hunter who understands turkeys and their year round behavior gets from this distinction.

Bar none; Wisconsin is a unique stand-alone wild turkey hunting state offering thousands of tags over the counter that in some units do not sell out by season’s end.

Why pursue a Wisconsin Slam?

The Wisconsin Slam is fun motivation to get out turkey hunting during a time when you might be distracted by something else to do or hunt. The “summer” and “winter” turkeys are harder to bag and offer a fun challenge. The vegetation is thick in the summer making the turkeys harder to find and see.  Winter season is the opposite — there is no vegetation, so the turkeys are easier to find, but that means it is also easier for the turkeys to see the hunter and his dog.

Being able to hunt in all seasons of the year is a uniquely Wisconsin hunting opportunity that so many hunters are overlooking. The spring season is the most popular but I’d like to see more hunters take advantage of hunting turkeys during the four seasons of the year. Need more incentive?  Summer, fall and winter turkeys are more tender and taste much better than the spring gobblers who are the survivors of winter starvation.

Extend the season winter turkey hunting with your dog

Extend the season winter turkey hunting with your dog

Not only can you complete a Wisconsin Slam but the state offers a variety hunting flavors.

Want to chase turkeys in miles of forests? Head to the northern big-woods. Want to try mountain turkey hunting? Wisconsin doesn’t have any “real” mountains but western Wisconsin does have some mighty steep bluffs. Marshland and river bottoms across the state can provide hunting with the feel of southern swamp turkeys, minus the large reptiles. Don’t forget to try southern Wisconsin for some prairie turkey hunting.

I’d argue that no other state offers such a myriad of turkey hunting opportunities.

Another important dimension to Wisconsin’s wild turkey hunting happened when turkey dogs were legalized for the fall turkey hunt season starting in 2011.  It is widely believed hunting turkeys with dogs is a new method; however, turkey dogs in North America are one of the original turkey hunting practices which date back to the founding of Jamestown in 1607. A small contingent of turkey hunters are now bringing the sport of turkey dogging back.

In spring, gobblers advertise their location by gobbling. In fall, this is not normally the case which makes finding the turkeys more challenging. Thus, a turkey dog comes in handy during the fall season. A turkey dog’s job is to find the turkey flocks then flush them in different directions while barking or yipping to let his master know where the action is. When turkeys scatter in different directions, it is easier for the hunter to call the turkeys back together while setup with their dog at the point of the break.

Hunting with a dog in the fall brings the excitement that makes spring hunting seem tame by comparison. When turkeys respond for gathering they do so with gusto, gobbling, purring, kee kees, yelps — you name the call, and they do it. Many times a group of gobblers will not only gobble and purr they’ll fight with each other as they come back.

Turkey dogging also extends the time of contact and interaction with wild turkeys. The first contact is when the dog is flushing or breaking up the turkey flock this is particularly rewarding for the hunter who enjoys the flush of wild birds. The second contact occurs when the turkey answers your call. Yes, turkeys talk to you. Then of course, hopefully, the interaction brings the turkeys in close to you and your dog. A trembling dog close by your side adds to the excitement of the incoming birds as you know you have trained this dog with the skills required. It’s fun to share the excitement, and there’s no better place to do it than in Wisconsin.

 

After breaking up a flock Vic sets up with anticipation of the turkeys reappearing.

After breaking up a flock, Vic sets up with anticipation of the turkeys reappearing.

Wisconsin’s turkey management plan

Wisconsin Turkey Management Plan

Wisconsin Turkey Management Plan

The Wisconsin Wild Turkey Management Plan, a product of coordination between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, key stakeholder groups, and the public, is available on the department’s website.

People can view an electronic copy of the plan by searching the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, for keywords “turkey management.”

The Wild Turkey Management Plan will guide decisions regarding the allocation of turkey permits, the structure of our spring and fall hunting seasons, the use of Wild Turkey Stamp funds, and many other aspects of turkey management in the state through 2025. The current plan reflects recent scientific research and changes in turkey distribution and hunting tradition. The management plan was guided in part by input received at 12 meetings held statewide in April and May 2012, as well as an online survey available during the same time period.

Article appeared in the Wisconsin Resource Magazine in August 2015.  Written by charlie elk.

Wisconsin 2015 Spring Turkey Harvest Down 1.29%

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charlie-with-at-the-buzzer-turkey-spring-2013Wild turkey hunters across Wisconsin continue to enjoy the hunt of 2015.  See table below. As of the end of the 4th mini season (D Season), 2015 harvest is down 1.29% from the same period 2014.   Unit 4 hunters have experienced a turkey increase of 5.12%, unit 6 & 7 increased 23.6 %, 36%.  WDNR cut the permits in these units by 25% in 2014 so with the permit numbers back to normal this year increase was expected.

All other units have decreased harvests.  Likely this is due to hunters holding out for a mature gobbler rather than taking a jake.  According to hunters, jake numbers are much higher this year, and fewer adult toms are being seen than in 2014.

Preliminary 2015 Spring Turkey Harvest, by Turkey Management Zone, through time period D. 
Zone 2015 2014 % change
1 9,732 10,273 -5.56%
2 7,701 7,793 -1.19%
3 8,584 8,916 -3.87%
4 4,645 4,407 5.12%
5 1,565 1,569 -0.26%
6 576 440 23.61%
7 430 275 36.05%
FM 70 59 15.71%
Statewide Summary
33,303 33,732 -1.29%

Wild turkey hunters across Wisconsin continue to enjoy the hunt of 2015.  The weather has been cool and until recently dry.  Rains have been moderate setting the stage for excellent nesting conditions.  If the weather trend continues to be favorable poult recruitment will be excellent providing for a superb 2015 fall hunt.

Spring 2015 hunters are seeming more jakes than adult gobblers.

Spring 2015 hunters are seeing more jakes than adult gobblers.

 

 

Pearled Head Gobbler

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Dang it anyway, I had just moved towards a hard gobbling turkey which I thought was the conversational turkey that abruptly left me to chase those four late departing hens.  As gobbler and I conversed, I had missed detecting the four hens still on roost above our heads until they flew down at 7:00 yelping their way off in the opposite direction with my tom in tow.  And now!  I hear gobbling coming from my original setup spot.  So much gobbling that surely if I had not gotten seduced into moving a beautiful turkey would be wearing my tag right now.

Here I am on day 3 of my hunt during Wisconsin’s second mini-season.  The morning dawned quiet and still even though the evening before I did a lot of audio baiting so I knew there would be birds nearby.

From some of the treetops on the opposite ridge, I heard what I thought were feet shifting on their roost branches and the ruffle of feathers.  No response to my owl hoots.  Gobbling has been sparse so far this spring in spite of the beautiful weather.

I setup down the ridge from the turkey sounds then around 6:00 a turkey gobbled in answer to my soft clucks.  Soon the sound of a dull thud as the tom apparently just let go and fell to the ground.  A series of walking clucks got him fired up gobbling and strutting as he moved towards me.  As I prepared for the anticipated upcoming shot, those hens mentioned earlier sailed off their roost, and my gobbler turned in pursuit gobbling his merry way after them.  Moving seemed a reasonable strategy, it always does until 20/20 hindsight takes effect, like gobbling coming from where you just left.

As I called more, gobbling started up all around.  A real turkey hunter’s dream morning, still, clear, mild and turkeys coming to life everywhere.  Picking the correct side of the tree in anticipation of which gobbler would arrive first was my most pressing issue.

The first group of 3 toms fought, strutted and picked their way along the top of the ridge to my right.  The offered shots were marginal and quickly became worse when a fourth unseen turkey busted me causing all them to move out and spooking the rest of the incoming turkeys.

All that action and now I’ve one more chance if I can get the left behind turkey to come in.  He was hung up gobbling his head off.  I moved around the to the other side of the large oak placing my back to him hoping my calls would sound like a hen giving up and walking away with the other turkeys.

Turkey noise stopped, and the only thing I heard was rustling in the leaves to my right.  Ever so slowly I turned my head just enough to see the tom in my peripheral vision, he was mere feet behind at 4 o’clock.  No breathing or blinking for me as he suddenly cut loose a thunderous gobble and walked past in the wide-open woods.

Nothing but air between us, I dared not move as he slowly continued to amble past me.  His feathers audibly rustled with each step that finally took him behind a large tree trunk out of sight.

Being right handed I had to turn for the shot, gun up at the ready for the tom’s reappearance.  It took forever; I started to think he’d heard me and walked straight away keeping the tree screening us. Oh No!

Oh yes!  His pearly white head emerges 12 yards off the end of my barrel, his eye straining to pick form out of the gnarled tree bark. My gunshot sounds as slides his neck out, beard dangling in the opening.

2015 first turkey at kill site (13) (640x469)