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Central Texas Outdoors
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Where to bag a spring gobbler BY LUKE CLAYTON
SPECIAL TO THE BULLETIN news@brownwoodbulletin.com
PHOTO OOURTESY OF LUKE CLAYTON
Upcoming hunting seasons
We’re fortunate to live in a state where the turkey population is well dispersed from the pine and hardwood timberlands in the eastern portion of the state to the ruggedly beautiful Caprock country of the Panhandle. I’ve been chasing longbeards here in the Lone Star State for over 30 years now and can truly state that every hunt has been a great adventure and no two have unfolded exactly the same. Last year I called a boss gobbler to the banks of the Brazos River up in Palo Pinto County, yet he simply would not fly across, he was gobbling his head off just behind a big pile of driftwood. I went down river, around a bend, crossed the river and put the sneak on him. I also hunted the Eastern birds in East Texas and then traveled out to the Panhandle and enjoyed hunting birds that, before I arrived, likely had never heard a call. Calling up a wary Eastern bird on a pine-covered hillside in East Texas is a far different endeavor than tricking a Rio in the Edwards Plateau. Both hunts are exciting and, because of the vastly different
terrain, each presents challenges unique to the region. There are pockets in northeast Texas where Eastern birds are flourishing thanks to restocking efforts almost three decades ago, but numbers have been on the decline in other counties, resulting in a closed season in many counties that once allowed spring hunting. The counties up along the Red River (i.e. Red River, Lamar and Bowie counties) currently have good numbers of Eastern birds. Texas arks and Wildlife and The National Turkey Federation recently restocked wild trapped turkeys at Gus Engling Wildlife Management Area in Anderson County. With more stockings planned, the outlook is bright for the restoration of the Eastern turkey. Let’s take a look at the hunting opportunities here in Texas. Hopefully my experiences throughout the past three decades will help you decide where you might want to go prospecting for Ole’ Longbeard this spring! n THE EDWARDS PLATEAU: This huge region is home to one of the largest populations of Rio Grande turkeys in the entire
Andrews
Spring Turkey: April 1 - May 14, 2017
Gobbler, 20