Back In The Day- " 5 Seasons".

[blackbeltbill]

    From my extensive Readings of old Classic Turkey Hunting Books-( around 55 Books presently)- a few Authors rather quickly and nonchalantly made mention of another Season . Apparently it was common place at one time.

  So we have Spring,Summer,Fall, + Winter. But for the Outlaws of yesteryear and " perhaps" these days as well- there was - " 5 Seasons".

   A few of these Authors called it THE SQUIRKEY SEASON. Down in old Virginia and West Virginia  especially where Fall Turkey Hunting was King  and before many of the Modren Spring Turkey Seasons- There was the Outlaw/SQUIRKEY SEASON.

  Basically Squirrel  Season would open before Turkey Season in the Fall. Outlaws would take advantage of this and target Fall Flocks.  Young Turkeys of the year easily hidden in a Hunting Vest.   A Lucked out 20lb+ Fall Gobbler on the other hand would be much harder to conceal from a " Game Dept Man" .

    To go with the above- when the NY/DEC Decided in 2015 to push back the Fall Turkey Season from October 1st to anywhere from October  19th to Oct/22-in Huge Turkey Zones of 3 + 4 ,I wrote the DEC that Pheasant  Hunting Dogs Would be Flushing up - ( non wary as yet)- Fall Turkey Flocks and ,I guarantee  that some and perhaps more then a few Pheasant Hunters would be blasting away. A 5lb Young Jenny would take up no more room then a big Rooster Pheasant in the Hunting Vest. A Front Loader gets that Turkey in that Vest right Quick. 

   I agree with the other 2 Changes in 2015- cut the Turkey Take in half from 2 Turkeys to just 1.   And cut the Fall Turkey Season from 6 weeks to 2 weeks. No problem  there.

   But moving the Fall Turkey Season back 3 Full weeks to late October was a mistake and undoubtedly some Hunters today take advantage  of that. Basically- 5 Seasons or a modern SQUIRKEY Season.

  Off topic- but was there not a " 5 Seasons" on the old site. I got both 4 Seasons and 5 Seasons mixed up until,I had more Coffee- LOL.

    To go with the above,I had a Awesome area on Public where every October 1st or within the first 4 or 5 days of October, I would every Fall Kill 2 Turkeys on the Same Day. Scatter the Flock and call them back.

  I believe in 2014,I was up in my favorite October 1st area a good 1 Hour Before Sunrise. Eastern Sky just brightening and low Turkey Talk in the Trees. Getting louder by the minute. My goal in a good 5 minutes was to take a Sturdy Limb and Whack a Bunch of Trees to get them to fly off in as many directions  as possible.  Wait 30 minutes for the Kee- Kee- Runs and lost yelping to start and call the Flock back in before the Brood Hen returned and started her Assembly Yelping. When that happens-- total silence by her Young as they silently walk to her . When that happens- your Fall Hunt is over- as in when the Fat Lady Sings- it is all over.

   So on this Day right around 50 minutes before Sunrise- a Tremendous  amount  of Shooting is heard very close by. A good 12 or so Shots. Probably at least 3 Men. I had to Yell as Loudly as,I could .   They vanished quickly after picking up their Poached Turkeys.  They were gone in seconds. This area is within a 1/4 mile of a Road with plenty of Homes. Anotherwards- out the back door and a quick run in.

   I managed to later on get 1 Turkey that day.  But that is the last Fall Turkey,I have taken in that area. After 2015- I start there usually on the Fall Turkey Opener - now in very late October and nothing but Empty Woods.. 

    I am thinking of just getting out this October 1st and go Squirrel  Hunting in brand new/ Brightest Orange and arrive early at 1 hour Before Sunrise  and hang out sitting in front of a Tree for 1 Hour.   I might film some Fall Turkeys before that on my brand new Galaxy/24.  And hope not to hear another barrage of 12 or so shots. I will have to Yell again as back in 2014 and put the thought in their head that this year they may get caught.

blackbeltbill bowing off the dojo floor.