Fall Turkey?

[MADMAX2]

We here in Ontario have just over a month till spring opener and I see that some areas here in Ont will have a fall hunt.Question for are brothers and sisters in the states is it as exciting as the spring hunt

[dutchhunter]

I spoke to a warden at the london boat show in febuary about fall t hunt. hey said it would be a couple of years off .they where doing serves most people were aganst a gun hunt in fall. one point was it could not be during deer seasn becouse u are limited to shoot size u can carry well deer season is open.there was alot of support for a early fall bow hunt. in ontario we must wear 400 square inchs of saftey orange ingun season for deer. but u never know .I would love to take a corn fat fall turkey from my sky chair whit the VORTEX.we will see what happens hope to hear more thoughts on the matter.

[Golden Eagle]

No, it is not near as exciting. The Gobblers are not Gobbling or Strutting although sometimes the Gobblers do sound off in the Morning. I have heard them Gobble during Rifle Deer Season in December.

With that being said, it is my favorite time to hunt Turkeys. You can always score on a young bird if you can find a flock and bust it up. The young ones will come running in and they will go 10 - 12 pounds easy.

I like to hunt Gobblers in the Fall as they are all together and have somewhat of a pattern down as they fatten up for Winter. Sort of like patterening Deer. I have had them answer me in the Fall at daylight with aggressive Hen calling and have had them come to the call.

I dont know why I like Fall hunting better, I just do.

Good Luck

[Fox]

I believe this is for specific WMUs only, one of which is the one I hunt in now . Lets see what the actual regs become but I think it will be a gun/bow hunt, I am looking forward to it.

[MADMAX2]

New fall wild turkey hunt a "go"
M.N.R. Minister, staff confirm fall season at O.F.A.H. Annual Conference
MISSISSAUGA – Before an audience of several hundred outdoor enthusiasts, Ministry of Natural Resources (M.N.R.) Minister Donna Cansfield announced that there will be a fall wild turkey hunting season in designated Wildlife Management Units in Ontario, beginning this year.

The Minister gave the welcome news on March 14, during her speech to the delegation of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (O.F.A.H.) 80th Annual General Meeting and Fish and Wildlife Conference. Several key M.N.R. staff were on hand for the Minister's presentation to O.F.A.H. members.

"The O.F.A.H. is delighted that Minister Cansfield chose the O.F.A.H. Conference to confirm that there will be a fall wild turkey hunt, as promised last year by former Minister Ramsay," said O.F.A.H. Executive Director Mike Reader. "Our members and other outdoor enthusiasts are pleased that the M.N.R. is moving ahead with the regulations in time for a 2008 fall season. We are also pleased that three additional Wildlife Management Units will enjoy spring wild turkey seasons this year."

The M.N.R. posted the long awaited wild turkey management plan and regulations to the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) registry for public comment in mid-January. On March 14, new spring wild turkey hunting seasons in St. Joseph Island, Bracebridge and Minden were announced on the Ministry's website.

Wild Turkey Facts:
The O.F.A.H. initiated the highly successful program to bring back the extirpated eastern wild turkey to Ontario more than twenty years ago.
There has been a hunting season since 1987, and during that time wild turkey populations and hunting opportunities have continually increased. Moderate estimates place Ontario's turkey population at well over 70,000 birds.
The wild turkey is a popular game bird, even though hunters require special training and certification to obtain the designation on their hunting licence.
Since 1987, the O.F.A.H. has trained 78,300 turkey hunters in seminars held across Ontario.
Last year, wild turkey licence sales contributed $936,789 to provincial revenues.
With over 83,000 members and 655 member clubs, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is the leading fishing, hunting and conservation organization in Ontario, and the voice of anglers and hunters.

-30-

Contact Lezlie Goodwin
Communications Coordinator
705 748-6324 ext 270 Terry Quinney
Provincial Manager, Fish and Wildlife Services
705 748-6324 ext 242


Click here to download the PDF version of this release




© 2008 Ontario Federation of Anglers & Hunters
All Rights Reserved

[chessy]

as i have posted on other sites it could be devastaing to our turkeys...

proof in the pudding so to speak ... on page 30 of the ood mag there is a article about taking stock... Dr lovett Williams a noted turkey biologist who just about wrote the book on turkeys in the USA. (HENS SHOULD NOT BE KILLED). is told that he is wrong buy a retired Ontario university wildlife ecology and management professor..(and turkey hunter) disagrees with lovett because he lives in Florida.. studies show 50% mortality rate per year now get this whether the birds are hunted or not. (so shoot the birds that have tags on them saying i am one of the 50% to die this winter
the article also says that the mnr will monitor the turkey hunt in fall and the spring harvest is reduced so this is the same people that don't have gas to put in their trucks how the heck are they going to do this .. and if the success rated drops they would cancel the fall hunt .. they are also saying spring hunters are only 23 % successfully that is a crock of ****


Some states that have attempted fall seasons show that 60% of the statewide turkey harvest occurred during the fall. When you compound these risks with concerns about overlapping turkey season with deer season, it is apparent that a fall turkey season could have a negative effect on our turkey population.

[dutchhunter]

Dos anybody have a list of WMU# that will take part in a fall season

[josh1963]

Have the limits changed? Two in spring,two in fall? Wishful thinking.

[BUCKSHOT]

Hey Chess
I agree PoooooooooooF!
I love this controversial crap!

[Doe Master]

The proposed limits are 2 in the spring and 1 in the fall. The proposed WMU`s are 64,67,68,73,76,77,78,81,82,84,89,90,92 &93.

[paulslund]

You also have to buy a fall tag. As with the spring hunt, you can't hunt over a bait pile. Part of my concern with that is the guy out bow hunting for deer also has a fall turkey tag, and low and behold here comes a flock of turkeys to his corn pile (you know...intended for deer "only") and arrows a turkey from his deer stand...

I hunt in 64A and I don't think I'll get one this year. Between grouse and deer, I don't have time to hunt anything else, nor do I have time to want to hunt anything else.

Now...if you could use your unfiled spring tags...then I might be tempted...but I know that's not how it will work.

Paul.

[wabi]

We here in Ontario have just over a month till spring opener and I see that some areas here in Ont will have a fall hunt.Question for are brothers and sisters in the states is it as exciting as the spring hunt

Not for me.
The spring hunt is after a couple months of being confined indoors with no hunting or trapping and by then hunting field mice would be thrilling!
The spring turkey hunt is for bearded toms only, and it takes some pre-season scouting & work to have a good chance at filling a tag. A lot of range time testing the gun & loads (the same gun & loads I've tested every year for many springs, but it's a reason to be outdoors) and plenty of calling practice. (you can tell when you've hit the "sweet notes" on the call when you spouse screams, "If you don't quit that racket I'm going to shove that call up your ...)
The hens are warier than ever after dodging predators all winter and going half starved. The boss gobblers are thinking only of their duty to make sure the species survives by bountiful reproduction, and the subordinant toms are thinking of their duty to do the same while trying to keep from being whipped by the boss. So the birds are blinded by lust, but still nervous as a (I'll skip the phrase I'm thinking of, it's a family forum ).

In the fall it's a different game. The birds aren't going to respond to calling that well unless the flock has been seperated and are trying to re-group. I've found a carefully planned ambush is ofted the best bet to fill a tag, and that isn't really much excitement. The birds are in famly (or multi-family) groups and by fall have a fairly well established daily routine. They hit the same feeding areas about the same time every day, so in our agricultural area that means it's ofetn simply a matter of setting in a blind near where they enter the corn or bean field at a certain time of day and shooting one as they parade past. I actually seldom even hunt the fall season. Not a matter of sportsmanship, but the simple fact I prefer venison to turkey. It's deer season, and unless there is some specific reason we need a turkey for the oven I'd rather be hunting deer!
When/if I find a spot where the deer and turkey both use the same area to enter an agricultural field I'll go prepared for either, but for the most part I don't really hunt them in the fall.

[spitfire125]

I am against the fall turkey hunt, Going to have deer bowhunters in the woods the same time as Turkey hunters, Sure as **** There will be not only hens shot but too many poults form this springs hatch shot also, Besides its more excitiing to hear that big tom up on the roost at 545am when gobbles up a storm trying to attract the hens. Then as he comes down off the roost he hits the field and struts his stuff towards your decoys and sexy calls. NO FALL HUNT!!!!

[ecoaster]

I won't be chasing turkeys in the fall. Too addicted to the whitetails.

[Fox]

Being against the hunt being open?

Wait a minute guys, if you choose not to hunt that is fine, but remember a little thing called spring black bear hunting that used to be part of the Ontario calender.

Lets not attack other hunters or methods please.