Free New Hampshire Blog

Not much happened today…well that’s not quite true. I dragged myself off to Monadnock Park (that’s where I’ve been going) and walked down to where I was before but didn’t see or hear any other birds.

My legs are really sore so walking around a lot isn’t fun. I’m trying to take it easy on them as I need to get around for the rest of the season. Some kind of nerve pinch or tendon thing or something is going on, especially with the right leg.

Monadnock state park was filled with hikers today, all eagerly headed up the mountain. Most of em’ were from Massachusetts too. I don’t mind MA residents coming up here and giving us their money to use the park…as long as they go back where they came from and don’t move here.

So I left the park early and stopped to scout another area on the way home. Not that great so I left and decided to skip stopping again. Fortunately I change my mind. I stopped at a place not too far from my house. It’s land that’s for sale but is available to hunt on right now apparently.

I drove up the hill and lo and behold, I passed two guys coming down one of whom was wearing the same kind of camo I have! Clearly a man of taste and sophistication! When I got to the top of the hill, guess what I saw? A pretty female turkey! Woohoo! Unfortunatley it was too close to noon to begin hunting but I’ll be heading back there tonight to see if I can find any roosting turkeys over there. If I can, I’ll be back early tomorrow morning to see if I can find a tom to take.

Wish me luck. The photo is of that pretty lady turkey I saw over there today. Look carefully and you can see her.

Note to the non-hunters: You can only really take Toms (male turkeys) as the females are needed for reproduction. Here is a blurb from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s page that covers it:

Know Hens from Gobblers

It is against the law to kill a hen turkey during the spring season (it is legal to take a bearded hen turkey, but hunters are encouraged to pass on bearded hens in order to maximize turkey population growth). Hunters are, therefore, legally obligated to know the difference between hens and gobblers. This skill can be acquired through reading, field observation, watching videos, and attending a turkey hunting seminar.

The turkey “beard” is not a reliable indicator of sex. The beard may be broken or obscured from view. Many males, including jakes (one-year-old males) have short beards that are difficult to see. Up to 10 percent of hens will have thin 6- to 8-inch beards. These hens represent a valuable segment of the turkey nesting population and hunters are urged to pass on them whenever possible.

Physical characteristics can be used to differentiate hens and gobblers. Gobblers have pronounced red, white and blue head coloration during the spring season. The white skull cap on the gobbler is distinct, as is the presence of leg spurs and prominent red wattles on the neck. The body coloration of a gobbler is distinctly dark, almost black. In contrast, hens have a smaller, bluish-gray head, lack spurs and prominent wattles, and are brownish in appearance. Finally, gobblers strut, fan their tails and gobble; hens do not.

The sex of a turkey “in hand” is readily determined. Look at a small chest or breast feather. Gobbler feathers are black-tipped, while hen feathers are buff-tipped.

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Related posts:

1. Turkey Hunting Day 2: Right Gun, No Birds
2. Turkey Hunting Gear
3. Turkey Hunting Day 1: The Dumbass Brings the Wrong Gun!
4. New Hampshire Hunting Report – May 2, 2007
5. 2007 Spring Turkey Season Starts Today!