Hunting-access program provides $50 million in federal funds to expand recreation opportunities on private lands

Saint Paul, Minn. – July 8, 2010 – Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever today praised a decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to release $50 million in funding for the “Open Fields” Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, a new effort to encourage owners and operators of privately held farm, ranch and forest lands to provide public access to their lands for wildlife-dependent activities such as hunting and fishing.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the announcement this afternoon at a national press conference, at which other speakers included Howard Vincent, Pheasants Forever National President and CEO, and representatives from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

Open Fields was authorized by Congress for the first time in the 2008 Farm Bill following support from a TRCP-sponsored coalition that included Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever. Open Fields provides states $50 million in federal monies to create or enhance voluntary hunter-access programs on private lands and encourages landowners who enroll their properties to employ best-management practices for wildlife. Landowners can receive a financial incentive in exchange for opening lands to the public for hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation. The Open Fields funding can now be used to enhance the 26 existing state public access programs, and establish programs in states where such programs are currently absent. There will be an application process for states to apply for funding.

“American sportsmen are deeply invested in the Open Fields program,” said Vincent, who praised the program on both its wildlife habitat and hunter access merits. “We appreciate the federal government’s willingness to expand public access to hunting and other recreational activities by assuring its implementation. Sportsmen now speak together in urging our nation’s decision makers to continue this record of support by retaining and funding Farm Bill conservation programs in 2012.”

“Open Fields is the first federal landowner incentive program of its kind to enhance access for hunting and fishing – and has been a flagship issue for the TRCP since our group’s inception,” said TRCP President and CEO Whit Fosburgh, who spoke at the event. “Today’s announcement by the federal government is an unqualified victory for fish and wildlife conservation and our hunting and fishing traditions.”

“This administration is committed to preserving and enhancing the great conservation legacy of our nation’s hunters and anglers to benefit current and future generations,” said Vilsack. ”This program will not only help achieve conservation goals, but also increase opportunities for hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation by providing greater access to privately held lands for wildlife-dependent recreation.”

The conservation title of the Farm Bill is the nation’s single-largest source of federal funding for private-lands conservation programs, and previous iterations of the bill have allocated billions of dollars toward landowner activities that sustain critical habitat and bolster fish and wildlife populations important to sportsmen.

Read frequently asked questions about Open Fields.

Pheasants Forever is dedicated to the conservation of pheasants, quail and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs.

Yamaha’s Weekly Outdoor Tip:

Link – http://www.yamaha-motor.com/outdoor/events/dynamicevent/2/1224/yamaha_outdoors_tip_of_the_week.aspx

Food plots are a great way to attract deer, not only to your property, but to a specific location on that property. But they’re not the only way. There are other ways you can modify the habitat to make it more “huntable.” And this is a good time to start because any disturbance you cause will be long forgotten by hunting season.

One of the simplest steps is cutting shooting lanes around existing stands. This is important for both gun and bowhunters, but more so for the latter. Nature abhors a vacuum and over time, stuff naturally grows up into openings like shooting lanes. Perhaps you overlooked something the last time you cut, only to discover the hard way when it obscured an otherwise clear shot. Even a small evergreen could obscure a rifle shot and a single branch could prevent a bow shot.

Spring is also a good time to do this type of work because fruit trees are flowering, making them easier to recognize. Look for apple, pear, persimmon or other soft mast producers that are being crowded out by larger less desirable species and cut out the competition. Remaining trees and shrubs will often respond quickly to the additional sunlight and soil nutrients. In bigger clearing operations, you can even put the waste products to use. By piling cut brush in rows you can build natural fences, funneling deer movement toward your stand.

While you’re at it, this is a good time to work on your ATV trails, and not just to facilitate travel. More astute land managers will have already taken advantage of their ATV trails by planting them with perennial mixes. They’ll attract and feed wildlife for several years with little or no additional maintenance. However, trimming the edges back to allow more sunlight in, and treating the soil with lime and fertilizer will enhance that. Hook on a hitch-mount spreader and broadcast as you travel to and from your various clearing projects.

If pastures aren’t being used by livestock, create an opening in a fence line. If the land has no fencing, consider putting some in. Deer can jump over it if they want, but even 100 feet of four-foot high fence can funnel deer movement past a particular location.

There’s plenty more you can do to improve the huntability of your land. Circumstances vary with location and conditions, but beyond that, you’re limited only by your own ambition and creativity.

Over the years, I’ve found that spending time in the outdoors has become much more precious to me.

It may be that it’s the fact that I’m away from the office and the racket that’s associated with it.

To me, it’s my escape from the everyday doldrums and a chance to get back to my roots.

While growing up, I was fortunate to have mentors to teach me about the outdoors.  My father Cal liked to hunt and fish when he had time; it was my Grandma & Grandpa Menkveld that did a lot of fishing and some hunting.

Then there was Glen Matteson, our neighbor across the street, to us kids he was an outdoor guru as there wasn’t anything in the outdoors that he didn’t know about

Because of these influences on our young lives, we were bitten by the outdoor bug and spent as much time as we could get away with, wandering along the Sioux River or exploring the shores of Pelican Lake.

I can honestly say that there wasn’t much in the outdoors that we didn’t try!  From fishing to hunting and everything in between, we did all the things kids could do in the outdoors.

We were truly fortunate to have adults that influenced us, getting us interested in the outdoors.

Things have changed considerably in today’s world!  Backs while I was growing up, it seemed like most people hunted and fished as it was just part of growing up in the upper Midwest.

It always seemed that people living in the rural areas were closer to the land; they knew that hamburger came from a cow and pork came from a hog, not from McDonalds.

They knew hunting and fishing was part of our American Heritage and a huge part of the wildlife management program.

Sadly, today those who hunt and fish are the minority and as the minority we need to get our behinds off the couch and start

promoting our sports.

There are getting to be fewer and fewer folks, who will take or have the time to introduce a youngster to the outdoors.

We can no longer sit by, believing our sports are gaining members and there are people out there that will teach others about the outdoors.

It’s up to individuals like us and other members of the hunting and fishing fraternity to show youngsters all the great things that the outdoors has to offer.

How about and pitching by volunteering to help with youth programs run by our Game, Fish & Parks Dept.

You’re not expected to know everything there is to know about the outdoors, you’re going to be talking with youngsters that are eager to learn about the outdoors and looking for every little piece of information on the outdoors they can find.

No one knows everything about the outdoors and those that think they do aren’t the type of individuals you want to have as teachers any way!

All you need to do is to get a kid out and show him how to catch a fish, camp or hunt.

They don’t need to catch a monster fish, tag a trophy buck or camp in the Rockies, they just need to get off the couch and away from the computer and television.  In fact, it’s best if you start kids out slow, showing them how to catch bullheads or bluegill, to plink at targets and perhaps do a backyard campout.

Watching a youngster that you introduced to the sport just enjoying a few of the many things the outdoors has to offer is one of the finest feelings in the world.

You’ve not only made yourself feel better, you made some youngsters day and helped introduce another to the outdoors!

Kids are looking for something to do and because there are so many things they can get into that aren’t good for them, they need an alternative so they aren’t out getting in trouble or spending all of their time parked in front of a TV or playing video games on the computer.

I really enjoy seeing a new angler catching a fish or a young hunter tagging his first turkey, because I know that we’ve added another outdoorsmen or women to our sport.

Another way to support the outdoors is to support the many conservation organizations that we have.

Pheasants Forever, Whitetails Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation as well as local sportsmen’s organizations are all tremendous conservation groups, doing an excellent job of promoting the outdoors while working to increase habitat and wildlife populations.

These groups all have mentor programs where: outdoors skills and the love of the outdoors can be passed along to the younger generation.

It’s up to you and me, the outdoorsmen and women to help promote the outdoors and to introduce someone new to all Mother Nature has to offer as these are the future of our sport!

You may be surprised as the kids may not be the only ones to learn something!

The fourth annual expo, open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., is designed to meet the needs of anyone interested in outdoor lifestyles, regardless of age or experience, through a variety of hands-on activities, demonstrations and interactive displays.

This is a great way to learn everything about the outdoors from the experts, with displays and instructions on hunting fishing, camping and a whole lot more.

New attractions in 2010 include nationally known hunting experts, hands-on bow fishing, youth Discovery Zone, and a Marketplace showcasing outdoor-related vendors and exhibitors.

Visit http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/outdoorsexpo/ for more information. A park entry permit is required for the event

“We know our work to provide habitat in Nebraska will be more successful if we act in ways that benefit landowners,” said Steve Donovan, manager of conservation programs for Nebraska.

The NAWCA grant will restore and protect more than 4,100 acres of habitat in the Rainwater Basin through 14 separate projects. One of the projects funded through the grant will allow DU to trade good cropland for marginal cropland in order to restore a 300-acre wetland that will become part of the Nelson Waterfowl Production Area.

“This land trade will keep the best cropland in production, while allowing the marginal cropland to be restored to wetland, providing habitat to waterfowl and other wildlife,” Donovan said. “It’s a win-win for the landowner and waterfowl.”

Donovan says much of the land restored through this grant will be managed through grazing. “Beef is an important segment of the Nebraska economy,” he said. “And controlled grazing can keep the grass and wetlands in good shape for cows and wildlife.”

Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin has lost about 90 percent of its original wetlands, yet millions of waterfowl and other birds continue to migrate through this area in search of places to rest and refuel. The Rainwater Basin is one of the most important wetland ecosystems in the Central Flyway particularly during spring migration when millions of waterfowl stop here during their long migration flights.

“A big part of the work we do in the Rainwater Basin is to restore the natural functions of wetlands in the area,” Donovan said. “Some of the wetlands have been drained and others have become choked with dense stands of perennial plant species limiting food availability for waterfowl.”

About 50 percent of the continent’s mallard population and 30 percent of its pintails use Rainwater Basin habitats during spring migration. About 90 percent of the mid-continent’s greater white-fronted geese depend on this habitat. The Rainwater Basin was recently named the first “Landscape of Hemispheric Importance” in the Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network, in part because almost all of the world’s buff-breasted sandpipers stop in the Rainwater Basin each spring, along with many other species of shorebirds.

Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 12 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.

These two jakes came running into our hen calls at the Big Blue Ranch and Lodge near

Burchard, Neb. (Journal photo by Larry Myhre)

BURCHARD, Neb. — Like so many times before, it was a gobble that first alerted us that a tom turkey was coming in.

Gary Howey motioned that the bird was downhill in front of us just in case I hadn’t heard.

I had the video camera running and began looking for the bird.

The first indication was the tip of his tail, spread in full strut, and slowly rocking back and forth as the bird stepped forward.

Then he was there, all puffed up and drumming. It was a glorious sight and one that sets a turkey hunter’s heart to pounding.

He was 15 yards out when Gary “putted” sharply on his diaphragm call to make the bird come out of strut and stick up his head.

Just like that it was over.

Less than two hours into our hunt on the Big Blue Ranch and Lodge south of Burchard, we had both filled turkey tags.

Gary, from Hartington, Neb., and I were guests of Scott Bodie and his wife Billie Kay. Their 2,000-acre working cattle ranch is the backdrop for a retreat for hunters, fishermen, horse enthusiasts, bird watchers or anyone just seeking relaxation.

Their cedar log lodge sits above a 25-acre, spring-fed pond stocked with largemouth bass, crappies, bluegills and northerns.

Gary and I had met Scott at the lodge where we unpacked, and then followed him to an area on the ranch where he felt confident we would see turkeys.

He left us, and we began our hunt as we often do when hunting land unfamiliar to us. We walked and called.

With Gary on the video camera, I ventured ahead calling whenever we came to a place where I couldn’t see if there were turkeys such as just before cresting a hill.

Upon hearing a call, the turkey should gobble alerting us to his location before we spook him.

But this day, the turkeys were not responding.

Gary saw them first.

Two toms heading our way.

We dropped down and crawled to a nearby burr oak tree where we sat down and waited.

I yelped a few more times and the pair of toms crested the hill and drew nearer as I made a few quiet yelps on the diaphragm.

They stopped about 30 yards out and didn’t appear to want to come any closer so I took the larger of the two.

After Gary bagged his tom we went back to the lodge and got out the fishing gear. I used the fly rod to catch and release an unbelievable number of blue-gills and crappies.

We’ll report in detail on that next week.

The next morning we decided to hunt the turkeys with our cameras. Gary carried the video and I carried my Nikon digital single lens reflex with a 70 to 3o0mm zoom lens.

We set up near where Gary had bagged his bird and called, but nothing came in.

So, we began walking and calling. We crossed a bluegrass pasture to a wooded ridge and valley on the other side.

I called there and suddenly Gary dropped down. I followed suit.

“Two toms heading our way,” he said.

We lay on our stomachs right in the open with cameras in front of our faces.

I cranked up the calling on the diaphragm call and soon saw two heads poke above the skyline.

They came in fast and close. I could hear them clucking and purring and I returned the calls hoping to lure them in closer.

At about 15 yards out they decided they had come far enough and then began to move away.

We had gotten some good footage and stills.

We continued to follow the timber’s edge and walked another hundred yards when Gary thought he saw something down in the corner of the pasture about 300 yards away. It was a tom. Soon we noticed three hens in front of him moving down a fence line. Then two more toms stepped out.

We couldn’t interest them in our calls and the hens seemed to be following the fence line so we dropped out of sight and tried to circle around and get in front of them.

This seldom works, and it didn’t this time. The birds spotted us and ran back down the fenceline and into the trees.

The turkeys here are really colorful, probably the result of a five-way cross. Biologists say the birds are a merriam, Eastern, Rio Grand, tame turkey and hybrid cross. All of the above have been stocked in the area at one time or another.

Deer grow big on this ranch as a pair of sheds lying on the table in our lodge proved.

And they are plentiful. Each day we saw several deer move away from us as we stalked through the woodlands.

The ranch is truly a hunter’s paradise.

The most important of these is knowing the area the birds are using.

In order to find out this information, it will require pre season scouting as this allows you to have a plan put together ahead of time, so you’ll know the who, what, when and where before opening day.

By doing your pre-season scouting you’ll be able to figure out the bird patterns, where they’re roosting, where they’re coming out of the roost, their travel routes to and from feeding areas and how they get back to their roost just before dark.

Don’t make the mistake that some spring hunters do and use a turkey call while doing your scouting.

Once a bird hears the hen call, he may come running in and catch you out in the open, which is a good way to educate the bird.

When scouting, use a call that makes the Tom gobble, but not come your direction.

You’ll want to use a call that will cause the bird to shock gobble as these loud calls startle or shock the bird causing it to gobble.

Good shock calls can be a predator, owl or crow call as these are sounds that the birds have heard before that won’t make them come running in your direction.

These calls can be used during pre-season scouting and during the regular season.

Locating the tree the birds are using as a roost will be a big help, giving you a place to start on opening morning.

Roost trees are generally some of the tallest trees in the woods.  Look for trees with an accumulation of droppings and feathers under them, which is a pretty good indicator that the birds have used the trees as a roost.

If there are fresh droppings, those that are soft and damp it’s more than likely an active roost that has seen recent use.

Year in and year out unless harassed or forced out of the area, turkeys will roost in approximately the same location.

As you work your way through the woods, you’ll want to be on the lookout for fresh droppings or areas where the birds have been scratching or dusting themselves.

Scratching areas are those where the leaves have been scratched away so the birds can get at the seeds and insects.

These areas will also help you to identify the direction the birds are moving, as the leaves removed from the ground will be piled up in the opposite direction the birds are moving.

Like anything other type of hunting, your location is very important as turkeys like us are creatures of habit and once you figure out their routine, you’re well on your way to becoming a successful turkey hunter.

Unless disturbed, turkey will travel using about the same routes, traveling and feeding in the same general direction each day.

Now that you’ve scouted the area and have an idea as to where they’re roosting and feeding, you should be able to figure out where their travel routes are and to set for the birds.

By setting up near their roost you should be able to catch them as they fly down or return to the roost as well as setting up along their travel route, as chances are that sometime during the day, the birds will make their way through the area.

Lets look at several set ups that will work for calling turkeys early as well as later the day.

Roost Tree Set Up

Once you’ve located the roost, go back to the area just before dark, using your binoculars, glass the area and look for activity.

Just prior to dark, make a call or two with an owl or crow call and then wait for a response. If there are Toms in the area, they’ll shock gobble back at these calls.

To get set up in near a roost tree, you’ll want to make sure that you’re in the area well before sunrise, and get set up about 100 yards from where the birds are roosting.

If the birds haven’t been spooked or hunted hard, using decoys near a roost tree is a good option.

Turkeys have tremendous vision as well as hearing and a decoy that’s set off to the side will draw the birds attention away from the hunter, giving you the opportunity to move if needed to take the shot.

Generally I’ll use 2 decoys, one a Jake (a young tom) and the other a receptive hen in the ready position, crouched low to the ground.

The Tom will usually head straight for the Jake, hoping to frighten it off or intimidate it and if that doesn’t work, he’ll do his best to kick the feathers out of the younger bird.

Since I’m right handed and it’s easier for me to shoot off to my left, I place my decoys out in front of me on my left side about 25 yards as this is the range where my shotgun pattern is deadly.

Once set up, I’ll get the bird’s attention by making a soft yelp, like a hen that’s just waking up and as the sun starts to rise, I’ll get a little more vocal, trying to get the Tom to look in the direction of my decoys.

Once I’ve got his attention, I’ll do a fly down cackle, the sound the hen makes as she’s leaving the tree.

This is usually all it takes to get the birds to start pitching out of the trees.

Hopefully one of the Toms will come out, flying right down to the decoys. When this happens, all you need to do is to get him to strut on in and then give him a warning putt so he’ll stick his head out which gives you a good shot at his noggin and his neck.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the way it always happens!  If the hens all come out at the same time as the Tom, you’ve got your work cut out for you, as the Tom will hang up.

This means he’ll do his strutting around all of his lady friends and not come your way as no Tom in his right mind is going to leave a bunch of hens to go to a single bird.

If this happens, there’s only one thing you can do and that’s to try and call the boss hen to you.

The boss hen is the loudest one of the bunch and the bird that talks back to you as you call.

What’s she’s trying to do is to keep the Tom with her and to let that loud mouth hen off in the distance know if she doesn’t cool it, she’s going to come over and kick some tail.

As you call, she’ll get louder, so keep calling louder and unless the Tom takes them a way from you, she’ll come over to show you whose boss.

As she heads towards you, the rest of the flock will follow, including the Tom, giving you the opportunity to fill your tag.

This set up works well when hunting at first light as the birds leave the roost and evening hunting when the birds are returning to the roost.

Travel Route
Set Up

This is a set up where you get in between the roost tree and the birds feeding area.

You don’t need to be in their direct route as you should be able to call the birds off a few yards or so in either direction.

On this set up, you may not need a decoy as the birds are feeding in your direction, what you will need is to be fully camouflaged and hunkered down next to a tree or concealed in a blind.

When setting out in the open, whether it is against a tree or a bush, you’re going to have to be patient and set still.

There’s no need to get too carried away with the calling, as you know the birds are on their way.

A low contented cluck or purr will do the trick. All you need to do is to get a few of the birds to meander your way, which should bring the majority of them within gun or bow range.

As I mentioned before, don ‘t shoot at the Tom when his head is tucked in and he’s strutting as there’s less of the vital area, his head and neck showing in the strut, so hold your shot until his head is stretched out.

This too is another set up that works as the birds are going out to feed early in the day as well as later in the day as they are making they way back into their roosting area.

The only other method that I use in the spring to call turkeys is a late season tactic called “the run and gun.”

The run and gun method is one where I work the ridge tops, calling from time to time, hoping to get a response.

Once I get a response, I glass the area the gobble came from and once I locate the bird, I try to get out in front of the bird and call him in.

If he has a harem of hens with him and won’t leave them, once again, I’ll go to work on the boss hen and see if I can’t get her to bring the birds my way.

Spring turkey hunting is a great sport; where you need to be concealed well, set still and have a lot of patience as very seldom does anything happen too quickly during the spring turkey season.

When it does happen, you’ll find that all of your pre-season scouting and the time you put in the woods were well worth your effort.

How can you not like the sound of hundreds to thousands of geese overhead?

Limits are liberal (15 birds daily or higher), and the late winter / spring seasons, geography depending, are often generous (check yours as many are underway, and dates vary). Though difficult to decoy and call to your position at times, snow geese (a.k.a. “light geese”) help guys like us bridge winter recreation and turkey hunting to come.

The reason: excessive numbers warrant nontraditional methods. In short, light geese compromise arctic habitat, breeding and feeding there after the migration north concludes. Wildlife management attempts to solve such challenges. We as hunters benefit.

Some tips to hunting light geese include:

SCOUTING SERIOUSLY

Your effort to find them might begin where they roost, and include locating a nearby field where they feed and/or might forage. Study them for a pattern of use. They’ll often move and feed early in the day and later in the afternoon, loafing elsewhere during midday. Sometimes too they just move on.

STUDYING MAPS

Study maps, drive and glass fields, and seek landowner permission at all costs, explaining what you’ll be doing and even why. Set your spread at midday for later afternoon hunts. If it feels right, get back there the next morning too. Don’t pressure a spot; then again, hunt it while it’s hot and even just a little warm.

BLENDING IN

As camouflage goes, wear white if snow covers the ground, or standard options if you’re in a layout blind or using natural cover. Blend in, no matter what. Snows feel the pressure, and adjust accordingly. If possible, hide all unnatural evidence, including your truck, trailer and four-wheeler. Make it look real.

USING FOUR WHEELS

Here’s where your Yamaha ATV or Side by Side comes in. Spreads should consist of as many snow goose decoys as possible. Full body snows, shell fakes, and silhouettes should round off your presentation. It’s not unusual for a hardcore snow goose hunter to place several hundred to even 1,000 or more dekes out in a field, and even use wing flags to impart movement to the spread. You’ll need your four wheels to haul that gear to and from your hunting location.

Yes, a lot of work, but there’s a pleasure in it only waterfowlers (and riders) know.

All measurements are taken in 1/16-inch increments and converted to decimal form. For conversion charts, go to the National Wild turkey Federation web page at: www.nwtf.org/for_hunters/how_to_score.html A current NWTF member or another licensed hunter from the state where the bird was harvested must verify all measurements.

Step 1: Weigh your bird in pounds and ounces and convert ounces to decimal form.

Step 2: Measure each spur. Spurs must be measured along the outside center, from the point at which the spur protrudes from the scaled leg skin to the tip of the spur. Add both spur measurements and multiply the combined length of the spurs by 10. This is the number of points you receive for the turkey’s spurs.

Step 3: Measure the beard length (a beard must be measured from the center point of the protrusion of the skin to the tip) and convert it to decimal form.

Next, multiply the beard length figure by 2; this is the number of points you receive for the beard length. If you have an atypical bird (multiple beards), measure each beard, convert them to a decimal number, then add those figures together and multiply by two. This is the number of points you receive for your turkey’s beards.

Step 4: Add together the weight, the points for spurs and points for beard(s): This is the score you receive for your turkey.

Listed below is the information on this years spring turkey season in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota.

Iowa Spring Turkey

Youth Season: April 9-11

(IA residents only)

Combination Gun/Bow:

Season 1: Apr 12 – 15

Season 2: Apr 16 – 20

Season 3: Apr 21 – 27

Season 4: Apr 28 – May 16

Archery: Apr 12 – May 16

(IA residents only)

Shooting Hours Gun:

1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset

Bow:

1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset

Spring Bag Limit:

Daily bag and season possession limit is one bearded or male wild turkey for each valid license and transportation tag issued to the hunter.

Nebraska Spring Turkey

Shotgun Statewide: April 17-May 31; Licenses Unlimited

Archery Statewide: March 25-May 31; Licenses Unlimited.

Youth Archery: March 25-May 31.

Youth Shotgun: April 10-May 31.

Permits: A hunter may have as many as three spring permits

Shooting Hours: Thirty minutes before sunrise to sunset.

Bag Limit: One male or bearded female turkey per permit. It is illegal to shoot a turkey perched in a tree.

South Dakota Spring  Turkey

Season dates: April 10 – May 23 statewide. Note, there are other units with different seasons. See the South Dakota turkey hunting regulations for those exceptions.

Shooting Hours: One half hour before sunrise to sunset.

Bag: One wild turkey per tag, as designated on the tag.

That’s what we found out a couple of weeks ago when we called predators in the Sandhills near Mullen, NE.

The word predator is defined as: a carnivore, an animal that lives by capturing and eating other animals.

According to that definition, a predator can be any number of things.

When it gets right down to it, we humans are predators as are mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, fox, badgers as well as lions and tigers and bears “OH My”.

Depending on the location you’re doing the calling from, you might be surprised by what comes to the call.

Of course these aren’t the only critters that, once hearing the sound of distressed rabbit, fawn or other animal, will come running to investigate, taking advantage of another animals unfortunate situation.

It’s not unusual for deer, which are curious critters to come into a predator call as it has happened to us numerous times, especially when you’re in Mule Deer territory.

There are numerous other animals/birds out there that are opportunists and will eat what ever happens to be available.

Raccoons and skunks are a couple of the furry critters that will come in if they’re within hearing distance as well as hawks, eagles and owls, so you need to be ready for almost anything.

I’ve had friends who were calling up north in a mountainous region that called in black bears.

In the upper Midwest, you’re more apt to bring in coyotes, fox, bobcat, raccoons or skunks.

Coyote and fox are the most commonly seen critter when predator calling.

Another predator that’s getting to be more common in the upper Midwest is the Bobcat,

It’s an elusive critter that’s pretty much nocturnal and is rarely spotted by humans, as they’ll spot you long before you see them.

Bobcats roam throughout much of North America, like other predators are very adaptable and can live in forests, swamps, along wooded rivers/streams, deserts and even in suburban areas.

Bobcats aren’t all that big, weighing in at 11 to 30 pounds or about as twice as big as our house cats. They’re long legged with very large paws.

Their tracks are easily identifiable, as unlike coyote, fox or other canine, whose claws are exposed when they walk, cat tracks show no claw marks.

They are brown or brownish red in color with an underbelly that’s white.  They get their name from their short, black-tipped “bobbed” tail.

Bobcats are Mother Nature’s stealth fighter, unlike coyotes, that will charge in, bobcats hunt slowly, sliding up on their quarry and then delivering a deathblow by pouncing on it.

They can be fierce hunters, which are able to kill prey much larger than they are, but feed primarily on rabbits, birds, mice, squirrels, and other smaller game animals.

On one predator calling trips that we made into South Dakota a few years back, we’d called in several Bobcats, one as close as 8 feet, since the cat season was closed, all we could do was film and take photos of it.

On our last trip to the Sandhills, we called in several coyotes including a pair that almost ran over the top of us.

The second afternoon of that hunt, we decided to move into another area we’d called coyotes in prior years.

The area we’d be hunting, also held cattle, which is one of the primary things that attracts and holds coyotes in an area.

We’d set up a couple of times, giving each spot 25 to 30 minutes and after having no takers, heading off for a different location.

Moving about ¾ mile across the prairie we stashed our pickup in a depression and headed up hill looking for a decent spot to set up.

Over one hill and then another we slowly trekked towards the Dismal River which works its way through the property we were hunting.

Topping one ridge then another, we eventually came to an area where the prairie started to level off into an area with a few scattered cedars over looking the river.

As we moved down the ridge we spotted two-cedar tress that looked to be a good place for a hide, giving us decent filming and shooting lanes.

As we proceeded along the upper side of the cedars, my partner Larry Myhre spotted the tell tale tracks of a cat in the snow. We paused for a second to take footage and pictures of the tracks so we’d have them for future reference.

Our other partner, Andy Glidden, Ainsworth, NE. had worked his away around the tree and was setting out the Fox Pro call and decoy below us as we got into position.

As we set up, we talked about the cat tracks along the trail behind us on the hill at which time Andy indicated if a cat did show up, he’d take it as he had the permit needed to shoot it.

He’d set up slightly above us in front of the first cedar while Larry and I would be just below him and off to his right.

I was on the camera with Larry on my right flank armed with his 243.

Because of the rough terrain we were in and the separation that was sometimes needed, we were equipped with Midland radios, which helped us to make sure that the camera was on the predator before one of the shooters fired.

As usual, Andy used a combination call to start with, our Fox Pro wailing out the dying rabbit call while Andy howled with his mouth call.

It didn’t take long for Andy to go to his old reliable, the Fox Pro, as it never failed us and if there were a critter that could hear it, it would come in to investigate.

About 10 minutes into it, he switched to the young pup yelp, the way he usually ended his calling scenario.

Just then, I noticed Andy turning to the right and the radio broke squelch with Andy on the other end saying,  “there he is.”

I moved the camera slowly and whispered to Larry that the coyote was directly in front of him.

It was setting on the ridgeline beside a small cedar, Larry had it in it’s scope and was trying to figure out just what it was when Andy’s 22-250 cracked, putting the critter down like a sack of rocks.

The first words out of Andy’s mouth were, “did you get it” of course my response was “about five seconds!”

When I turned and whispered to Larry, he’s thought that I said I had the camera on the critter and fired.

Oh well anyway, he’d made a nice shot hitting it dead center in the chest as it was starting to turn and hightail it for the river.

Andy indicated that the “Cat” was about to bolt when he shot. My response was “Cat!” as all I could see of the critter was what could be seen over Larry’s left shoulder and I’d assumed it was another coyote.

What a way to end a hunt, as we were able to call in another of those predators, a large male Bobcat, that had called Nebraska home.

It had come into the yelping pup call to see what was whipping up on the young coyote and to see if he couldn’t get a few licks in himself.

As I said, when calling predators, you best be prepared for almost anything, as you never know what might show up!