Marc FolcoOpen Season| Standard-Times
Spring turkey season opens Monday (April 25) and MassWildlife reminds hunters that in order to legally hunt wild turkeys, a current hunting or sporting license and wild turkey hunting permit are required. Licenses and turkey permits are available online through the MassFishHunt system, at license vendors or at MassWildlife offices.
It’s common for two turkey hunters to hunt together and have one do the calling while the other one shoots, but it’s only legal providing that the caller has both a hunting or sporting license and turkey permit. However, if the caller has killed his or her season limit of turkeys, that person may not carry a firearm or archery equipment, or engage in turkey hunting in any way other than calling. The caller still must have his or her hunting or sporting license and turkey permit in possession, whether or not the permit still has turkey tags attached.
Only bearded birds may be taken during the spring season. The annual bag limit is two turkeys and you may either take two bearded turkeys in the spring and no turkey during the fall season or one bearded bird in the spring and one bird of either sex in the fall. You may not take two birds during the fall season. During the spring season when two birds may be taken, you may not take both birds on the same day.
Mature toms are also called “longbeards” because of the long, black beards that hang from the center of their breasts. The beards average 8–10 inches long, making them legal to shoot in the spring. Most immature one-year old toms, called “jakes” have a short, stubby beard that average a 2–4 inches long, making them legal game. Hens most always are illegal to shoot in the spring, but on occasion, a hen will sport a beard, making her legal game, as they are considered bearded turkeys. Personally, I don’t shoot bearded hens as they are either carrying or incubating eggs, and shooting one takes her brood out of the population.
Immediately following a turkey harvest, hunters must fill out and affix the tag from their turkey permit to the bird. The turkey then must be reported either online via the MassFishHunt system or at a traditional check station within 48 hours of harvest and before the bird is processed for food or taxidermy. The MassFishHunt system generates a confirmation number which must be written on the harvest tag attached to the turkey. The confirmation number serves as the official seal. The tag or metal seal from a check station must remain on the bird until it is processed for food or for taxidermy.
Wild turkeys may be hunted with a shotgun (including smoothbore muzzle-loaders) not larger than 10 gauge with shot sizes No. 4 through No. 7, or with bow and arrow. Bows must have a minimum pull of 40 pounds at 28-inch draw (or peak draw for compound bows) and must be used with well-sharpened steel broadhead arrows not less than 7/8 inch in width. Rifles and handguns are not allowed.
The use of dogs, live decoys, bait, electronic calls, or traps for hunting turkeys is prohibited. Driving wild turkeys is also illegal. Artificial decoys are legal. Hunter orange is not required, except that on a wildlife management area stocked with pheasant or quail, during the pheasant or quail season, a person must wear a hunter orange hat or cap.
While turkey hunting with a shotgun, a hunter must have an official "safety sticker" affixed to the gun so it’s visible to the shooter while sighting down the barrel of the shotgun. Safety stickers are not required of persons hunting turkey by archery.
Turkey hunting is a challenging and exciting experience, but it’s not without its dangers as each year, hunters somewhere in the U.S. are mistaken for turkeys and shot. Hunters sneaking up on (stalking) other hunters who are calling and hunters who are wearing turkey colors (red, white, blue, and even black) are involved in a high percentage of the accidents.
The wild turkey has a keen sense of sight and can easily detect movement and colors that are out of place in the woods, making the use of complete camouflage or drab colored clothing is almost a must. Camouflage not only reduces the turkey's chance of seeing the hunter, but also has the same effect on other hunters.
According to MassWildife, safe turkey hunting rules include: don't stalk birds — sit or stand and call the turkeys to you; don't wear red, white, blue or black anywhere on your body where the colors might be exposed during your hunt; don't hide in a place where your view is obstructed; and always be completely sure of your target and what is beyond it before you shoot.
Where to find the best schoolies
Saltwater fishing is picking up with some schoolie stripers being caught in area rivers from Westport to Wareham, including the Westport River, Slocum River, Acushnet River, New Bedford/Fairhaven Harbor, Mattapoisett River, Weweantic River and Wareham River. Some rivers, like the Acushnet River, hold schoolies year-round, but the fishing becomes more productive as the fish get more active when the water begins to warm up. It may seem like the fish may have just moved in, but some have been there all winter. Note that fishing is catch-and-release only in the Acushnet River and New Bedford/Fairhaven Harbor.
In most spots, the best bet for schoolies from shore will be fishing on a rising tide. Currents and narrow channels are where the fish often congregate to feed on bait that’s funneled-in with the tide. Top lures are leadhead jigs with a shad body or curlytail grub. Pearl or white are standby colors with yellow running a close second. You can also catch them on swimmers and streamers on a fly rod. Fishing often improves on warm, sunny days and they’ll sometimes take small surface poppers. The recreational season for striped bass is open year-round with a one-fish daily limit and 28-inch minimum size.
The dandelions are up, a traditional sign that the tautog are beginning to bite — and they’re on schedule. Fishing is just starting to pick up along the shore and in the inshore waters of Buzzards Bay as the fish are beginning to move in to spawn. The recreational season for tautog is open year-round with a three-fish daily limit and a 16-inch minimum size.
Freshwater fishing is picking up as big largemouth bass are on the feed prior to the spawn. John’s Bait and Tackle reported weighing in a 9-pound largemouth caught on a jig last week. Also making a big splash is seven-year-old Riley Smith, of Orleans, who caught a 10.5-pound largemouth on a live shiner while fishing with her dad at Cliff Pond in Brewster last Sunday. The fish was weighed in at the Goose Hummock Shop in Orleans, during the shop’s annual Kids Freshwater Fishing Tournament which ran from April 16–22.
Although it’s early in the season, the huge largemouth likely will take the coveted Gold Pin for largemouth bass in the youth division of MassWildife’s Sportfishing Awards Program, and that fish would be tough to beat in the adult division. Most adult anglers never even come close to catching a bass that size. The heaviest largemouth caught in the state last year weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces and there haven’t been many that have topped 10 pounds in the history of the program. Here is a link to the photo of Smith and her fish, posted on Goose Hummock’s Facebook page.
Westport hunting proposal removed
An anti-hunting and anti-gun proposal (Article 28) that was slated for a vote at Westport’s Annual Town Meeting on May 3 has been removed from the town meeting warrant, according to Town Administrator Timothy King. The proposal would have required written permission from landowners in order to hunt, trap, discharge a firearm or shoot a bow on private property, and written permission from the town to conduct the same activities on public property. The written permission would be valid only for one year.
A similar proposal was brought before the Town last year by initiative petition and it passed by a gossamer thread, but it was rejected by the Attorney General’s office because it was poorly worded, prohibiting it from becoming a town bylaw.
King said that the new proposal which was to be voted on May 3 was removed because, “it needed more work,” he said. “It won’t be brought up at the upcoming Annual Town Meeting, but it could be brought up at a special meeting.”
Rope Fest on Saturday
R&W Rope's annual Rope Fest will be held Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature all sorts of rope-related demos, safety and climbing seminars, splicing and knot-tying instruction, along with a climbing wall. Admission is free. R&W is located at 39 Tarkiln Place in New Bedford.
Marc Folco is the outdoor writer for The Standard-Times. Contact him at openseason1988@aol.com or through OpenSeasonSpecialties.com
