As the minutes passed, the talkative gobbler stood his ground 60 yards from the water hole. An hour had gone by before he finally decided to take a closer look at the “hens” getting a drink. He didn’t make it all the way there.
Chalk up another tom in the bag that came in to wet his whistle and check out the “girls” at his favorite watering hole.
Only about 18% of the 2022 spring turkey permits issued by the Wisconsin DNR were filled during the past season, but that wasn’t due to a shortage of toms, so only poor weather could temper hunters’ optimism for the 2023 season, according to Taylor Finger, DNR game bird ecologist.
“The last two years we have had strong spring nesting seasons,” Finger said. “The
2021-22 winter was relatively mild and turkeys were able to get at food. The same situation existed this winter, so there should be plenty of carryover of mature toms and jakes.”
Sure, a turkey can be shot at any time during hunting hours, but there’s nothing quite like calling in a bird right off the roost. Getting to your spot even a few minutes late can make a big difference. On average, toms will start gobbling a half hour before sunrise and hit their peak about 10 to 15 minutes after first light.
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