Gently pushing shut the truck door amidst subdued whispers and bobbing flashlight beams probing the darkened overgrown apple orchard, we silently began our long awaited hunt. We quickly walked the extent of the timeworn apple orchard, crossed a smallish field, and started our walk up the north face of the valley. The chill of the dawning air was shortly not much more than a memory as the steep slope took it’s toll on our legs.

Perhaps 15 minutes later we were at the top. The pre-dawn darkness was utterly without a sound and I remember conveying to myself to make mental note how wondrous such moments can be.

Just as the eastern horizon tantalized us with a whisper of pink, the first bird sounded off. So low at first I began to wonder if I heard it at all. Thankfully, this was succeeded by a louder solitary "cluck". And then moments later another bird responded with a sequence of yelps. Before long a dozen wild turkeys were vocalizing all over the mountain top...... a sweeter sound I may never have heard!

Kevin began answering back. Slowly at times, more urgent at others. Although this was my first ever turkey hunt, I believe I witnessed every call known other than gobbling, which is a spring breeding call. Kevin imitated the turkey talk flawlessly! After a while I couldn’t tell his clucks, yelps, kee kees, and purrs from those of the nearby turkeys.

At daybreak, the turkeys began to fly down from their roosts. ( I was amazed at how loud this was). Within minutes I glimpsed a couple birds cautiously working their way to Kevin’s skilful calling. The lead bird was a big ole’ long beard, probably in the 20 pound range. The flock hung up just out of effective range but Kevin continued to yelp and purr the birds into a feeling of safety and kept them coming. At roughly 20 yards I decided it was time to shoot. Heck, I was already tagging the big tom. I was already seated with a bead on the tom's red head. All I had to do was lower my head and shift myself ever so little to the left and go collect my first tur......what the!...gone! disappeared in a heartbeat.

I was busted big time! and had a new genuine respect for the quarry I had come so far to hunt.

When I looked over at Kevin and said "I barely moved" he pulled down his camo face mask and said "yup, they got pretty good eyesight all right I guess".

And that my friends was my introduction to turkey hunting. We left the area and went to another farm to try our luck. Dylan, my 14 year old son was along on this trip and just as eager as I to take his first wild turkey. He was to get his wish. Kevin set me up on another picturesque hillside while he and Dylan went about a hundred yards further and began calling.

I was enjoying the view while licking my wounds from the early morning?s hunt when a 3 inch magnum boomed from Dylan's 12 gauge. I looked down and saw them waving for me to come down to their location. To say I sauntered over would be a gross understatement. It was a nice bird in the 10 -12 pound range. As we stood around chatting (as hunters are apt to do after a successful hunt) admiring the beautiful bird I'm not sure who was more excited, me or Dylan!

To try and describe turkey hunting would be comparable to trying to bottle and package the feeling one gets when hooking a salmon or watching a black bear ghost into a bait site. I deem words inadequate to capture the moment. Be that as it may, turkey hunting has all the requisite components to make for an outstanding hunt. The birds are large, clever, make prime table fare and they respond appropriately to calling. What else could any camo clad hunter want? The one thing I can think of is to have them in Atlantic Canada.

The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) was willing to do all the work, including capturing wild birds from south of the boarder, transporting and releasing them here in Nova Scotia. But, sadly, we all know what happened to that plan. But of course, the folks fighting the battle claim that was only round one. I hope they are correct but we'll have to wait and see.

Turkeys are flourishing in places like Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, and Ontario, which all have seasons, agriculture, and natural food sources such as Nova Scotia. One fall I was in a hunting store in Ontario
buying a couple calls for my upcoming turkey hunt and began talking to a local hunter who happened to be in the store the same time as myself.

I asked him if he hunted turkeys. His response was an excited "Absolutely, they're awesome!".

He gave me a few suggestions with calls and calling. Also in our conversation he told how the birds were expanding further north every year. He told me that it was now common to see wild turkeys as far North as Thunder Bay. My point is ; I firmly believe that if turkeys are released in the Valley I see no reason why we shouldn't expect them to disperse throughout other localities of the province. I mean, if they can live in Thunder Bay for God?s sake.......

Please don't confuse wild turkeys with a few operations / illegal stockings that crop up once in a while. Those birds have nothing, I reiterate nothing, in common with their wild cousins. If you haven't hunted wild turkeys, take my word, they are a genuine challenge to hunt and they would surely be a favourable augmentation to our present wildlife population.

Beyond any shadow of doubt, there are be some amongst us who perceive the introduction of wild turkeys as an unfavourable occurrence. One body of hard working folks who may be opposed are those who grow produce of some description for a living. Undoubtedly, these large birds will indeed ingest a certain amount of corn, apples, grapes, etc., but when I checked with the farmers whose acreage I hunted on in New York state, their sentiment was that while the birds do as a matter of fact eat some of their various crops, the over-all damage was manageable. Nevertheless, it is a legitimate concern on the farmers behalf.

Perhaps the poultry industry had some concerns over disease risks?..I don't really know.

Other circles have worries over the potential impact turkeys may have on our resident pheasant population. Whereas Nova Scotia is more or less at the most northerly region where pheasants will successfully live and breed some worry what will happen when the bigger birds are in direct competition with pheasants during our long cold winters when food is scarce. Another legitimate concern for sure, however, there are many states such as New York, Maine, Michigan, just to name a few, that have both birds co-habitating within their borders, that at times have severe winters equivalent to Nova Scotia?s.

The third and last evening of our New York turkey hunt unfolded as if pre-written in a hunting show script. Picture this: The sun is beginning to slip below the diverse stand of hardwoods we're hunting. I'm sitting against the base of a giant beech tree. The hillside is thoroughly full of turkey scratchings (made while the birds forage for food). Turkeys are yelping all around us. There are possibly 10 birds approaching our calling. It?s not a matter of if we'll see the flock, but when. If the birds make it to roost in the trees before we can shoot, they are safe. While it may be legal, shooting a bird off it's roost is akin to shooting sitting ducks - simply not done old chap! Suddenly, I see a large tom proceeding to investigate our calling. I aim at his red head and pull the trigger. Moments later I am securing my second turkey tag around his leg.

Walking off the mountain in complete darkness, I am comforted by the hefty weight of the turkey slung over my shoulder (ALA Sunday morning hunting shows) and having had the chance to share this hunt with Dylan I wonder to myself if it can get any better than this.

The only way I can think it would be better was if we had wild turkeys in Nova Scotia........

Keep your chin in the wind,
Sincerely,
Roger Lewis
Bears East Adventures
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