Arkansas Sportsman

Turkey hunters find slow going

Last weekend was rough for young turkey hunters and their adult mentors during the spring youth turkey hunting season.

We're supposed to revel in the splendor of blooming dogwoods and redbuds in early April. Instead, hunters endured sleet and near freezing temperatures, especially in the northern part of the state.

We know that it snowed a little in Little Rock during the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Red-White scrimmage at War Memorial Stadium. There was ice on the road at the intersection of Keightly and Cantrell roads an hour before game time, and it was progressively worse going north and west. Hunters reported sleet in Perry County, and it was positively wintry in Cleburne and Sharp counties.

The weather might be a big reason why youth hunters killed 38 percent less birds during the two-day season than they did during the 2017 youth turkey season. Overall, youth hunters checked in 604 turkeys Saturday and Sunday, but the nasty day was actually better because they checked in 337 birds on Saturday, compared to 267 on Sunday.

In the 2017 youth season, hunters checked 572 and 399 birds, respectively, for a total of 971.

The trend continued into the regular statewide season, which began Monday. Hunters checked in 781 turkeys on opening day. The weather was cold Monday morning, but the day turned gorgeous as temperatures rose.

Compare that to opening day in 2017. It was warm and rainy in many parts of the state, but hunters checked 1,943 turkeys that day.

As of Monday, that's a 60 percent decrease. Since most turkeys are killed on opening day, we can project that the 2018 total will be a lot lower when the season ends April 24.

That's enough of the negative. There are more than 1,400 happy turkey hunting stories to tell, and those that had good fortune will remember their hunts and the tough conditions for a lifetime.

One of those is Aiden McComas, 7, of Prim (Cleburne County), who bagged a dandy gobbler in the sleet while hunting with his father, Shane McComas, and his big brothers Adam and Aaron. A.J.'s bird weighed 20 pounds, 4 ounces and sported a 9½-inch beard and ¾-inch spurs. He killed it with a 20-gauge at 20 yards.

Gabriel Spray of Highland also got a big bird near Myron while hunting with Jason Spray. He used a fighting purr to close the deal on his wary gobbler.

Phillip Pickett of Highland and Grady Adams of Evening Shade opened the regular season Monday with a rare double in Sharp County.

Another friend and his son hunted in the Ouachita National Forest. The dad said gobblers were working toward them when hens intercepted them and took the gobblers away.

Hunting weather should remain good until Friday, when bad weather is in the forecast.

If a significantly smaller season kill is in the works, we hope it's the result of weather and other factors and not because of significantly fewer turkeys in the woods.

There's plenty of action on the water right now, too. The crappie spawn seems to be running a few weeks behind, but several correspondents report that crappie are on the banks at some of our most popular and productive lakes. One prolific crappie expert found tough fishing during Spring Break. That's when it usually peaks, and while he didn't catch big numbers, the fish he caught were exceptionally large. He caught those fish on small jigs under bobbers, but he said fish are hammering live minnows right now.

Unstable water levels and lingering cold water temperatures have had fish largely on the defensive. Most lakes have receded close to normal pool and are stable, but they are likely to rise again if heavy rains come to fruition this weekend.

High, fast, stained water also has upset the trout fishing in the Greers Ferry, Bull Shoals, Norfork and Beaver tailwaters. The Little Red River is stable for now, and excellent fishing should last until the weekend.

The way I see it, turkey season will end right about the time smallmouth bass start biting. I'm looking forward to a smooth transition.

Sports on 04/12/2018

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