Kirk is a Northern California hunter who has made the most of his suburban hunting opportunities. In an area that has many open spaces but in the form of many land parcels from 5-10 acres , his bowhunting prowess has made him popular with homeowners invaded by aggressive mating turkeys each spring.
Now the law reads that weapons must be discharged more than 200 ft from a dwelling or occupied building, so finding a place to set up for turkeys is a challenge sometimes. A bow qualifies as “a weapon” since it launches a projectile. Care must be taken to make accurate shots since long tracking jobs might leave the property one has permission on. Accurate shot placement and short blood trails are of utmost importance in suburban wildlife management.
Because of the high concentration of toms, there is a great deal of competition for receptive hens. At one point Kirk said he had 10 Toms in front of him, fighting over his decoys. That is a lot of birds.
So far with one weekend left, Kirk has arrowed two mature toms. California allows hunters to take 3 bearded turkeys in the spring season. This one below had a beard that measured 9 and 3/4 inches, and impressive spurs.
So if you are looking for new hunting opportunities, don’t over look the suburbs, and rural residential areas. Just keep the previous points in mind when looking for a spot.
