The perks of the last week of turkey season

Magnolia state turkey hunters often say the best is yet to come. With the 2020 spring turkey season getting ready to wrap up, this may be spot-on—in some places and for some hunters.

There always seems to be a mixed consensus and opinions from one end of the spectrum to the other when you mention turkey hunting, gobbling activity, and the late season—especially the last week. You will hear comments like it’s over with, or their done, and they done gobbled out. On the flip side you will hear hunters saying it’s fixin’ to get good, or I been hearing them blow it out, and I hate to see it end.

Less hunting pressure

Now that it is turning warmer, more gnats and mosquitoes are buzzing, and snakes are crawling; most turkey hunters who fish have started back fishing since state lakes have recently re-opened. Turkey season is long in Mississippi and can wear a hunter down. It’s easy to throw in the towel and do other things. Only the die-hard hunters and the ones really wanting to tag a gobbler will be chasing them the last week.

“It’s been kind of a weird year this turkey season,” says Lincoln County’s Joseph Deer with Make-em’-flop hunting team. “The weather has been strange with all the rain and bad weather, and I have never seen so much hunting pressure, both public and private lands. I guess it’s due to the corona virus and a lot of folks being off work and hunting.”

Spikes in activity

According to the 2020 Spittin’ & Drummin’ Mississippi Wild Turkey Report, gobbling activity in 2019 mirrored the 2018 season. Those reports show that statewide there were spikes in gobbling activity during the second week of the season (March 22-28) and during the last week of the season (April 26 –May 1). For specific regions, the ones that saw a spike in gobbling activity were Regions: 1, 3, and 4. Region 2 did not see a spike and region 5’s last week was the second best week of the year but slightly decreased from the week of April 19-25.

Hunters can expect the same for this year. The Spittin’ & Drummin’ 2020 forecast predicted that the 2020 season would be like the last few and that’s for the most part holding true.

“It’s been a little out of the normal for gobbling activity in one sense,” says MDWFP turkey program coordinator Adam Butler, “The birds have not been gobbling much at all on the limb lately—then after a couple hours or when the sun gets up, they’ll start hammering the woods.”

This is still happening right now according to a lot of Magnolia State hunters, so hang in there and lay with them till the end. Whether it’s the best week of the year or worst week of the year in your area—if you don’t go, you won’t see success.