Deer hunting likely generates more questions than any other hunting season, and its popularity in terms of hunter numbers is unquestionable.
Pheasant hunting, with expanding prairie opportunities made possible by warm winters and suitable habitat, has brought new hunters into the field and put a smile on the face for tens of thousands of rooster fanatics.
Waterfowl hunters? Well, who can't appreciate the dedication of a hunter slumbering out of bed in the wee hours en route to a cold damp morning huddled on the edge of a marsh?
Fortunately, we have an array of outdoor opportunities from which hunters can find a favorite.
If you ask around a bit, however, you won't likely find too many people who put spring turkey hunting at the top of their list, but you will find more and more hunters who look forward to a chance at taking a spring gobbler.
Take a few minutes to ponder turkey hunting. For starters, you likely know people who praise and despise the reputation of a turkey. I've compared turkeys to one of my favorite guilty pleasures chocolate. A little is good, but sit down and eat a whole bag and you'll get a bellyache.
It's similar with turkeys: Most hunters and landowners enjoy a few turkeys, but when three turkeys turn into three dozen, the novelty and joy of seeing turkeys near the farm can dwindle.
As we discuss turkey behavior and habits, keep in mind that hunting is the best method for wildlife managers to use to balance populations. On the same note, hunters in any situation prefer less competition. For example, a spring turkey hunter would rather not have a half-dozen other hunters within a few hundred yards of his calling site.
If you've ever observed turkeys, however, you know they tend to travel in social groups, and it's that behavior that adds difficulty to turkey-population management.
Herein lies the problem. If a landowner has three dozen or more turkeys that seek refuge in his farmyard each winter, and if he is willing to allow hunters, he's faced with the task of providing access to thin the local population. However, allowing a dozen hunters in to take out an appreciable number of turkeys is not an easy process
While hunters are more than willing to assist the landowner, by nature they'd rather have the place to themselves on the day they have permission. Contending with numerous other hunters on the same property can be just as difficult as getting a turkey.
Another localized obstacle is the turkey's penchant for inhabiting residential areas where hunting is less of an option. Managing urban turkeys can be even more problematic than managing turkeys in rural settings.
The process can become somewhat of a balancing act for wildlife managers, who must deal with a localized increase in turkey numbers without putting undue pressure on landowners or eroding the essence of the spring-turkey hunt.
It's not just shooting a turkey that makes a spring hunt a success. Most hunters want to experience a sense of solitude and try to call in a gobbler on their own terms.
This year hunters will have a chance to do that. Spring-turkey hunting is what you make it. There's no substitute to having a front-row seat to one of the outdoors wonders as a gobbler responds to your call.
This year before you pull the trigger, take a moment and soak it all in.
Doug Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. He can be reached by email: dleier@state.nd.us.