By Mike Roche

It seems like this year, the production of wild turkeys was good in the Mount Grace region.

Conversations with several other folks seem to point towards abundant broods of wild turkeys being hatched and most are now nearly as big as the adult hens. There are still some smaller poults, as young turkeys are called, as breeding can take place as early as late March and as late as July. It is not uncommon to see strikingly different-sized birds in flocks, as hens tend to congregate and that grouping becomes more and more common as summer blends into fall.

The history of wild turkeys in Massachusetts is very interesting and a great conservation success story. At the time of colonial settlement, the wild turkey was found across Massachusetts. Over time, as Massachusetts became settled and land was cleared for growing crops, that changed. Due to habitat loss, turkeys were extirpated from the state and the last known native bird was killed in 1851.

In the 1970s, MassWildlife biologists trapped 37 turkeys in New York and released them in the Berkshires. The new flock grew in what was an ideal mix of agricultural and forested lands, and by the fall of 1978 the estimated population was about 1,000 birds. With birds also moving in from adjacent states, turkeys soon ranged throughout most parts of Massachusetts west of the Connecticut River.

In-state transplants of the birds, conducted until 1996, continued to expand their range into the central, northeastern and southeastern parts of the state. In 1991, the wild turkey was named the state’s official game bird. The estimated population now exceeds 25,000 birds! In 2023, just under 3,000 turkeys were taken by hunters in the spring season, when only bearded birds are legal game. Fall season allows the taking of either sex and most years over 200 birds are taken by hunters just in time for Thanksgiving. Under careful management, the future looks bright for turkeys; sportsmen, naturalists and other wildlife enthusiasts welcome their return.

The fall season will open on Oct. 7and run through the last day of November. Great opportunity to bag a bird to enjoy for your holiday meal, but do not expect it to look or taste like a Butterball. The large breast on commercially-raised turkeys is much bigger than that of a wild turkey that has lived outdoors, feeding on everything from insects to berries to acorns while foraging for anything in the understory. They also need to keep an eye out for predators like coyotes, foxes, hawk, and fishers while trying to avoid automobiles as well. They are great runners, and the drumstick of wild bird is as tough as it gets, believe me on that! Turkey cookbooks usually recommend boiling the leg for a long time to tenderize the meat enough to eat. The breast meat is darker than that of a domestic bird and, in this writer’s opinion, has real flavor. My personal favorite method of enjoying wild turkey is to make jerky using a dehydrator. You can throw together your own spices or buy one of the many jerky seasonings available from most outdoor sources.

This week, the dogs busted up a group of turkeys and it was fun listening to the “boss” hen call the group back together. The responses came from different directions and the persistent calling of the hen soon had everyone back. Serious fall hunters break up flocks and some use bird dogs to scatter the birds. You then use your call to imitate the lead hen and get the birds to come to you. This year, with that extended season, it may be my time to put a wild bird on the platter!

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What hopefully will be more likely for this hunter will be hors d’ouvres made from woodcock breasts and hopefully a few grouse. The preparation for that season continues with weekly trips up Route 32 in Royalston to Hedgerow Hunt Club, where Tessie is getting in her work with Pat Perry. Her steadiness on point and holding point to flush and shot are excellent. At Hedgerow, she starts terribly as she “potters.”

The dictionary definition of pottering is “to move around without hurrying, and in a relaxed and pleasant way.” It is not a compliment to say a bird dog potters. She sniffs around and initially is more interested in where other dogs have peed than in where a bird may be found. That changes once she gets warmed up and she really is a different dog when we go running in bird covers. Her other shortcoming still is in “retrieving to hand.” It is really taking a long time to get to the next level in that part of the game. She finds and retrieves birds but usually drops them before bringing them right to me. We are making slow progress but my commitment to make her the best she can be is still driving me. We are, however, getting close to the wire!

Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the Mahar Fish’N Game Club, counselor and director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, former Connecticut Valley District representative on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.