The Virginia 2012 spring gobbler season is fast approaching. The first day is April  14, 2012 and ends on May 5, 2012. During this time hunters can hunt from 30 mins before sunrise until noon each day.

Then on May 7th through May 19th your permitted to hunt from 30 minutes before sunrise until sunset.

The bag limit is one bearded turkey per day per hunter and the season bag limit is currently 3 per season in our county.

Spring gobbler season brings out the most hunters in Virginia second only to deer season. Hunting the Virginia  spring gobbler test the metal of hunters everywhere. Turkeys are very clever and hard to get close enough to. Unlike other game, it take time, patience and work to get a gobbler to come into range.

When your hard work pays off and you get that trophy tom… your heart races faster than when you have buck fever. Every Virginia hunter wants to show off his trophy and keep the memory alive.

Here are a few tips on how to mount your trophy:

Go test your hunting skills while hunting spring gobblers and take a child with you.

IN VIRGINIA

SPRING GOBBLER SEASON IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.  BELOW YOU WILL FIND THE DATES FOR TURKEY HUNTING IN VIRGINIA.

Bag Limit:

One per day, bearded turkeys only. Hunters may take one, two, or three bearded turkeys depending on how many turkeys were taken in the fall season.

Seasons: Statewide

April 14 through May 5, 2012:

• One-half hour before sunrise until 12 noon each day.
May 7 through May 19, 2012:

• One-half hour before sunrise to sunset.

by Ryan Taylor

Many times people fail to make the correct decision when deciding to hunt whitetails on the ground or in the tree. There are many determining factors to consider when you have the options to do either one. Stand hunting is what many hunters prefer. They will tell you they live and die by the tree stand. Other hunters are such great artists that they can hide a blind by covering it up with leaves, branches, grasses, corn stalks, and even plain sticks. I guess you could say time plays an important role in choosing each hunting location.

For stand hunting, hunters typically stay between two and five hours. Very rarely do stand hunters stay in the stand all day long. Blind hunters tend to stay in the stand for a lengthier amount of time. Comfort plays a big role in stand hunting and blind hunting as well. You are able stretch out and get much more comfortable in a blind versus a tree stand where you can only stand up to stretch. Time also plays a role in set-up. Setting up a blind and then “brushing” it in takes some time and patience. Basically blending in is of optimum importance when blind hunting. Stand hunting, however, has become more and more popular as the years go by. They are quick to set up, and easy to use. Many hunters can have a stand up in a tree in a matter of minutes. Blending in is also important because a hunter will stick out if they are bigger round than the tree itself.

Some hunters believe on windy days you should stick to a blind or hunting house while others believe the higher you get in the tree the more likely your smell will stay high and travel away. When the winds are down or non-existent, those are the times many hunters love to be high in a tree. On these days, I don’t really care how cold it is, I want to be at a vantage point where I can see the most area or woods possible.

Many hunters also argue that successful bow hunting can’t be done on the ground. This is neither something I have been successful at nor something I enjoy doing. I have seen many deer while bow hunting on the ground, but have always had my luck run out before a shot could be taken. I’m sure we’ve all seen professional deer hunters on television who shoot big bucks and nice does from a blind. This never ceases to amaze me! Most of my bow hunting is done on stand. When winds are up and it’s still nice out, typically I’m stick to my stand when bow hunting.

Tree and ground hunting are two totally different vantage points while hunting whitetail deer. Both have some perks and both have some downfalls. Every hunter has to keep in mind what type of weapon they are using and what location they are going to be most successful at. Most hunters also forget that while their blind may be camouflaged to the gills, they still have to set it out way before the season starts if they plan on not brushing it in. Blinds are a nice addition to any hunter’s gear, but typically they make the hunter think about where to place the blind so that they aren’t too close to a trail or too far away. Stands on the other hand, allow more of a forgiveness factor when considering where to place them. Since you are up in the air and out of sight of deer, you have more room for error when it comes to trails and bedding areas being directly below you.

These days there are hundreds of professional hunters on television talking about deer smelling sense and wind direction. It is important for the deer hunter to know what the weather is going to be doing while they’re hunting. If you wash yourself in scent free soap, use scent free detergent for your clothes and spray yourself and your gear down with scent free spray before hunting, deer are going to miss your human scent more times than not. Every year there are hunters who spend hundreds of dollars in gadgets and high priced camo that are supposed to help them be scent free. Scent control is extremely important in either hunting condition; it just depends on how much you want to spend. Take into consideration your smell when blind hunting or stand hunting. Typically, if in a blind, you’re going to be able to control how much wind hits you and carries your smell away. However, it is important to remember that you should still use your scent control techniques. Stand hunting is different. You are in the element and the wind hits your directly. Therefore your smell gets carried away. However, your smell is on a higher plain than when you are on the ground. More times than not, if you are high enough in a tree, your smell will stay high and not be detected on the ground.

Considering the pros and cons of both of these hunting situations is important. Pick what’s best for you. If you have a lot of tree cover and wooded area, hunting in a stand may be just for you. If you have a lot of open area or foot plots, then hunting in a blind may be the best. Either way, just get out and enjoy hunting. Hunting is a sport that takes common sense. Use yours and you’ll be sure to pick the right tool to hunt with.

Ryan Taylor
Born in Columbia, Missouri in 1980 and grew up in the small town of Cairo, Missouri. Currently I live with my wife (we are expecting baby #2) and 2 year old son in Moberly, Missouri. I have hunted whitetail deer religiously for 6 years now…

In the following section I am going to explain a variety of whitetail deer calls that are used in today’s modern hunting world. When deer calls are used correctly it can improve your hunting experience. Research has shown when you are able to speak the deer language they may react and move in for a closer look. However a deer call will not be your solution if you have bad hunting skills. They are simply an aid to help increase your chances when other tactics fail. Be very careful in blind calling (when no deer are visible). Deer will approach from a downwind position to increase their chances of catching the scent of the noise maker. I also included a deer decoy with the descriptions of the deer calls. Though technically speaking a decoy is not a call, I think it works best when used as a combination tactic with a grunt tube or rattling techniques.

The Grunt Tube

When using a grunt tube you are trying to reproduce a communication sound all deer make. Usually the deer makes soft contact grunt to tell another deer “Hey come check this out”. A heavier, louder grunt can be made by bucks when fighting over an estrus doe, or when fighting over their territorial rights. Most hunters use a grunt tube to try and bring in a dominant buck in the area. Be careful. The deer will move in looking and scent checking for the source of the noise. If he doesn’t spot you or smell you, your chance at a buck just increased. You can also use the buck grunt to try and stop a buck that is moving through your shooting lanes, or to bring one in a little closer so that you can get a shot.

Doe Bleat

A doe bleat is also a communication call for the whitetail deer. Short bleats are used by mothers to keep their young close by. A louder and longer bleat is used by does that are very close to coming into heat. Sometimes you can get a buck to answer your doe bleat with a soft grunt. That is his version of saying “Stop, I will be right there”. If you choose to blind call I would recommend doing so with the bleat first. It is a very simple call to make and leaves less room for error when a young hunter is trying to reproduce the deer language.

Rattling

Rattling is the term used for when you are trying to reproduce the sound of bucks fighting. You can buy rattle bags or use an old set of horns to reproduce this sound. Buck fights heat up in times of the rut. They may be fighting over a hot estrus doe or battling with each other over their home turf. When a hunter uses a rattle call it can bring in other deer in the area. Bucks will sometimes respond to it out of just plain curiosity or dominance.

Decoys

A deer decoy is a real life sized plastic deer. You can get mature bucks, small bucks or does. Put a little extra money in it and you can purchase a fully animated deer that will do life like actions such as tail and head movements. For safety reasons cover your deer in blaze orange when carrying your decoy to and from your hunting area. The decoy is used to distract the incoming deer to focus on the fake deer instead of you. You can also place various scents on the deer. For example doe-in-heat or a dominant buck scent to further entice the deer to move closer to the decoy. If you’re a blind caller that rattles and grunts it will possibly increase your chances because the incoming deer can relate to where the deer language was coming from.

Electronic Calls

Most electronic calls come standard with all common deer sounds. They are small hand held devices that transmit the sound you want through a speaker system. Be sure and check your regulations of the state you will be hunting in. Some states do not allow electronic calls to be used when hunting big game like the whitetail deer.