By Sherman Shifflett
Robert Runnett, of Mineral took this nice Louisa County gobbler Thursday morning, April 19. The big bird weighed 20 lbs., 8 oz. and had a 10″ beard.
Robert is a good hunter. I was hunting with him last fall when he took a black bear with bow. The following morning he tagged a wall-hanger buck. A few weeks ago he nailed a coyote.
His dad, Lloyd, ran track and cross-country for me at Louisa County High School. He had an appropriate name -“Runnett”. Lloyd is also a good hunter. The Runnett’s are like family to me.
Spring turkey hunters tell me that since the coyotes came around, the wild turkeys have adjusted. They don’t respond to yelping as much. They won’t leave the roost and land in a thicket; rather they fly to open areas. They’re also gathering in larger flocks (more eyes) for additional protection.
Coyotes have learned to respond to yelping by spring hunters. The coyotes run in, expecting a warm breakfast, but instead receive a “warm” reception of birdshot.
One of my hunt clubs (Gold Mine HC) killed 15 coyotes last fall. GM has about 35 members and leases 4,000 acres. The other hunt club (Fox Run) in the eastern part of the county killed just a few. FR has 25 members and leases 2,000 acres. Bell’s X HC and Byrd Mill HC (Ferncliff area) killed a pile of “yotes”. I only saw one coyote at Fox Run.
I’m worried about wild turkeys here. They made an amazing recovery. When I was a kid we never saw a wild turkey. I saw my first deer in the wild during the mid-50’s. With the coyotes here now, plus so many hardwood trees being cut and replaced with pines, turkeys will have a more difficult time surviving. They need the mast (acorns, beech nuts, etc) to make it. Not much food for them in the pines.
Hearing tom turkeys gobble in the spring is exciting, but calling them away from turkey hens is a real challenge.