Turkeys in the National Forest

In 1988, I killed my first spring gobbler, and the location of that momentous event was a patch of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest (GWJNF) in Roanoke County. Today although I own rural property and have access to numerous private parcels, I still include several sections of the GWJNF in my rotation of places to hunt every spring. Moreover, I’ve taken six toms from the national forest during the past decade.

If you’re new to turkey, deer, or any kind of hunting, just don’t have a place to go, or have just moved to the state, the some 1.7 million acres of the GWJNF is a viable destination for this spring and beyond. Ken Rago of Buchanan faced the latter situation in 2007 when he retired from his job with U.S. Forest Service. Obviously familiar with the hunting opportunities on other state’s public lands from working with the Service, Rago knew he could find some places where he and his son Chris could go afield.

Here are the steps Ken took and that you can too.

·      Log onto the web site of our country’s national forests: http://www.fs.fed.us. Go to the “By Name” section and find and click on the GWJNF.

·      Next, go to the “Maps & Publications” section and select the map of the Ranger District closest to your home or where you would like to explore. And, here’s one of the great things about hunting in the GWJNF. Those 1.7 million acres extend from far Southwest Virginia near the Tennessee and Kentucky lines (a small portion of the GWJNF extends into Kentucky and three WMAs of it lie in West Virginia) all the way north to Northern Virginia. If you live just about anywhere in Western Virginia (in the Virginia Game Department’s terminology “West of the Blue Ridge”) or even in much of the Old Dominion’s Piedmont, you’re within easy driving distance of the GWJNF.

·      Under the “Maps & Publications” section, click on “Ranger District Offices.” There you will find the names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of all the local offices. Although you can e-mail a list of questions you would like answered, Rago recommends that you call the district you are interested in hunting and ask for someone knowledgeable about hunting opportunities and recent management activities. Here are some questions to ask.

·      Where have recent timber cutting operations taken place? Game animals such as deer, turkeys, and bears naturally are attracted to where logging has occurred and where fresh growth has taken place. Turkey hens like to nest around the perimeters of clearcuts, and the gobblers follow.

·      Where have recent controlled burns taken place? This is another management activity that will draw wildlife looking to take advantage of fresh growth.

·      Where have recent timber thinning operations taken place? When a forest is thinned, the remaining trees, often hard and soft mast producers like oaks and dogwoods for example, can spread their crowns and produce more food for wildlife.

·      How much hunting pressure does this ranger district receive? You don’t want to go to a place overrun with other hunters. The good news is that there’s so much acreage to explore, chances are very good that you can find your own sweet spot. Plus, most people these days prefer to hunt on private land where they either have permission to do so or have leased it. Ken Rago told me that he likes to hike far enough back into the national forest where he can’t hear traffic. Then he figures for sure that he will have the spot to himself.

·      The next step is to plan a pre-season scouting expedition to the parcel you have chosen. You won’t necessarily have to hear or see turkeys to ascertain if a spot has potential, although obviously having visual or audio confirmation that turkeys are about is a very good thing. Coming across such turkey sign as scratching, feathers, and droppings (the males have J-shaped scat, the females have droppings that look like piled up popcorn) is just as good.

·      Preparing for the hunt. Rago suggests that national forest hunters have in their possession either a compass or GPS and having both would not be a bad idea. It’s also wise to go with a friend and have a backpack with such items as a cell phone, maps, food, water, extra clothes, raingear, knife, and first aid kit.

·      Insider tips. When I am scouting out a section of the national forest, I don’t like to trek into the hinterlands on the very first foray. Explore and become familiar with sections near where you park first, then gradually venture farther afield. Also, one of my favorite gambits is to approach a farmer or other rural landowner who owns land adjacent to a national forest parcel. I explain to this individual that I am not interested in hunting his place, but could I access the national forest by parking on his land, then walking across it to reach the public land. Some of the most game-filled sections of the national forest are on those sections that border private land, plus they often receive little hunting pressure.

Summing Up
Ken Rago moved to Buchanan in August of 2007, did his research on the GWJNF and by November both he and his son Chris had killed trophy bucks on this public land. Your results during the upcoming spring gobbler season or future deer, bear, or other seasons might not be that spectacular, but be assured that some good hunting exists in what is often called the “People’s Forest.”